GLEAMING BELLS
With their nodding ruffled heads and glowing hues, crown imperial fritillaries bring welcome boldness to April borders
SNOWDROPS HAVE BEEN and gone, and hellebores have brought a much-needed shot of colour to borders reawakening after winter, but it is April when the garden truly comes alive. Bare branches on trees and shrubs burst into life, with unfurling leaves and clouds of blossom to lift the spirits; however, the real stars of the spring show are bulbs.
Daffodils and tulips are seasonal stalwarts, but, for a bulb with a difference, crown imperial fritillaries, Fritillaria imperialis, will certainly provide the wow factor. Fritillaries are members of the lily family, and there are more than 100 species. But it is the crown imperial that is the most exotic and flamboyant of these blooms, with its pineapple-shaped flower heads sitting atop statuesque stems adorning the garden in April and early May.
Crown imperials are hardy bulbs that are native to the mountainous areas of Turkey, Iran and Kashmir, where they grow at an altitude of 3,200-9,800ft (975-2,987m). In the wild, the flowers are normally an orange-red colour, but there are cultivars which range from scarlet through various shades of orange to yellow.
Lance-shaped, glossy, mid green leaves emerge in early spring, and sturdy, purple-brown stems rise up to 39in (1m) in height. On top of each stem sits a large whorl of downward-facing, bell-shaped flowers of approximately 2in (5cm) in length, with long, dangling stamens protruding from the bottom. Above the ring of flowers is a shaggy topknot of green, leaf-like bracts. The flowers last for three to four weeks in mid to late spring before the top growth dies back, and the bulb becomes dormant over summer.
Crown imperials are one of a few fritillaries that can form large colonies, and every spring on the Koohrang Plain, in western Iran, large numbers of these bulbs bloom in the foothills of snow-capped mountains, creating a spectacular sight. However, over-grazing, climate change and tourism threaten these plants with extinction.
Colourful history
The crown imperial is one of the oldest plants in cultivation in Europe, introduced to the gardens of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II in Vienna in the 1570s. The emperor was a passionate collector, who employed Carolus Clusius,
1526-1609, a French botanist, and Rembert Dodoens, 1517-1585, a Flemish botanist, to develop a garden. He requested his ambassadors send him the latest plant discoveries, which included the crown imperial from Turkey. Clusius went on to establish a botanic garden at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, now the world’s oldest botanic garden, where his development of bulb growing was the beginning of the Dutch bulb industry.
The crown imperial’s Latin name is believed to derive from the Latin ‘fritillus’, meaning ‘dice box’, which refers to the chequerboard pattern on the petals of the crown imperial’s cousin; the snake’s head fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris. The species name of imperialis is thought to originate either from the crown of leaves or possibly because of its links with the emperor.
The dramatic flowers caught the attention of artists. They were particularly popular with Dutch still life painters, such as Johannes Bosschaert, circa 1607-circa 1628, and Georgius van Os, 1782-1861; and Vincent Van Gogh painted Crown Imperials in a Copper Vase in 1886.
Crown imperials are also known as ‘tears of Mary’, because, in Christian tradition, it is said that while other flowers bowed their heads at the crucifixion of Jesus, the crown imperial refused. It now hangs its flowers in shame, and repentant ‘teardrops’ have formed inside the flowers. In Iran, where the bulb grows in the wild, legend has it that the plant, with its bowed flower heads and tears, is mourning the tragic death of Siavash, a prince from Persian literature.
These ‘teardrops’ are, in fact, large drops of nectar which sit at the base of each petal, and while the flowers are attractive to bees, they are also pollinated by birds. In a study at Cambridge University, it was discovered that Blue tits, which probe into the flower while hanging onto the main stem, were large enough and the right shape to make regular contact with both the anthers and stigma to enable pollination, making them the most northerly
bird-pollinated plants to have been identified so far.
Another, but rather less attractive, common name is the stink lily, which refers to the foxy or tomcat-like scent emitted by the bulbs, foliage and flowers. The odour, which some people find unpleasant, is caused by terpene: an aromatic chemical compound, which makes the crown imperial unattractive to mice and voles.
Best growing conditions
Ordering from a bulb specialist in early summer will result in the best choice, and unlike tulips, which do not need to be planted until November, it is also important to plant crown imperials early, in September, so that they have time to establish healthy roots.
Crown imperials need a sunny spot and have a preference for that tricky combination of a moisture-retentive, yet well-drained soil, but they often prove more adaptable. Improving the planting area, by incorporating garden compost or leaf mould, will aid moisture retention; drainage problems can be addressed by digging in some grit. If the soil is prone to waterlogging, crown imperials can be grown in large containers instead. Pots of 8in (20cm) or more in diameter should be chosen, using equal quantities of John Innes No. 3 and multipurpose, peat-free compost, with 20 per cent added grit, ensuring the mix is evenly distributed.
The bulbs are large, sometimes the size of a tennis ball, with a hollow central core, so it is advised to plant them on their sides to avoid water collecting in the centre, which will cause the bulb to rot. They should be planted deeply, at four to five times the depth of the bulb, and allowing 12in (30cm) between each one.
If crown imperials produce foliage, but fail to send up a flower shoot, it is most likely they have not been planted deeply enough. Feeding them with a high-potash fertiliser, such as liquid tomato feed, during the spring, once the foliage is a couple of inches tall, will encourage flowers the following spring, as will leaving the foliage to die back naturally. Covering with a thick mulch of compost or leaf mould in autumn will also improve the soil and provide the bulbs with nutrients.
Dealing with pests
If crown imperials fail to appear above ground in spring, it might be because slugs or snails got to them just as the foliage was pushing through the soil. Scattering wildlife-friendly slug pellets, which are metaldehyde-free, in February and March, will help to control slugs emerging after winter; covering the surface of pots with grit and using copper bands around the plants will also discourage them.
The main pest is the lily beetle: these distinctive, shiny red insects devour the foliage of lilies, including fritillaries. Not only does this make the plants look unattractive, it can also weaken them so much that the bulbs fail to develop properly and will not flower the following year. The beetles emerge on warm days in April, so plants should be inspected, particularly the undersides of leaves. Fortunately, both eggs and beetles are scarlet red, so are easy to recognise, and can be removed by hand, rather than resorting to chemicals. The beetles have a tendency to drop to the ground very easily and lie on their backs so that their black undersides blend in with the soil, making them hard to find. This can be avoided by holding a tray or saucer under the leaves and knocking them onto this before disposing of them. Chemical sprays are most effective on the eggs and larvae, as it is difficult to spray the adults. The instructions should be followed closely and the spray only used on a dry, still day to avoid it drifting onto other plants. Pesticides should not be used on plants that are in flower because of the danger posed to beneficial insects.
Recommended varieties
‘William Rex’ is perhaps the most dramatic of the orange crown imperials, with its aubergine-coloured stems combined with bronze-red and orange flowers atop tall stems at 36in (91cm) high. Other oranges, all growing to similar heights, include ‘Rubra’; ‘Garland Star’; ‘Slagzwaard’, with its deep, burnt umber blooms; and ‘Aurora’, which has bright orange petals, veined in red.
‘Striped Beauty’ has yellow bells, with orange-red stripes, and also reaches approximately 36in (91cm), while ‘Paradise Beauty’ is a new introduction, with pretty peachy-yellow flowers and is a little shorter, reaching 27in (69cm) in height. ‘April Flame’ has fabulous yellow petals streaked with flashes of orange that look like beautifully patterned tulips, and this variety is also one of the tallest at 42in (107cm).
‘Early Fantasy’ comes in sunset tones of deep orange and softer apricot hues, combined with dramatic dark brown, almost black, stems. It is also shorter, reaching approximately 27in (69cm), making it a good choice for pots.
The yellow blooms of ‘Maxima Lutea’ offer an alternative to orange and have bright green stems. And for extra interest, there are two with variegated foliage: ‘Argenteovariegata’, which has green leaves that are edged creamy-white, and ‘Aureomarginata’, where the leaf margins are golden yellow. Both have orange flowers, chocolate-coloured stems, and reach approximately 36in (91cm).
After the brown and grey of winter, the striking, bold blooms of crown imperials are just what is needed to enliven a spring garden; whether planted in drifts in the border or providing eye-catching displays in containers.
“in colour it is yellowish or to give you the true colour, which bywords otherwise cannot be expressed, if you lay sap berries in steep in fair water for the space of two hours, and mix a little saffron with that infusion, and lay it upon paper, it showeth the perfect colour to limn or illumine the flower withal”
John Gerard, description of the crown imperial in The Herball, 1597