All flowers
Desert Candle Wikimedia Commons
Asphodelaceae

Desert Candle

Eremurus robustus

Towering ambition.

Family
Asphodelaceae
Genus
Eremurus
Native to
Central Asia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan
Bloom season
Spring, Summer
Type
perennial herb
Height
6-10 ft
Sunlight
full sun
Soil
well-drained, sandy soil
Water
low
Hardiness
5-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Desert candle flower spikes can reach 10 feet tall, making them among the tallest non-climbing perennials in cultivation.
  • The genus name Eremurus means 'lonely tail' in Greek, describing the solitary, towering flower spike rising from the steppe.
  • Each spike can contain over 800 individual star-shaped florets that open sequentially from bottom to top.
  • The fleshy, starfish-shaped root crown is extremely fragile and must be planted carefully on a mound of sand to prevent rot.
  • In their native Central Asian steppes, the young shoots and roots are eaten as a vegetable, and the roots produce a natural glue.

Color meanings

0

aspiration

1

grandeur

Uses

  • dramatic garden focal point
  • cut flower