Conanthera bifolia
| Conanthera bifolia | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Conanthera bifolia
Propagation: Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in early spring in a warm greenhouse. Sow the seed thinly so that the young plants can grow on undisturbed in the pot for their first year. Give the seedlings an occasional liquid feed during the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant, pot up the small bulbs placing two or three in each pot. Grow on the plants for at least another 2 years in a greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant.
Division of offsets.
Cultivation: Prefers a very well drained sandy peat and a warm sheltered position[1][2][3].
This species is not very hardy and is difficult to keep in British gardens[1], it requires protection from severe frosts and rain in the winter[1][2]. A pane of glass supported over the plant is often sufficient[3]. Best results are obtained from growing the plant in a frame[1]. The bulbs can also be lifted in early autumn and stored in a cool dry but frost-free place over winter and then planted out in early spring[3].
Range: Southern S. America - C. and N. Chile.
Edibility: Root - cooked[4][5][6]. A very pleasant taste, they can be boiled or roasted as a vegetable, or cooked in soups[7].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Grey, Charles. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate, 1938.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.