Crown imperial flowers pictures.

 BotanicalName: Fritillaria imperialis                          Common Name: Crown imperial                                      

 Native to Iran, Afghanistan and the foothills of the Himalayas, The flower grows 3 to 4 feet tall on a stalk that ends in a tuft of green fronds somewhat like palm trees with bright, vivid flowers hanging below. Crown Imperial flowers will survive and come up in the spring. They appear in April or May and bloom for about 3 weeks, 

 This species draws much attention with its striking gaiety of colour and form. Its large, bell-shaped flowers in shades of orange, yellow, and red dangle from tufts of shiny green leaf bracts. Sitting atop sturdy, 3-foot stalks, the flowers make a surprising and regal statement in the late spring garden.

 Care: These bulbous perennials needs fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Plant at four times their own depth. The hollow-centred bulbs do best planted on their sides and surrounded with sharp sand.

 Propagation: Sow seed in a cold frame in fall, provide winter cold treatment, and then move to cool greenhouse. Divide offsets in late summer.
Problems: Rust, leaf spot.

• 1
  Cultivate the soil in an area of the landscape that receives a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day. Till or turn the soil over 6 to 8 inches deep, then mix in 2 or 3 inches of compost, perlite or coarse sand. This helps promote good drainage, which is a must for crown imperial flowers.
• 2
  Dig holes that are 6 inches deep and spaced 6 to 12 inches apart.
• 3
  Sprinkle coarse sand in the grooves and holes of the bulbs. If water gets trapped in the bulbs, they will rot.
• 4
  Fill the hole with 1 inch of coarse sand, then set one bulb in each hole on its side. Cover the bulbs with 1 inch of sand.
• 5
  Backfill the soil to fill in the rest of the hole, tamping it lightly; do not pack the soil firmly. Water the area with 1 inch of water.
• 6
  Cover the area with 2 inches of mulch after the first freeze the first winter, especially in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 and 6.
• 7
  Remove mulch in the spring and water with 1/2 to 1 inch of water each week (when rain is scarce) from spring until summer. Prune faded flower stalks, but leave the foliage intact until fall or early winter. Prune them to the ground after they wither.

Each plant forms a single stalk that blooms a cluster of tubular flowers of striking colours including red, yellow and orange.