Puya chilensis
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Bromeliaceae
- Genus
- Puya
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Height
- 2 m
- Spread
- 2 m
- Fertility
- self sterile
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Birds
Uses
Edible uses
Very young shoots are eaten in salads[3][4].
- Plant part
- Leaves
Material uses
A fibre from the leaves is used in making nets[7][8]. A soft material obtained from the stems is used to make corks and bungs[9]. A gum is obtained from the plant as a result of insect damage[7][8][9].
- Product or use
- Cork
- Product or use
- Fibre
- Product or use
- Gum
Environment
- Range
- S. America - Chile.
- Habitat
- Arid hillsides in the Andes, often spreading across large areas[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- drought
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- tolerant
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of offsets in the spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation
Requires a hot dry position[2]. Requires a lime-free soil[5]. Requires a sheltered well-drained position[6]. This species is not very cold-hardy in Britain. However, plants can tolerate infrequent short-lived frosts down to about -5°c[5][6] and can be grown outdoors in the mildest parts of the country[2]. They are growing well at Probus Gardens in Cornwall where they survived temperatures lower than -6°c in the winter of 1995 - 6[K]. The leaves have large, viciously hooked spines[6]. Is the plant monocarpic[1]? A self-sterile species, it is pollinated by birds in the wild. In cultivation, cross-pollination with P. alpestris can be effective[6].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
Howes. F. N. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Faber