Most of our gardeners believe that such a popular and growing in almost every summer cottage flower royal crown, which is also called imperial hazel grouse, has been decorating Russian gardens for a long time. The plant is really popular, and in the spring in the sun you can often see yellow, red and orange "bell palms" or "inverted lilies", as the people call this flower.
Despite this, many gardeners are wondering if they planted the royal crown flower correctly, why it does not bloom, how to care for and water it, how and when to feed it. We will try to tell you more about this beautiful plant and the features of its planting and cultivation.
Why was it named like that?
Before we consider the biological and agrotechnical features of growing hazel grouse, let's look at its names. For the first time in botanical literature, this plant is mentioned in 1570.year called Corona imperialis (imperial crown) because of the upper, highly raised leaves, resembling a crown in shape, crowning with bright bells. In Latin, the flower of the royal crown, the photo of which you see below, is called "fritillaria", which means "glass for dice" or "chessboard".
Such names are associated with both the color and 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 from the base of its flowers. But the British call dull tulips or widow's veil. In Russia, the royal crown flower was sometimes called the tree of paradise, but most people know this plant as hazel grouse because of its resemblance 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 explaining their extravagant and unusual appearance. In European countries, there is a legend about why the royal crown (flower) “looks” with its bells at the ground. According to her, this plant was in the Garden of Gethsemane during the arrest of Jesus Christ after the betrayal of Judas, 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 ground itself, but only the royal crownremained standing straight and proud. When Christ was taken into custody, his eyes fell on this plant. His gaze was filled with such sadness and melancholy that the fritillaria could not stand it and, bending its flowers, “blushed” with shame. Since then, her bells have been pointing down and colored red.
Botanical description
Having de alt with the names and the legend of the imperial hazel grouse, let's look at its biological features. It belongs to the Lily family (Liliacea), the genus Fritillaria (Fritillaria). Under natural conditions, the imperial hazel grouse grows in Asia Minor and Central Asia, the Mediterranean, in the Iranian and Afghan mountains and foothills. Prefers areas with good spring moisture and hot, dry summers.
Royal crown flower is a perennial bulbous plant that can grow up to 1.5 meters. Its bulb is large and consists of several fused fleshy scales. Some of them carry buds in their sinuses, which, under favorable conditions, can develop into new baby bulbs. The aerial part grows from the bulb in spring - the stem, with narrow-linear or elongated-lanceolate leaves up to 10 wide and up to 20 cm long.. After the May flowering, already at the very beginning of summer, the aerial part of this flower dries up, and the bulb "falls asleep". At the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, the bulb “wakes up”, begins to grow roots and forms an escape for the next year, after which it “falls asleep” again forall winter.
Features of flowering
The color of the petals of the hazel grouse, depending on the variety, can be orange, yellow, brown-red. As a rule, there are six downward-facing bells in the inflorescence, the diameter of which can reach 10, and the length is 5 cm. Now there are already varieties in which the buds are arranged not in one, but in two rows.
Petals of orange and reddish-brown flowers along the midrib, as well as 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, close in size to flowers - boxes filled with seeds. As the seed pods ripen, they crack, but the seeds do not crumble, as the fruits are directed upwards.
Buy planting material
If no one grows fritillaria among neighbors and acquaintances, then it will not be difficult to buy bulbs of this perennial. Today they are sold at a variety of flower shows, specialized breeding stations, garden centers and shops. But before you buy the variety you like, remember the following nuances:
- Don't overpay for new and fantastically colored bulbs. The price is several times higher than that of the classic varieties, and as a result, the imperial hazel grouse will grow orange or yellow in color.
- It is important to remember that to form bulbs is the flower of the royal crown, the photo of which yousee, maybe different sizes.
- Blossoms in the first year after planting only planting material whose diameter 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 a marriage, but the place where last year's peduncle grew from.
- A rather sharp and specific smell emanating from the bulb is normal, so the plant protects itself from rodents.
But it’s not worth buying those that are less than 4 cm in diameter, since ripening in our conditions can last a long time, you simply won’t see flowering in the next few years.
Preparing the place
Planting material purchased, you need to choose a place where to plant it correctly so that the plant develops well and pleases with its flowering every year. In fact, the "Royal Crown" is a flower, the cultivation of which will not bring many problems and special expenditures 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, then good drainage is necessary, as this plant does not tolerate excessive waterlogging. Experts recommend using river sand and rotted compost for loosening and improving heavy soils at the rate of 10-15 kg per square meter.
Flowers "Royal Crown": planting and care
In the conditions of the middle lane, fritillaria bulbs are plantedin September-October, immediately after the purchase in the store. If you have your own planting material or received from other gardeners, then after new roots begin to form.
Before planting, it is advisable to treat the bulbs with a solution of phytosporin or potassium permanganate. You can also sprinkle new roots with a root stimulator or crushed charcoal. It is very important to plant the bulbs deep enough:
- adults over 6 cm in diameter - 25 to 30 cm;
- requiring growing - 15–20 cm;
- small babies - 5-10 cm, depending on size.
The distance between plantings should be at least 20, and preferably all 30 cm. All plantings should be mulched or covered with leaves in anticipation of winter.
Planting seeds?
In addition to reproduction by baby bulbs, it is possible to grow a flower from the seeds of the "Royal Crown". Growing it in this way is quite long, the plants obtained in this way will bloom in six to seven years. Seeds of imperial hazel grouse are recommended to be sown in the ground immediately after harvest, deepening them by one cm, into furrows about 10 cm wide, maintaining the same distance between rows. If everything was done correctly, seedlings will appear next spring. Seedlings should be fed annually with complex fertilizers. From the age of two, the bulbs must be dug up annually and dried thoroughly.
How to properly care?
Flower "Royal Crown" no special carerequires. It should only be remembered that this plant develops very quickly in a fairly short period of time, for a beautiful annual flowering of fritillaria, it must be fertilized.
This flower is suitable for almost any top dressing, with the exception of concentrated foliar, which can cause foliage burns. If you do not plan seed propagation of this plant, then immediately after the petals fall and the fruit-boxes are set, they should be removed so that the bulb accumulates nutrients.
In the conditions of the middle lane, imperial hazel grouse is still better to cover 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 the onset of stable negative temperatures. In early spring, the shelter is removed.
According to all the rules, the royal crown after the yellowing of the stem must be dug up annually. But the experience of many flower growers 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.
