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A small growing species endemic to Chile that flowers in winter. It seems to be hardy here
but it staggers to produce a few inches of stem before the summer (when it becomes dormant). I would move a piece into the Agave house, where it would be very decorative in early spring if only I could find a tuber at an appropriate time. In 1979 Kenneth Beckett wrote: "Picture a rugged scenic coastline, the rocky slopes covered with scrub and here and there the sentinel figures of columnar cacti and clumps of the spiny aloe-like leaves and stiffly branched flowering panicles of Puya. We are in central Chile where the climate is of a Mediterraneum type but rather drier. Rainfall is sparse and moisture is provided by dense dripping wet very cool sea fog caused by the Humboldt Current which blankets the landscape for days on end in the growing season. Clambering about in the scrub and sometimes even hanging onto the spines of the tall cacti are two tropaeolums of great attraction. Best known is T. tricolorum, with neat narrowly segmented leaves which form a pleasing foil for the rather quaint and colourful little lantern-shaped flowers. The showy part of each flower is the calyx and the large, broad based, up-curving spur which is usually orange-red. It is variable in the wild however, some plants have deeper or paler red calyces banded or flushed yellow with or without a maroon mouth a varying intensity, and almost straight to strongly curved spurs. Although small and barely protruding, the petals provide a yellow centre to each blossom and qualifying the tricolor part of its name. Depewnding on soil and situation, the stems may ramble 12 to 40 inches (30 to 100cm) but are very slender and tend to wreath closely its chosen shrub host. It is easily grown in any well drained compost but needs a greenhouse with good winter light and a minimum temperature of 5 to 7 degC (41 to 45 degF) to flower well. This cultural comment applies to the coastal form of T. tricolorum which has generally represented the species in cultivation. There is also a mountain form which grows in earthy screes just within the winter snow line. It is more compact in habit, flowering precociously on short stems as soon as the snow departs. Seeds were collected in 1971 (BCW.4197) and hopefully some lucky persons now have what should be a hardy form growing in their gardens. If so, I should be pleased to hear from them." |
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| 11th April 2011 | ||
