Fritillaria imperialis

Acanthaceae

Crown imperial

Herbaceous plant to 1.5m high, arising from a bulb. Glossy, pale-green lanceolate leaves occur in whorls. The pendant and bell-shaped flowers are yellow, orange or red, 5cm long and crowned with small bracts.

Uses

Ornamental flower suitable for cottage gardens and garden beds.

Border plants, container plants, rockeries, meadow gardens, greenhouse plants, grassy banks and lawn plants.

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Culture

Suitable for full sun or semi-shade in cool and temperate climates. Prefers fertile and well-drained soil that is dry in summer. Frost tolerant. Plants grown from seed sown in autumn will take some years to flower.

Propagation

They may be grown from seeds planted in summer when ripe straight after harvesting. Seedlings emerge the following spring. In cooler climates they are best kept in a cold frame for the first year before planting out. They generally take 4 to 6 years to flower.

Cultivars

No information available at this time...

Plant Health

There are no particular problems with diseases although the plants may be eaten by the lily beetle and its larvae which can decimate them.

More info

There are around 85 to 130 species of this genus, all of which originate from the Northern Hemisphere.