Azorella compacta
Azorella compacta
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Azorella compacta is found at high elevations in arid and semi-arid regions of the Andes. It can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations, with daytime temperatures sometimes in excess of 25°c whilst nightime temperatures can fall considerably below 0°c. Requires a position in full sun in a well-drained gritty soil[1]. Plants are very slow-growing, but long-lived[2]. Estimates in age for a plant 1.15 metres tall range from 850 - 3,000 years[2]. Very free-branching, the plants form a spreading crown of rosettes which eventually forms a compact cushion that gradually increases in size. The interior of the plant contains a considerable mass of crumbling, damp, dead tissues - the remains of branches that were engulfed or crowded out by others[2]. Flowering is variable, but usually occurs all year round, being concentrated in one section of the plant at any one time[2].
Propagation
Seed - it can be difficult to germinate. A regime of 12 hours light at 23°c followed by 12 hours dark at 9°c produced 30% germination after 2 months[2]. Cold stratification did not improve germination rates[2]. Seed production can be very poor - in one examination less than 1% of all the seeds produced were actually viable[2]. Division. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Azorella+compacta>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [2]Llareta (Azorella compacta, Umbelliferae); A Review — Wickens G.E. · 1995 ↩︎A review of the uses of Azorella compacta
- [3]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.