Yatzi
Bomarea acutifolia
Family: Alstroemeriaceae
What it is like
Bomarea acutifolia is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in flower from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Shady woodlands in oak woods, tropical deciduous and tropical evergreen forests.
Southern N. America - S. Mexico.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Tuber - cooked. Starchy.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a warm sunny position and a well-drained slightly acid soil. Plants are possibly hardy in the milder areas of Britain. They prefer a minimum night temperature of 10°c. Keep the plants almost dry in winter and apply a good thick organic mulch to the roots. The mulch should be removed as growth commences in the spring because the young shoots are very susceptible to slug damage. This genus is closely related to Alstroemeria species. The plant is closely related to B. shuttleworthi.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse, it will germinate in a few weeks. Stratify stored seed for 3 weeks at 20°c, then 3 weeks at 5°c. It usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring, with care since the roots are brittle. Each portion must have some roots and a growth bud. Pot up the divisions, grow them on in the greenhouse until they are well established and then plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer or late spring of the following year.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Perennial Climber
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist