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Tropaeolaceae FAMILY

Tropaeolum tricolorum

Tropaeolum tricolorum

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial Climber
Growth—

Requires a lime-free soil in a warm sunny position[1, 2, 3]. Prefers a turfy loam or a sandy peaty soil[1]. Requires a fairly dry summer after a moist winter and spring[4]. This is one of the easiest members of the genus to cultivate and usually produces new tubers quite freely[5]. This species is not very hardy when grown outdoors in Britain. The top growth will survive light frosts, whilst the tubers, if well mulched, will survive to at least -5°c[1, 3]. New tubers are not formed until late in the season (from September), so a mild autumn is required for good yields[2]. The tubers are formed very near the surface of the soil[6] and will require mulching to protect them from the cold if they are to be left in the ground during the winter[PFAF]. The tubers can also be stored in a cool dry frost-free place over the winter and then planted out in April[3]. This species comes from a dry Mediterranean-type climate and commences growth in early autumn, growing through the winter then flowering in early summer before having a short dormancy in late summer[5]. Consequently, it is only going to succeed outdoors in the very mildest parts of the country and is generally best grown in a cold greenhouse[5, PFAF]. The plant comes from an area with intermittent and unreliable rainfall. It is therefore adapted to remaining dormant for a number of years if the growing conditions are unsuitable and this habit sometimes manifests itself in cultivation, especially if the plants have been potted up recently[5]. A plant at Rosewarne Gardens in North Devon was about 2 metres tall and flowering profusely in late April 1995[PFAF]. A climbing plant, it supports itself by twisting its leaf stalks around other plants etc[7]. The caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly can be a nuisance and often cause considerable damage to the leaves[7].

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 of cultivated plants is usually quite difficult to germinate, though wild-collected seed usually germinates freely[5]. 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[3]. Pot them up into individual pots and place them in light shade in a frame until they are established. Plant out in early summer. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Tropaeolum+tricolorum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]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 ]).
  2. [2]Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. — Organ. J. · Faber · 1960 · ISBN - ↩︎Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.
  3. [3]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.
  4. [4]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.
  5. [5]The New Plantsman. Volume 4. — Knees. S. · Royal Horticultural Society, London · 1997 · ISBN 1352-4186 ↩︎A few articles of interest, especially Berberdopsis corallina and Tropaeolum species.
  6. [6]Bulbs — Phillips. R. and Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30253-1 ↩︎Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
  7. [7]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.
  8. [8]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.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎