Bolax
Bolax gummifera

Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae

What it is like

Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Prostrate.

Bolax gummifera is an evergreen Perennial at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 0

Where it is found

Cliffs and rocks, open scrub and heath, forest margins and clearings, feldmark, to 900 metres.

Southern S. America

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - raw or roasted.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 1

An oleo-resin obtained from incisions made at the base of the main stem is antispasmodic and deobstruent.

Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.

Deobstruent: Clears obstructions from the natural ducts of the body.

Other

Rating:

Plants can be used for ground cover, forming a very dense carpet of growth.

Ground cover: Ground Cover

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Container, Ground cover, Massing, Rock garden. Requires a position in full sun in a well-drained gritty humus-rich soil. A cushion plant up to 1.2m in diameter, it is often included in the genus Azorella. Plants rarely flower in cultivation. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

Propagating it: Seed - it may be best to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring. Stored seed should be sown in late winter 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 rooting rosettes in the summer

Best place to grow: Ground Cover; Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 7-8

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

B. glebaria.