Found in very cool windy sites in the Andes at elevations between 2,800-4,100 metres. In cultivated fields in the high Andean altiplano between southern Peru and central Bolivia, at elevations between 3,700-4,100 metres.
A tropical plant. In Bolivia it grows between 3,800-4,100 m altitude. It is resistant to frost. It is best in a slightly acid soil. Plants need short days to produce tubers.