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Philesiaceae FAMILY

Lapageria rosea

Lapageria rosea

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Climber
GrowthMedium

Lapageria rosea is a plant of the warm temperate to subtropical zone. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating short periods when temperatures can fall to around -5°c[1]. In areas at the edge of its tolerance the Chilean bellflower is best grown on a partially shady and sheltered wall[1]. Plants on sunny walls tend to succumb in cold winters whilst those on shady walls are much more likely to survive[2]. Plants can be cut back to the ground in cold winters but will often regrow in the spring[2]. Thrives in a lime-free humus-rich soil[3, 4, 1]. Requires a cool shady position in a warm moist atmosphere[4]. Succeeds in dry shade according to another report[5]. Requires a deep open-textured soil in a warm position[6, 7, 1] with shade[3, 2]. Requires a well-drained soil[8, 7, 1]. Dislikes cold winds[9]. A climbing plant that supports itself by twining around other plants and other supports[10]. It does not really require pruning[10]. A very ornamental plant[8], it is the national flower of Chile[11]. The fruits are only occasionally formed in Britain[10]. When growing this plant from seed, it pays to be very selective and only grow on the strongest seedlings since a weak plant tends to remain weak[8]. Slugs are very fond of the young plants and will soon destroy them if given an opportunity[8]. Plants are also subject to attacks by aphis in the spring[8]. Seedlings require a very free-draining soil and it is best to cover them in a plastic bag for a few days after transplanting[7]. Plants are slow to establish, but are very long-lived[12].

Propagation

Seed - it is best to sow 2 - 3 seeds per pot as soon as the seed is ripe, in a humus-rich sandy soil in a warm greenhouse[8, 7, 9]. It usually germinates within 6 weeks at 20°c[9]. The flesh of the fruit might contain germination inhibitors and should be completely removed before the seed is sown[9]. The stored seed will require stratification. Pre-soak for 3 days in warm water, changing the water 3 - 5 times a day, then stratify for 1 - 3 months at 4°c[7]. Stored seed germinates within 1 - 3 months at 22°c[7]. Thin the seedlings to the strongest plant in each pot and grow on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse before planting out in early summer. Give the plants some protection for their first winter outdoors. Layering in spring before new growth begins[13] or in autumn[1]. It is best done in individual pots because the roots are very brittle. It takes about 12 months[13]. Leaf bud cuttings[9]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Lapageria+rosea>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [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. [2]The Plantsman. Vol. 2. 1980 - 1981. — ? · Royal Horticultural Society · 1980 · ISBN - ↩︎Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including Billardiera spp, Calochortus spp, Drimys spp.
  3. [3]Shrubs for the Milder Counties. — Arnold-Forster. ↩︎Trees and shrubs that grow well in Cornwall and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  6. [6]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  7. [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 1. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1987 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  8. [8]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  9. [9]Lilies and Related Plants. — RHS Lily Group. ↩︎Lots of interesting snippets about plants in the family Liliaceae (in the old, broad sense)
  10. [10]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  11. [11]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  12. [12]Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books, London. · 1998 · ISBN 0-330-37376-5 ↩︎Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
  13. [13]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  14. [14]Flora of Chile. (in Spanish) — ? ↩︎Some information about the useful plants of Chile.
  15. [15]Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. — Hedrick. U. P. · Dover Publications · 1972 · ISBN 0-486-20459-6 ↩︎Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
  16. [16]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.