Eucomis comosa | Pineapple Lily Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Eucomis comosa | Pineapple Lily — 17cm / 2L17cm / 2L
Eucomis comosa | Pineapple Lily Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Pineapple Lily

Eucomis comosa | 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

The Eucomis comosa, better known as the pineapple lily or pineapple flower, is one of the most characterful bulbs you can grow in a British exotic border. From a fat, clump-forming bulb it sends up a lush rosette of broad, wavy-edged, strap-shaped leaves, often flecked purple beneath, then in late summer a stout, purple-spotted stem carries a dense raceme of pink, star-shaped flowers crowned with a leafy tuft that looks exactly like the top of a pineapple. This is the pink-flowered form, so the spikes flush a soft rose-pink rather than the usual greenish white.

Flowering from August into September, the faintly scented blooms are a magnet for bees and other pollinators, and the sculptural seed heads hold their shape well into autumn. It is a deciduous perennial, dying back to the bulb over winter and reappearing in late spring, so do not worry when it vanishes. Rated RHS H4, it is borderline hardy and comes through most UK winters outdoors given sharp drainage, though in colder or wetter gardens a deep, dry winter mulch, or lifting the bulb, keeps it safe. See our hardy exotics: what to expect guide for how these plants behave through the seasons.

Water and feed freely once the leaves are up, then keep the dormant bulb on the dry side through winter. Its love of sharp drainage and sun makes it a natural for a hot exotic border or gravel planting, and it is superb in a large container, so it earns a place among our plants for pots and containers. As a nectar-rich, bee-friendly bulb it also belongs in our plants for pollinators, alongside the rest of our hardy exotics range.

Every pineapple lily we send out is nursery-grown, selected for a strong, healthy bulb and packed with care to arrive in top condition, ready to bring a touch of the exotic to your garden.

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

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

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

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

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

borderline hardy (RHS H4), so mulch deeply in winter or grow in a pot that can be moved somewhere frost-free.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

full sun for the best flowering, in a sheltered, south, west or east facing spot out of cold, drying winds.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

fertile and free-draining, from chalk to loam or sand, at any pH, with sharp drainage the priority.

Watering

Water freely through the growing season once the leaves are up, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged, and feed monthly while in active growth. Ease off as the foliage fades in autumn and keep the dormant bulb on the dry side over winter. Read moreShow less

Water freely through the growing season once the leaves are up, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged, and feed monthly while in active growth. Ease off as the foliage fades in autumn and keep the dormant bulb on the dry side over winter.

Mature size

Height60-75 cm
Spread30 cm

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

Aug-Sep · Pink

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Let the foliage die back naturally after flowering, then clear it away. In colder or wetter gardens protect the dormant bulb with a deep, dry winter mulch, or grow in a pot that can be moved somewhere frost-free.

Toxicity

The bulbs are potentially harmful if eaten and may cause mild stomach upset, so site the plant where children and pets are unlikely to dig up or chew them. Handling the plant is not known to cause skin irritation.

Native range

E South Africa (Eastern Cape)

Family

Asparagaceae

Also known as

Eucomis comosa | Pineapple Lily

Genus

Eucomis
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Eucomis comosa hardy in the UK?

Eucomis comosa is borderline hardy, rated RHS H4, so it comes through most UK winters outdoors as long as the soil is sharply drained. The real enemy is winter wet rather than cold, so a deep, dry mulch over the dormant bulb, or simply a very free-draining spot, makes all the difference. In colder or wetter gardens it is safest lifted for winter or grown in a pot. Our hardy exotics: what to expect guide explains how these plants behave through the seasons.

Does Eucomis comosa prefer sun or shade?

It flowers best in full sun, which ripens the bulb and gives the sturdiest, most colourful spikes, though it will cope with a little afternoon shade. Give it a sheltered position out of cold, drying winds. Its love of a warm, sunny spot makes it ideal for a hot exotic border.

Will pineapple lilies come back every year?

Yes. The pineapple lily is a perennial bulb, so it dies back completely each autumn and returns from the same bulb the following spring. Left undisturbed in free-draining soil it bulks up into a larger clump over the years, giving more flower spikes each season.

How do you overwinter Eucomis comosa in the UK?

In milder gardens with sharp drainage you can leave the bulb in the ground under a deep, dry winter mulch. In colder or wetter areas, lift the bulbs once the foliage has died back, dry them off and store them somewhere frost-free, or move container-grown plants into a cold greenhouse or shed and keep them almost dry until spring. Being easy to shuffle under cover is one reason it does so well in pots and containers.

Can you grow Eucomis comosa in pots?

Absolutely, it is one of the best bulbs for a large container. Plant into a free-draining, gritty compost with the neck of the bulb just below the surface, water and feed freely in summer, then keep it on the dry side in winter. Growing it in a pot also lets you move it somewhere frost-free over the coldest months. Browse the rest of our plants for pots and containers for companions.

Is Eucomis comosa good for bees and pollinators?

Yes. The dense, star-flowered spikes are rich in nectar and draw in bees, hoverflies and other pollinators through late summer, when many border plants are fading. It is a lovely addition to a wildlife-friendly scheme, so it sits well alongside our other plants for pollinators.

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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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

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.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

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.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

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 comosa | Pineapple Lily
£14.99