Any plant that grows in an open area under a plentiful sun and does not experience discomfort, let us say so, but, on the contrary, needs such conditions, is a heliophyte. Photophilous plants, an example of which will be discussed below, have their own distinctive features.
What is typical for heliophytes
The leaves of photophilous plants have their own characteristics, and they are easy to notice. Namely:
- the thickness of the leaves of such plants is most often greater than that of others, not so susceptible to light;
- the angle between the leaves and the direction of the rays of the sun is large, reaching ninety degrees.
Also, photophilous plants (for example, birch, and in hotter latitudes - cactus) contain a huge number of chloroplasts in their sheets: from fifty to three hundred of them per cell, due to which there is a high intensity of photosynthesis. This is the most characteristic physiological characteristic of plants with high needs in the sun. The characterization of photophilous plants is not over here; we will consider a few more questions.
What happens if the heliophyte is deprived of solar energy?
At low doses of illumination, the plant appears such a sign as depression, and there is also a delay in its development. And the older the plant, the higher its need for sun.
Where heliophytes grow
To list the signs of photophilous plants should begin with such parameters as the place and nature of growth. What exactly is it about? Heliophytes can grow both in conditions of intense solar radiation, and in some shaded places. Prolonged dimming, as mentioned above, will have a detrimental effect on them. Heliophytes, which relate to shrubs or trees, usually grow as sparse plantings in order to be able to access the sun at any time of the day.
What are photophilous plants?
An example of heliophytes can be given from any type of plant, whether it be trees, bushes, grasses, representatives of flora growing in water. Let us consider what heliophytes are found in our latitudes.
- The trees. These include: birch, linden, pine (ordinary, mountain), ash, apple tree, white mulberry, juniper, oak (ordinary, bramble), quince, aspen, etc.
- Shrubs. These include lilac, rose, sour blackthorn, jasmine, some types of hydrangea , etc.
- Herbal and cereal. These are tomato, water lily, plantain, corn, lingonberry, heather, etc.
Fans of planting flowers at home need to consider the data on the light sensitivity of a flower that will grow in a pot on a windowsill. Before acquiring a certain plant, it is worth knowing all its characteristics so that it can live in your apartment without any problems. Returning to the current topic, we can give some examples of photophilous indoor plants.
- In many homes, you can find a flower such as begonia. It belongs to the photophilous, but it is better not to put it under direct scorching rays from May to September.
- Kalanchoe also loves light, but not direct rays, from which burns can appear on the sheets.
- Monsters, sansevieriah and dracaenas will be well under the bright scattered rays or in partial shade.
- Phalaenopsis is a type of orchid; it loves light, but not heat, therefore it is good to place them on the east window.
- Fuchsia is not averse to swimming in the sun in the morning or in the afternoon.
- Cyclamens are also good from bright lighting, but it is advisable to put them under direct rays only in the winter. The same conditions must be created and violets. As daylight hours decrease , you can move them slightly closer to the window from a distance of about 2-3 meters in the hottest period.
Adaptation of heliophytes to adverse conditions
Not always the environment spares photophilous plants. An example of how a cherry disappears and does not bear fruit, if it is in the shade, will be familiar to many people, at least a little connected with gardening. But first, the plant will do everything possible to get more light. This is mainly expressed in the increased surface area of the sheets and a deeper green tint, because it is known that dark colors absorb more energy from sunlight. Also, for the same purpose, the stems of plants are stretched, but at the same time they become more fragile, and the trees grow taller or can change their shape in order to receive more light.