Eremurus Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607 is a genus of deciduous perennial flowers in the family Asphodelaceae. They are also known as the foxtail lilies or desert candles. They are native to eastern Europe (Russia and Ukraine), and temperate Asia from Turkey to China, with many species in Central Asia.Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 159 独尾草属 du wei cao shu Eremurus Marschall von Bieberstein, Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 3: 269. 1819
The inflorescence consists of a tall floral spike whose individual flowers extend their anthers around the stem axis as in the bottle brushes. Depending on the species, the spike consists of many densely-arranged, small flowers in shades of orange, yellow, white, pale pink or red-orange. The grey-green, straplike leaves grow in a tuft from the succulent root crown. Eremurus is known for its thick, fingerlike roots, which grow from a central growth point. The blooming spike is notably tall and relatively narrow, rising from 3 to 9 or 10 feet above the foliage, depending on the species. These plants are mainly native to western and Central Asia, although Eremurus thiodanthus is endemic to the Crimea.
Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: Eremurus afghanicus Gilli - Afghanistan Eremurus aitchisonii Baker - Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus alaicus Khalk - Kyrgyzstan Eremurus albertii Regel - Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus × albocitrinus Baker - Iran (E. olgae × E. stenophyllus) Eremurus altaicus (Pall.) Steven - Altai Republic, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang, Mongolia Eremurus ammophilus Vved. - Uzbekistan Eremurus anisopterus (Kar. & Kir.) Regel - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang Eremurus azerbajdzhanicus Kharkev. - Caucasus Eremurus bactrianus Wendelbo - Afghanistan Eremurus brachystemon Vved. - Tajikistan Eremurus bucharicus Regel - Afghanistan, Tajikistan Eremurus candidus Vved. - Tajikistan Eremurus cappadocicus J.Gay ex Baker - Turkey, Iraq, Syria Eremurus chinensis O.Fedtsch. - Gansu, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan †Eremurus chloranthus Popov - Uzbekistan but extinct Eremurus comosus O.Fedtsch. - Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Eremurus cristatus Vved. - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Eremurus czatkalicus Lazkov - Kyrgyzstan Eremurus × decoloratus Lazkov & Naumenko (E. lactiflorus × E. regelii) - Kyrgyzstan Eremurus dolichomischus Vved. & Wendelbo - Afghanistan, Pakistan Eremurus furseorum Wendelbo - Afghanistan Eremurus fuscus (O.Fedtsch.) Vved - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan Eremurus × gypsaceus Lazkov (E. cristatus × E. zoae) – Kyrgyzstan Eremurus hilariae Popov & Vved. - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus himalaicus Baker - Himalayas of Afghanistan + Pakistan + Kashmir Eremurus hissaricus Vved - Gissar Range in Tajikistan + Uzbekistan Eremurus iae Vved. - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus inderiensis (M.Bieb.) Regel - European Russia, Western Siberia, Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Xinjiang, Mongolia Eremurus × isabellinus P. L. Vilm. (E. stenophyllus × E. olgae) - garden origin Eremurus jungei Juz. - Crimea Eremurus kaufmannii Regel - Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus kopet-daghensis Karrer - Turkmenistan, Iran Eremurus korovinii B.Fedtsch. - Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus korshinskyi O.Fedtsch - Afghanistan, Tajikistan Eremurus lachnostegius Vved. - Tajikistan Eremurus lactiflorus O.Fedtsch. - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Eremurus × ludmillae Levichev & Priszter - Uzbekistan (E. regelii × E. turkestanicus) Eremurus luteus Baker - Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus micranthus Vved. - Tajikistan Eremurus × nikitinae Lazkov (E. cristatus × E. fuscus) – Kyrgyzstan Eremurus nuratavicus Khokhr. Uzbekistan Eremurus olgae Regel - a dwarf species flowering in June or July, making it one of the last species to flower - Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Eremurus parviflorus Regel - Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan Eremurus persicus (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss. - Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir Eremurus pubescens Vved. - Tajikistan Eremurus rechingeri Wendelbo - Iraq Eremurus regelii Vved. - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Eremurus robustus (Regel) Regel - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan - grows from 6 to 10 feet high. Eremurus roseolus Vved - Afghanistan, Tajikistan Eremurus saprjagajevii B.Fedtsch. - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus soogdianus (Regel) Benth. & Hook.f. - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan Eremurus spectabilis M.Bieb. - European Russia, Ukraine, Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestine region, Turkmenistan Eremurus stenophyllus (Boiss. & Buhse) Baker syn. E. bungei - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan Eremurus subalbiflorus Vved. - Turkmenistan, Iran Eremurus suworowii Regel - Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Eremurus tadshikorum Vved. - Tajikistan Eremurus tauricus Steven - Crimea, northern Caucasus in Russia Eremurus thiodanthus Juz. - Crimea Eremurus tianschanicus Pazij & Vved. ex Pavlov - Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Eremurus turkestanicus Regel - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Eremurus wallii Rech.f. - Syria Eremurus × warei Jekyll & E.T.Cook (E. olgae × E. stenophyllus) – Iran Eremurus zangezuricus Mikheev - southern Caucasus Eremurus zenaidae Vved. - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Eremurus zoae Vved. - Kyrgyzstan
Cultivation Eremurus is hardy to USDA Zones 5–7. Usually four species are available commercially for cultivation: E. himalaicus grows to about with pure white racemes E. robustus can reach in height with pink or white flower spikes E. stenophyllus, a dwarf species, reaches in height with yellow flowers.
Also E. × isabellinus which is a hybrid of E. olgae and E. stenophyllus is available as 'Cleopatra', with orange spikes.
The cultivar 'Joanna' has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The octopus-like tuberous roots are easily injured; planting on a cone of soil, with the crown on the peak and the roots hanging down, is recommended. Plants are readily affected by winter root rot, so that a layer of sand or gravel beneath is recommended to ensure drainage. Covering with compost or mulch provides protection from frost.
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