Burchardia umbellata

Burchardia umbellata is known as milkmaids. This plant from Australia lives for more than one year. It belongs to the Colchicaceae family. It grows from tubers, which lie below the ground. Kew places its native range in southeastern Australia. Plants For A Future lists Tasmania and some mainland states. These are Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It lists the Australian Capital Territory too. The plant grows in heathland and open forest. It also grows on flats and low hills. Kew links it with a subtropical climate.

Milkmaids grows to about 2 feet [0.6 metres] tall. It has a yearly growth cycle and rests in summer. Roots start to grow in late winter. Flowers then come in spring. Plants For A Future gives May as the bloom month. That timing comes from its guide for growers in Britain. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects move pollen between the flowers. The sources give no facts on fruit or leaf shape.

Grow this plant in sun, not shade. It needs soil that drains well around its tubers. Sand or loam soils suit it. Plants For A Future suggests sandy peat or peat mixed with loam. The soil can be slightly acid, neutral or slightly alkaline. Give it plenty of water as it grows. This growth takes place in late winter and spring. Give less water when it dies down for summer. Its water needs thus change through the year. A dry summer rest is not the same as dry soil during growth.

Choose the site with care because of its cold limits. Reports from gardens in Australia note survival at about 19°F [-7°C]. Yet Plants For A Future warns it copes poorly with cold in Britain. It lists USDA zones 8–11, but local climate still matters. The source says growers could lift plants for frost-free winter storage. It also asks how this fits with late-winter root growth. Thus, this storage advice remains in doubt. Suggested sites include beds by walls that face south or west.

You can eat the roots raw or cooked. They contain starch and have a mild, rather plain taste. Plants For A Future rates their food value at two out of five. It reports no known hazards but does not assess pet safety. It lists no uses as medicine or for other tasks. The same source records no risk of becoming a weed. The supplied sources name no pests or diseases. You can grow new plants by division or from seed.