Sarsaparilla cultivation

When does the plant bloom?

Sarsaparilla Flowers
Sarsaparilla (Smilax aspera) in full bloom.

Sarsaparilla blooms between May and June. At the beginning of autumn we can see its beautiful hanging red fruits.

Irrigation of sarsaparilla

It needs a lot of humidity. Keep the soil always fresh.

Soil suitable for sarsaparilla

The plant should be located in rockeries or walls protected from frost. It is grown for the beauty of its fruits, which are toxic for people, and for the aroma of its flowers, which are very little showy.

Any type of terrain with good a drainage is suitable for this plant.

Climate for sarsaparilla

It can be cultivated in the sun or semi-shade. Although it prefers warm temperatures, it can withstand frosts of up to -10 ° C, if these do not last too long.

How to plant sarsaparilla – Propagation

It can be reproduced by semimatural cuttings in summer or by seeds or division in early spring.

It is convenient to stratify the seeds in a couple of weeks in cold weather. To do this they will be introduced into a seed box in thin superimposed layers of a substrate formed with the mixture in equal parts of peat and sand. They will be placed outside with temperatures between 3 and 6 ºC.

If the temperature is higher or lower it is better to cover the box with a plastic and place them in the refrigerator.

When the plants grow and can be handled properly, they will be transplanted into a pot if the weather is cold, and they will remain protected for a couple of years.

Later, they will be planted in their final place at the beginning of summer. In warm locations they can be planted directly in their final place.

Reproduction of sarsaparillas

Planting by division of shoots in spring will be done directly on the site in warm places or in pots that will be transplanted next year in summer.

Being a dioecious species, it will be necessary to have specimens of both sexes to produce fruits.

 More information on sarsaparilla

This article was endorsed by Julián Masats - Technical agricultural engineer specialized in horticulture and gardening.
Editorial
Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

2 July, 2019

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