Eucomis autumnalis | Pineapple Lily Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Eucomis autumnalis | Pineapple Lily — 17cm / 2L17cm / 2L
Eucomis autumnalis | Pineapple Lily Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Pineapple Lily (Autumn Pineapple Lily)

Eucomis autumnalis | Pineapple Lily

£14.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingLoved by pollinators
Pot size
17cm / 2L £14.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Eucomis autumnalis, the pineapple lily, is the hardiest member of a genus that brings pure late-season theatre to the garden. From a fat rosette of broad, bright-green strap-shaped leaves with wavy, crimped edges rises a stout stem packed with dozens of greenish-white star flowers, the whole spike crowned by a tuft of leafy bracts that gives the plant its pineapple nickname. It is the exotic touch that keeps performing when much of the border is winding down.

What sets this species apart is its cold tolerance. Rated RHS H4, it is fully hardy across most of the UK, making it the pineapple lily to reach for if you want to leave the bulbs in the ground rather than lifting them each autumn. Flowering from August into October, the long-lasting blooms are a magnet for bees and other pollinators, and they hold well as an unusual cut flower too. Browse the rest of our hardy exotic plants to build a border that shrugs off a British winter.

Water freely through the first summer to settle the bulb in, then let it dry off as the foliage fades in autumn. Its neat, clump-forming habit makes it ideal for exotic borders and equally at home in a sunny container, so it earns a place in our plants for pots range. As a rich nectar source it is a natural for a pollinator-friendly planting, and its taste for sharp drainage suits a dry, gravelly scheme once established.

New to growing hardy exotics outdoors? Our guide to what to expect from hardy exotics explains how these plants settle in through the seasons. Every pineapple lily we send out is nursery-grown, carefully selected for a strong bulb and healthy crown, and packed with care to arrive in top condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Pineapple Lily (Autumn Pineapple Lily)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Pineapple Lily (Autumn Pineapple Lily)

Eucomis autumnalis | Pineapple Lily needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Dry & Gravel Gardens Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H4 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −10°C

reliably hardy in most of the UK, with a dry winter mulch over the crown in colder gardens.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingSheltered

full sun in the warmest, brightest spot you have, ideally south or west facing and sheltered from cold winds.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

fertile, humus-rich and sharply drained, on chalk, loam or sand across the full pH range. Add grit on heavy ground.

Watering

Water freely through the first summer while the bulb settles in, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged. Once established it copes well with dry spells. Let it dry off as the leaves yellow and die back in autumn, then mulch the crown for winter. Read moreShow less

Water freely through the first summer while the bulb settles in, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged. Once established it copes well with dry spells. Let it dry off as the leaves yellow and die back in autumn, then mulch the crown for winter.

Mature size

Height30-60 cm
Spread30-45 cm

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

Aug-Oct · White

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Leave the foliage to die back naturally after flowering, then tidy it away. Hardy in most of the UK; a mulch over the crown in cold gardens keeps the dormant bulb safe through winter.

Toxicity

The bulbs are potentially harmful if eaten and may cause stomach upset, so are best kept away from curious children and pets. The plant is otherwise grown purely as a garden ornamental.

Native range

Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi)

Family

Asparagaceae

Also known as

Eucomis autumnalis | Pineapple Lily

Genus

Eucomis
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Eucomis autumnalis hardy in the UK?

Yes. Eucomis autumnalis is the hardiest of the pineapple lilies, rated RHS H4, which means it is fully hardy across most of the UK. Given a sunny, sharply drained spot you can leave the bulbs in the ground all year round. In colder or wetter gardens, spread a dry mulch over the crown for winter, or lift and store the bulbs somewhere frost-free. See our hardy exotics guide for how these plants settle in through the seasons.

Does Eucomis autumnalis prefer sun or shade?

Full sun. Give it the warmest, brightest position you have, ideally a south or west facing border sheltered from cold winds. Good light and sharp drainage are the keys to strong flowering and a bulb that returns reliably each year. It sits happily in a sunny spot among our other hardy exotic plants.

How tall does Eucomis autumnalis grow?

It is a compact plant, forming a clump around 30 to 60 cm tall and 30 to 45 cm across. The broad, strap-shaped leaves sit low while the pineapple-topped flower spikes rise above them, so it works beautifully at the front or middle of an exotic border.

When does Eucomis autumnalis flower?

The flower spikes open from August into October, carrying dozens of greenish-white star flowers topped with a tuft of leafy bracts. The long-lasting, nectar-rich blooms are a magnet for bees, which makes it a lovely choice for pollinator-friendly planting.

Is Eucomis autumnalis poisonous to pets?

It is grown purely as a garden ornamental and is not a plant that pets tend to bother. As a sensible precaution, note that the bulbs are potentially harmful if eaten and may cause stomach upset, so keep them away from curious pets and children and wash your hands after handling.

Can you grow Eucomis autumnalis in pots?

Yes, it is happy in containers and makes a striking patio plant. Use a free-draining, gritty compost, water freely while it is in growth, and let it dry off as the leaves fade in autumn. A pot also makes it easy to move somewhere frost-free over winter. Browse our plants for pots range for more container-friendly ideas.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

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Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Eucomis autumnalis | Pineapple Lily
£14.99