Eremurus x isabellinus 'PINOKKIO'

Desert candle is a perfect name for this attractive perennial. Or foxtail lily is even funnier and tells the truth, too. This plant has sturdy stems that can grow up to 1.5m tall where half of the stem is decorated with small flowers of various colours.

Pinokkio is an exquisite foxtail lily bearing possibly the deepest golden orange colour. It is a hybrid between eremurus olgae and eremurus 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 which makes most of its 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 mulched in winter. Grow it in full sun with shelter from strong wind. Hardy.

Last update 01-07-2018