Due to its eye-catching inflorescences, the steppe candle (Eremurus) is becoming an integral part of perennial beds in more and more gardens. The plant, which is usually hardy without any problems, can also be propagated in various ways.

Steppe Candles self-propagate via Rizome

Let the plant run free

The steppe candle cares for the plant species that tend to go wild after planting in a suitable location. This means that the plant can not only sow itself via the capsule-shaped seeds (provided they are allowed to mature on the withering inflorescences), but also propagate through a clump-like spread of the rhizomes in the soil. Within a few years, extensive stocks with a large number of inflorescences up to 2 meters high (in the case of the giant steppe candle) can develop.

The sowing of the Eremurus species

The different types of steppe candles can basically also be propagated by sowing. However, the following characteristics make sowing only a secondary propagation method:

  • long germination time
  • high maintenance effort
  • long time to first flowering

The seeds must be sown as cold germs before winter directly outdoors or in plant pots outdoors. With this type of plant, there are often “stragglers” that only germinate after two or three years. This increases the risk that these will be pushed out by other plants in the meantime or accidentally removed. For some Eremurus species, it can take about 5 to 7 years from sowing to the first flower.

Propagate the steppe candle by dividing the rhizome

If the steppe candle spreads too much in the perennial bed, you can carefully dig up the offshoots that have formed by themselves in early autumn and immediately plant them again in another place. You can also divide larger rhizomes with a spade at the same time and replant them. However, be careful not to divide the individual root bulbs into more than two or three parts, otherwise they could be too small and weak for flowering in the following year.

tips

With all propagation methods, care should be taken to provide the steppe candles with the best possible site conditions with plenty of sunlight and a permeable soil substrate without waterlogging.

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Herbs