Buy pineapple lily bulb Eucomis bicolor

Eucomis bicolor

Position: full sun
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil (or loam-based potting compost with sharp sand or grit for container-grown specimens)
Rate of growth: average
Flowering period: July to August
Hardiness: borderline hardy (may need winter protection)
Bulb size: 14+

A spectacular plant, with spikes of purple-edged, pale green star-shaped flowers on purple-spotted stems in July and August, topped with a pineapple-like tuft above a rosette of wide, fleshy leaves. This distinctive, summer-flowering bulb looks stunning planted in clumps in a large, well-drained container or in a sunny, exotic-style garden. Since it's not fully hardy in frost-prone areas, it's best overwintered indoors in a cool greenhouse.
Garden care: Plant bulbs 12cm deep as soon as possible, allowing 20cm between each. In colder areas, provide some protection until the worst of the frosts have passed. Water freely during the growing season and sparingly during winter. Protect the crown of the plant with a dry winter mulch or overwinter indoors under glass. Top-dress or repot container-grown specimens each spring.