Most of our gardeners believe that such a popular and growing flower in almost every summer cottage, the Tsar’s crown, which is also called imperial hazel grouse, has been decorating Russian gardens since ancient times. The plant is really popular, and in spring in the sun you can often see yellow, red and orange "palm trees with bells" or "inverted lilies", as the people call this flower.
Despite this, many gardeners ask themselves questions about whether they planted a royal crown flower, why it doesn’t bloom, how to care for and water it, how and when to feed it. We will try to tell in more detail about this beautiful plant and the features of its planting and cultivation.
Why was he called that?
Before considering the biological and agrotechnical features of the cultivation of imperial hazel grouse, we will examine its names. For the first time in botanical literature, this plant was mentioned in 1570 under the name Corona imperialis (imperial crown) because of the upper, highly raised leaves, resembling a crown in shape, crowning bright bells. In Latin, the flower of the royal crown, the photo of which you see below, is called "fritillaria", which means "a glass for dice" or "chessboard".
Such names are associated both with color and with the shape of flowers in the form of inverted lilies. In most European countries, this plant is known as Mary's tears, as large drops of nectar protrude at the base of its flowers. But the British call it dull tulips or a widow's veil. In Russia, the royal crown was sometimes called a paradise tree, but most know this plant as a hazel grouse due to its similarity to this bird of the grouse family.
Flower in the legend
Unusual for some reason, plants, including fritillaria, are usually surrounded by legends and traditions that explain their extravagant and unusual appearance. A legend is circulated in Europe about why the royal crown (flower) “looks” with its bells into the ground. According to her, this plant was in the Garden of Gethsemane during the arrest of Jesus Christ after the betrayal of Judah, while its bells were snow-white and rushed to the sky.
When the Savior, leaving his disciples, went to pray alone, all the flowers around him bowed their heads to the earth itself, but only the royal crown remained standing straight and proudly. When Christ was taken into custody, his eyes fell on this plant. His gaze was filled with such sadness and sadness that fritillaria could not stand it and, bowing its flowers, “burst” with the paint of shame. Since then, the bells in her are directed down and painted in red.
Botanical Description
Having dealt with the names and legend of the imperial hazel grouse, let's look at its biological features. It belongs to the Liliacea family, the genus Fritillaria (Fritillaria). Under natural conditions, the imperial hazel grouse grows in Asia Minor, the Mediterranean, in the Iranian and Afghan mountains and foothills. Prefers areas with good spring moisture and hot, dry summers.
The flower of the royal crown is a perennial bulbous plant that can grow up to 1.5 meters. Its onion is large and consists of several fused fleshy scales. Some of them carry kidneys in their sinuses, which, under favorable conditions, can develop into new baby bulbs. In the spring, the aerial part grows from the bulb - the stem, with narrowly linear or elongated-lanceolate leaves up to 10 cm wide and 20 cm long. In the middle zone, by early May, under favorable weather conditions, the imperial hazel grouse grows to 1-1.5 meters and blooms . After May bloom, already at the very beginning of summer, the aerial part of this flower dries up, and the bulb “falls asleep”. In late summer - early autumn, the bulb "wakes up", begins to grow roots and forms an shoot for the next year, after which it "falls asleep" again for the whole winter.
Flowering features
The color of the grouse's petals, depending on the variety, can be orange, yellow, brown-red. As a rule, in the inflorescence there are six bells facing down, the diameter of which can reach 10 and a length of 5 cm. Now there are varieties in which the buds are not arranged in one but in two rows.
Petals of orange and
reddish-brown flowers along the middle vein and also outside at the base quite often have small “strokes” of a rich
burgundy color. A few days after opening, the flowers begin to diverge to the sides. In the first summer month, the royal crown (flower) forms hexagonal fruits, similar in size to the flowers - boxes filled with seeds. As they ripen, the seed capsules crack, but the seeds do not crumble, as the fruits are directed upwards.
We buy planting material
If nobody grows fritillaria among neighbors and acquaintances, then buying the bulbs of this perennial will not be difficult. Today they are sold at a variety of flower shows, specialized breeding stations, garden centers and shops. But before you buy your favorite variety, remember the following nuances:
- Do not overpay for bulbs of new and fantastically colored varieties. The price is several times higher than that of classic varieties, and as a result, the imperial hazel grouse will grow orange or yellow.
- It is important to remember that forming the flower bulb the royal crown, the photo of which you see, can be of different sizes.Just buy those that are smaller than 4 cm in diameter is not worth it, as the ripening in our conditions can last a long time, you simply will not see flowering in the next few years.
- Blooms in the first year after planting only planting material, the diameter of which exceeds 6 cm, in all other cases it will take several years to grow.
- Many gardeners are confused by the hole in the center of the bulb. However, this is not a defect or marriage, but the place where last year's flower stalk grew from.
- A rather harsh and specific smell coming from the bulb is a normal occurrence, as the plant protects itself from rodents.
Preparing a place
Planting material was bought, you need to choose a place where to plant it correctly, so that the plant develops well and annually pleases with its flowering. In fact, the Tsar’s Crown is a flower, the cultivation of which will not bring a lot of problems and special expenses of time and effort. For the imperial hazel grouse, a place is suitable both in the sun and in partial shade, warm and protected from drafts. It is desirable that the soil is fertile and loose. If the site has heavy soils, good drainage is necessary, since this plant does not tolerate excessive waterlogging. Experts recommend using river sand and rotted compost at the rate of 10-15 kg per square meter for loosening and improving heavy soils.
Flowers "Tsar's Crown": planting and care
In the middle zone, fritillarium bulbs are planted in September-October, immediately after purchase in a store. If you have planting material of your own or obtained from other gardeners, then after new roots begin to form.
Before planting, it is advisable to treat the bulb with a solution of phytosporin or potassium permanganate. You can also sprinkle new roots with a root stimulant or crushed charcoal. It is very important to plant the bulbs at a sufficient depth:
- adults, with a diameter of more than 6 cm - from 25 to 30 cm;
- requiring growing - 15–20 cm;
- small children - 5-10 cm, depending on the size.
The distance between plantings should be at least 20, and better, all 30 cm. All plantings should be mulled or covered with leaves in anticipation of winter.
Are we planting seeds?
In addition to propagation by bulbs-children, it is possible to grow a flower from the seeds of the Tsar’s Crown. Growing it in this way is quite lengthy, the plants obtained in this way will bloom in about six to seven years. The seeds of the imperial hazel grouse are recommended to be sown in soil immediately after harvesting, deepening them by one cm, into furrows about 10 cm wide, keeping the same distance between rows. If everything was done correctly, then in the spring of next year, seedlings will appear. Seedlings should be fed annually with complex fertilizers. From the age of two, bulbs must be dug up and dried thoroughly annually.
How to care?
The Tsar’s Crown flower does not require special care. It should only be remembered that this plant develops very quickly in a fairly short period of time, for beautiful annual flowering of fritillaria it must be fertilized.
Almost any top dressing is suitable for this flower, with the exception of concentrated foliar, which can cause burns to foliage. If you do not plan on seed propagation of this plant, then immediately after the petals have fallen and the fruit-box is tied, they should be removed so that the bulb accumulates nutrients.
In the middle zone, imperial grouse is still better to shelter for the winter. For this, straw, spruce or pine spruce branches, reeds, laid in a layer of at least 30 cm, are suitable. Plants can be covered only after steady negative temperatures occur. In early spring, shelter is removed.
By all rules, the royal crown after yellowing the stem must be excavated annually. But the experience of many gardeners shows that plants do not particularly suffer from digging every three to four years. Such a deviation from the rules does not affect the height of the plant and the quality of its flowering.