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Eucomis vandermerwei
A small South African bulbous perennial from the asparagus family, grown for its purple-blotched, crinkled leaves and burgundy summer flowers. It needs full sun, good drainage and protection from frost.
Eucomis vandermerwei is a South African bulbous perennial flowering plant, a member of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae), and like other members of Eucomis is commonly known as pineapple lily for its superficial resemblance to that plant (Ananas comosus), although not closely related to it. This species is one of the smallest in the genus, and is native to a high-rainfall region of western Mpumalanga in South Africa. The dense rosette of leaves, either prostrate or ascending, is heavily blotched with purple, and the leaf-edges are markedly crisped or wavy. The star-shaped burgundy flowers appear in midsummer (November–January in South Africa), and are borne on a spike (raceme) topped by a "head" of leafy bracts.
Eucomis vandermerwei is cultivated as an ornamental bulbous plant. It has been described as "one of the most desirable dwarf summer-growing South African bulbs", with very long-lasting flowers and cryptically marked foliage. In temperate areas such as Britain, E. vandermerwei requires a sheltered position in full sun, in a spot where temperatures do not fall below −5 °C (23 °F), for instance in southern and south-western coastal parts. In colder areas, dry frost-free storage in winter is recommended. It may be propagated from seed or leaf cuttings, by division of the large tunicated bulb or from offsets. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Some cultivars are either known or assumed to be derived from E. vandermerwei. These include:
Eucomis vandermerwei occurs in western Mpumalanga, part of the Northern Provinces, in the most north-eastern part of South Africa. It is endemic to high slopes and plateaux at altitudes of 2,200–2,500 m (7,200–8,200 ft). It grows in small groups in sunny positions in well-drained stony and rocky habitats with acid soil.
Autumn Pineapple Lily · Pied Pineapple Lily · Crown Pineapple Lily · Giant Pineapple Lily
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Eucomis vandermerwei by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
