Variegated Pineapple Flower, Pineapple Lily (Eucomis bicolor)

Variegated Pineapple Flower, Pineapple Lily
Eucomis bicolor

Taken 12th September in my garden, Uk zone 8a

Excellent photo wallaby1, even the little spider. I grew this one summer & thought it was a great bulb, but didn't take it in for the winter & of course, lost it. The bicolor is very hard to find here. I suppose in your climate you don't have to dig it up & take it in, right?

Hi broots, well in zone 2b that could be a problem, leaving it out. Thanks for the compliment, I didn't at first notice the spider myself, wondered if anyone would pick up on it!

I have left a comment on my growing experiences of this bulb, it is quite long so perhaps you could read that. In case you are wondering who David Fenwick is, he grows mainly African bulbs, runs a web site

http://theafricangarden.com/

He also has at least 5 National Collections, more in th epipeline, grows all these things in his back garden and an allotment, takes photos of orchids etc in their natural locations, into the origins of amaryllis worldwide, tissue culture etc. One wonders where they find the time!
Is ON Ontario?

What a beautiful lily!!!!! Great photo!
Annie

Yes, ON is Ontario. A very cold part of Ontario in the winter. Can get down to -50ºC & occasionally lower than that.

I checked out your comments & I was amazed that you had 24 plants coming from one bulb. Way to go. I have bookmarked David Fenwick's site & will check it out later tonight....Linda

Thank you Annie,

Linda, I complain when we get anything less than -5C, we did have 3 months of frost and snow Jan - Mar 1982 I think, to -20C (diesel feezes). I coped with it and got used to it, but you deserve a medal having to live in those temps! This country comes to a standstill if we have one decent snow, which we don't really get much of now, time for one!
I now look at my envy of those with warmer climes with a little more humility.

Janet

Eucomis is one of my favorite summer bulbs. I could leave it in the ground when I grew it in England, but here in Maine it is strictly a pot plant brought indoors for winter. We get -20F - I can't imagine what -50F would be like!

I also like to grow the smaller white flowered E autumnalis. Have you tried that?

Sue

Hi Sue,

Not tried that one yet, but got e. pole-evansii last year, still in a pot in cold greenhouse, not done much yet. This spring I bought a e. hybrid Joy's Purple (robust but no flowers yet); Peace Candles (grew quite well, no flower, still green after much frost to -4C in grhouse); comosa (hardly grew but alive); vandermewei 'Octopus' (grew fairly well, no flowers - only found this cultivar in one place). There's a few others I would like, montana is nice, here's a link with pics of lots:

http://www.theafricangarden.com/page40.html

you will see montana and vandermewei Octopus here, where I bought the latest ones (they spelt it wrong ...took some finding to research!)

http://pennardplants.com/photogallery.html?cat=5