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Asphodelaceae FAMILY

Eremurus spectabilis

Eremurus spectabilis

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Prefers a very well drained, very rich, light sandy loam in a warm sunny sheltered position[1, 2]. A covering of sharp sand helps the plant to survive wet winters. Plants can also be mulched overwinter with organic matter in the autumn in order to give them extra protection, but this mulch must be removed in the spring otherwise it might encourage the new growth to rot[2]. Some protection should be given to the young shoots in spring in areas subject to late frosts[2]. Keep plants dry in summer after they have flowered[1]. A very ornamental plant[3] and a good bee plant[4]. Plants resent root disturbance and so should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible[2]. This species, in part at least, is also known as E. caucasicus Stephen[5]. Tubers should be planted 15cm deep[3]. The edible young shoots are sold in local markets in Siberia[6]. Plants require some cold stratification in winter in order to flower well in the following summer[2]. Slugs are very attracted to this plant so some protection must be given.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame[2]. Sow stored seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is obtained. Germination is slow and could take 1 - 12 months at 15°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on for their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring after the last expected frosts. Do not plant deeply in the soil, the crown of the plant should be slightly exposed[7]. Division after the plant dies down in late summer. Great care must be taken because the plants resent root disturbance[2]. Only divide the plants when it is really necessary, and no more frequently than once every 6 years, being careful not to break the brittle roots[7]. It is probably best to pot up the divisions and grow them on in the greenhouse until they are established. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Eremurus+spectabilis>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Bulbs — Phillips. R. and Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30253-1 ↩︎Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  5. [5]Flora Europaea — ? · Cambridge University Press · 1964 · ISBN - ↩︎An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
  6. [6]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  7. [7]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
  8. [8]Hardy Bulbs.; Including Half-hardy Bulbs and Tuberous and Fiberous-rooted Plants — Grey. C. H. · Williams & Norgate. · 1938 · ISBN - ↩︎Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.
  9. [9]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  10. [10]Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. — Hedrick. U. P. · Dover Publications · 1972 · ISBN 0-486-20459-6 ↩︎Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
  11. [11]The Plant Wealth of Iraq. — Chakravarty. H. L. ↩︎It is surprising how many of these plants can be grown in Britain. A very readable book on the useful plants of Iraq.