Eucomis vandermerwei is popular amongst growers of alpine bulbs and by rock garden enthusiasts, and it is more often grown in specialist collections abroad than in its native South Africa. The plant is very well suited to pots or bowls due to its dwarf habit and striking, long-lasting brownish-maroon racemes; its cryptically maroon-spotted leaves with wavy margins make it worth growing for these features alone. It requires full morning sun and afternoon shade, or bright light throughout the day. The plants flower reliably every year in ideal conditions, and remain attractive even during the fruiting stage. They can be grown in the cool greenhouse, on a patio or window sill or plunged into rock garden pockets in summer, or even planted into permanent well-drained raised beds. The bulbs are hardy down to - 5 °C but cannot survive excessive moisture in winter and have to be stored as dry as possible during this period. Like the dwarf E. schijffii, the only drawback this species has as a container subject is its foetid scent, but this is only evident at close quarters.

Bulbs of E. vandermerwei are planted shallow (about 10 mm deep) in early summer and perform best in a well-drained, acid sandy medium such as equal parts of coarse river sand and finely sifted, acid compost. At Kirstenbosch 250 mm diam. plastic pots have produced excellent results but in cold climates, smaller terracotta containers may be preferable. After an initial heavy drench in early summer, it is best to wait for the leaves to appear, then drench weekly until the leaves start to turn yellow in autumn. As with all Eucomis species, this plant responds very well to organic fertilizers with a high potassium, low nitrogen content.

Propagation is achieved by seed, offsets, bulb slicing, leaf cuttings and tissue culture. Sow the seeds 3-4 mm deep in early summer, in the same medium recommended for adult bulbs, and water regularly with a fine rose. Germination of fresh seeds takes place within 3-4 weeks and flowers can be expected in the fourth year. It is necessary to isolate and cross-pollinate flowers to obtain pure seeds, but despite these measures, seed production in this plant is not prolific. The bulbs multiply well by offset formation but these should be allowed to increase in size for about two years before removal, to prevent excessive damage to the basal plates. Bulb slicing entails cutting mature bulbs into longitudinal sections, each containing a portion of the basal plate. The cut sections are treated with a fungicide and placed upright, with the tips exposed, in a slightly moist rooting medium such as equal parts of river sand or grit and peat moss. After a few weeks young bulblets will begin to form on the cut surfaces of the basal plate and these are removed at the beginning of the next growing season and potted-up individually.

To take a leaf cutting, remove a leaf by holding it firmly at the base and pulling it off with a swift tug, or alternatively, twist it off at the base. Depending on size, cut the leaf material into two or more cross sections up to 100 mm long with a sharp knife, and place in a well-drained rooting medium such as equal parts riversand and vermiculite or finely milled bark, with the base of the cutting inserted 10-15 mm below the surface, and place in a warm and dry, shady spot. Keep the medium just slightly moist, not continually wet, as excessive moisture will soon lead to basal rotting. The cutting taken from the base of the leaf often produces the best results as the tissue in this portion is harder and less prone to rot. At the end of the growing season, lift the withered cutting and remove the bulblets, then store and pot them up in the normal way. Bulblets can also be obtained in about 3 weeks from the cut surface of basal leaf cuttings placed in a container of shallow water. This species can also be propagated by tissue culture, but this method is beyond the scope of the home gardener as it has to be performed under laboratory conditions.

Eucomis vandermerwei is generally pest- and disease-free, but mealy bugs sometimes infest the bulb tunics and leaf bases, and can lead to viral infection.