Success

I won this Eucomis last summer as a door prize at a garden event. At the end of the season I put it in our unheated garage and ignored it. It looked so sad in the spring I didn't really think it was alive. But I removed the flower stalk and foliage, watered it and put it outside where it immediately started to send up beautiful new foliage. I underplanted it with a native Carex and set it in a heavy ceramic pot to raise it about critter height. Alas some big critter came along and knocked it over more than once. 

You can see its damaged leaves. I finally moved it to a new location where no one has bothered it. It also had some damage from a being outside on a couple of nights that were colder than predicted. But it just kept going.

I think this may be the variety 'Sparkling Burgundy' based on the initial foliage color and the flowers. I don't really care what variety it is. I'm just happy it survived and is blooming. This is one plant that is definitely easy enough to overwinter that I will keep doing it. 

Comments

[Kris P]

It's a lovely thing, Linda. Your perseverance paid off. I planted a Eucomis (9 years ago according to my record) and it's produced leaves every year but has never yet produced a flower. Out of curiosity, I just checked on it - it has 2 leaves at the moment but no flower. I think I need to give it up ;)

[Frank]

Congratulations! Funny how animals seem to know which plants we fuss over the most... and then of course target them.
I overwintered mine the same way for years until I heard a rumor they were hardier than you'd expect. I experimented on a few seedlings first and found out it's true! I don't know just how far you can push them but mine have made it through three winters, with lows down to zero.
Let me know if you want a few seedlings to experiment with next year :)

[hb]

Lovely! And in a very different climate mine is flowering at the same time. Plants--they're amazing.

[Susie at pbmGarden]

It's beautiful.

[Linda Brazill]

hb — I saw your Eucomis and thought mine looked like a sibling.

[danger garden]

Excellent! Is it not hardy in your area thus you've left it in a container?

[Linda Brazill]

DANGER - Apparently hardy to Z6 so it might survive here. I think our winters are too iffy now that we’re not getting good snow cover to plant if outside.

[Barbara H.]

I have several these (they've spread) and I so wish they kept that lovely burgundy color.

[Linda Brazill]

BARBARA — Yes. That great burgundy color is a big part of the reason to grow this one.