A plant with an exotic name "aspidistra" has spread to the indoor horticulture not so long ago, but has already gained popularity.
Flower Aspidistra grows in apartments and is often used in the interior of office space.
Attracts a rich lush form of large dark leaves that adorns the home or office.
Description
Aspidistra - herbless stemless plant, which belongs to the family of Asparagus. The genus Aspidistra includes about 6-8 species.
A native plant comes from the distant forests of China and the Japanese islands. In the wild nature is located under the shadows of trees.
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Aspidistra high (Aspidistra Elatior Blume)
This is the only species of aspirades that are grown in home gardening.
An additional name for this species is "friendly family."
It is associated with the presence of a set of plant root cuttings with leaves. The aspidistra has no upright root.
Rhizome compacted, partially hidden in the soil. The leaves are elongated in shape, lanceolate, reaching a length of up to 60-80 centimeters and up to 13-15 centimeters in width.
Platinum sheets are shiny, painted in dark green. Some species have white and yellow lines along the leaves.
Unremarkable flowers, planted in perianths purple hue.
Fruits - large pear-shaped berries.
Aspidistra variegata (AspidistraVariegata)
Grown in garden conditions. This plant has lighter leaves endowed with cream-colored stripes. This species is more thermophilic than the aspidistra is high and requires comfortable air temperatures above 16 degrees Celsius for comfortable growth.
Video with interesting information about the plant:
Home care
Aspidistru high can be successfully grown in the apartment with the observance of sufficient care.
In general, the plant is unpretentious in the care.
After purchase, the plant needs to be transplanted from shipping container to a regular pot with all the necessary conditions.
Bloom
Aspidistra blooms as when growing in the wild, and with indoor growing. But her flowers have no decorative value.
Small flowers are released from the rhizome and are located on the ground.
Transfer
It is necessary to transplant in the middle or end of spring, when the roots grow. The pot must be larger than the previous one in diameter. The presence of a drainage layer of expanded clay or shards.
Transplantation is allowed 1 time in 2-3 years. This frequency is associated with the painful attitude of the plant to transplants.
Adult bushes annually remove the top layer of old soil in a pot and lay fresh soil.
Breeding
There are several ways to breed "friendly family".
- Vegetative reproduction
- Reproduction leaf cuttings
- Seed propagation
This method is the easiest.
When transplanting, the rhizome is neatly divided into pieces using scissors.
Each piece should make several leaves.
Slices sprinkle with coal. Seed bushes in separate containers and cover with banks for insulation.
ATTENTION: The plant is divided with preservation for each part of the vertical shoots, from which the leaves grow.
This type of breeding can be carried out infrequently - 1 time in 4-5 years.
With this method, select a healthy sheet for cutting. The leaf is cut along with the lower thickening. The cut should be dried and only after that place the sheet in a high container with a lid filled with water at room temperature.
Capacity set on the lit place. When roots appear, the stalk should be planted in a small pot with loose soil, watered slightly and covered with a glass jar to create a greenhouse effect.
ATTENTION: if the plant has got air as a result of a loose connection of the lid, it may rot and not give roots. Remove it, re-cut it, replace old water with fresh water and place it back in the container, tightly screwing the lid on.
Propagation by seeds is carried out in the spring, sowing them in a container with loose earth.
Seeds should not be too deep.
Cover the container with a film and put it in a darkened place, and put it in the light when leaves appear.
After some time, transplanted into separate pots.
Released from seeds, a weak plant will develop into a full-fledged bush only after many years.
The soil
Aspidistra high grows well in ordinary universal soil or garden soil. Aspidistra variegata is not so unpretentious, because it grows only on well-fertilized and loose soils with the obligatory addition of humus and sand.
Lighting
"Friendly family" different shade tolerance. The plant can be placed on the windowsills of the north, east or north - east orientation.
In the absence of sufficient space, the bush can be placed in the depth of the room, which will not affect its ability to develop.
Variegated varieties need a good light mode.
During the warm summer period, the aspidistru is well tolerated on the loggia to fresh air.
IMPORTANT: Avoid installing in high-light sunny places by choosing a location in the shade.
Temperature
Normal room temperature creates sufficient temperature for the "friendly family." It does not require the creation of additional special conditions.
For drafts and airing aspidistra high tolerance, but in the winter should not keep the plant below 10-11 degrees.
The room for the autumn - winter content may well be cool, but not freezing.
Benefit and harm
Aspidistra is known for its good healing properties. Both leaves and rhizome are used for treatment. It is used in certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, urolithiasis, pain and convulsive contractions in muscles.
In addition, the plant perfectly helps to moisten the air and cleans it from bacteria.
Diseases and pests
With the wrong care, the following problems are possible:
- Yellowing leaves. Some leaves may turn yellow and die as a result of the aging process. If a lot of leaves turn yellow, the plant lacks a certain minimum of light. The plant is shade-loving, but it is not worth depriving it of light at all.
- Brown tips at the leaves. Formed by excessively dry air or heated by sunlight. The plant must be moved to a more darkened place or away from heating devices.
- Blackening leaves. This process speaks of excessive soil moisture. Watering should be moderate.
Sometimes an aspidistra can infect such pests as spider mites, aphids, or scutes.
In the event of illness, care should be taken about treatment.
To get rid of harmful insects, the plant is treated with appropriate chemicals that are sold in specialized stores.
TIP: The aspidistra does not differ in special exactingness in leaving and will suit the beginning flower growers. Growing a large specimen will require a lot of time and patience from an amateur of indoor plants.
Drawing up bouquets
In the video below, 7 ways to use a flower when making bouquets:
Finally, some interesting photos of interior design using Aspidistra:
