Crown Imperial is a stately bulbous plant that commands attention in spring gardens, rising 3 to 4 feet tall with a thick, ramrod-straight stem topped by a crown of drooping, bell-shaped flowers in shades of orange, red, or yellow. These dramatic blooms are crowned with a distinctive pineapple-like tuft of leafy bracts, creating an almost architectural presence that feels almost sculptural in its precision. Lance-shaped green leaves with wavy margins spiral around the lower half of the stem, adding texture well before the flowers emerge. Thriving in hardiness zones 5 through 8, this species bulb flowers reliably in May and June with both fragrance and showiness that make it a commanding focal point.
Partial Sun
Moderate
5-8
48in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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The flowers are the true spectacle here: drooping, bell-shaped blooms in vivid orange, red, or yellow clustered beneath a crown-like tuft of green bracts that gives the plant its common name. Each stem emerges thick and stout from a single bulb, growing a full 3 to 4 feet tall with almost architectural precision. Deer and rabbits leave it untouched, and it even tolerates the allelopathic effects of black walnut trees, making it one of the few showy spring bulbs that can anchor difficult garden spots.
Crown Imperial is grown as an ornamental bulb for spring garden displays, prized specifically for its dramatic height, showy fragrant flowers, and striking architectural presence in borders and focal plantings.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant bulbs in fall 6 inches deep, spacing them 9 to 12 inches apart. Orient bulbs sideways to prevent water from collecting in the stem hole, which can cause bulb rot.
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