Eucomis comosa Indian Summer - Pineapple lily

Eucomis comosa ‘Indian Summer’, nicknamed the pineapple lily for its crown-like spike resembling a small tropical fruit, is a bulbous perennial that brings an exotic atmosphere to borders and terraces. This selection is distinguished by its dark foliage with purple hues and its clusters of summer flowers in pale pink with a creamy centre. Compact and architectural, it thrives just as well in a sunny border as in pots, where its colourful silhouette becomes a real focal point.

The Eucomis genus now belongs to the Asparagaceae family, long classified among the Liliaceae, and comprises around fifteen species native to the damp meadows and mountain slopes of southern Africa, particularly the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. 
‘Indian Summer’ is a hybrid horticultural cultivar, distributed by the Dutch bulb trade in the early 21st century. The tunicate bulb is surrounded by thin, dry layers, like a sort of papery skin that forms a protective layer. It produces a rosette of broad, strap-like leaves in dark green, broadly tinged with purple, slightly wavy, which can reach 40 to 50 cm in height. In July-August, robust flowering stems emerge, 60 to 70 cm tall, bearing a long spike filled with small star-shaped flowers, first a soft pink then lighter as they open, topped by a crown of green bracts reminiscent of the tuft of a pineapple. After flowering, the capsule-shaped fruits remain decorative for several weeks. The above-ground growth is deciduous, disappearing completely in winter: the foliage dies back in autumn and the bulb goes dormant until the following spring.
The genus name Eucomis comes from the Greek "eu" (beautiful) and "kome" (hair or topknot), alluding to this characteristic terminal tuft, and the bulbs of certain species were traditionally used by the Xhosa people as a remedy for rheumatism.

The pineapple lily prefers a light soil, rich in humus, very well-drained, but which remains moist in summer, in sun or partial shade, sheltered from strong winds that could flatten its stems. In colder regions, it is safer to lift the bulbs or bring pots indoors to protect them from frost. In a border, Eucomis ‘Indian Summer’ pairs well with the spectacular foliage of dwarf Cannas with dark foliage like 'Angélique' or 'Louis Cottin', the blue or white umbels of dwarf Agapanthus and the purple tones of the ornamental grass Pennisetum x advena ‘Rubrum’. All these plants create architectural, exotically-inspired summer scenes that are easy to succeed with.