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Lapageria rosea
Chilean bellflower (copihue) is an evergreen climbing plant from Chile's southern temperate rainforests, grown for its waxy red bell-shaped flowers. It needs shade, shelter and cool, moist, acidic soil to thrive.
Lapageria is a genus of flowering plants with only one known species, Lapageria rosea, commonly known as Chilean bellflower or copihue (Spanish pronunciation: [ko'piwe], from Mapudungun kopiwe). Lapageria rosea is endemic to Chile and it is the national flower of this country. It grows in forests in the southern part of Chile, being part of the Valdivian temperate rainforests ecoregion flora.
Although the IUCN has not evaluated its conservation status, Lapageria rosea was officially declared "in serious danger of extinction" by the Chilean government in 1971. The copihue, which has inspired Mapuche legends and has been celebrated in both Chilean literature and music, was officially declared the national flower of Chile on February 24, 1977.
The plant was introduced to Britain by William Lobb during his plant collecting expedition to the Valdivian temperate rain forests in 1845–1848 and was growing at Kew in 1847.
In cultivation the plant requires a shaded, sheltered position with acid or neutral soil. It is hardy down to −5 °C (23 °F), so in the UK can be grown outside in mild or coastal areas. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The species is regarded as "highly valued for the beauty of its flowers and for its fruits".
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lapageria by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
