Guide to growing garden plants - Eucomis Pineapple Flower

Eucomis are half hardy bulbs that reach between 60 and 90cm in height.

They bear toilet brush shaped heads that carry tiny stellar flowers of green or white.

The foilagge is attractive and sword shaped.

The size of the plant makes them ideal for use in borders.

Some of the common names for Eucomis include Pineapple Flower and Pineapple Lily.

How to grow Pineapple Flower (Eucomis)

The bulbs of Eucomis species such as Pineapple Flower should be sown by planting at a depth of 10 to15 cm in the spring. Pineapple Flower likes to grow in a sunny area of the garden with good drainage and the soil type is not of great import.

If you prefer to grow Pineapple flowers from seeds then they should be sown in the spring (just cover them with topsoil); or seedlings can be started off inside at the beginning of spring; germination of Eucomis takes about three to four weeks at a temperature of 21 to 24 degrees centigrade. It will take about 5 or 6 years before Pineapple flowers grown from seeds will come into bloom.

Caring for Eucomis

Once Pineapple flowers plants are established more can be had by dividing them in the spring. Eucomis plants are quite easy to grow; the soil should be kept moist (even in winter apply a light watering), and a light fertiliser should be applied when the plants are growing. In very cold areas it may be necessary to bring Eucomis bulbs indoors in the winter to protect them from the weather.