Crinodendron hookerianum Gay

Among the many exciting plants introduced to gardens from Chile one of the most spectacular has to be the Chilean Lantern-tree, Crinodendron hookerianum. Bean (1976) regards it as ‘one of the most attractive of all shrubs’ where it succeeds; an established specimen in full flower is an enchanting sight.

Native to southern Chile, where it is known as chaquihue, it has a limited distribution from Valdivia south to Chiloé Island (Bricker 1991). It is mostly found growing in temperate Valdivian rainforest along watercourses where, along with the likes of Amomyrtus luma, Myrceugenia parvifolia and Tepualia stipularis, it forms an understorey in forests of evergreen Nothofagus (Gardner, Hechenleitner & Hepp 2015; Bricker 1991). It was first introduced to the UK by William Lobb in 1848, collecting for James Veitch & Sons, and subsequently by Richard Pearce ten years later in the same capacity (Noble 2009). Although introduced as Tricuspidaria lanceolata, as which it was known as for some time, the currently accepted name honours W.J. Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew at the time of Lobb’s and Pearce’s introductions (Veitch 1906).

The English common name “Chilean Lantern-tree” is particularly appropriate; the pendulous flowers look just like rich crimson lanterns, hanging in profusion from the branchlets on long pedicels. The overall effect in flower is quite spectacular, looking rather like a well-decorated Christmas tree hung with baubles. In Chile it is also known as polizon, the Spanish word for a stiffened petticoat known as a crinoline, which the flowers resemble (Gardner, Hechenleitner & Hepp 2015). Flowers typically emerge in late spring or early summer from buds that curiously form during the previous autumn (Bean 1981). Occasionally new growth borne in spring will bear some flower too, providing something of a second display later in summer, albeit less spectacularly (Hogan 2008). In habitat, they are pollinated by hummingbirds, with typical floral features of such species (Gardner, Hechenleitner & Hepp 2015).

Wild populations show little variability with flower colour, typically shades of crimson. The same could be said for those in cultivation in our area, with no named selections until more recently, although a handful of colour variants are cultivated in Chile and are available in the nursery trade, including pale pink and white-flowered forms (Gardner, Hechenleitner & Hepp 2015; Clayton 2020). Roy Lancaster (pers. comm. 2022) recalls buying a supposedly white-flowered plant from a nursery in Frutillar, although disappointingly this flowered red. A pale-pink flowered seedling originally found in the wild is known as ‘Ada Hoffmann’; its introduction seems to be shrouded in mystery, but this clone has played a key role in bringing different colour forms into wider cultivation (see below).

Growing in deep shade in habitat, Crinodendron hookerianum is usually seen as a scrawny, laxly branched shrub, although in gardens and in ideal spots in the wild it has the potential to make a very handsome, upright small tree to 8 m or more. Like many other Chilean forest species grown in northern gardens it prefers a shaded position and demands a humus-rich, moisture retentive soil with a low pH. With regards to siting, William Arnold Forster (1948) recommended a west-facing position, where the evening light is able to illuminate its flowers, ‘brightening its rose to scarlet’. Failing such romantic ideals, a sheltered site out of cold, drying winds will reduce the leaf scorch and defoliation often seen on specimens in more exposed locations (pers. obs.). An RHS H4 hardiness rating indicates some tolerance of periods to –10°C without damage (Royal Horticultural Society 2022), however some dieback is inevitable during periods of –5°C or lower, but this is sometimes repaid by vigorous regrowth the following spring. Sean Hogan (2008) recounts how specimens subjected to periods of –18°C in Portland, Oregon resprouted from ground level, reaching flowering size again within just two years; Tom Christian recounts a similar experience at Cluny House Gardens (Perthshire, UK) where an established plant was also cut back to ground level by –18°C in the winter of 2010–11, but while this plant has grown back vigorously it took over ten years to flower again (T. Christian pers. comm. 2022). To guarantee regular flowering and to ensure a fuller furnishing of foliage in colder, more exposed locations, a position with shelter from neighbouring evergreens is advisable.

With a preference for cool summers, mild winters and reliable moisture, it is not suprising that the best examples in our area are found in regions with a pronounced maritime climate. In particular, in parts of Ireland and the west coast of Scotland Crinodendron hookerianum can be seen to reach incredible proportions, with large multi-stemmed shrubs 10–14 m tall not uncommon (Tree Register 2022). One notable Irish example grows at Kilmacurragh, Wicklow, that is thought to be from William Lobb’s original introduction, 13 m tall with a 148 cm girth on multiple stems when last measured in 2014 (S. O’Brien pers. comm. 2022).