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Lapageria rosea

Common name:	Chilean Bellflower	Family:	Philesiaceae
Author:	Ruiz.&Pav.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. America - Argentina, Chile.
Habitat:	Shady woodlands[120], usually near the coast because it likes a humid atmosphere, between latitude 34 and 41°south[139].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	rosea = rose colored;

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen climber growing to 5m by 5m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to December, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade, By Walls, By North Wall.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 139, 163, 177, 200]. A sweet white juicy pulp, the yellow fruits are the size of a hen's egg[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Thrives in a lime-free humus-rich soil[49, 182, 200]. Requires a cool shady position in a warm moist atmosphere[182]. Succeeds in dry shade according to another report[188]. Requires a deep open-textured soil in a warm position[11, 133, 200] with shade[49, 120]. Requires a well-drained soil[1, 133, 200]. Dislikes cold winds[163].
The Chilean bellflower is best grown on a partially shady and sheltered wall where it will withstand temperatures down to about -5°c[200]. Plants on sunny walls tend to succumb in cold winters whilst those on shady walls are much more likely to survive[120]. Plants can be cut back to the ground in cold winters but will often regrow in the spring[120].
A climbing plant that supports itself by twining around other plants and other supports[219]. It does not really require pruning[219].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is the national flower of Chile[183]. It is not very cold-tolerant, but is commonly cultivated in greenhouses in Britain. It is, however, hardy outdoors in the milder areas of the country[1, 182]. The fruits are only occasionally formed in Britain[219].
When growing this plant from seed, it pays to be very selective and only grow on the strongest seedlings since a weak plant tends to remain weak[1]. Slugs are very fond of the young plants and will soon destroy them if given an opportunity[1]. Plants are also subject to attacks by aphis in the spring[1].
Seedlings require a very free-draining soil and it is best to cover them in a plastic bag for a few days after transplanting[133]. Plants are slow to establish, but are very long-lived[260].

Propagation

Seed - it is best to sow 2 - 3 seeds per pot as soon as the seed is ripe, in a humus-rich sandy soil in a warm greenhouse[1, 133, 163]. It usually germinates within 6 weeks at 20°c[163]. The flesh of the fruit might contain germination inhibitors and should be completely removed before the seed is sown[163]. The stored seed will require stratification. Pre-soak for 3 days in warm water, changing the water 3 - 5 times a day, then stratify for 1 - 3 months at 4°c[133]. Stored seed germinates within 1 - 3 months at 22°c[133]. Thin the seedlings to the strongest plant in each pot and grow on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse before planting out in early summer. Give the plants some protection for their first winter outdoors.
Layering in spring before new growth begins[78] or in autumn[200]. It is best done in individual pots because the roots are very brittle. It takes about 12 months[78].
Leaf bud cuttings[163].

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[49] Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
Trees and shrubs that grow well in &ndndndnd and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[120] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 2. 1980 - 1981. Royal Horticultural Society 1980
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including Billardiera spp, Calochortus spp, Drimys spp.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[139] ? Flora of Chile. (in Spanish)
Some information about the useful plants of Chile.

[163] RHS Lily Group. Lilies and Related Plants.
Lots of interesting snippets about plants in the family Liliaceae (in the old, broad sense)

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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