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Fritillaria imperialis

Imperial Fritillary · Kaiser's Crown · Crown Imperial

Family LiliaceaeGenus Fritillaria

Tall stems carrying a ring of pendent yellow bells beneath a crown of upright leaves, beside a brick path
The whole plantNo machine-readable author provided. Magalhães assumed (based on copyright claims).Public domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
BulbExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
bulbous geophytePlants of the World Online
Height
3-4 ft0.9-1.2 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
1-1.5 ft30-45 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Gold/Yellow, Orange, Red/BurgundyExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Türkiye, West HimalayaGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
5-8Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally DryExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Imperialis means of the emperor, for its ring of flowers like an emperor's crown. In flower it has a distinctly foxy smell that repels mice, moles and other small animals. Wikipedia: Fritillaria imperialis
  • Pollinated by birds, a rare case at northern latitudes: in Europe blue tits, great tits and warblers have been seen pollinating it. Wikipedia: Fritillaria imperialis

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 9 months from start to step 4. Germination happens during step 4, in 21 days.

67% germination in 7–21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Fritillaria p. 144Public domain
Show the original text
Fritillaria (Liliaceae). This genus germ. primarily at 40. Sometimes this had to be preceded by a cycle at 70 making the species a 70-40 germinator. The seedlings did not always develop, and it is probable that this was the result of shifting them to 70 too suddenly. More study is needed on this problem. Some species showed intolerance to DS, particularly F. imperialis germ. 40-70-40-70(2/3 in 1-3 w) and none when started at 70.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Fritillaria p. 144. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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