Crown imperial · Tangier, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco
When to sow crown imperials in Tangier
Main outdoor window
not outdoors here
The window this page is built around.
Timed from last spring frost
no spring frost
In Tangier, on your chosen risk.
First autumn frost
no autumn frost
The far end of the outdoor season.
The average last frost. Half of all years are later than this.
Step by step in Tangier
Each window is a range, not a single day. Earlier in the range buys you a longer season; later in it buys you a safer one.
Crown imperials through the year
Against the frost risk in Tangier
Why these dates
Plant in early autumn, as early as the bulbs can be bought, and deep - 20cm. The bulbs have a hollow crown that collects water and rots, so plant them at a slight tilt or on a handful of grit. They resent disturbance and often skip a year after being moved.
Hardy to about -25C. The smell deters mice and voles, which is a genuine advantage in a garden where tulips get eaten. Needs cold winters and dislikes hot wet summers.
Crown imperials are anchored to the first autumn frost rather than the last spring one, so the planting window on this page counts backwards from the end of the season in Tangier instead of forwards from its start.
Tangier sits in zone 11b, which is milder than this crop wants, and a winter that never really arrives is its own problem. The dates below still describe the right time of year; the open question is survival rather than timing.
Also in Tangier
Other flowers to time
Growing crown imperials in Tangier
How much frost will crown imperials tolerate?
Hardy to about -25C. The smell deters mice and voles, which is a genuine advantage in a garden where tulips get eaten. Needs cold winters and dislikes hot wet summers.