Featured Plant

Eucomis are late summer or fall bloomers. In the Garden, they need full sun, well-drained soil, and some protection from winter rains which might rot its four-inch bulb. In its winter dormancy it can survive temperatures down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It can be grown from its shiny, round, black seeds or from bulblets separated from its underground bulb. Enjoy these surprising beauties in the Garden: 

Eucomis autumnalis, the Autumn Pineapple Lily grows to 16" rising from a basal rosette of broad, waxy leaves. The species name suggests that this plant blooms in the fall, but at SFBG it blooms as early as July. The stalk is topped with up to 125 flowers that are greenish-white in color. The three-chambered fruits ripen to produce shiny black round seeds which are also attractive. Bed 16B 

Eucomis bicolor, the Variegated Pineapple Lily grows from one to two feet tall and boasts maroon-speckled stems and green flowers with maroon margins. The flowers' stalks are crowned by tufts of green bracts also edged in maroon. The Latin name bicolor means "two-colored," and refers to the flowers and bracts which are mostly green, edged in maroon. Close up it has an unpleasant smell. Beds 26B, 27B, 27G, 27H, 44B 

Eucomis comosa, formerly known as Eucomis punctata, means "spotted". However, the leaves are rarely spotted. Some forms do have spots on the underside of the leaves. This Pineapple Lily features a basal rosette of wavy-edged, green leaves which spread upward and outward to two feet. From each rosette of leaves, a thick, purple-spotted stalk with delicate maroon-striped flowers rises like a hundred tiny stars. 

Eucomis comosa 'Oakhurst' is a lovely cultivar that grows to be a clump about one and a half feet tall and wide, sending up a deep maroon flower stalk under the many pink, star-like flowers. The leaves of the basal rosette are green, edged in maroon. Bed 5E 

Eucomis comosa 'Toffee' is a Pineapple Lily cultivar having a rosette of fleshy foliage that emerges with toffee-colored bands and undulating margins. In summer, the clumps are topped with 20" tall, purple flower spikes covered with light pink flowers. Bed 5E 

Eucomis comosa 'Tugela Jade' forms a rosette of fleshy green leaves, topped in August with 18" tall flower spikes that are chartreuse in bud and then open to pure white. It is named after the Tugela River that runs through South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains where Eucomis comosa is native. Bed 5E 

Eucomis pole-evansii is the largest and tallest in this group, reaching three to six feet. The conical flower stalk has very fragrant green flowers and is topped with a peacock tuft of green, leaf-like bracts. Bed 27B 

Eucomis vandermerwei is a threatened alpine species with unusual maroon flowers and dark green leaves with deep maroon markings and strong, wavy margins. It is a protected species, currently known from only six to eight populations in the wild. Eucomis vandermerwei is the only species with cryptic leaf coloration. The maroon-spotted leaves provide camouflage in reducing herbivore damage by blending with surrounding rocks and short grass cover. The strongly foetid flowers are probably pollinated by carrion feeders. Bed 27G 
 

IN BLOOM CONTRIBUTORS: Text: Kathy McNeil & Mona Bourell. Profile: Mona Bourell. Photos: Joanne Taylor, Brendan Lange, Mona Bourell, David Kruse-Pickler, James Gaither.

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