Pineapple Lily

Pineapple Lily.

Pineapple lilies are miniature floral representations of the tropical fruit. They are annuals, or rarely perennials, and are extremely frost tender. The slightly bizarre plants are only 12 to 15 inches tall but have large flower heads that resemble tiny pineapples flanked with green bracts. They are in the genus Eucomis and include a wide range of tropical plants native to warm moist regions of the world. A little known fact about pineapple lilies is that they are actually related to asparagus. Both plants are in the Lily family. Pineapple lily plants grow from bulbs. These interesting bulbs start out as a rosette and do not usually start blooming for a year. Then annually, the plants produce the pineapple shaped flowers in July to August. Some varieties carry a faint, unpleasant scent. The flower is actually comprised of many tiny little flowers clustered together in a cone shape. The colours vary, but are usually white, cream or flecked with violet. It has pointed spear-like leaves and a flowering stem that rises above the plant. Most varieties are easily injured in temperatures below 68 F. (20 C.), but some are hardy in temperate zones like the Pacific Northwest. These plants are clumping over time and may get two to three feet wide over time. Credit: Gardening Know How.