Foxtail Lily
A Beginner’s Guide to the Foxtail Lily
The Foxtail Lily is a striking flower that is also known as Desert Candle. It is a perennial that is originally from the western and central parts of the Asian continent and is sometimes specifically attributed to Turkestan and Afghanistan. The foxtail lily is a tall plant with the flowers being at the end of an elongated leaf and it typically blooms in early summer. Each flower is actually a cluster of several star-shaped flowers and the leaf and flower together can grow to a height of 5 to 6 feet. The flowers come in a range of colors such as yellow, pink and white and there is also a hybrid which has gorgeous multicolored flowers.
The height and colors combine to make this a great accent plant in designing a garden.
The foxtail lily stands out against rock formations or even against evergreens making them the right touch for the back row of a garden that is built around the idea of flowers of varied-heights. Foxtail lilies are particularly popular with professional florists because they offer the much desired combination of drama and longevity. Again, these long-stalked flowers have the height and color that florists seek for achieving eye-catching centerpieces. And the fact that they last up to three weeks with minimal care makes them a good bet for indoor arrangements.
Those interested in growing these plants should plant the bulbous roots in fall. It is advised that the bulbs should be a placed in wide holes about 5 or 6 inches deep. They can be spaced two and half to three feet apart. These bulbs are sensitive to disturbance and fragile which means that they need to be handled with care. The foxtail lily is, as the name suggests, a part of lily family of the genus type Eremurus but its growth pattern is more typical of perennials. The roots tend to spread in different directions instead of staying within the tuber or bulb. The bulbs tend to grow in groups and after they take root you will have flowers growing atop the spiky and succulent foliage. Gardeners can start looking for flowers from late spring.
The plant is known to do well in different kinds of soil as long as the soil is well-drained. Foxtail lilies are particularly vulnerable to drought like conditions and it is critical to water them regularly and to make sure that they do become overly dry. Winter, which is the dormant time for this plant, is when additional care is needed in ensuring that the area around the plant has effective drainage. It is a good idea to add compost to the soil to enrich it and one of the recommended ones for foxtail lilies is composted cow manure.
Some additional effort at winter mulching with straw or other protective covering is a good idea in the first couple of winters, until the plant is well established. While the plant is quite hardy ones it takes root, some initial attention will help it easily survive winters.
The plant can be lifted and divided after the flowering season. A healthy and happy foxtail lily can last as long as 15 years and it is known to effectively reseed.
Foxtail lilies need full sun to bloom well. The height of the plant means that it may need staking if it is in a location with wind exposure. The drama of the plant is in the floral display and this will be lost if the flowers start drooping down.
The foxtail lily appears to be fairly pest resistant and is not known as particularly susceptible to any disease. When the plant is young it sometimes attracts snails and slugs.
Nurseries now sell hybrids of the foxtail lily such as the E. stenophyllus and E. bungei. These varieties are more compact and reach heights of 2 to 4 feet. This may be an attractive option for gardeners who enjoy the flowers but do not have the landscape for the extremely tall variety of it. Two well established heirloom varieties currently available are cicilia and hyemalis. The former has bright yellow flowers and works well in places with dry summers and the latter with its lemon-hued flowers needs more moist soil to thrive.