'Sparkling Burgundy' Pineapple Lily is a perennial plant in the asparagus family that grows from a bulb and reaches 1-3 feet tall and wide. The Burgandy-green leaves grow in a rosette from which a 2-foot tall purple stem arises with clusters of star-shaped flowers in mid to late summer. Quite a striking plant. Plant in humus-rich moist well-drained soils and flowers best in full sun but will tolerate light shade. Easy to grow if given supplemental water and fertilizer during the summer. Use in coastal gardens, containers, or borders. In colder climates, the bulb can be dug up and stored in a cool, dry place or container-grown and brought indoors and kept in a cool, dry location. If left in the ground outdoors through the winter, plant at least 4-5" deep on the south side of a building. Place a thick layer of mulch on the planting site for the winter months. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Other than protecting the bulbs during cold winter months, these bulbs are relatively insect and disease resistant. More information on Eucomis comosa .
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)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The strap-like linear leaves are up to 18 inches long and 2 inches wide growing in a basal rosette upward and outward. Color is burgundy to green with burgundy. Margins are smooth to slightly wavy.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White to pink or purple-tinged star-shaped flowers with 6 petals are densely packed on a cylindrical raceme and appear mid to late summer. Blooms bottom to top. The top of the flower stem has green to purple leaf-like bracts that help to give it a pineapple look.
Bloom time
Summer
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Flower stem is thick and purple emerging from the center of the rosette up to 24 inches.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
South Africa
Wildlife value
Deer resistant
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Colorful; Easy to Grow; Textural
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#showy leaves #bulb #showy flowers #border planting #deciduous #white flowers #purple leaves #deer resistant #full sun tolerant #container plant #coastal plant #buncombe county sun and shade garden