Eucomis 'Tugela Jade' Pineapple Lily,TROPICAL FLOWERS

Eucomis comosa 'Tugela Jade' is a cutting-trade hybrid that has earned its place in garden beds and borders on its own exceptional merits. Named after the Tugela River running through South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains — the native range of Eucomis comosa — this Eddie Welsh hybrid forms a neat rosette of fleshy green leaves before sending up elegant 18-inch flower spikes in August. The buds open chartreuse, then transition to pure white starry flowers with a pineapple-crown topknot — a sequence that is simply stunning in the garden or the vase. Fragrant, long-lived, and increasingly popular as a border specimen.

Plant Highlights

• 18-inch flower spikes: chartreuse in bud, opening to pure white star-shaped flowers
• August flowering; long-lasting in the garden and as a cut flower
• Bred for the cut-flower trade — outstanding vase life
• Fragrant South African native; attracts pollinators
• Clump-forming and long-lived when sited correctly
• Named for the Tugela River, Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

Growing & Care

Hardiness: USDA Zones 7–11; hardy to Zone 6 with a deep insulating mulch over winter. In colder zones, lift bulbs after frost and store in a cool, frost-free location until spring.

Planting: Plant large bare-root bulbs after hard frost danger has passed and soil begins to warm (typically May in cooler climates). Space 6–10 inches apart, covered with 4 inches of well-amended soil. Light mulch after top growth emerges.

Site & soil: Full sun; excellent drainage essential. Avoid waterlogged conditions, particularly in winter.

Propagation: Eucomis prefer to be left undisturbed. Offsets can be detached from the mother bulb in autumn — allow 2 additional years before offsets flower.

Bulbs are guaranteed true-to-name. Not guaranteed against failure to bloom in the first summer, overwatering loss, or overwintering in unsupported zones.

Planting Specs

• Type: Bulbous perennial
• USDA Zones: 7–11 (Zone 6 with mulch)
• Height: 18 inches (flower spike)
• Bloom season: August
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained, fertile