|
PRONOUNCED: frit-il-AR-ee-uh im-peer-ee-AL-is |
|||||||||||||
|
|
COMMON:
Crown imperial
April
- Orange, red or yellow.
COMMENTS:
Imposing when in flower, the tennis ball-sized
bulb produces glossy, straplike leaves up to
6-inches long on a lengthy stalk capped with a
dense crown of green leafy bracts. The bell-like,
2-1/2 inch flowers are clustered beneath. Requires
well-drained soil enriched with humus. The foliage
disappears by midsummer. New plantings should be
made in the fall and planted 8-inches deep. When
planting, be careful to avoid bruising the bulb as
it emits a skunk-like odor which probably prevents
wildlife from eating it! In my garden, I've
occasionally found the bulbs pushed out of the
soil, but left intact. The bulbs didn't repel
rodents; the rodents repelled the bulbs. |
