Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Crown Imperial bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Crown Imperial, Imperial Fritillary, Kaiser's Crown (Fritillaria imperialis).

More about crown imperial

About Crown Imperial

Fritillaria imperialis · also called Crown Imperial, Imperial Fritillary · flowering

A majestic, tall spring bulb producing whorls of pendant orange, red, or yellow bell-shaped flowers crowned by a topknot of leafy bracts on robust stems reaching up to 1.2 m. Native to mountain meadows from Turkey to the Himalayas. A statement plant for spring borders; bulbs have a distinctive musky odour said to deter rodents. Hardy in zones 5–9.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to re-flower after first year: Occurs when foliage is removed too early, the site is too shady, or bulbs are moved too often. Allow foliage to die back completely, plant in a permanent full-sun position, and avoid lifting unless dividing. A summer baking of the bulb in warm soil is critical for flowering.

The reasons crown imperial isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming crown imperial traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding crown imperial a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get crown imperial to flower

Maximise sun. Give crown imperial the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for crown imperial and get the feeding right with the crown imperial fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Crown Imperial flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full crown imperial care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Crown Imperial blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my crown imperial flower?

Crown Imperial blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make crown imperial bloom?

Give crown imperial the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does crown imperial normally bloom?