Indoor flowers. Eshinantus: photo, cultivation, care and reproduction

Those who love to turn their dwelling into a blooming garden can not pass by the eschinanthus. Their juicy green sprigs hang out of the suspended pots, creating an atmosphere of tenderness and coziness. Knowing all the vagaries of these plants, you can achieve that these twigs are sprinkled with bright original flowers. In this article we will tell you what these indoor flowers are so famous for. Eshinantus, photo, cultivation, care, reproduction of which will be presented to your attention - a flower with its features and secrets. But once all the nuances become known in detail, then you will not have any difficulties with it.

Distribution area

Flowers eshinantusy (scientifically Aeschynanthus) in homes, and in specialized stores are rare. The reason here, most likely, is in some capriciousness of the plant. It came to us from the tropics and subtropics of Indochina and the Malay Islands, where the climate is very peculiar. Externally, Eshinanthus flowers are liana-like, less often shrubby, occupy the second "high-altitude" level. They are epiphytes, that is, they try to be attached to other plants throughout their life. That is, they almost never trail under their feet and do not rise to the very tops of trees. They are quite satisfied with life in the moist warm undergrowth under the canopies of those giants whose trunks they grip tenaciously.

Botanical description

The plant received its name as an eschinanthus for an unusual kind of flowers. In translation from ancient Greek it means "distorted flower". First, on the branch, large cups of green or purple hue appear, and after about 20 days, bright balls appear out of them, which gradually turn into flowers. For this feature, Eshinanthus flowers are popularly called "lipstick".

They belong to the category of ampel, grow, hanging from the flowerpots with thin whips-stems, up to a meter long, with a lumpy texture at the base. The stems are densely covered with juicy, slightly stiff leaves on short petioles. Their color is rich green. The plate has a length of up to 100 mm, a width of up to 30 mm and a somewhat elongated shape. Their flowers are large, each individually, rather original than beautiful, has the shape of a gramophone, from which large stamens peep out on long stamen filaments. There are flowers of 8-10 pieces at the ends of the stems and all together give the plant an exclusive and luxurious appearance. The fruits of eschinanthus are long (up to 15 cm) boxes with seeds inside.

A place for escinants in the apartment

These plants love to have everything, like in their natural home - light, warm and humid. Therefore, Eshinanthus flowers feel best near windows where there is enough daylight from the street, but there is no direct sunlight, because they are plants of the second level, and not the first. They also do not like lack of sun. On the darkened windows they refuse to blossom, and their stems become not so magnificent. In the months when the day becomes short and the sky is often clouded, eschinanthus need to connect additional lighting. Kashpo, in which they grow, it is desirable to attach to the bracket, then their lush twigs will beautifully hang down. You can also put them on cabinets or shelves, but not just on the windowsill. Here, not all types look spectacular.

Reproduction by seeds

Despite the fact that it is considered a capricious flower eschinanthus, reproduction of this tropican does not cause complications. The only nuance that must be taken into account is that this process is better in the spring, with the beginning of an active vegetation, and in winter, when the plant is in relative rest, it is better not to touch it.

Methods of reproduction of escinants are two - seed and vegetative.

Seeds propagate it only for breeding work and in cases when it is impossible to get a flower differently. Seeds should be placed on a moist substrate, covered with glass, put the container on a warm window sill. For watering the glass does not lift, just a container, in the bottom of which there must necessarily be holes, periodically put in a drip tray with water. When sprouts germinate, the glass should be moved, leaving a gap, but not clean. It is needed to ensure humidity. When the shoots grow a few real leaves, they need to dive into the pots. Seed eschinanthus blossom in a year.

Reproduction is vegetative

It is important to know what eschinantus care requires. Reproduction is vegetatively not only an elementary way to breed this flower, but also an important component for ensuring its life. The plant should be cut after flowering, so that the whips are not too stretched. Then the appearance of it will be nicer, and the next bloom is more abundant. And without pruning, the old whips will stretch out strongly, the leaves on them will begin to dry, because it will be difficult for the plant to provide them with proper nutrition. All truncated lashes need to be shortened to 15 cm (leave them for 5 internodes) and put in water. In a short time they will release the roots and become independent flowers of the eschinanthus. Cuttings from lashes can be placed not in water, but in wet sand (you can clean, you can with peat). As a rule, they also take root without difficulty. For the best result, the container with the cuttings should be covered with cellophane film.

Growing and flourishing blossom eshinanthus about 4 years, and then degenerate. In order not to lose the plant, it is necessary to take the cuttings from the "old man" and to grow a healthy young one from them in the above way. In the water, the cuttings start their roots year-round, but most actively in spring and summer.

Landing

To the ground flowers eshinantusy inflated requirements do not show. The pH level is needed neutral or slightly alkaline (5-7). The soil can be bought ready, but you can make it yourself. To do this, mixed garden soil, sand, sphagnum and peat (2: 1: 1: 2). Some growers add 1 part of the humus to this mixture. The pot for eschinanthus should not be too shallow, not very large, but always of such depth that the soil and drainage layer should be at least 3 cm. Each year it is advisable for the Eschinanthus to change their house to a slightly larger one. The transplantation is carried out by the transshipment method, without disturbing the earth coma.

Flower eschinanthus: how to care for

These tropicans should live in a warm room, where there are not the slightest drafts, and the air temperature during the vegetation period is about +24 ° C. Then the plant will not dump leaves and buds. Watering should be provided abundant, but without fanaticism, in order to prevent rotting of the roots. It is best to water the plants as soon as there is a dry soil in the pot. Eshinanthus do not like cold water, so before watering it must be defended. Also they do not like hard and calcined water. If at you from the tap exactly such flows, it is desirable eshinantusy it not to water.

It is extremely important for fastidious tropics to provide them with high humidity in the air. The easiest way is to regularly spray the plant leaves from the spray gun.

Feeding eschinanthus are very useful. They need to be done every 14 days during the entire vegetation period. Ready-made complex fertilizers for flowering indoor plants are suitable .

In the winter eshinanthus should rest. They should be moved to a room with a temperature of +16 ° C, slightly reduced watering, and spraying is not carried out by the whole plant, but only by the air surrounding it.

Diseases and pests

Care of any houseplant includes its protection from pests. Diseases of eschinanthus, a home flower with a character, are due to mistakes in care. So, to dump leaves and buds it starts because of low humidity of air, insufficient watering and drafts. The spots on its leaves may appear from the watering with cold water, and the stains on the flowers from the water falling on the petals. Refuse to blossom eschinanthus will be without good lighting and without a period of rest granted to him. There are more serious diseases, such as gray rot or root rot. They come from busting with watering. Also, the germs of decay can be entered with a soil that has not previously been decontaminated.

Of the pests, Eshinanthus flowers like thrips, mealybugs, spider mites and aphids. When these insects are found, the plants need to be sprayed with insecticides.

Species diversity

In total about 190 kinds of escinants are known, and it has several varieties. Often found in the collections of our florists are:

1. "Marble". This eschinanthus is decorative and without flowers. Its leaves are green on top, with yellowish-green stripes and spots, and below are white with red veins, which gives them the effect of marbling. For this species it is extremely important to live in sufficient light. Without it, marbling disappears. But the flowers in it, though large, not very luxurious, have olive-green tones. Appear in the winter.
2. The Mona Lisa. A very delicate name and the same delicate appearance has this flower. "Mona Lisa" is eschinanthus, the most popular and not so capricious as the other species. However, there are flower growers who consider it to be the most capricious. His lashes are effectively hanging from the pots with stalks decorated with dense, wide, sharp-pointed leaves of a dark green hue. His flowers are bright red, 4-6 at the ends of the stems.
3. "Twister". This eschinanthus leaves are smaller than the rest, but they are twisted, which gives the plant extravagance. His flowers are orange-red.
4. "Rocky". In nature, it can grow among stones or between tree trunks, clinging to roots behind their bark. Leaflets are dark green with denticles, flowers flowing down, blue with purple.
5. "Beautiful". The leaves of this escinanthus are green with a reddish rim, the stems are also reddish. The flowers have a greenish cup, yellow-orange to bright red petals and pink zev.

Classical species of eschinanthus have orange-red flowers, but now varieties with white, lilac, pink and even multicolored petals are derived.