Eremurus

Eremurus 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 in (Russia and Ukraine), and temperate Asia from Turkey to China, with many species in Central Asia.
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.
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.
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 dolichomischus Vved. & Wendelbo - Afghanistan, Pakistan
Eremurus furseorum Wendelbo - Afghanistan
Eremurus fuscus (O.Fedtsch.) Vved - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan
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 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, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, 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 zangezuricus Mikheev - southern Caucasus
Eremurus zenaidae Vved. - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan
Eremurus zoae Vved. - Kyrgyzstan*
Gallery
References
Bibliography
Asphodelaceae genera
Asphodeloideae