Crown imperial fritillary is a perennial, 3 to 4 foot tall, flowering bulb that is native to Western Asia and part of the Middle East and typically found in the wild on rocky slopes and hummus rich soils. The genus name is from the Latin word for a dice box and refers to the checkerboard pattern on the petals of another species, F. meleagris . The species name of this plant refers to the plant's circle of flowers, similar to an emperor's crown . Crown imperial fritillaries are easy to grow in fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny site. It does well in heavy soil or dry soil and, once the fragile bulbs are planted, they should be left undisturbed. Once established, the plant is drought-tolerant. Bulbs are cold-hardy and should be planted in the fall in an area that retains moisture throughout the year, about 9 to 12 inches apart, 1 per square foot, to a depth of 6 inches to base of the bulb. Plant the bulbs on their sides to keep water from the stem hole, a situation that could cause bulb rot. Bulbs appreciate a good winter mulch. The plant is very ornamental and produces fragrant orange and yellow blooms in spring. The foliage is also attractive and fragrant, but dies back by early summer as the plant goes dormant. The fragrance is said by some to smell of garlic, others feel it is closer to a fox and the odour is said to repel other wildlife. Use in containers. mass planted, borders and rock gardens. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: As noted, the plant can become a victim of bulb rot. The plants are also susceptible to leaf spot, rust and mosaic virus.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Undulate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves (to 6 inches long) with wavy margins appear in whorls around the lower half of the stem.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Bell
Flower detail
Showy, fragrant, blooms appear in mid-spring, April/May, and into June. Each stem is topped with orange or red, drooping, bell-shaped flowers, each with a tuft of leaf-like bracts.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Each bulb produces a 4 foot tall, straight, flowering stem.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Western Asia, Southern Turkey and Iran to the Western Himalaya