Smallflower soap plant (Chlorogalum parviflorum)
At a glance
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −12.2 °C
Cultivation
Succeeds in any reasonably good well-drained soil. Plants are frost hardy but they come into new growth in the autumn and so need to be grown in a warm sheltered position, especially in colder areas of the country.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring or summer 2mm deep in a peat/sand mix. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 6 months at 15°c, but it can be slow and erratic. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings do not need to be thinned and grow them on in the pot for their first year of growth, giving an occasional liquid feed o ensure that they do not become mineral deficient. When dormant, pot up 3 young bulbs per pot and grow them on for at least another 2 years before planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring. Division of offsets when the bulb dies down in late summer. Larger offsets can be planted out direct into their permanent positions but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for at least a year in the greenhouse.
Edible uses
Bulb - cooked. A slow baking will remove any soapiness in the taste. The bulbs can be very large and are up to 15cm in diameter.
Habitat
Dry open places.
Native range
South-western N. America - California.