''Eremurus robustus'', the foxtail lily or giant desert candle, is a
species of
flowering plant in the asphodel
family, native to the
Tien Shan and
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range between Central Asia and Pakistan. It is located at a junction with other notable mountains, namely the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, Hindu Kush and the Himalaya mountain ranges. They are among the world ...
in central Asia that is often used as an ornamental plant.
It is a very tall, narrow plant with a stem high, and leaves as long as and wide, the widest in its
genus. The
deciduous leaves can vary from a bright green to a bluish-green in color. The inflorescence grows to in length and is covered with many deep to pale pink or white flowers, across. At the base of the flower is a brown blotch with a green keel. The lower flowers have long
pedicels
In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''.
Description
Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...
, with shorter ones higher up. The flowers, as many as 700 to 800 of them, bloom in June. By the time of flowering, the leaves will usually have already shrivelled.
The Latin
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''robustus'' means “sturdy, growing strongly”.
The plant was introduced from Central Asia to Europe and North America in 1874 and is popular in gardens. However some may find the plant to be too tall for normal gardens. It prefers sandy, well-drained soil and full sun.
In cultivation in the
UK this plant has gained the
Royal Horticultural Society’s
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
.
Notes
References
*
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q175719
Asphodeloideae
Flora of Central Asia
Garden plants of Asia