Fritillaria imperialis Aurora (Crown Imperial)

Fritillaria imperialis Aurora (Crown Imperial) – orange-red, tall, exotic looking and regal. Crown Imperials make wonderful feature plants in any flowerbed. Usually flowering around the Easter holidays, between mid-March and mid May.

Planting Fritllaria bulbs

Fritillaria are fully hardy perennials, they should be planted between September and December, while fresh. If you’re not ready to plant them as soon as you receive them, you should store them in a cool, dry place with good air circulation.

Like most bulbs, fritillaries will perform best in well-drained, well-composted soil and a sunny or lightly shaded position. If your soil is heavy, or has a high clay content, it will help your bulbs if you incorporate plenty of compost and some grit or sand as you plant to aid drainage.

Plant around 1-2 times as deep as the bulb is high, Crown Imperials don’t have a pointed end, they should be planted with the dipped or hollow side facing upwards.

Cover over with soil or compost. If the soil is very dry, water them in to settle them. They will not require watering through the winter unless the soil becomes dry. They might require water in spring if it is warm and the soil dries out.

Once they have finished flowering, deadhead them, but allow the leaves and stem to die back or turn yellow before cutting back, as these feed the bulb ready to flower again the following year.