In apartments and houses, this plant is an exotic guest, since its homeland is the subtropics and tropics. He is loved by many gardeners. Unusual flowers of most species of this plant attract attention, successfully complementing the interior of the room. They are suitable for cutting into bouquets.
Catchy features and bright appearance provided this plant with great demand. It is called anthurium. He also has other names - the flower of "male happiness" and flamingos.
Among these plants there is a variety that attracts attention not with flowers, but with its original patterned leaves. This indoor plant is anthurium crystal. Before you start it at home, you need to get acquainted with its features and compare desires with capabilities, since this guest, like other varieties of the family, is a bit capricious.
General information
This strange plant was first described in 1829. Due to its relatively capricious nature, it has not received wide distribution. It was grown only in greenhouses with the obligatory observance of the conditions and rules of care. After the emergence of hybrids adapted to completely new growing conditions, the anthurium gradually gained attention.
One of the varieties of this plant, the Anthurium crystal genus Anthurium, belongs to the Aroid family. The name comes from the Greek words: "anthos" - a flower and "oura" - a tail.
Spread
The birthplace of this flower is America (South and Central). Under natural conditions, spreads within the territories of Mexico, Argentina and Paraguay. It grows both in humid subtropical and tropical areas, and in the mountains. You can meet this plant in the lowlands, and at the height of mountains up to 3400 meters. Representatives of this genus are common in the Cordillera and the Andes.
Most of the species are epiphytes, and the rest are half-epiphytes with subordinate aerial roots and stems slightly shortened, as well as lianas (stem and grassy). The distribution area is from northern Mexico to the southern regions of Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina.
It is possible that the name was given to the plant because in its native land in the wild it grows as an epiphyte, descending its roots from branches, like a tail. Crystal Anthurium has quite a few "relatives". In the family, according to various estimates, there are about 500-900 species.
Description
Anthurium belongs to the family of evergreens (Aroid). The appearance of this flower is very spectacular. Moreover, both leaves and flowers of the plant look great. Large leathery leaves have different shapes and sizes - whole, notched, small from a few centimeters and large up to one meter in length. They have a velvety sheen, and on their veins glimpses of silver gloss. Many groups have large large leaves with beautiful ornamental patterns.
How does a crystal anthurium bloom? Flowers with an unusual colorful palette are collected in an inflorescence, which is an ear in the form of a tube or in the form of a tail.
At home, the plant can stretch up to 25 centimeters. The thick stem reaches a diameter of up to two centimeters. Petioles are purple. Bright green leaves are rather large in size, sometimes reaching up to 40 centimeters in length and up to 20 in width. They grow densely and clearly defined white streaks are visible on them. The pattern resembles a pattern on a glass of crystal.
The flowering of this plant is not very beautiful. It is valued more due to its magnificent leaves. An inflorescence resembling a yellow-green corn cob is formed on a long (approximately 25 cm) peduncle. The ear consists of plain small flowers. With proper care, flowering in a plant is quite long.
Care
Crystal Anthurium, as noted above, is a plant that came from rainforests. Therefore, it should be provided with residual heat, humidity and good lighting. With proper care, the flower will not be threatened by pests and diseases. Basic rules for home care:
- Lighting should be bright, but well diffused. The best places are east or west windows. You can put on the north side, but there is likely to be no flowering there.
- It is necessary to grow a plant at an air temperature in the range of 20-25 degrees, but in winter, values of 16-18 degrees are permissible. Temperature differences and drafts are not desirable.
- Irrigation requires water that is well-kept and at room temperature. Water every 3-4 days, but in winter - once a week. Excess water should be removed from the pan. Water with a high content of lime is not suitable, since anthurium crystal, like other species of this family, loves acidic soil.
- The plant needs moist air, and therefore it needs frequent spraying. It should be remembered that moisture should not get on the inflorescences, otherwise spots will appear on them, and they will quickly fall off.
- Fertilizers must be applied twice a month (from March to September).
- Anthurium prefers acidic soils.
Care for the flower should be done carefully, since the stems and leaves contain substances that can damage the mucous membrane. Therefore, transplanting and pruning is best done with rubber gloves. You can learn more about how to transplant anthurium and how to propagate it later in the article.
The soil
The main requirement in the process of planting and transplanting is the correct soil composition. The soil must have sufficient moisture and air capacity, as well as friability. The reaction is slightly acidic (pH within 6.0). It is not difficult to prepare such soil. The following components should be mixed well:
- 2 parts of peat and moss, 1 part of turf land;
- equal amounts of peat, deciduous land, coarse sand, charcoal and bark of coniferous trees;
- 2 parts of pine bark, small pieces of pumice and one part of peat and well-decomposed manure (preferably horse).
The soil, consisting of large composite particles, holds the plant well in place, and it will not be compacted. Thanks to this, the soil will breathe and pass moisture well.
Breeding
The best reproduction method for all anthuriums is through root separation. This procedure is carried out in the spring. Pre-prepare the pot and soil. A plant carefully removed from the pot needs to be divided into parts, and each seedling must have a developed root system. Then the flower needs to be placed in a new container, sprinkled with soil and cover with dry moss.
Crystal Anthurium can also be propagated by seeds. In the spring they are sown in soil, which should consist of dry moss and peat. The container is covered with a film to create a mini-greenhouse. For germination, it is necessary to maintain an air temperature of about 24 degrees. After 14-20 days, the seeds germinate.
Popular and propagation by cuttings. Use should be plants older than 2 years. The length of the twig with 2-3 leaves should be about 10-15 centimeters. Cuttings are dipped about 5 centimeters into vermiculite and periodically watered. Rooting occurs in a month.
How to transplant anthurium?
It is necessary to transplant anthurium every 2-3 years. The signal for this process is the filling of the entire capacity with the roots. It should be noted that the plant during transplantation can be divided into parts.
The pot must be equipped with drainage holes. The volume of the container should be slightly larger than the size of the volume of the roots. Many flower growers use plastic pots, but Anthurium feels pretty well in ceramic dishes.
Some tips
- How to awaken the kidneys of anthurium crystal? The plant will be able to lay flower buds if you hold it in a room with an air temperature of 16 degrees. But it must be bright. The cold dormancy period can last from September to February. Next, gradually increase the temperature to 20-25 degrees.
- Faded inflorescences must be cut with the peduncle. This will allow the plant not to waste energy on ripening seeds. In a similar way, you can extend the flowering period of the plant.