Saturday, April 8, 2006

Orange Crown Imperial - This unusual spring-flowering bulb makes a stunning accompaniment to tulips and daffodils. The Fritillaria imperialis Aurora features orange-red, bell-shaped flowers up to 3" across, growing in a cluster of six to eight flowers which, together, form the shape of a crown. Seldom seen in modern gardens, this bulb has been cultivated since the 17th century. What's more, in addition to its beautiful flowers, this variety's bulbs have been shown to keep moles and rodents away. Zones 3-8. 20+ cm bulbs.

This is the latest mysterious flower to bloom in Robin's Garden! Remember when it first broke through the ground I said it looked like an artichoke? I went to Brecks.com where she ordered most of her bulbs and looked it up under their Plant Finder and voila! They also come in a red, too. Striking, isn't it? I need to stake it as it's already 2 feet tall and was leaning this morning. This is so exciting.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful flower. And a nice bonus if it keeps moles and rodents away.

Cas

Shirl said...

What a gorgeous flower! And it keeps moles and rodents away? What about woodchucks?

The treasure hunt goes on.