The pineapple lilies are tropical perennial bulbs in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) native to South Africa. This genus contains 13 accepted species. The genus name comes from a Greek word, Eukomos , which means 'Beautifully haired.' The common name comes from the blooms, which resemble a pineapple when in bloom. Pineapple lilies will grow in full sun or partial shade; however, a full-sun location will provide the best blooms and foliage. Depending on the species, they will grow 10-30 inches in height and will spread slowly by bulb offsets. Plant the bulbs in spring in well-drained fertile soil 3-6 inches deep and 5-10 inches apart, mulch and keep moist but not wet during the growing season. They may survive Zone 7 winters if properly protected. Plant deeply and/or cover with a thick layer of mulch. When grown in cooler zones where protection is not possible, they will need to be brought inside for the winter months and replanted in the spring. Flowers of these plants are showy and appear from summer to fall. They vary in color and appear on a dense cylindrical spike that is topped with green bracts giving it that pineapple look. The rosette of large leaves is also attractive, and some cultivars have purple leaves. The odd fragrance of the flowers has been described as boiled potatoes. One study shows that the plant is pollinated by small mammals while others claim it is flies and wasps. Use these plants as a focal point, in contains or borders for a tropical look. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems but watch or slugs, snails and aphids. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 10 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Undulate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The long, strappy, wavy-edged green leaves are up to 6 inches long and form a basal rosette.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The greenish-white, pink or purple flowers are star-shaped and grow in a dense cylindrical raceme and bloom from bottom to top of the spike. The spike is topped with green bracts. They will bloom for 6-8 weeks in late summer to fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Flecked with contrasting colors. Green and purple-spotted.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
S. Africa
Wildlife value
Flowers attract various pollinators to its rich nectar
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Patio; Slope/Bank; Small Space; Walkways