Maori Onion (Bulbinella hookeri)

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Asphodelaceae
Genus: Bulbinella
Height: 0.7 m
Spread: 0.3 m
Flower type: hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Root - fleshy^[3]^[4]. No further details are given.

Plant part: Root

Environment

Range: New Zealand.
Habitat: Northern slopes and damp places from lowland to sub-alpine pastures on North and South Islands south to latitude 42° south^[8].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: light shade
Water: moderate
Hardiness: Zone 8+
Soil textures: sandy, loamy
Soil pH: acid, neutral
Drainage: well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Sow stored seed in a greenhouse as early in the year as possible. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 13°c^[2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in the spring. Best done as the plants come into growth. Pot the divisions up and grow them on in a cold frame until they are established then plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

An easily grown plant so long as it is in a moist peaty neutral or slightly acidic soil^[7]^[5]^[6], but it also succeeds on dry hillsides^[7]^[5]. Shade tolerant^[1]. Plants only succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of Britain, they are hardy to about -5°c^[4], tolerating light short-lived frosts^[5]. A plant is growing in the rock garden at Cambridge Botanical Gardens. It is in an open position but does not receive a lot of direct sunlight[K]. This species is becoming much more common in the wild because it is not eaten by grazing animals nor is it killed by burning^[4].

Anemarrhena asphodeloidesZhi Mu
Arthropodium cirrhatum
Arthropodium milleflorumPale Vanilla Lily
Arthropodium minusSmall Vanilla Lily

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
↩
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00
↩
Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-340-508302
↩
Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
↩
Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00
↩1 ↩2
Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961-00-00
↩