Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Two-toned Pineapple Lily bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bicolour Pineapple Lily, Two-coloured Pineapple Flower (Eucomis bicolor).

More about two-toned pineapple lily

About Two-toned Pineapple Lily

Eucomis bicolor · also called Bicolour Pineapple Lily, Two-coloured Pineapple Flower · flowering

Two-toned Pineapple Lily is a compact South African Asparagaceae bulb notable for its pale green flowers edged in purple-maroon and a distinctive purple-bracted crown. It blooms in midsummer and is among the hardier Eucomis species, suitable for sheltered gardens in the UK. Contains steroidal saponins; toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Botrytis (grey mould): Affects spent flower parts in cool, damp conditions; remove dead flowers promptly and improve ventilation.

The reasons two-toned pineapple lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming two-toned pineapple lily traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding two-toned pineapple lily a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get two-toned pineapple lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give two-toned pineapple lily the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for two-toned pineapple lily and get the feeding right with the two-toned pineapple lily fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Two-toned Pineapple Lily flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full two-toned pineapple lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Two-toned Pineapple Lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my two-toned pineapple lily flower?

Two-toned Pineapple Lily blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make two-toned pineapple lily bloom?

Give two-toned pineapple lily the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does two-toned pineapple lily normally bloom?