When and how should I lift and move/divide my Foxtail Lilies (the Latin escapes me...E----something?.)? I noticed that from the 3 bulbs I planted several years ago, I now have a clump of smaller plants and only 2 small flower stalks this year. I LOVE these plants and I'd like to have more, but I'm completely unfamiliar with how to propagate them. Anyone have experience with this?

I think the answer to how to propage Eremurus is "very carefully"! First, you'd have to wait until they were dormant before disturbing them. They have long, octopus-tentacle-like roots that spread out sideways, so digging them up without breaking roots off could be tricky. Then you'd have to use a sharp knife to divide them, making sure that each bud had at least a couple of roots to sustain it. It might be advisable to let the cuts air-dry to seal the wound before replanting. That's how I would go about it. I have not actually attempted doing this!

Thanks June! Your suggestions sound like what I've been thinking too....I figure if they are dormant, moving them should be ok. I'll let you know how it goes.

I hope that by waking up this thread I can find someone with GOOD ADVICE for Mamajack over at Cubits.

She's hosted a co-op including eremurus, it will arrive to her just after breaking dormancy, and she need to WAIT a couple of weeks before shipping to someone who will be on vacation......

Somebody come over and discuss!!!
http://cubits.org/notfortheser...

Don't I wish I could ask this question! I have been planting several species of eremurus (foxtail lilies) from numerous sources over the years (and in two different countries), and none has ever done more than push a growth point just above the soil. Most do nothing. I must be doing something wrong...but what? Does anyone have any tips for getting these things to grow and flower?

FYI, please note date of thread so the mention of a thread on Cubits is no longer current.

Well, I posted this a while ago. I lifted the eremus carefully, replanted them immediately, and .... total fail. I killed them all. *LOL* Have since bought fresh new corms (?) and they came up this spring and bloomed, but I don't know if they'll return. If they do, and they seem happy, I'm not touching them.