The fritillaria is steeped in legend and lore. Many plant historians believe it to be the actual flower referred to in the myth of Hyacinthus, the Spartan prince beloved but accidentally killed by Apollo. Christian tradition recalls that of all the flowers, only the proud crown imperial refused to bow its head during the Crucifixion. I remember, as a youngster one fall, helping Mrs. Sarah Hyde Douglas plant F. imperialis bulbs in Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Shakespeare Garden.
Many people get a rash on their hands after touching the bulbs.
I have found out since then that fritillarias contain toxic alkaloids and should indeed be handled with care. Mrs. Douglas also made sure that we planted the fat bulbs on their sides. This, she explained, helped prevent the bulbs from rotting in the Garden's deep, clay loam. When the plants bloomed the following spring, they seemed as tall as I was. For years after, I honestly believed that foxes smelled the same as fritillarias.