Lapageria rosea Ruiz & Pavon

Introduction

There is little doubt that Lapageria rosea is one of Chile’s most iconic plant species. Its flowers have a sublime beauty and it is on their account that the species was officially declared the national flower of Chile in the 20th century. They have also captured the hearts and minds of horticulturists the world over since the species was introduced to cultivation in the mid-19th century.

Lapageria was described for modern botany by the famous Spanish botanists Ruiz and Pavón in their epic Flora Peruviana et Chilensis (Ruiz & Pavón 1798–1802). They named it in honour of Napoleon’s Empress Joséphine, for her maiden name of La Pagerie, and in doing so were linking her legendary beauty with that of the Lapageria flower, as well as recognising her great love of plants and her promotion of horticulture and botanical art.

For a long time prior to this, Lapageria had been a symbol of the indigenous Mapuche people, widely referenced in their art and culture. It continues to enjoy an exalted status in Chile where it is known as copihue (pronounced cop-ee-whey), which is from the local Mapuche word ‘copün’ meaning ‘hanging upside down with the mouth below’, in reference to the orientation of the flower.

Natural History and Ethnobotany

Lapageria is one of 83 genera endemic to Chile, and one of over 2100 endemic species. It occurs over several degrees of latitude from Fray Jorge National Park near Coquimbo in the north, south to Puerto Montt in the Los Lagos region. In the north, the climate can be described as Mediterranean-adjacent, with long, warm, dry summers, whilst in the south Lapageria is a component of cool, humid, temperate rainforest. Like many plants from temperate Chile it has a vast altitudinal range, from sea-level to an upper limit of c. 1000 m, where cold winters, often with long periods of snow, are commonplace (pers. obs.).

Much of Chile’s extraordinary plant diversity is due to the presence of hummingbirds; despite their small size, they have had a significant impact on the evolution of the Chilean flora. The co-evolutionary, mutualistic relationships between hummingbirds and flowers have led to the development of specific floral characteristics that are irresistibly attractive to hummingbirds. To this end, Lapageria, along with so much of the Chilean flora, possess traits such as brightly coloured, waxy-textured flowers that are pendant and, above all, are able to produce abundant amounts of nectar to satisfy the insatiable appetite of hummingbirds for their high-energy needs. It is these acrobatic birds that one first hears in the Valdivian rainforests before being rewarded with a glimpse of them darting from one Lapageria flower to another.

Here, frequently seen on forest margins, Lapageria is a vigorous, sprawling climber capable of reaching heights of up to 10 m. Where it grows in abundance its tough, wiry stems can make the edge habitats it favours almost impenetrable. Not surprisingly, the strength of the stems makes Lapageria ideal for basket making; for example, Mapuche people make a type of colander called chaihues. The roots have traditionally been used for the treatment of venereal disease, gout and rheumatism. The fruits, which are green at first and mature yellow, are edible and have a sweet taste (Gardner, Hechenleitner & Hepp 2015).

In Mapuche culture Lapageria is steeped in symbolism and ritual power, associated with healing, omens, and protection against negative spirits in the Mapuche-Huilliche tradition (Cordero, Abello & Galvéz 2022). It is especially a symbol of happiness, friendship, and love and was used in wedding ceremonies, while the image of Lapageria is represented in Mapuche silverware and looms, and in garments and ornaments that are significant in both ceremonies and traditional attire (Benítez, Chahín Ananía & Chait Mujica (eds) 2016). Mapuche warriors also respected it as an emblem of courage and liberty (Gardner, Hechenleitner & Hepp 2015).

It was during the presidential term of Juan Luis Sanfuentes (1915–1920) that the mayor of Santiago hosted a festival on the terrace of the Santa Lucía hill. It was on this occasion that Lapageria was awarded the status of ‘National Flower’, but this accolade was not made official until 1977.

Horticulture

It is thought the earliest introduction to European cultivation occurred in 1847 when the American ship owner, Reverand Wheelwright, procured a plant from Concepción in Chile for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Veitch 1906). Commercial introductions would follow very soon after. Even though up to this date no colour illustrations existed, the beauty of this new introduction was sufficiently portrayed through black and white drawings and elaborate descriptions to cause quite a stir, and it was heralded in the horticultural trade with such comments as ‘unquestionably the most beautiful conservatory climber in cultivation’ (Low 1856). Enthusiasts did not have to wait long until: in 1849, Walter Hood Fitch (1817–1892) prepared a wonderful colour lithograph of Lapageria for Curtis’s Botanical Magazine (Hooker 1849). This was based on a coloured illustration made from a plant in its native Chilean habitat and brought to Britain, together with living plants, in 1848 by William Lobb, one of the well-known Veitchian plant collectors (Veitch 1906).

Soon other nurseries began advertising the sale of Lapageria as newly imported roots and in 1861 Messrs Henderson & Son nursery in London were offering ‘newly gathered seeds’ (Henderson 1861). Further collections were being made in Chile to satisfy the insatiable demand for this rising star of the horticultural world. To this end, a living plant of the white flowered form was sent (as L. rosea var. albiflora) from Chile by a M. Abadi to the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, in 1855. In 1860 Richard Pearce, working for the Veitch Nurseries, also introduced this form via living plants and seed (Veitch 1906). Without delay it too was written up in the Botanical Magazine (Hooker 1855) accompanied by a fine painting.

In cultivation, Lapageria requires mild, temperate conditions. In colder regions it is often grown indoors as a conservatory plant where it is best planted in beds containing well-drained humus-rich compost. It may also be successfully grown as a pot plant, although the upper growth must be diligently managed. In mild areas Lapageria is perfectly at home planted outside, provided there is ample protection from cold winds and shade from direct sun. In particular, the roots have to be fully shaded in a lime-free soil with plenty of humus, which should be in the form of an annual top dressing of well-rotted farmyard manure (Charles Williams, pers. comm., 2025).

There are several examples of cultivated plants in the UK and Ireland surviving for many years including a relatively small, healthy specimen that flowers regularly on a north-facing wall at RBG Edinburgh which was planted in 1968 (accession 19687729). Other long-lived specimens have been recorded from Nash Court in Kent (the cultivar ‘Nash Court’) and famously a specimen that for over 100 years has survived on the castle walls at Caerhays in Cornwall.

In Wales, several specimens can be seen in the old aviary building at Powis Castle, the oldest of which is over 30 years old (Ben Thomas, pers. comm. August 2025). In Ireland there is an old plant at Mount Usher growing over an alder in an area called ‘The Island’ with a planting date of 1906 (D680). It is registered under the cultivar name ‘Nash Court’ and was mentioned by Frederick Moore (Moore 1930) (John Anderson, pers. comm. 2025). John Anderson recalls that when he was Head Gardener at Mount Usher (1982–2002) there was an impressive plant in the same location that flowered every year between October–November, but he could never be certain this was the same individual mentioned by Moore. There is also a very floriferous, rampant plant at Mount Stewart in County Down growing through a plant of Rosa gigantea (Seamus O’Brien, pers. comm. 2025). At Arboretum Kalmthout, Belgium, it is grown in pots of peat standing in full sun during the summer, kept well-watered (A. Rammeloo, pers. comm. 2025).

Coastal California, and in particular the San Francisco Bay Area, provide probably the best climatic conditions for growing Lapageria in the United States; plants even came through the big freeze of 1972 where temperatures here dropped as low as –12ºC (Carmichael 2006). Here, and in milder districts of the Pacific Northwest and parts of southern Australia (especially Tasmania) and New Zealand, Lapageria is a popular garden plant, readily available from specialist nurseries.

Although Lapageria is an exquisite plant in flower, with mature plants in the UK continually producing masses of flowers for many months from July onwards and sometimes into the following year, when not in flower they invariably look quite scruffy as they can be covered with many dead or dying leaves among their tangled, wiry stems (pers. obs.).

Propagation is relatively easy from both seed and cuttings, and one would expect to have flowering plants after about three years using either method. Propagation from seed is easiest but the golden rule is always to use fresh seed from recently harvested fruits; dried seed will not give good germination rates. There is much debate as to whether to remove the thick, gluey mucilage that surrounds fresh seed as this may serve as a germination inhibitor. However, evidence suggests that both methods give a degree of success. The advice of the late John Humphries, a veteran of the UK’s Professional Gardeners Guild, was to carefully open the fruit lengthwise to expose the seed and sow the whole pod in compost; using this method a 90% germination rate was obtained (MG pers. obs.). However, Seeman (1983) suggests using fresh seed that is washed and sown in a 50:50 mixture of sand and leaf mould then placing containers in a temperature of between 15 to 20°C. Using this method, sporadic germination begins after four weeks and can last for five months. If seeds are found to have become desiccated, then simply soaking them in water will help to rehydrate them sufficiently and will result in some germination after about four days (Bill Harberts, pers. comm.). At the Alupra nursery in Chile, Lapageria is mass-produced using in vitro propagation.

Vegetative propagation at Roseland House and Garden nursery (Cornwall, UK) is by layering stems, which take between 2 and 3 years to produce a plant with a root system capable of being independent, and by cuttings harvested most times of year, but winter (November–March) seems to be best (Pridham 2025). The cuttings should have three nodes with the bottom leaf removed and top leaves reduced in size and placed in a mixture of peat and perlite so that the bud is about 1 cm below the surface. Placed on a heated bench in a mist unit, the cuttings will take about one year before the basal bud will start to swell. Roots will appear first, before the new shoots, and it is important to leave the cuttings to become well rooted before attempting to pot them on.

The foliage of Lapageria is especially prone to attack by slugs and snails, therefore, measures should be taken to control these especially on younger plants. The growing points and tender leaves are also prone to attack by aphids. The most commonly occurring fungal pathogen is botrytis, often seen on the older leaves (Rodríguez-Ríos & Chait-Mujica 2017).

Cultivars

Since the white-flowered variant was introduced to cultivation in 1855, over thirty cultivars have been recognised and have been named by Chilean, British and American horticulturists (see below). Intriguingly, the origin of many cultivars can be traced to a farm in south-central Chile called El Vergel. Located close to Angol, in the shadow of the lofty Nahuelbuta Mountain Range which runs adjacent to the Pacific coast, El Vergel was purchased by the Methodist Church in 1919 as an ideal location for an agriculture school. It was thought that such an institution was needed to help the poor and humble local residents who required a place to educate their children and to assist other Chileans with improving farming techniques (Reed 2008). In 1920, Elbert Reed (1896–1974), a horticulturist from Iowa in the United States, arrived at El Vergel and by 1925 became general manager, holding that position until his retirement in 1963. Under his influence, and that of the Director, Reverend Dillman Samuel Bullock (1878–1971), El Vergel became known for its excellent student graduates, gardens, ornamental plants and its biological and archaeological museum (Reed 2008).

The previous owner of the farm, Manuel V. Bunster (1842–1912) was a keen nurseryman and had grown three different colour forms of Lapageria and it was this small collection that inspired Reed to become fascinated in this spectacular climber. Reed started to propagate the collection which included plants with flowers of red, pure white (known now as ‘Ligtromu’) and a third that had predominantly white flowers, speckled lavender-pink on the inner tepals. This is still grown today under the name ‘Nahuelbuta’. Reed wasted no time in adding to the collection and was keen to investigate the whereabouts of other colour forms in Chile. To this end, in 1929, his biggest haul of new colour forms came from a trip to Cobquecura on the Pacific coast just north of Chillán. Reed (1964) describes Cobquecura as a “delightful village cuddled up against the hills of the coastal range, about half a mile from the sandy beach.” Here he met with the elderly members of the Larenas family who showed him a staggering collection of about twenty different colour forms of Lapageria. The collection, which was begun no later than 1880, was initiated by woodsmen bringing plants down from the local woods to the town. Reed eagerly purchased many plants from this collection, representing many different colour forms, forming the basis of a remarkable collection that would persist at El Vergel for the next forty years or so (Eric Chait Mujick, pers. comm. 2025).

In many ways, the activities of the nursery at El Vergel represent one of the earliest examples of ex situ conservation in Chile. During the lifetime of the nursery twenty colour forms of Lapageria were conserved (Benítez, Chahín Ananía & Chait Mujica (eds) 2016). Each one was allocated a unique number (1–20) and these numbers always accompanied the cultivar names when listed in the El Vergel nursery catalogue.

Today, the legacy of El Vergel is being championed by Eric Chait Mujica whose passion for Lapageria led him to establish Alupra nursery at Trañi trañi, near Temuco in the Araucanía Region, in 1998. This commercial enterprise has an extensive collection of over thirty colour forms housed under 2000 m² of shade cloth structures. It took about twenty years to rediscover all but one of the recognised El Vergel cultivars; ‘Colipan’ (Number 17) which had white flowers that were dotted blue towards the edge of the tepals is now lost to cultivation (Eric Chait Mujica, pers. comm. August 2025). Apart from maintaining cultivars from El Vergel, Alupra has also rescued cultivars from other growers as well as breeding new selections. However, they are also very much concerned with protecting wild populations, especially those located in Casablanca, Quilpué, Cartegena and Paredones where they have become vulnerable and are at risk of disappearing altogether (Eric Chait Mujica, pers. comm. August 2025). Alupra has commercialised Lapageria and today the nursery not only produces cut flowers and potted plants but is also using the petals to develop gourmet products (Benítez, Chahín Ananía & Chait Mujica (eds) 2016).

Many of the colour forms cultivated at El Vergel made their way into cultivation in the United States and Europe. Thomas Harper Goodspeed (1887–1966), professor of botany at the University of California Botanical Garden (who recounted his travels in South America in Plant Hunters in the Andes) visited Chile in 1951 and 1952 with his colleague, garden botanist Paul Hutchison (1924–1997), during which time they established a lasting relationship with the nursery at El Vergel (Carmichael 2006). Large numbers of plants were obtained from El Vergel and Goodspeed (1961) describes transporting them back to San Francisco on a Grace Line freighter. Plants were grown in tubs on the ship’s deck and upon arrival they were rushed to Berkeley to be properly repotted and eventually planted out in the Garden in both the South American Area and in the Asian Area. Throughout the 1960s, Hutchison obtained more plants from El Vergel by mail (Carmichael 2006). As a result, UC Botanical Garden has built up an impressive collection of Lapageria cultivars and made many of them available to other gardens and nurseries both in the US and especially the UK through Roseland House Garden and Nursery in Cornwall, which holds the UK National Collection of Lapageria. However, according to Clare Loughran, the current Curator of UC Botanical Garden, most of the historical cultivars have been lost and only two of the El Vergel named cultivars survive in the garden today.

The identification of the different colour forms can be quite challenging because the differences between some cultivars is only slight; matters may be further complicated in that some cultivars, especially those with pale pink flowers, can darken to medium pink in cold temperatures; a characteristic shared with white selections which can become pinkish (Carmichael 2006).

Unfortunately, some of the cultivar names to have been published in recent years are merely re-namings of cultivars that originated from El Vergel nursery in Chile. Examples of these are ‘Pink Panther’ which is the same as ‘El Vergel’; ‘Wisley Picotee’ which is in fact ‘Collinge’; and ‘Wisley Spotted’ which is ‘Nahuelbuta’. The white-flowered ‘Avalanche’, grown in the UK, is probably also a renamed El Vergel cultivar.

The Lapageria cultivars mentioned in this account are a selection of named forms currently cultivated mostly in Chile, the UK and Ireland. We would like to specifically acknowledge the help of Eric Chait Mujica from the Alupra nursery in Chile and Charlie Pridham, the owner of Roseland House Garden and Nursery in Cornwall, which holds the UK National collection of Lapageria, for generously sharing their knowledge.