Propagating Crown Imperials is actually pretty easy! Here’s how you can turn a few plants into a stunning floral display. With the right approach, you’ll soon have a gorgeous carpet of blooms adding that unique, regal flair to your backyard paradise.
There are two main ways to propagate Crown Imperials:
- Growing them from seeds
- Propagating by dividing the bulbs
Growing Crown Imperials from Seed
Once you’ve got Crown Imperials established in your garden, they tend to take care of themselves. They’ll naturally self-seed and spread around the area where they’re already growing. However, if you want to start a new patch somewhere else, you can collect the seeds yourself and sow them manually.
Here’s how to get those seeds started:
- Prep the seeds by chilling them in the refrigerator
- Fill a pot with seed-starting mix and plant your seeds
- Keep them in a warm spot and water regularly
- Transplant them outside once they’re big enough to handle the move
Just a heads-up: growing Crown Imperials from seed requires some serious patience. It can actually take several years before a seedling is mature enough to produce those iconic blooms. Also, keep in mind that these hardy perennials are “cold germinators.” This means the seeds need a cold snap to wake up. To mimic winter, just pop your seeds in the fridge for about a week before planting.
Propagating Crown Imperials from Bulbs
Most gardeners prefer using bulbs because it’s much faster. You can buy new ones at the nursery, but you can also just use what you already have! Under the soil, Crown Imperials are busy making “babies”—small offset bulbs that grow alongside the main mother bulb. Between July and September, you can gently dig these up and move them to a new spot during the planting season. This is definitely the go-to method for most of us looking to expand our garden.
