Eucomis vandermerwei

RHS Plant Profile

van der Merwe pineapple lily

Synonyms

Eucomis 'Van der Merwei'

Bulbs Conservatory Greenhouse

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A bulbous perennial producing a rosette of wavy-edged, strap-shaped, dark green leaves, heavily blotched with dark purple-red. The star-shaped, purple flowers are produced in late summer in cylindrical spikes 15cm high, with a cluster of purple-edged, dark green bracts at the top

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H3

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Asparagaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Tufted
Genus: Eucomis are bulbous perennials forming a large basal rosette of strap-shaped leaves, with an erect stem bearing a dense raceme of star-shaped flowers, topped by a crown of leafy bracts, opening in late summer and early autumn
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: N South Africa

How to Grow

Cultivation

Best grown in very free-draining compost in a terracotta pot and taken under cover for winter or, in very mild areas, grow in a gravel bed or rockery. See eucomis cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in autumn or spring or remove offsets in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Sub-tropical
Conservatory and greenhouse
Wall side borders

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free