Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Dwarf Pineapple Lily

Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'

£12.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingLoved by pollinators
Pot size
17cm / 2L £12.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Dwarf pineapple lily: Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus' is a small, characterful bulb with wavy, ground hugging leaves in dark green, heavily speckled and blotched with deep purple. In late summer it sends up short spikes of star shaped flowers in dusky red purple, each topped with a little tuft of leafy bracts that gives the pineapple lilies their name. The whole plant rarely tops 20cm, so it belongs up close where you can enjoy the detail.

Borderline hardy, worth the care: We will be honest with this one. It has an RHS hardiness rating of H3, so it is tender across most of the country and only reliably hardy outdoors in the mildest, driest corners of the South West. It will take cold down to around minus 5. Winter wet is what finishes it off, so the trick is to keep it dry while it is dormant.

How and where to grow: It wants full sun and very free draining soil, so a gritty compost in a terracotta pot is ideal, or a sharp gravel bed or rockery in a warm, sheltered spot. A south or west facing position gives it the heat it enjoys. Chalk, loam or sand all suit, and pH is not an issue.

Overwintering and use: In colder gardens, lift the tuber or move the pot under cover once the leaves die back, and keep it dry through winter. Start watering again in spring as new growth appears. It is a lovely thing for a container display, a gravel garden, or the front of a sunny, well drained border.

What you receive: Sent as an established, potted plant rather than a dry bulb, so it is ready to grow away.

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 Dwarf Pineapple Lily

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

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 Dwarf Pineapple Lily

Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus' needs full sun and well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Dry & Gravel Gardens Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.

Borderline hardy (RHS H3, roughly -5 to 1C). Reliable outdoors only in the mildest, driest gardens; protect or lift elsewhere. Read moreShow less

Borderline hardy (RHS H3, roughly -5 to 1C). Reliable outdoors only in the mildest, driest gardens; protect or lift elsewhere.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Full sun in a warm, sheltered, south or west facing spot. Read moreShow less

Full sun in a warm, sheltered, south or west facing spot.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Very free draining, gritty soil or compost. Chalk, loam or sand at any pH. It must not sit wet in winter. Read moreShow less

Very free draining, gritty soil or compost. Chalk, loam or sand at any pH. It must not sit wet in winter.

Watering

Water through the growing season while in leaf, then keep completely dry once dormant. Resume watering in spring as growth appears. Read moreShow less

Water through the growing season while in leaf, then keep completely dry once dormant. Resume watering in spring as growth appears.

Mature size

Height0.15 to 0.25m
Spread0.15 to 0.25m

Reaches full size in 2 to 5 years

Growth habit

Tufted

Flowering

Late summer to early autumn (July to September) · Purple, Red

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

No pruning needed. Remove faded flower spikes and let the leaves die back naturally before the dry winter rest.

Toxicity

No significant toxicity reported, but like all ornamental bulbs it is not for eating. Keep pets from digging up and chewing the tuber.

Native range

South Africa (Mpumalanga, Drakensberg escarpment)

Family

Asparagaceae

Also known as

Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'

Genus

Eucomis
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grow it outside all year in the UK?

Only in the very mildest, driest gardens, such as the coastal South West. It is rated RHS H3, so in most of the country it is safest grown in a pot that can go under cover for winter, or lifted and stored dry.

What actually kills it, cold or wet?

Winter wet is the real danger. It copes with cold to around minus 5 if the tuber is kept dry, but a cold, soggy winter will rot it. Sharp drainage and a dry dormant period are everything.

How big does 'Octopus' get?

It is a true dwarf, rarely more than about 20cm tall including the flower spike. That makes it perfect for a small pot, a trough or the front of a gravel bed.

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.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

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 vandermerwei 'Octopus'
£12.99