Practical
Plants

Albuca major

a member of the Albuca genus in the family Hyacinthaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Albuca
Height
0.5 m
Spread
0.15 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The succulent stems are chewed to allay thirst[2]. They are rather mucilaginous[3].

Plant part
Stem

Environment

Range
S. Africa.
Habitat
Sandy places on flats and lower slopes[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in a light well-drained compost as soon as it is ripe if possible, otherwise in spring. Sow the seed thinly so that the young plants can be grown on in the same pot for their first year of growth. Apply a liquid feed from time to time if the seedlings look as though they need nutrients and prick them out at the end of their first growing season. Grow on the plants for at least their next winter in a greenhouse and plant out when the bulbs are dormant in late summer or early autumn. Division of offsets in late summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a sheltered position in full sun in a light well-drained soil[4]. Succeeds outdoors in areas where frosts are short-lived and light, to a minimum of -5°, and in such areas grow well in a wild or informal garden[4]. It is best to give the bulbs some protection in the winter, preferably using a cloche or pane of glass[1]. This species is closely related to A. canadensis and included in that species by some botanists[5][4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  3. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Adamson. and Salter. Flora of the Cape Peninsula.

    ↩1↩2

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