It finally bloomed for me! Yippeeeeee!!
:) Donna
Eremurus bungei - Foxtail Lily
A commanding presence.
Donna I am glad you finally got your bloom. It looks like a very large bloom at that.
Happy Days:
Mine will bloom this year also. It bloomed the 2/3/4 year , getting a bit taller each year then nothing last year. So I was quite excited to see the flower stems this year.
How tall is your flower?
Thank you jmorth, makshi and fancyvan. I'll go out and measure it later.
:) Donna
Congratulations! Yes, I can share your joy, too! I was thrilled and surprised when mine bloomed this year, too! Aren't they fun to have in the garden?!
gorgeous! gives me hope for mine, lol
Thanks, tabasco and jerseyridgearts! I thought I had lost it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Here is the lastest picture of it.
:) Donna
You're killing me here! I absolutely fascinated that you're growing this in your zone. Eremurus bungei is listed as a Zone 6a in Plant Files. In fact it would seem that all Foxtail Lilies are at a very least zone 5a or warmer. A very knowledgeable lily fanatic has told me that we can't grow them in zone 4a.....and, that she has tried. Tell me what you did.....I love these plants!
I'm thrilled to see the blooms - how many years did it take after transplanting them to get the blooms? I'm anxiously waiting....
Marie - I have mine on the south side of the house and they came thru a nasty winter just fine - planted 2 last spring and three in the fall. One of the spring planted did not come back - it was quite small. I did dump some extra bark on top of them during a warm spell this winter and maybe that's what saved them from the April deepfreeze. I really don't know but I was determined to try them.
Marie it is planted on the South side of the house close to the foundation. I think I've had it for 4 years and it's always came up buy never bloomed until now. I don't do anything special with it.
:) Donna
I'm getting so tempted to try. I just saw a group of them at our RU garden tour, and fell in love. What great architectural form! Are these Fall planted bulbs? I need to find some. Any hints on where?
I would think they should be planted earlier or now.
Hmmmm..........I'll have to look into that.
Botanus sells them in the fall catalogue and I am pretty sure I got mine in late summer/early fall. The chosen spot is one of my microclimates - almost right against the houses foundation in a south facing bed with a stone patio a couple of feet away.
The first one I planted did not survive. The 2nd one did survive - I cannt remember the year but I think in about the 2nd year it had flowers - not very tall and for the next 2 years flowered - taller each year, then last year nothing at all! And this year again several nive flower stalks - not quite open yet!
It is certainly worth a try, however my little micro-climate may not have any more space in it. I need to give this some deep thought.....too bad those bulbs are so pricey. They are almost as bad as martagon bulbs. It sounds like they may be as tempermental as martagons as well.
I have two martagon lilies and they are not planted in a micro climate and both are getting ready to open up.
Gardening is all about pushing the limits especially in our zone.
:) Donna
Hi Donna,
Did you raise it from seed? I sowed some this year, but so far nothing. I am however hoping thst with s bit of luck, I'll be rewarded with a few plants.
Elsa
Elsa, I haven't. You might want to ask echoes (Brenda), she's started alot of lily, irises, etc. from seed.
:) Donna
Thanks Donna, I will definitely contact her.
Elsa
Marie,
Would you be happy with regular Foxtail Lily? (I don't know the full Latin name, just that it's an Eremurus) Brent & Becky's has them and I've had good luck with the hybrids from Idaho. Shelbourne? Sheffield? Somehting like that bred by Ken somebody in Idaho)
I stumbled on their need for GREAT winter drainage by forgetting to plant them and leaving them on top of the soil. They rooted and it was close to our first frost, so I just threw some ultra-mulched leaves on top of them instead of planting them.
The Idaho hybrid Eremurus are about 48-50 inches tall for the yellow (looks like the pic above) and the burnt orange ones are about 60 inches tall. (For me) Those are the only 2 colors that I received, though the photo also shows a pinkish one. MOST of my order was comprised of yellow ones. The burnt orange one was a victim of Mr. Clean's lawnmower and I no longer have it. This photo was from une 10, 2007.
FWIW,
Suzy
Suzy,
Thanks for the info on B & B. I have seen the orange ones, but the yellow are also nice. Of course, I'm a zone colder than you are, but it's worth a try.
marie_ there is also a pretty peach color.
Well my zone is 3a so if I can grow it you can grow it too!
Suzy yours is gorgeous!! I'm excited with one and you got a bunch blooming together.
Carol is yours blooming right now? Please post a picture.
:) Donna
Not out yet. I'll get a pic when it is.
Edited: Oh I went out and took a look at it and decided to take a pic. It looks like I have both a yellow and an orange. Miserable weather today - a couple more days of sunshine and it should be out.
This message was edited Jun 25, 2007 2:14 PM
Can't wait!
Forgot I cant add a pic after the fact!
Very nice, Carol!
I received a Wayside Gardens catalog in mail this week and they have it. A packet of three for $12.95.
Sounds like a good deal, Marie!
:) Donna
Here's my foxtail lilies. One lemony yellow the other orange. The tallest stalk this year is only about 36 inches. 2 years ago they were much higher but last year nothing so maybe they grow a bit every year!
Nice Foxtail Lilies, Fancyvan -- and happy birthday!
Suzy
Thanks Suzy!
Question to all the successful eremurus growers...I planted 3 root/bulbs this spring, nothing. They looked strange like large, pulpy spiders and I assumed the side with the slight point and some hair-like tufts was the top. The other side was smooth. Was this right or did they go in upside down?
Zone 7b can grow these with a Spring planting. Thanks.
01Glenn, yes the pointy thing is on the top side, but the roots should be firm, not pulpy. I wonder if your bulbs had been improperly stored and had rotted. Who was your supplier?
It was a local supplier, but a "Dutch" brand in a package. The local comapny s quite reputable, but I don' think they sell many of these. I'll try again next year...this time I'll start them in a container with potting soil. Thanks.
01Glenn, I suspect your bulbs were dug last summer or fall and had been kept in storage, at who knows what temperature and moisture level, all winter. I recommend buying and planting in fall. In your Zone, hardiness should not be a problem, but keeping them dry enough might be. If planting in containers, use sandy, gritty soil, like a Cactus mix.
Toddle off to the coop forum; Schitzumom has a Bloomingbulb coop going right this second and Eremurus is on there -- mabe $2.00 each or so?
Suzy