You can have foxtail lilies if you have acres of garden or just a little 6 by 10-foot flower border.
These magnificent members of the lily tribe range from the 10-foot Eremurus himalaicus with its 4-foot spread of leaves to the neatly tailored Shelford and Van Tubergen hybrids that will fit into a spot on the patio.
Choosing the Right Foxtails for Your Garden
What are foxtails? Botanically, they are known as Eremurus, and the species are native to the high, cold plateaus of Tibet and Turkestan.
At first, they were rare collectors’ items, for they had to be carried out by pack train to the distant seaports, shipped to the bulb growers of Holland, where they were grown for a year or two in the low countries to accustom them to their new environment, and then sold to brokers in the United States.
But all of this has changed now, and you can buy healthy, well-acclimated plants from several American bulb growers. And they’re not hard to grow if a few precautions are taken.
If you have the space, by all means, try E. himalaicus, E. bungei, E. robustus, and E. elwesianus.
They are the giants, with flower stalks over 8’ feet tall in good soil. There are few experiences in gardening to compare with the thrill those huge spires of white, pink, and yellow will give you as they brush the clouds some bright day in May.
These are the species as they grow in their native wastelands on the world’s roof. And they make room, lots of it. They should be planted 5’ feet apart and left there as they resent being moved.
If your available space is the city backyard or terrace, then the hybrids are for you. They have narrow, sparse leaves and a shorter, thinner flower spike and come in pastel shades of pink, copper, bronze, rose, vivid yellow, and orange.
They also send out several stalks to a plant, making a brilliant showing despite their lower stature. They bloom later, too, and have no worries about late frosts.
Cultivating Foxtails: Alpines With Unique Needs
Whichever type of foxtail you choose, the culture is the same. They are true alpines and must be treated as such.
Full sun and perfect drainage are essential. As with all alpines, they bloom, set seeds, and store food for next year’s growth quickly.
The species, in particular, seem to be in a hurry to finish their work lest the eternal snows descend upon them too soon.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, they are dormant by the last week in June. The hybrids are a little more domesticated and tarry a few weeks longer.
Plant them in the fall from September through December in rich, friable soil. Use a good, complete fertilizer with plenty of bone meal and a generous amount of wood ashes or lime if your soil is acidic. Don’t plant too deep, 5” or 6” inches at most.
Bed the odd-looking crowns with their ropelike roots on clean sand and cover an inch or so with the sand before putting the soil over them.
Mulch heavily after the ground freezes and forget them until March.
Supporting Foxtails’ Growth and Flowering
As foxtails are in a hurry to send up their flower stalk in spring, they should be held back as long as possible.
If you see them coming up too early, pile more leaves or straw over them to discourage such forwardness.
If they come through that and it is still cold, protect them through the coldest nights by turning a box or basket over them.
Frost won’t kill the plants, but it blights the young flower stalks. However, as the weather moderates, take the mulch off gradually lest the growth becomes too soft.
When the spike is 1 foot high, give the plants a good, rich feeding of organic nitrogen; liquid manure is best balanced with potash and phosphorus.
For if they are to produce those enormous flowers, they must be fed heavily. After they once appeared in spring, never let the plants become dry. Water them once or twice a week if the season is hot.
Maintaining Foxtails: Post-Bloom Care and Transplanting
As soon as the last blossom has faded, cut the stalk as close to the ground as you can, for if those hundreds of seeds ripen, the plant will be seriously weakened and may not bloom again for several years.
Try to keep the leaves green as long as possible, but when they fade and turn yellow, trim them down and let the plant go completely dormant.
Transplanting Foxtail
After several years, depending on your climate and soil conditions, the foxtails will have increased to such an extent they will become crowded.
When they have several bloom stalks that are shorter and smaller than they used to be, then it will be time to transplant.
This is best done in August or September. Don’t wait for much longer than that as they will be putting down their new roots for next season.
Use a spading fork, not a shovel, and get as many of the long roots as you can. Have a new bed ready for them and replant at once.
They won’t die if kept out of the ground for several weeks, but they get a much better start, especially in severe climates, if replanted immediately.
Mark the plants with stakes and name plates, so you will know where they are and not accidentally disturb them during their hibernation.
44659 by Margaret Mary Paetzel