Confidently migrating to home comfort from the dry tropics of America and Africa, a remarkably hardy and unpretentious culture with the unpronounceable name, sansevieria quickly won the love of many flower growers, who immediately renamed it “pike tail” or the very ironic “mother-in-law language”.
It is under these uncomplicated names that we most often get acquainted with a plant that is surprisingly adaptable to the proposed conditions. The heroine of this publication is sansevieria. Types and characteristics of culture are described in the article.
Description
Botanists from different countries did not come to an agreement and classify the plant to different families - asparagus and agave. Nevertheless, the genus Sansevieria includes more than 60 species of evergreen stemless perennials - natives of dry rocky regions of tropical and subtropical latitudes with the most difficult climates. Probably, centuries-old growth under such conditions has developed an incredible ability of a plant to survive at all costs, practically without losing its “face”, that is, its decorative effect. This property of culture is used by flower growers, especially beginners, and designers - compositions with sansevieria decorate homes and offices, organically blending into any interior. Along with unpretentiousness, the plant is distinguished by excellent decorativeness. Many species of pike tail have been introduced into the culture . All of them, despite differences in appearance, are similar in that they are equally hardy and decorative.
Sansevieria: types
In indoor floriculture, many types of culture have spread . One of the most common plant varieties is the three-lane sansevieria, named so because of the peculiarities of the leaf's longitudinal color. The stemless plant, growing in rosettes, forms in each of them 5-6 tall sword-shaped dark green leaves with light transverse stripes and a bright yellow-green border around the edge. Dense thick leaves grow to 1.2 m in height, their width usually varies from 3 to 10 cm. The leaves are lanceolate, smooth, gradually tapering upwards and ending with a strong single spike. The color of the leaf depends on the degree of illumination: in a plant located in a well-lit place, the stripes are noticeably brighter, with a lack of light, they become blurry and can disappear completely. The sheet will become uniformly colored, without zonal compartments.
Varieties of three-lane sansevieria
Being the initial species, three-lane sansevieria served as the basis for the breeding of many popular varieties. Here is some of them:
• Laurenti - a long-bred variety that has remained at the peak of popularity for many decades. The leaves of this variety grow vertically upward, their edges are bordered by a sharp yellow stripe, the width of which can vary slightly.
• White Sanseviera - a variety created on the basis of Laurenti in 1948. Its leaves are decorated with white longitudinal stripes, alternating with dark green. White Sansevieria, the photo of which is presented above, is a beautiful plant with straight, hard leaves, which is not often found in home floriculture, since it differs in very slow growth.
• Hanni variety is characterized by flirty vase-shaped rosettes with bent leaves.
• Derivatives of Hanni - Golden Hanni and Silver Hanni varieties, patented in the middle of the last century. Very similar to Hanni, they differ in leaf color: Golden Hanni is dotted with irregular golden-yellow stripes, while Silver Hanni is characterized by a silver-gray color, blurred transverse stripes and a dark edging of the edge.
• Futura - a new variety, similar to forming a rosette with Laurenti, but having wider leaves, decorated with a thin yellow stripe.
• Robusta, different from Futura variety by the absence of stripes.
• Recently received Moonshine variety is similar to Robusta in growth rate and shape, but has a wonderful gray-green color.
• Nelson is a descendant of Laurenti, characterized by a deep velvety green color of shorter, thicker leaves and slow growth. In the outlet there can be more than 6 leaves, and varietal traits are preserved only by reproduction by division of the rhizome. When grafting, the original appearance grows.
• The compact variety is endowed with thinner and shorter, unevenly colored leaves: in the center - intensely dark tones, to the edge - a yellow stripe is clearly outlined. Sometimes the leaves twist, giving the plant a special appeal. Grows slowly, to preserve the signs of the uterine bush, reproduction by division of the rhizome is necessary.
• The Twister Sister variety is extremely decorative, forming a rosette of twisted leaves - olive in a dark speck and with a yellow trim.
We have listed only a small part of the varieties of three-lane sansevieria. In addition to this species, there are many others.
Sansevieria hyacinth
This is one of the most popular and popular types of culture. The best variety of the species recognized Ayo. The owner of wide ovoid leaves with silver-gray fuzzy spots and a thin orange edging, he barely reaches half a meter in height, but this does not prevent him from being a favorite of many flower growers: both professionals and amateurs. Ayo is found in the collections of famous connoisseurs of home gardening.
The type of hyacinth sansevieria is supplemented by ampelous (hanging) varieties grown in suspended containers.
In all representatives of the species, leaves grow 2-4 per rosette, depending on the variety, reaching from 15 to 45 cm in height. The width of the leaves is not more than 7 cm, and their color is dark green with spots or strokes. Mandatory edging on the edge, the color of which varies from reddish-orange to milky-white tones. The culture blooms in the winter, releasing a strong peduncle long up to 0.7 m with small fragrant flowers.
Greater Sansevieria
Despite the fact that the species is loudly called "sansevieria large", it does not differ in gigantic dimensions. Its leaves are able to grow only 0.3-0.6 m. Only a few varieties of this species can boast a height exceeding that indicated. But they are not the most attractive for gardeners. All varieties of the species have the following characteristics: light green leaves with dark transverse stripes and a reddish border.
View of Duneri
Dramatically different from the listed species, Sansevieria Duneri is a leaf succulent, forming rosettes, the number of leaves in which often exceeds 10-16.
Flat and erect, they often reach 25-30 cm in height and 3 cm in width. The leaves are painted in light green tones with a dark pattern. The plant blooms, throwing out a peduncle up to 40 cm long, on which small white flowers are collected, emitting an aroma reminiscent of the smell of lilacs.
Liberian Sansevieria
The species, which forms a rosette of 5-6 leaves, located almost parallel to the ground and reaching 35-50 cm, is called "Sansevieria Liberian". Lanceolate leaves edged with a light, pink or terracotta border are painted in dark green color, blurred by transverse light stripes. The flower-bearing arrow reaches almost a meter long, white small flowers with a rather sharp aroma bloom on it.
Guinean, or three-lobed, sansevieria
One of the most decorative species is the Sansevieria Guinea with dense fleshy leaves edged with light yellow border around the edges. The length of leaves of different varieties varies from 0.3 to 1.5 m, the width reaches 10 cm. Fragrant small flowers of light green tones form in the center of the rosette. They are rather inconspicuous and they can not always be seen, but the look is valued primarily by luxurious leaves.
Pickaxe
Sansevieria Kirk is a species of perennial forming a rosette of 3-5 leaves growing up to one and a half meters. The plant is characterized by green leaves with bright spots and a terracotta border at the edges. There are varieties with leaves of red-brick color.
In one publication it is impossible to give a complete description of all varieties and varieties. We confine ourselves to listing the most popular crops grown indoors.
Sansevieria Care
Despite the fact that the home flower "mother-in-law's tongue" is unpretentious and completely simple to care for, creating comfortable conditions for it, you can significantly increase its decorativeness. The plant is responsive to any manifestation of care, but does not impose strict requirements on the grower. Consider the basic agricultural techniques used in the cultivation of sansevieria.
Lighting and temperature
Culture prefers bright lighting (but not scorching direct sunlight), although it grows in shaded places. Intensive lighting contributes to the formation of healthy leaves, increases the contrast of their color. Variegated forms are especially in need of high-quality lighting. The lack of light is not critical for the plant, but it will be able to stop the growth and make it acquire an even, uniformly-green shade of leaves.
A wide temperature range, in which such a culture as sansevieria feels comfortable. Types and varieties of it are unpretentious, the plant successfully develops, withstanding both hot and cool growing conditions. It is only important to remember that the temperature in the room should not fall below + 12-14 ˚. In winter, they make sure that the leaves do not touch the cold window glass, and also do not leave the culture in the drafts - the frosty air is destructive for the decorative southerner.
Watering and feeding
Sansevieria, whose photos demonstrate the diversity of species, is succulent, which means that it accumulates water in the tissues, and constant moisture will cause rot. The plant tolerates short-term droughts more easily.
Therefore, sansevieria is watered sparingly, focusing on the condition of the soil and allowing it to dry out between irrigations. The intensity of hydration depends on the characteristics of the content in the room: in conditions of shading and coolness, the culture needs to be watered less often. It is important to remember: water the plant from above, trying not to get into the center of the outlet. The culture is absolutely indifferent to the level of air humidity, it is equally well adapted to growth both in conditions of dryness and high humidity.
Sansevieria is fed only during the growing season. Fertilizers for cacti are suitable for her. The concentration of solutions for top dressing depends on the conditions of detention. If the culture is in a well-lit place, it is fertilized once a month with the solution recommended in the annotation. When the plant is kept in a shaded and cool place, it is fed with solutions, the concentration of which is 2-3 times lower than the recommended, and sometimes it is advisable to take a break at all if atypical deformation of the leaves is observed or varietal characters are lost.
Transplantation
A plant is transplanted only when the pot becomes cramped. The rhizome of Sansevieria is powerful, expanding in breadth, it can deform the walls of the container or even tear them apart. Therefore, choosing a container, they prefer wide and shallow dishes. Soil is selected well-drained. A well-proven mixture of universal purchased soil with river sand in a ratio of 2: 1. They carry out transplants in the spring, this is the most sparing time, allowing the plant to quickly recover and start to grow.
At the same time, it is desirable to carry out reproduction. Sansevieria (species listed in the article and not included in the publication) perfectly tolerates rhizome division. Cutting is possible, but this method is used if the transfer of maternal varietal features is optional.