(3) EUCOMIS AUTUMNALIS (Pineapple Lily)

(3) EUCOMIS AUTUMNALIS (Pineapple Lily) Description

EUCOMIS AUTUMNALIS (PINEAPPLE LILY) SUMMER FLOWER

 CATEGORYEUCOMIS AUTUMNALISBLOOMSSUMMERHEIGHT25 CM

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Please Make Sure When Buying These Bulbs That You Dont Buy Too Small A Bulb Or They Wont Flower, They Will Only Throw Green Leaves For The First Couple Of Years. These Bulbs Are A Flowering Size

Eucomis Which Roughly Translates As Beautifully Headed Obviously Refers To The Interesting Flower Heads, With Their Tufts Of Bracts Sprouting From The Crown. The Resemblance Of The Flower Head To Miniature Pineapples Is Quite Apparent, Giving These Plants Their Common Name Pineapple Lily

These Unusual And Attractive Plants Belong To A Group Of Perennial Bulbs From The Rocky Hillsides And Grasslands Of Southeastern South Africa. They Can Be Grown Outdoors But Should Be Lifted From The Garden And Kept Indoors Over Winter.

Long Lasting Flowers Bloom In Late Summer, On Multiple Stalks 12-15 Inches Above The Spreading Rosette Of Bold Foliage. The Ends Of The Stalks Are Densely Covered With Hundreds Of Tiny Star-Like Whiteflowers. Flowers Are Crowned By A Tuft Of Green Bracts Making Them Look Like The Fruit Of The Pineapple.

Eucomis Autumnalis Has Received The Royal Horticultural Societys Award Of Garden Merit (Agm) Which Is For Plants Of Outstanding Excellence.

The Flowers Last For Several Weeks And Attract Bees. They Are Excellent As Cut Flowers And Have A Long Vase Life (Up To 6 Weeks) The Bulbs Produce Basal Rosettes Of Strap-Like Arching Leaves, Much Like A Crinum. Sometimes Their One Foot Long, 3-4 Inches Wide, Light Green Leaves Have Wavy Edges. After Flowering The Flower Bracts Turn Light Green And The Green Seed Capsules Remain And Provide Added Textural Interest.

They Are Charming When Grown In Containers Or Large Tubs, Which Are Also Easy To Move Indoors Over The Winter Months They Can Also Be Planted In Garden Beds And Woodland Gardens, But Must Be Lifted In Winter.

Eucomis Autumnalis Are Easy To Grow And Prefer Full To Partial Sun; However, Best Form And Flowering Occurs In Full Sun. Plant The Bulb Just Below The Soil Surface In Fertile, Evenly Moist, Gravelly Or Average Well-Drained Soil Where They Are To Perennialize. Water Freely In Summer Months.

When Frost Threatens In The Late Autumn, Dig Up The Bulbs If They Are In The Ground Carefully Leaving Soil Around The Roots And Put Them In A Well-Ventilated Shady Place On Their Sides Until The Leaves Wither. Cut Off The Leaves And Store The Bulbs Upside Down Over Winter In Dry Peat. When There Is No More Frost In The Spring They Can Be Replanted.

Eucomis Autumnalis Can Be Grown From Seed, But Take 3-4 Years To Flower.