Family: Liliaceae
Popular name: Pineapple plant

Origin: South Africa

Flower colour: yellow, green, white.

Flowering period: July – August

Average plant height: 30 – 60 cm

Planting depth to base of bulbs: covered with a thin layer of soil

Spacing between bulbs: 15 cm

Type of bulb: bulb

Light requirements: full sun (AM sun)

Landscape uses: border, beds and very suitable for planting in pots and containers

The flower is formed by a spike of masses of little flowers. On top of the stem and flower there is a rosette of young green leaves. The flowers produce a lot of nectar, so bees are very active around Eucomis. Eucomis is only winter hardy in sheltered areas with coverage in the winter months. Very suitable as a pot plant, which you can bring inside during winter when it has died down. Only start watering when the growth starts again. Eucomis originates from the wet slopes of the mountains in South Africa.

Due to their strange appearance and unique, restful flower colour, eucomises make good border plants. In the late summer and autumn garden, they provide an added dimension.

In a pot

We are inclined to propose that eucomises are just the plants for growing in pots. They can then be treated as tub plants. One condition, however, is that the pots should be large enough and especially deep enough. Ordinary potting soil works perfectly for this purpose. Make sure the pots have effective drainage holes, preferably both in the bottom and low on the sides of the pots. A layer of clay granules in the bottom of the pot is ideal. Remember that great quantities of water must be provided in the summer, and that the regular provision of extra nutrients is not just an added luxury. The pots can be placed outside in April and are brought inside in October after flowering. They can spend the winter in a frost-free location with hardly any need for water. Isolating a plant like the Eucomis in a pot really makes it a special attraction.

Principal varieties

• Eucomis bicolor – green 
• Eucomis comosa (syn. Punctata) (tufted), mixed green/white 
• Eucomis bicolor alba – white