{"product_id":"eucomis-vandermerwei-octopus-dwarf-pineapple-lily","title":"Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDwarf pineapple lily\u003c\/strong\u003e: 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBorderline hardy, worth the care\u003c\/strong\u003e: 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/strong\u003e: 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverwintering and use\u003c\/strong\u003e: 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 \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pots\"\u003econtainer display\u003c\/a\u003e, a gravel garden, or the front of a sunny, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003ewell drained border\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom our nursery\u003c\/strong\u003e: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003eSent as an established, potted plant\u003c\/a\u003e rather than a dry bulb, so it is ready to grow away.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":58184470430079,"sku":"EUCOCT17","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/octopus.jpg?v=1787851717","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/eucomis-vandermerwei-octopus-dwarf-pineapple-lily","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}