Hardiness of Fritillaria
Imperial fritillary grows as far south as the tip of Florida (zone 10) north to the Ohio River valley, southeastern Pennsylvania and along the Atlantic seaboard into Connecticut (zone 5). It can not handle winters in regions where temperatures often dip lower than -5°F.
Locating and Planting Fritillaria
Plant fritillary bulbs in the fall. Choose top quality bulbs that are 20 centimeters or larger in diameter. Plant them promptly, since they tend to dry out. Choose a site that gets full sun or filtered light. They should not be crowded by other plants, shrubs or trees, either above or below the soil. Like all bulbs, fritillaries need well-drained soil to avoid rot problems that occur in soggy soil. If necessary build a raised bed with soil that has lots of organic matter in it to improve drainage. Plant bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep, 9 to 12 inches apart. With wide spacing these bulbs can be left alone for as long as ten years.
