186 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 28,18f5. 
EREMURI. 
Among plants of comparatively recent introduction few have 
excited so much interest in the ranks of hardy flower growers as 
the Eremuri. lam saying, “comparatively recent introduction” 
advisedly, for it appears that one of the genus, Eremurus robustus, 
was first introduced to this country in 1874, or twenty years ago, 
a time which one would have thought sufficient to enable it to be 
found in almost every good collection in the country. The 
Eremuri are, however, plants of which no one can at present speak 
with any degree of confidence, and there are several causes which 
prevent their wide distribution and cultivation. They are, not¬ 
withstanding, so majestic and withal so beautiful (for majesty and 
beauty in flowers are not always combined), that when seen they 
invariably give rise to a desire to grow such noble flowers. 
It is thus well worth our while devoting some attention to these 
stately Asphodel-like plants, and while dealing only briefly with 
the species from a botanical or descriptive point of view, to gather 
together and present as a whole the experience of several, besides 
myself, who have been trying to succeed with their cultivation. 
Thus, I shall endeavour to speak as shortly as possible of the genus 
Eremurus and its species, and afterwards to tell of the methods 
adopted and the success or failure which follows. 
The Eremuri belong to the Natural Order Liliacem, and the 
name has been derived from eremos, solitary ; and oura, a tail, in 
allusion to the form of the spike. Their native habitats extend 
over a wide region, these plants being found in Northern India, 
Persia, and Central Asia ; and it is perhaps to the peculiarities of 
the climates of these countries that we must ascribe some of the 
cultural difficulties we have to encounter. According to botanists 
there are some eighteen or nineteen species, but the number in 
cultivation in our British gardens is much smaller, those principally 
grown being E. robustus, E. Olgae, E. himalaicus, and E. Bungei. 
Of E. robustus, which is the best known, there are at least three 
varieties, but so seldom are these seen in flower together that one 
would feel it a favour if someone who has flowered the three would 
describe the difference between them. 
There are—first, the type ; second, an intermediate form ; and 
third, the variety named E. robustus nobilis or Elwesii. The 
height of E. robustus varies considerably, being from 6 feet 
upwards, and its great flower stem, surmounted by a raceme of 
densely arranged peach-coloured flowers, renders it a striking 
object. The Kev. F. Page Roberts, of Scole Rectory, to whom, 
with Mr. W. E. Gumbleton, of Belgrove, Queenstown, and several 
others, I have to express my obligations for so kindly writing to 
me, flowered a spike of E. robustus this year, which when measured 
before attaining its full size was 10 feet 8 inches high. It was 
figured in the Journal of Ilorticuliuve for September 20tb, 1894. 
I am disposed to think that Mr. Page Roberts’ variety must be that 
named nobilis, as Mr. Gumbleton, who is perhaps better acquainted 
with the Eremuri than any other amateur in the kingdom, speaks 
of nobilis giving him a “ grand spike 7 feet 7 inches in height,” 
and the others I have seen or received particulars of were generally 
about 6 or 7 feet high. The intermediate variety, Mr. Gumbleton 
informs me, grows into great clumps in the garden of Professor 
Michael Foster, at Shelford, near Cambridge. E. robustus flowers 
in June and is a native of Turkestan. 
Of E. 01g«, I regret to say, I have not a great deal of 
information to give. It flowers later than robustus, generally in 
July, and grows from 4 to G feet in height, having a spike of very 
large lilac flowers. It comes from the same country as E. robustus, 
and was introduced by Dr. Regel about 1891. E. himalaicus is one 
of the very finest, but unfortunately is still one of the most 
expensive. So far as I understand Mr. Gumbleton was the first to 
introduce this beautiful species, and he finds it the most satisfac¬ 
tory. The flowers are white, about as large as a two-shilling piece, 
and are produced on stems which are from 6 to 8 feet high. 
E. himalaicus was introduced from the Himalayas in 1881. 
E. Bungei, introduced from Persia in 1885, is one of the most 
inexpensive, and seems comparatively easy to procure. It is, 
however, of dwarf habit, and of much less imposing appearance 
than the other species, its stems being from 1 to 3 feet high. The 
flowers produced in July are bright yellow, and the raceme is 
about 5 or 6 inches in length. Of the other species rarely met 
with, E. aurantiacus, citron yellow ; E. spectabilis, sulphur 
coloured, and E. Korolkowi, rose coloured, may be mentioned. 
E. turkestanicus, or what has been sold as sucb, is a poor plant 
hardly worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as E. robustus. 
Enough has, perhaps, been said on this bead, and I shall proceed to 
discuss various other points relating to the cultivation of the 
Eremuri or Eremuruses, as I should prefer to call them, although 
the termination is not the correct one. 
One great obstacle in the way of the more rapid distribution of 
the Eremurus has been the cost of the plants. They are mostly, as 
yet, beyond the reach of the ordinary amateur or of the gardener 
whose garden allowance is not of the most liberal kind. I have 
heard of £2 2s. being paid for a plant of E. robustus nobilis, and 
last summer I saw a plant of E. robustus for which Ifis. had been 
paid the previous year, and which may not flower for a year or 
two. It is true that plants may be obtained more cheaply from 
the Continent, but too often they are so small that it will be some 
years before they flower. Another objection to continental-bought 
plants is that they do not generally come to hand until autumn, 
when they have made some of their root-growth, and these roots 
being frequen ly injured, little growth is made the first year. It 
has now been definitely discovered that the Eremurus makes fresh 
roots every year, and that it can most safely be removed about 
J uly. 
Another hindrance to the cultivation of these noble flowers is 
the time taken by small plants to attain a flowering size. I have 
never grown Eremuruses from seed until they attained a flowering 
stage, my seedlings having succumbed to the attacks of slugs long 
before they were large enough to flower, but so far as I can learn 
they do not usually flower before their seventh year. In saying 
this, I am, however, speaking subject to correction. There must 
at present be large numbers of seedling Eremuri in the country, 
and, while they will gradually reduce the price of plants, purchasers 
would do well to ascertain, a# far as they can, the age of the plant 
purchased, and, unless disposed to wait for years, to avoid a young 
one. To raise these noble flowers from seed is, as will be seen, 
weary work, involving patience greater than most possess before 
any great result will follow. To make the matter still worse very 
few of the seeds purchased in spring germinate until the following 
year. I have at present seeds of E. Kauffmanni and E. himalaicus 
which were sown in February, 1894, and from two ordinary sized 
packets of seed only one plant appeared before Christmas. I 
expect a fair number will vegetate in the spring. 
I think it will thus be apparent that the intending grower of 
Eremuri should procure plants of six or seven years of age in July, 
and plant in a carefully prepared bed or border of good soil. They 
do not seem very particular as to the kind of soil if it is of good 
quality, and they have a free run for their great, fleshy roots, 
which extend to several feet from the rootstock. The position 
should be a sunny one, as, like other plants from Central Asia, the 
Eremurus requires to be thoroughly ripened off. It must also be 
sheltered, and, from bitter experience, I must emphasise the point 
of shelter, as in my garden it is almost impossible to find a part 
sufficiently sheltered, their long thick, and fleshy, but ele[,;ant 
leaves, being exceedingly brittle, and when bent decaying rapidly, 
with the almost certain effect of weakening the plant. In the 
spring of 1894 my plants suffered much from a severe gale which 
sprung up during the night and shattered the leaves. Another 
piece of advice one would give is not to carpet the space occupied 
by the roots with other plants lest the ripening process should be 
prevented. In planting I think it desirable to keep the crowns a 
little below the surface. 
The young growths of the Eremuri appear late in the winter or 
early spring, and if not protected from sharp frosts the tips of the 
leaves will become browned, and they will be correspondingly dis¬ 
figured the whole season. This protection should be continued 
until danger from frost is past, but it must be of a kind easily 
removable, and should be taken off while the weather is mild, A 
flower-pot of good size is a method of protection which is readily 
applied or removed ; but a small hand-light is also convenient, and 
not so likely to harbour slugs—the pests of pests which plague the 
Eremurus. A collar of zinc is, however, a valuable protection, and 
if notched on the top, or made of perforated zinc, will turn the 
most devoted gastropods, which seem to appreciate the edible 
qualities of the Eremurus, even more than the natives of its 
habitats who use it as a vegetable. 
It is evident that my remarks on the Eremuri are far from 
optimistic ; and still another point remains, which, it is to be feared, 
is the “ unkindest cut of all.” This is, to expect several of the 
species to die after flowering ; for such is the concensus of experi¬ 
ence with the Eremurus in this kingdom. Happy is he who can 
manage to retain his plants until they bloom, for too many only 
linger a few years to die. Happier is he who can succeed in 
inducing these stately Eremuri to raise Iheir tall stems decorated 
with beautiful flowers ; but thrice happy is he who can preserve his 
plants after they have bloomed, as it is the almost universal 
experience that they die after flowering. There are, however, 
exceptional gardens, such as that of Piofessor Foster, where the 
Eremurus becomes established, and E. himalaicus is generally the 
most permanent. 
Several gcod growers attribute the death of the Eremurus after 
blooming to the want of proper ripening, but I am disposed to 
consider it due to exhaustion. It seems singular that these plants 
may live for several years in the same garden and then die after 
