Eremurus x isabellinus 'TROPICAL DREAM' desert candle, foxtail lily

Tropical Dream is a dream of many lovers of exotic plants. This desert candle variety produces about 1.5m tall stems holding numerous star-shaped flowers. They emerge almost white with prominent orange stamens but as the spike opens more flowers upwards, they change colour to pale lemon yellow which looks absolutely exquisite, especially in mass plantings. Flowering begins in mid June and lasts until early July.

Eremurus x isabellinus is a hybrid between e.olgae and e.stenophyllus where the latter gave this variety the warm tint of yellow colour while common eremurus is usually white or pink. Non scented flowers that are formed in upright racemes that can occupy almost half of its sturdy stems. They open individually from the bottom upwards in mid June and continue flowering for about 4 weeks.

The leaves are lance shaped, pale blue green to grey green, and die back after flowering. That is why it makes sense to accompany foxtail lily with late emerging plants which fill in the empty space when it becomes dormant for the rest of the season. Good choices are late emerging and flowering perennials such as summer hypericum or late summer to early autumn flowering ceratostigma or some non-invasive ornamental grasses which make most of mass and foliage in midsummer.

This perennial needs very well-drained soil mixed with sand to keep the roots from rotting. It should be reasonably fertile and fed once the leaves unroll until the flowers fade out. Its roots are fleshy and very fragile – be extra careful when transplanting it not to break them and don’t dig around the plant ever more. Winter mulching is recommended for colder areas. Grow it in full sun with shelter from strong wind and protect early emerging shoots from strong late frosts. Hardy to about -29 °C.

Last update 27-06-2021