Practical
Plants

Tropaeolum sessilifolium

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Tuber - raw or cooked[1][2]. One of the best-flavoured tubers in this genus, it makes acceptable eating even when raw[3]. The tubers are rather small[6].

Plant part
Root

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
S. America - Chile.
Habitat
Rather arid mountain slopes[6]. Open stony slopes and in sand gullies near snow patches at heights around 2,200 metres in the Andes[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

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 normally germinates quite freely[6]. 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[4]. Pot them up into individual pots and place them in light shade in a frame until they are established. Plant out in early summer.

Cultivation

Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained humus-rich neutral or slightly acidic loam[4]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to about -5°c and is usually best grown in a cold greenhouse or conservatory[4]. This rather conflicts with the plants native habitat, since it grows in mountainous areas subject to snow. This should be a cold-tolerant species, adapted to a dry summer after brief spring rain and snowmelt[7]. It might be safest to lift the tubers in the autumn after the plant has been cut back by frost, store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter and plant them out in April[4]. This species is succeeding outdoors in a garden in Lanarkshire where it is being grown on a bank of sharply draining soil and under some juniper shrubs which both give it protection and act as a support for its climbing stems[6]. The plant sets seed when grown outdoors, but a better set is obtained when the plants are grown under protection[6]. A climbing plant, it supports itself by twisting its leaf stalks around other plants etc[5]. The caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly can be a nuisance and often cause considerable damage to the leaves[5].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

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

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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

    ↩1↩2

  6. Knees. S. The New Plantsman. Volume 4. Royal Horticultural Society, London 1997-00-00 ISBN 1352-4186

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩1↩2

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