Growing Eucomis in pots

Which varieties to choose?

Belonging to the Asparagaceae family, Eucomis are mostly native to Southern Africa. These are easy to grow in pots, allowing for winter storage, and their long-lasting flowers can be cut to create lovely exotic bouquets. Even after flowering, Eucomis remains decorative thanks to its fruits, which appear on the flower spikes.

For pot cultivation, choosing the right variety is important, depending on where you want to place it and the colour that appeals to you the most.

• With its decorative purple foliage lasting until frost, Eucomis ‘Burgundy Wine’ is well-suited for pot cultivation with its compact habit of 40 cm in height and a spread of 30 cm.
• Eucomis autumnalis develops a rosette of foliage with a spread of 60 to 75 cm, from which original inflorescences in pale greenish-yellow clusters rise in late summer or autumn, topped with a leafy tuft resembling a pineapple.
• Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy®’ stands out with its stunning dark purple foliage, while in the height of summer, its large purple inflorescence blooms with small flowers in shades of pink and cream. Over time, it forms a clump 70 cm tall in flower, occupying 60 cm in width at the base.
• Of intermediate size and well-flowering, Eucomis ‘Playa Blanca®’ produces tight spikes of white-green flowers in the heart of summer, borne on a fleshy stem. Over time, it forms a clump 50 cm tall in flower, occupying 50 cm in width at the base.

Eucomis ‘Burgundy Wine’, Eucomis autumnalis, Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy®’ and Eucomis ‘Playa Blanca®’

What pot for Eucomis?

Terracotta pots, with their authentic and more eco-friendly appeal, are the ideal containers for Pineapple plants. They can also be glazed or enamelled. However, a more modern pot or a zinc basin can also suit these plants: let your imagination run wild and match the style to your garden décor!

Adjust the size of the container, which can be a pot, a planter, or a trough, to the size at ripeness of your plant. The root system must be able to develop properly; otherwise, the plant will not be as beautiful as it should be. A minimum of 20 cm in diameter and depth is therefore recommended. If the pot is larger, you can plant several bulbs: we recommend 1 bulb per pot of 18-20 cm in diameter.

What substrate for my Eucomis in a pot?

Eucomis requires a well-draining substrate to prevent the bulb from rotting due to excess moisture. Feel free to enhance drainage with coarse sand or small gravel before planting. These are quite hungry plants; they thrive in soils rich in organic matter. Plant them in a light and loose substrate. You might choose apotting compost, which can be a lightweight compost for balcony planting.

You can also create a compound mix in equal parts:

• good garden soil,
• coarse sand,
• compost or potting compost.

To improve drainage, for example, install a layer of gravel or clay balls at the bottom of the pot.

Planting Eucomis in a pot

Eucomis develop from a large, swollen bulb. They are therefore sold as bulbs to plant or marketed in pots. They should ideally be planted in spring, around April or May, as soon as there is no longer a risk of frost. In milder regions where frosts are absent, you can plant them from February.

Buy your Eucomis as bulbs or in ready-to-plant pots

1. Place a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot: gravel, broken pots, clay balls…
2. Partially fill the pot with your draining substrate. Remember that in winter, you will need to mulch with a good thickness to protect it from frost. So calculate the pot filling while keeping some height available.
3. Place the bulb(s on the substrate, point upwards, so that they can be covered with at least 15-20 cm of substrate.
4. Fill in with the remaining substrate.
5. Water and place the pot in the sun.

Exposure and Location

Eucomis thrives in partial shade, but it prefers a sunny location that encourages flowering: choose a warm, sunny spot sheltered from strong winds.

A Eucomis placed in the sun on the terrace will delight you with its beautiful exotic presence

Watering and caring for potted Eucomis

• Eucomis prefer cool soils during the growing season, especially in summer: water regularly in summer, two to three times a week, allowing the substrate to dry between waterings and ensuring no standing water is left in the saucer.
• Apply an organic fertiliser at the start of your pineapple plant’s growing season, then regularly throughout the season according to the product’s recommendations.
• To encourage beautiful flowering, top-dress in spring by adding a mixture of potting soil and compost to the surface.
• Remove faded flowers during the season.
• Vegetation disappears in autumn, while the bulb enters dormancy in winter, in soil that will remain rather dry. Cut back faded leaves and inflorescences.
• As the cold approaches, winter your Eucomis by storing it in a frost-free location, in a bright and unheated room. Reduce watering at this time, as the plant is in dormancy and the bulb could rot.

A rich, well-drained substrate will promote the healthy development and flowering of your pineapple plant.