Luzuriaga radicans

Quilineja Alstroemeriaceae

A wonderfully curious evergreen climber from the temperate rainforests of southern Chile and adjacent Argentina, Luzuriaga radicans is the sort of plant that seems determined not to conform to a tidy horticultural category. Now placed in Alstroemeriaceae, it is a woody, scrambling subshrub that climbs by producing fine adventitious roots along its stems, allowing it to cling to tree trunks and forest vegetation. The leathery, lanceolate leaves are arranged in two ranks and carry conspicuous pale parallel veins. Small, waxy white flowers appear in the leaf axils, followed by attractive orange-red berries. It inhabits cool, dark, perpetually damp woodland, from near sea level to around 1,200 m, and is best given humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil and shade. Its stems have traditionally been used in Chilean basketry and crafts, while the berries are reported edible, though rather insipid. 

Height: 1–2 m
Spread: 1–2 m
Flowering: Spring–summer
Hardiness: H4, approximately –10 to –5°C
Growing conditions: Cool, moist, humus-rich soil in partial to full shade; shelter from drying winds.