Eucomis comosa

Eucomis comosa: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Bulb plant about 60 cm tall and 30 cm wide, with a rosette of leaves at ground level.

Leaves

Broad and strap-shaped with a wavy edge; green, purple in some cultivars; they turn yellow in autumn.

Flower

A dense spike of greenish-white to pink flowers, from July to September, with a leafy tuft on top.

Stem

Sturdy, purple-spotted, about 60 cm tall.

Bulb

A firm bulb with thick roots; prone to rot in cold, wet soil.

Flowering: July–September · Plants: April–May

Why grow it?

• Long-lasting flower spikes from July to September, when many borders are fading.
• An exotic silhouette with a leafy tuft and a purple-spotted stem.
• Bees visit the flowers and the seed capsules stay decorative into autumn.
• A good cut flower: the spikes stay attractive in the vase for a long time.
• There are cultivars with purple leaves and pink flowers for extra colour.

Eucomis comosa: where does it grow best?

• Full sun in a warm, sheltered spot, for example against a south-facing wall or on a patio.
• Humus-rich, free-draining soil: sandy or loamy, neutral to chalky. It does not tolerate wet feet in winter.
• Keep the soil moist during growth: it comes from summer-rainfall regions and wants plenty of water in summer.
• Allow 25–30 cm between plants. In a pot, use a roomy, deep one with holes in the bottom.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -10 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Ornamental grasses: Soft plumes that make the flower spike stand out.
• Argentinian vervain: Airy purple flowers above and behind the compact bulb.
• Dahlia: Flowers in the same period and adds more colour.
• Coneflower: Pink flowers that match the pink tints of the spike.
• Stonecrop: Late pink flower heads next to the green spike.

Eucomis comosa: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant the bulbs in April–May, once the worst frosts are over.
2. Dig a hole 15 cm deep and mix in compost and some coarse sand for free-draining soil.
3. Set the bulb with the tip upwards, about 15 cm deep; in a pot, use a roomy, deep pot.
4. Space plants 25–30 cm apart and plant several together for a full group.
5. Water thoroughly after planting; after that wait until shoots appear.
6. Spread a 5 cm layer of mulch over the spot.

Care

Water

During growth, water regularly and generously, especially in dry summers. Stop watering when the leaves die back.

Feeding

Every two weeks, a potash-rich feed from leaf growth until August, for example tomato feed. Not too much nitrogen.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark keeps the soil moist and protects the bulb in winter.

Late growth

Shoots appear late, sometimes only in May–June. Give the spot time.

Spent flowers

Leave the seed capsules as decoration or cut the stem when it has turned brown.

Tip: Give it plenty of water in summer: in dry spells the spike stays small. In a pot it overwinters most easily, kept dry and frost-free.

Eucomis comosa: when to prune it?

When: It is not pruned; just cut off the stems and let the leaves die back.

How:

• Cut the stem when it is brown and dry, or leave it until autumn.
• Let the leaves turn yellow and die back; only cut them when they are completely dry.
• For cut flowers, take the stem when the lowest flowers are open.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Offsets

In spring, when lifting or repotting, detach the small offset bulbs and plant them separately. They flower after a few years.

Leaf cuttings

In summer, cut off a whole leaf with a piece of the bulb base and insert it in sandy compost. New little bulbs form.

Seed

Sow in spring in seed compost at 18–20 °C. Plants take a few years to flower; cultivars do not come true from seed.

Eucomis comosa: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Hardy to about −10 °C, but only in a dry, sheltered spot under 10–15 cm of mulch.
• In heavy or wet soil, lift the bulbs once the leaves have died back, let them dry and store them dry at 5–10 °C, frost-free.
• In a pot: keep the pot dry and store it frost-free, for example in a cold greenhouse or garage.

Diseases and pests

• Rotting bulb: Caused by wet soil in winter. Plant in a free-draining spot and cover the bulb against rain in winter.
• Slugs: They eat the young leaves in spring. Collect them in the evening and protect young shoots.
• Vine weevil: The grubs eat bulbs in pots. Check when repotting and remove the white grubs by hand.
• Dry leaves: Brown leaf tips from summer drought. Water generously and mulch the soil.

Through the year

• March: Check overwintered bulbs and repot if needed.
• April: Plant bulbs, 15 cm deep. Apply mulch.
• May: Plant. Keep slugs off. Wait for growth.
• June: Water in dry weather. Start potash feed.
• July: Flowering starts. Water generously.
• August: Full flower. Cut flowers for a bouquet. Feed.
• September: Flowering. Leave the seed capsules. Water less.
• October: Leaves turn yellow. Lift bulbs in heavy soil.
• November: Mulch thickly or move pots frost-free.
• December: Rest. Keep bulbs dry.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Eucomis comes from Greek and means beautiful hair; comosa means tufted, after the leafy tuft.
• The plant was also formerly called Eucomis punctata, after the purple spots on the stem.
• The flowers open from the bottom up, so the spike flowers for weeks.