Plant Pineapple Lily Bulbs in Spring for Summer Bloom
Great for gardens or containers!
We love pineapple lilies (Eucomis comosa) for their lush, broad, arching foliage and unique summer flowers. The crimped leaves are often speckled in purple, adding to the appeal. During summer, a thick flower stalk rises from the leafy rosette to bloom with an abundance of tiny, pale, star-shaped flowers, also often tinged purple. The bundle of flowers is crowned with a tuft of green bracts, inspiring the common name of pineapple lily.
Common name: Pineapple lily; pineapple flower
Botanical name: Eucomis species and cultivars
Flowers: In summer a dense raceme filled with small, greenish-white flowers, often tinged purple, blooms from a fleshy scape. Greenish bracts tops the flower structure. The long-lasting blooms can last for 6 to 8 weeks.
Foliage: Long, broad, wavy-edged green leaves spotted in purple extend upward and outward from the plant’s base.
Habit: The foliage rosette of a pineapple lily typically reaches 1 foot tall and 1- to 3-feet wide. In summer the lofty flower stalks can rise to 2 feet above the foliage. This plant grows from a bulb and the foliage dies back in fall.
Related: "Unusual Bulbs for the Garden"
Season: The fascinating foliage offers late spring and fall appeal, but the main season of interest comes in summer when the flowers appear.
Origin: Native to South Africa.
How to grow Eucomis comosa: Pineapple lilies thrive in moist, rich, well-drained soil and full sun.
Plant the bulbs about 6 inches deep in spring, after the danger of frost has passed. It can take several weeks to see growth. For a faster start, purchase potted transplants from a nursery, or start the bulbs in pots indoors in early spring.
Related: "How to Start Summer Bulbs Indoors"
Once the plants are growing outdoors, provide regular, thorough watering during growing season.
Pineapple lilies can be grown in containers or in the ground. Containers make it easy to grow them where they are not winter hardy—just store the pot of dormant bulbs in a cold, dark place for the winter. In general, pineapple lilies are hardy in USDA Zones 7–10.
Image credits: Plants by H. Zell - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0; Flower detail by SAplants - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
