LILIACEAE - Genus of about 100 species of bulbous perennials found in a range of habitats from woodland to open meadows, distributed throughout the temperate regions of the N. hemisphere particularly the Mediterranean, SW Asia and W. North America.
F. imperialis (Crown Imperial). Bulbous perennial bearing whorls of lance-shaped, light green leaves, 3-7 in. long. Umbels of 3-6, sometimes up to 8, bell-shaped, pendant, orange, yellow or red flowers to 2 1/2 in. long, crowned by a cluster of upright, leaf-like bracts, are produced in late spring. The bulbs have a distinctive skunky odor. They may grow to 3 feet in height in Zones 5-9.
The three pics below are from April 2001. In 2002, they came up a bit, but then just keeled over.
Here are my prizes in 2003.
