Pineapple Guavas

Nothing screams vacation like a pina colada—and when we say pina colada, we don’t mean the kiddie cocktail version. Because the internet is chock-full of creative culinary geniuses, TikTok has taken this fan-favorite summer sipper and turned it into a straight-up snack: pineapple spears soaked in Malibu rum.

Pineapple lilies (Eucomis species) are one of my favorite summer flowering bulbs. These attractive perennial bulbs originate from South Africa, and the long, strap-like green or burgundy foliage adds a tropical and textural flair to the garden setting. There are more than 10 species of Eucomis, with new hybrids constantly being developed by breeders. The first pineapple lilies were exhibited at the Chelsea flower show in England in 1760. Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ is one of the most well-known pineapple lilies with purple foliage and was introduced by Plant Delights Nursery in 1983.

NEXT TO CANNAS, which are about the easiest non-hardy bulbs or bulb-like plants to carry over year to year carefree in the cellar, I’d have to say that Eucomis bicolor, the pineapple lily (Zones 7 or 8 to 10), is winning me over for its similarly cooperative nature and long season of showing off. I enjoyed the potful that a friend gave me so much that this spring I ordered a dozen bulbs, and put three or four in each of several 12-inch containers.

Flowers or not, I grow one pineapple sage plant each year because of its Jack-in-the-Beanstalk quality. A 3-inch pot containing a rooted cutting in May forms a shrubby 3-by-4-foot creature by high summer, and oh, the fragrance of those leaves—scenes of a sunny Hawaiian pineapple plantation in every stroke of the hand. In areas where it does bloom before this anti-climactic moment (which it’s doing even with much of its foliage battered by the intermittent cold), pineapple sage and other late salvias are appreciated by migrating hummingbirds. (For summering ruby-throated hummingbirds here, Salvia van houttii, S. coccinea and some of the other reds are more to the point, along with many other tender things like verbena and nicotiana, and keep going long after the little bird

I WAS GIVEN A POT OF EUCOMIS BICOLOR, the so-called pineapple lily (guess how it got that name), by a friend who was moving and couldn’t take it along. Why had I forgotten how easy this wacky-looking South African character, whose genus name means well-haired because of the tuft of brachts topping the flowerhead, is for overwintering in the basement here? From its moptop to the purple-mottled stems and freckled leaves to its long-lasting, trouble-free performance, there’s nothing about Eucomis bicolor that I don’t like—except that I don’t have more.

The only bad thing I have to say about pineapple lilies—whose genus name means “well-haired” or “lovely haired” because of the crown-like tuft of bracts topping the flowerhead–should be mentioned right up front: Some of these hyacinth relatives (including popular E. biciolor) smell bad; like, really bad. Like something died.Maybe this explains why: Certain species of Eucomis flowers are pollinated almost by flies who are attracted to the sulphur compounds in those types, scents attractive to carrion flies. (A couple of Eucomis species are instead attractive to Pompilid or spide

WHO AMONG US doesn’t have at least one Urgent Garden Question? This month on my public radio show and podcast, Ken Druse and I answered a diverse list:

From iconic desserts such asPineapple Upside Down Cake andPineapple Fluff to savoryPineapple-Pepper Slaw or tropical cocktails such asPineapple Coconut Fizz, nothing conjures up a trip to some exotic locale like pineapple! If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to grow one yourself, we’ve got the answers.

With its showy red flowers and irresistible scent, pineapple sage is an aromatic star of the summer garden.Plus, if you grow this elegant plant with your herb

Jenks Farmer, a longtime horticulturist and garden designer, is also a writer with several books to his credit and a Substack newsletter that I’m really enjoying and more to come. He’s founder of Jenks Farmer, Plantsman, which makes gardens for clients and is also a mail-order nursery specializing in unusual bulbs.Read along as you listen to the May 15, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).Quick note: Because the longtime local radio-station engineer who records and edits my podcasts has been ill, this one has some little blooper

The next time you bring a pineapple home from a grocery store, use its top wisely to grow a new plant and enjoy a fresh supply of your own! Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on How to Grow Pineapples at Home!

Regarding Solanum lycopersicum‘Hawaiian Pineapple’ tomatoes, I have good news and possibly bad some news for home gardeners.The good news: These pretty, bicolor heirloom tomatoes taste mildly sweet and fruit