Requires a lime-free soil in a warm sunny position[1, 33, 200]. Prefers a turfy loam or a sandy peaty soil[1]. Requires a fairly dry summer after a moist winter and spring[260]. This is one of the easiest members of the genus to cultivate and usually produces new tubers quite freely[247]. This species is not very hardy when grown outdoors in Britain. The top growth will survive light frosts, whilst the tubers, if well mulched, will survive to at least -5°c[1, 200]. New tubers are not formed until late in the season (from September), so a mild autumn is required for good yields[33]. The tubers are formed very near the surface of the soil[90] and will require mulching to protect them from the cold if they are to be left in the ground during the winter[K]. The tubers can also be stored in a cool dry frost-free place over the winter and then planted out in April[200]. This species comes from a dry Mediterranean-type climate and commences growth in early autumn, growing through the winter then flowering in early summer before having a short dormancy in late summer[247]. Consequently, it is only going to succeed outdoors in the very mildest parts of the country and is generally best grown in a cold greenhouse[247, K]. The plant comes from an area with intermittent and unreliable rainfall. It is therefore adapted to remaining dormant for a number of years if the growing conditions are unsuitable and this habit sometimes manifests itself in cultivation, especially if the plants have been potted up recently[247]. A plant at Rosewarne Gardens in North Devon was about 2 metres tall and flowering profusely in late April 1995[K]. A climbing plant, it supports itself by twisting its leaf stalks around other plants etc[219]. The caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly can be a nuisance and often cause considerable damage to the leaves[219].