Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'

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pineapple lily 'Octopus'

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A bulbous perennial producing a rosette of long, strap-shaped, dark green leaves, heavily blotched with dark purple-red. The star-shaped, dark red-purple flowers are produced in late summer in cylindrical spikes 15cm high, with a cluster of purple-edged and spotted, 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
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
Accepted

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 removing offsets in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free