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| Category: Bulb/Tuber/Rhizome etc. |
| Family: Hyacinthaceae (~Amaryllidaceae) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Red/Purple Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Rose |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy' (Red Pineapple Lily) - Tropical-looking bulbous plant that forms a rosette of upright 2 inch wide by 18 inch long dark reddish-purple leaves with wavy margins. In late July emerges the 2 to 2 1/2 foot tall spike bearing a tight terminal cluster of reddish-purple buds that open to paler pink to white flowers, all topped by a leafy crown of reddish-purple leafy bracts. These tufted flower bracts resemble small pineapples on a stick and give this plant its common name. Plant in coastal full sun to light shade in a well-drained soil and irrigate regularly - although from South Africa this plant comes from summer rainfall areas and needs fairly regular summer irrigation. Hardy to at least USDA Zone 8 - some claim down into zone 6. The foliage turns greener during the flowering period and it has been noted that if foliage and flowers are trimmed to the ground after the flowers are spent, new dark foliage emerges. A great plant for the garden and the flowers are long-lasting when cut for the vase. Eucomis comosa comes from the summer rainfall Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal of South African where is found growing long the coastal belt and inland, on damp, grassy places on hillsides, and along river and stream banks. The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'eu' for "good" and 'kome' meaning "hair" in reference to the attractive flower heads. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "furnished with a tuft" or " bearing tufts of leaves", again in reference to the showy bracts on top of the flowers. This cultivar was selected at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum by Edith Eddlemen in the late 1980s and it was awarded the prestigious Royal Horticulture Award of Garden Merit in 2002. The picture on this page courtesy of Roger Raiche.
The information about Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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