This article will talk about one moody plant with unusual flowers and a luxurious crown.
This is not a very popular plant as an indoor plant, because it takes a lot of patience and proper care to grow it at home. And this can only be experienced gardeners. But if you suddenly decided to purchase a beautifully flowering ampelous plant, then many flower growers recommend it - eskhinantus.
After reading the article, you can find out what this plant is. Eshinanthus indoor flower (photos and care are presented below) requires special attention to yourself.
General information about the characteristics of the plant
Eschinantus belongs to the Gesneriaceae family. This plant is known in botany as Aeschynanthus. According to some reports, the genus of these plants has approximately 80-170 species growing in the Asian region (in China, Indochina, India). This plant got its name through a combination of 2 words (Greek) describing the unusual form of its flowers: aischyneia, translated as “distorted”, and the word anthos - “flower”. “Lipstick flower” was dubbed among the people for the very bright color of the bracts.
This flower, like all plants of the tropics, loves warmth. A comfortable atmosphere for him is a warmer air temperature than for other indoor plants. And the main feature is that for its flowering in the winter, you need, like for many plants, a lower air temperature.
Eschinanthus flower is quite photophilous. It can also grow as an ampelous plant, so it can be put in a hanging pot or on shelves.
Plant in nature
The genus of plants Aeschynanthus (Aeschynanthus) is part of a huge family of Gesnerius. In the wild, these plants grow in the moist, warm regions of Asia (Southeast) and the Pacific islands.
Under natural conditions, the flower looks quite impressive. The plant enters the class of evergreen perennial representatives of the flora and belongs to the decorative-deciduous group. It has a gracefully curving oblong stalk.
Eschinanthus is often found in nature in the tropics when attached to trees. Therefore, it is ranked among epiphytes - plants attached to trees, but not parasitic to them in any way. Certain types of age-related eschinanthus can grow up to 90 cm, but there are also varieties whose height is only 30-50 cm.
Varieties
The eschinanthus home flower has several varieties.
1. Aeschynanthus marmoratus. Translated, this means marble eskhinantus. He got his name in connection with the beautiful texture of long wax leaves (10-12 cm) - on a mostly dark green background there is a dense yellowish net. She represents the main value of this variety. And the flowers have a green color with chocolate stains.
• Aeschynanthus lobbianus. This is a rather interesting plant. The first eskhinantus Lobba was discovered and classified on the island of Java. There it grows on trees, beautifully hanging from its long stems with leaves of dark green saturated shades. The flowers covered with a whisk of red color have a delicate cream color.
• Aeschynanthus speciosus. It is a beautiful eskhinantus (not to be confused with the magnificent or the beautiful). It is an evergreen shrub grassy. Shoots growing up to 60 cm are decorated with fleshy oblong-shaped leaves (length up to 12 cm) and groups of beautiful orange flowers (10-12 pieces each).
• Aeschynanthus pulcher. This flower is most prevalent among ornamental plants suitable for home cultivation. Its name is translated as "beautiful eskhinantus" or "magnificent." This flower differs from the previous species in the scarlet coloring of flowers of a slightly smaller size, with red borders along the edges of the leaves and stems of the same color.
Houseplant Description
Eshinanthus indoor flower (see photo below) is a perennial evergreen plant. It has pointed, oval, fleshy, leathery leaves at the end. Under natural conditions, this flower uses its trunks and branches of other plants as its support. At home, it is usually grown in hanging pots or baskets. First of all, his attractiveness lies in the fact that he has beautiful, spectacular flowers.
They have a tubular irregular shape and crown the tips of the shoots or appear in the axils of the leaves. When buds appear at the ends of the shoots, flowers usually gather in beautiful inflorescences of 6-12 pieces.
Eschinanthus flowers are distinguished by the brightness of their color, from red to orange. And the eschinanthus flower, beautiful (or magnificent), has hanging shoots up to 50 centimeters long. The flowers of this variety are quite large (up to 8 centimeters in length) and have the shape of a narrow expanding tube.
There are a huge variety of eschinanthus hybrid varieties, united under one common single name - eschinanthus hybrid (in Latin - Aeschynanthus hibrida).
Growing at home
For home eskhinantusa need to create maximum lighting. Also, this flower has special requirements not only for watering, but also for the water itself. It needs a high calcium content.
Although it is a moisture-loving plant, it should be watered moderately, since excessive soil moisture can lead to yellow spots on the leaves, after which they may completely fall. And during drying, yellowing and shedding of leaves are also observed.
This plant can quite be attributed to succulent, due to the ability of its leaves to accumulate moisture in themselves. It can do without spraying.
Escinanthus indoor flower can be grown in any substrate with the addition of cultivators (perlite, vermiculite, small expanded clay).
It should be remembered that with drafts and strong temperature extremes, the plant can die.
Eschinanthus flower: photo, care
Eschinantus can be called a shrub. Therefore, regular pruning can give a plant a beautiful look and decoration. Cuttings can be placed in water until the roots appear (up to 3 weeks).
Proper and good care of the plant will help strengthen its resistance to various pests. But with insufficient moisture, drafts and dampness, it can acquire gray rot. Adding sphagnum will give the plant hygroscopicity and prevent the appearance of any rot on the roots of the flower.
During intensive growth, it must be sprayed with warm water. Important for him and constant fertilizing with mineral fertilizers from April to September (twice a month).
Breeding
There are certain difficulties in the reproduction of this capricious plant. Transplants of overgrown plants are usually engaged in the spring, as a rule, at least once every 2-3 years. Moreover, it should be done along with pruning the longest shoots. Overgrown plants with bare stems should be replaced with young rooted cuttings.
The eschinanthus flower is propagated by stem cuttings up to 12 cm long. They should be rooted in spring and early summer. To do this, you need a sand-peat mixture. The air temperature should be approximately 22 to 25 degrees Celsius.
There is another way - seed propagation. The seeds, small as dust, are extracted from the ripened capsules and are sown in an even layer on the watered substrate, and then the container is covered with glass. When the very first shoots appear, you need to slightly shift the glass, allowing the young growth to get more air. After strengthening the seedlings and growing it can be planted in pots with a substrate of 3-5 pieces each.
You should know that the root system of the eschinanthus is very delicate, so the plant transfers the transplant painfully. In this regard, the best option is transshipment of this flower, in which the root is not damaged.
A transplant should be performed every year, but this should be done before flowering or after. To do this, you need to choose a container slightly larger than the previous one, always with a hole for water drainage.
Pests and diseases
Eschinanthus flower (photos are presented in the article) is often damaged by pests such as thrips, mealybugs and aphids. Good prevention is needed to avoid this.
Aphids usually settle in large colonies. She quickly fills leaves, shoots, stems and flowers. All these insects feed on plant juices, which leads to deformation of the shoots and discoloration of the foliage. At the same time, the buds may not open at all.
When fighting against aphids, it is necessary to wipe the leaves and stems with an alcohol composition. If the pest has spread quite quickly, you need to use insecticides (for example, actellic). Among folk methods, the best control is spraying with a mixture based on hot peppers. To do this, you need about 600 grams of fresh pepper (or 200 grams of dry). It is poured with a small amount of water and boiled for 60 minutes, and then infused for 24 hours. After filtering the solution, it can immediately be applied, the residues should be stored in a glass dish in a cool dark place.
This pepper solution is mixed with soap and water (15 grams of pepper solution, 10 grams of soap and 1 liter of water). The eschinantus is periodically sprayed with the resulting agent until the aphids completely disappear. After a week, the procedure can be repeated for prevention.
Conclusion
Quite attractive, but capricious flower eskhinantus. Caring for it requires patience and sufficient time, but all this, on the other hand, is also a pleasure. The main thing - when growing should determine the golden mean of the conditions of detention necessary for this flower.
The natural growth environment of such plants (rain mountain and tropical forests) and the corresponding way of life in natural conditions determine the rules for their maintenance of the house. Among other things, the endurance of these flowers to some extent depends on the variety and species, but, in general, all of them do not withstand sub-zero temperatures and should be grown in winter gardens, heated greenhouses and rooms with bright diffused lighting.