Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Common Pineapple Lily, Pineapple Flower (Eucomis comosa).

More about pineapple lily

About Pineapple Lily

Eucomis comosa · also called Common Pineapple Lily, Pineapple Flower · flowering

Pineapple Lily is a striking South African bulb in the Asparagaceae family, producing a dense spike of star-shaped flowers topped by a tuft of leaf-like bracts resembling a pineapple crown. It flowers in mid to late summer and is reasonably hardy. As an Asparagaceae member it contains steroidal saponins and is considered toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Slugs and snails: Shred emerging flower spikes and leaves; use organic slug controls or copper barriers around pots.

The reasons pineapple lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming 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 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 pineapple lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give 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 pineapple lily and get the feeding right with the 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

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 pineapple lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pineapple Lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pineapple lily flower?

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 pineapple lily bloom?

Give 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 pineapple lily normally bloom?