Eremurus is a genus of 35-40 deciduous perennial flowers, also known as the foxtail lilies or desert candles. The inflorescence

Inflorescence

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...

 looks similar to a long spike or a bottlebrush. It consists of many flowers in copper, bright yellow, snow white, pastel pink, orange or any combination of those colors. The leaves grow in tufts of thin, green, straplike strips. Species are known for thick roots that grow out from a central hub. It is also known for being tall, sometimes rising up to 10 feet over the foliage, depending on the variety. These plants are native to western and central Asia.

Cultivation

Eremurus is hardy to USDA Zones 5-7. In addition to the species named below hybrids are sold, such as 'Cleopatra'. 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 and varieties

• Eremurus himalaicus: one of the hardiest species of the Eremurus genus; this plant is native to the temperate Himalayas
  Himalayas
  The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
  
  
• Eremurus elwesii: native to Northern Iran, these pale green/yellow flowers grow in open grassland
• Eremurus bungei: this Eremurus has yellow inflorescences that grow 2 to 3 feet long; native to Iran
  Iran
  Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
  
  
• Eremurus olgae: a dwarf Eremurus flowering in June or July, making it one of the last species to flower; a native of Turkestan
  Turkestan
  Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
  
  
• Eremurus tubergenii:
• Eremurus warei
• Eremurus shelfordii
• Eremurus stenophyllus: a tufted Eremurus with partially hairy, green-gray leaves
• Eremurus robustus
  Eremurus robustus
  Eremurus robustus is a plant native to the Tien Shan and Pamir Mountains in central Asia that is often used as an ornamental plant. It often goes by the common name Foxtail lily....
  
  : an Eremurus native to Tian Shan
  Tian Shan
  The Tian Shan , also spelled Tien Shan, is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak , ....
  
   and Pamir Mountains
  Pamir Mountains
  The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
  
  in central Asia; the stem grows from 6 to 10 feet high