42 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
dening magazines, although it is generally conceded that the 
plants are not easily established. In the spring of 1920 sev- 
eral hundred roots of Hremurus robustus were imported from 
Kurope for trial at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Since 
the plants require a fairly sunny location with not too much 
moisture, they were placed in the Crataegus border surround- 
ing the rose garden. No special preparation of the soil was 
necessary but the roots were planted about one foot deep to 
retard as much as possible the early spring growth. The 
greatest difficulty in St. Louis is to keep the flower stalks 
from being injured by late frost, and it is often necessary 
to protect them with leaves or straw. During an ordinary 
spring the growth is very rapid and not infrequently the 
plants are a foot or more above ground before the time when 
they are safe from a killing frost. This growth appears as a 
dense head of leaves inclosing the flowering spike, and unless 
protection is given the top of the spike is apt to be frosted, 
resulting in a deformed flower head. Despite the protection 
given at the Garden twenty-five per cent of the flower spikes 
have been nipped. However, the results obtained have made 
it well worth while growing this striking plant. 
Care must be used in giving winter protection, but since 
this is dependent upon the weather no definite rule can be 
given. If the ground is open and the weather is warm, a 
mulch will tend to excite growth at a time when it is not 
desired. Cover should only be applied when the ground is 
frozen, usually about the first of January, but in this matter 
the grower must judge for himself. 
The roots of Eremurus are unusual in their formation, the 
octopus-like, fleshy, tubers radiating in clusters from a central 
base or crown from which the growth emerges. The long 
leaves appear in early spring, forming a dense rosette some- 
what resembling the native yueeca when open. The flowers 
are small and star-shaped, in dense clusters upon poker-like 
spikes reaching over eight feet in height (pl. 6). The basal 
flowers open first, the color, according to the species, being 
white, pink, or yellow. The tall spikes may need some support 
to protect them from windstorms, but the stake should be kept 
as far from the plant as possible to avoid injuring the suce- 
culent roots. During July the leaves start to wither and soon 
