It's easy to see how these unusual plants from southern Africa got their common namethe summertime spikes of tiny, closely packed, star-shaped blossoms are topped with leaflike bracts resembling those of a pineapple. They make striking cut flowers. Purplish seed capsules follow the flowers, keeping the show going even longer. Leaves are coarse and straplike, emerging from large bulbs to form a basal rosette. Plants go dormant in winter. Not browsed by deer.
eucomis bicolor
- Spikes to 2 feet tall; green flowers with purple-edged petals.
- Attractive, wavy-edged light green leaves to 1 feet long, 34 inches wide.
eucomis comosa
- Thick spikes 23 feet tall are set with greenish white flowers tinged pink or purple.
- Stems are spotted purple at the base.
- Light green leaves grow to 2 feet long and are less wavy than those of Eucomis bicolor.
- Sparkling Burgundy grows to 1122 feet tall.
- Foliage emerges deep burgundy, then slowly fades to olive-green as weather warms.
- Flower spikes to 20 inches tall are set with creamy white blossoms tinged pink and purple.
- Flowers are followed by a new crop of burgundy leaves.
eucomis 'Dark Star
- Dark purple foliage gives the plant its name.
- Flowers are pink up to 10 inches tall.
eucomis Mini Tuft series
- Growing just 10 inches tall and 15 inches wide, these pineapple lilies bloom in shades of soft to vivid pink.
eucomis 'Oakhurst
- This glossy, burgundy foliage crowned with a cluster of pink flowers makes it a drama plant.
eucomis 'Twinkle Stars
- Two-foot tall spikes of dark purple buds open into light purple flowers atop 16 inches clumps of green leaves.
Plant bulbs 5 inches deep and 8 inches apart in well-drained, humus- rich soil in fallor start plants from seed in spring. Bulbs are hardy to about 5F; where temperatures dip lower, mulch plantings heavily in late fall, or dig and store bulbs over winter. Divide clumps when they become crowded (every 5 or 6 years). Pineapple lilies can also be grown as houseplants beside a bright (south- or west-facing) window; while they are actively growing, give plenty of water and feed monthly with a general- purpose liquid houseplant fertilizer.
