Eucomis bicolor
pineapple lily
- Position: full sun
- Soil: fertile, well-drained soil (or loam-based potting compost with sharp sand or grit for container-grown specimens)
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to August
- Hardiness: fully hardy (borderline)
A spectacular plant, with spikes of purple-edged, pale green star-shaped flowers on purple-spotted stems in July and August, topped with a pineapple-like tuft above a rosette of wide, fleshy leaves. This distinctive, summer-flowering bulb looks stunning planted in clumps in a large, well-drained container or in a sunny, exotic-style garden. Since it's not fully hardy in frost-prone areas, it's best overwintered indoors in a cool greenhouse. - Garden care: Water freely during the growing season and sparingly during winter. Protect the crown of the plant with a dry winter mulch or overwinter indoors under glass. Top-dress or repot container-grown specimens each spring.
- CAUTION do not eat ornamental bulbs
