There’s a lot to like about Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. The summer flowers of this sun loving South African native are the big attention grabbers, rising straight out of the low foliage, looking like wine-red pineapples carried on stout stems. This gives the impression of a tropical plant, yet Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ is in fact hardy in all but very cold districts.
The flowers are very long lasting on the plant. Even when they start to set seed there’s sufficient colour to ensure they are still eye catching. If you can bear to pick them they are great in the vase too.
There’s also very good foliage with this plant, in lovely shades of green and burgundy, which is striking from spring to late summer.
In containers it’s exciting, providing a decidedly exotic look.
This is a plant to make use of for drama in the garden. Use its bold form among other plants with strong shapes, such as flaxes. Imagine a group of Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ with the dark chocolate foliage of Phormium ‘Black Rage’. Or as a foreground to the layered foliage of Loropetalum ‘China Pink’.
As a statement plant among low, ground covering plants it’s superb. Contrast its boldness and colours with the black mondo grass, Ophiopogon nigrescens ‘Black Dragon’, or ground covering, dense growing, white flowered Bacopa ‘Blizzard’. For a long season of colour contrast, grow it with one of the new and amazingly free flowering Gazanias such as ‘Sunset Jane’ which has honey coloured flowers all summer.
There’s lots of fun too to be had by growing ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ among bronze tussock grasses such as Carex testacea. Other natives to mingle it with include Cassinia ‘Greenhills’, a hardy ground cover with palest creamy yellow foliage and flowers to match.
Or it can be included, in very well drained soils, among succulents such as Echeveria ‘Blue Curl’ which has thick foliage in tones of blue, with red and purple edges."
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Schemes & Themes
using Liddle Wonder Plants