Tropaeolum tricolorum

At a glance

Lifecycle: Perennial (hardy)
Exposure: Full sun
Frost limit: −12.2 °C

Cultivation

Requires a lime-free soil in a warm sunny position. This species is not very hardy when grown outdoors in Britain. The top growth will survive light frosts, whilst the tubers, if well mulched, will survive to at least -5°c. Consequently, it is only going to succeed outdoors in the very mildest parts of the country and is generally best grown in a cold greenhouse[247, K]. The plant comes from an area with intermittent and unreliable rainfall. It is therefore adapted to remaining dormant for a number of years if the growing conditions are unsuitable and this habit sometimes manifests itself in cultivation, especially if the plants have been potted up recently. A plant at Rosewarne Gardens in North Devon was about 2 metres tall and flowering profusely in late April 1995[K]. A climbing plant, it supports itself by twisting its leaf stalks around other plants etc. The caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly can be a nuisance and often cause considerable damage to the leaves.

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. Prick the seedlings out into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed of cultivated plants is usually quite difficult to germinate, though wild-collected seed usually germinates freely. Division of the tubers in the autumn or spring. In cold winter areas the tubers can be harvested in the autumn after top-growth has died down and they can then be stored in a cool frost-free position until planting them out in the spring. Cuttings of basal stems in the spring. Pot them up into individual pots and place them in light shade in a frame until they are established. Plant out in early summer.

Edible uses

Tuber - cooked.

Habitat

Not known

Native range

S. America - Chile, Bolivia.