Cordilina "fruticosis" is a beautiful houseplant with large leaves. In appearance, it resembles a palm tree and is distinguished by original stains on the foliage. It used to be that cordilina belongs to the agave family, now botanists are inclined to believe that the plant is more suitable for the dracen family. Sometimes people use the name "cordilina-dracaena", but this is an erroneous combination, since we are talking about two different plants.
Description
Cordilina "fructose" is a shrub or shrub. The homeland of this beautiful plant is the Southern Hemisphere (tropics and subtropics), as well as East Asia. In the wild, a plant can reach five meters, but at home, the height usually does not exceed one and a half meters in height. Cordilina leaves are round or sword-shaped, their length varies from thirty to fifty centimeters, the width is a maximum of sixteen centimeters. With the growth of the plant, the lower leaves dry and fall off, the trunk is exposed, and the cordilina becomes like a palm tree. The crown of the bush has different types of color: from saturated green to red-violet. Some types of cordilins are presented in different combinations of shades: lilac, purple, yellow and white.
The roots are fleshy elastic branches on which children and kidneys form. In order not to confuse dracaena with cordilina, it is necessary to pay attention to the root cut. In cordilina it will be white, and in dracaena it will be saturated yellow or orange.
"Apical"
The most popular of the twenty species of cordilin is the apical cordilin. This is a beautiful tree with wide leaves that cover the trunk and top. Their height varies from fifty to eighty centimeters, a width of ten centimeters. A vein is visible in the thick central part. Inflorescences look like white and purple flowers with a diameter of up to one centimeter. Popular varieties of apical cordilina are:
- "red Edge" - not very large leaves with a red rim;
- "tricolor" - the leaves are painted in pink, brown and yellow stripes;
- "August" - dark green leaves are covered with raspberry stripes;
- "kiwi" - broad leaves covered with raspberries in raspberry color.
South or Shrubby
The “shrubby” cordilina has a short trunk and long (up to one meter) and not very wide (up to four centimeters) sword-shaped leaves. Foliage may be covered with yellow or red longitudinal stripes. During flowering, panicles of white or lilac color appear that exude a pleasant aroma. The plant prefers a cool wintering, during which the temperature will not exceed plus five degrees.
"Straight"
Cordilina of this species has a low trunk and a dense crown. Leaves reach from thirty to sixty centimeters in length, have small teeth on the edges. The plant is saturated green. For comfortable germination prefers a cool room.
"Fruticosis"
Cordilina "fruticosis" is distinguished by small leaves in the form of lateral shoots on a thin trunk. They make up a lush crown of green, purple or purple hues. This tropicana is very unpretentious in leaving, feels great in any temperature room conditions.
Choosing a Healthy Plant
To acquire a healthy plant that will bring aesthetic pleasure to the owners, you need to follow the advice of specialists. Cordilin "fruticosis" must be bought exclusively in specialized stores, which guarantee excellent quality of the goods. Before buying, it is recommended to inspect all the leaflets so that they are resilient, vibrant, have an attractive appearance. The leaves should grow from the very base of the plant, placed on a thin stem and be concentrated in a bunch at the top. This suggests that cordilina is young and strong.
Of no small importance is not only elasticity, but also the color of the plant. It should be bright, but not oversaturated. The natural shade indicates the health of the flower, too catchy color and loose stalk signal the excess of fertilizers. Some unscrupulous sellers prefer to saturate the plant with an excessive dose so that it has a salable appearance. But with such a purchase there will be many problems, since the flower will become too susceptible to disease.
Soil for home care
Cordilina "fruticosis", the photo of which is presented in the article, is particularly susceptible to soil selection. In this regard, the Tropicana can be called whimsical. Drain must be present at the bottom of the pot. Then you should take three parts of the following mixture:
- garden land;
- coarse sand;
- peat.
To improve growth, you can add a little bone meal and horn chips.
Pot
Cordilina "fruticosis", home care for which does not cause any problems, is very susceptible not only to the soil, but also to the choice of the pot. There is no particular indication about the material from which the container will be made, but plastic is still considered the best choice. The pot should be the same in length and width, since the root should be able to develop in different directions. The size of the container itself should be selected based on the size of the plant.
If cordilina is small, the pot should also not be very massive. Plant care involves a periodic transplant. Therefore, with the growth of the flower, the size of the container should be increased (each transplantation should be accompanied by the choice of a larger pot).
Watering
Home care for cordilina "fruticosis" involves constant watering of the plant. The flower loves moist soil and does not tolerate drought. In order not to accidentally miss watering and not to leave it without drinking, it is necessary to place a layer of gravel abundantly moistened with water in the pan for the pot. So cordilin can at any time make up for the lack of moisture.
In spring and summer, it is necessary to water the plant very abundantly, but at the same time to monitor the overabundance of water in the soil, since an abundance of moisture is fraught with the occurrence of diseases. Also, at these times of the year, it is worthwhile to spray regularly, which must be done at least once a week (in a very hot period, increase the number of sprayings to two or three times a week).
In winter, it is recommended to reduce the amount of water and keep the earth moist. Cordilina loves moist air very much, this effect can be achieved by artificial moisturizing or conditioning. An indicator of excessive dryness is the appearance of brown spots on the leaves.
Breeding
At home, cordilina propagates by seed and vegetative methods. Seeds that appear on the plant do not retain their parental characteristics, so it is recommended to buy them in specialized stores. To plant seeds, you must do the following steps:
- make a sand-peat mixture;
- moisten the mixture liberally;
- sow the seeds, deepening them by one centimeter;
- cover the soil with a film of seeds;
- wait for emergence (about two weeks);
- wait for the appearance of four leaves;
- dive cordiline in pots for two or three pieces.
The second, more effective way is to separate the children from the root zone. To do this, cut off a young plant so as to capture part of the root. It is recommended to sprinkle the place of cut with charcoal. The young flower itself is planted in fresh, fertile soil.
You can also propagate the plant by cuttings. To do this, cut off the semi-lignified stems, dividing them into several parts. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in each section there are two or three internodes. Submerge the lower cut into the ground, pre-treated with root. The recess should be between two and three centimeters. Then the pot with the plant must be covered with a film and put in a bright place, the air temperature should be from twenty-five to thirty degrees. The "greenhouse" is recommended to be aired daily and moistened if necessary. The roots will finally strengthen in a month.
Transfer
Cordilin "fruticosis" must be regularly transplanted. A young plant should be "resettled" annually, a more mature flower needs this care once every two or three years. With each transplant, it is necessary to increase the size of the pot, because the roots need space. The land should be slightly acidic, the mixture must include one part of leaf or garden soil, sand and peat.
Plant care
Cordilina "fruticosis", the care of which is not very difficult, still requires skills from the owners to get aesthetic pleasure from a healthy plant. Since this flower is tropical, he loves warmly. The best option would be the south room or the side of the room. Cordilina is afraid of direct sunlight, so she does not need to be put at the window. A plant with a solid green color is less demanding on light.
In the summer, the temperature in the room should be from twenty to thirty degrees. Winter temperature gradually drops to twelve. Do not allow cold snap and frost, because the plant can get sick and even die. In favorable weather, it is recommended to take the cordiline outside, but avoid drafts in every way.
The flower loves moist air, in the summer it must be sprayed several times a day. An excellent solution for moisturizing is an installed container with water or wet pebbles. The soil should be moist, but not heavily flooded, because stagnation of water is fatal to the flower. Water for irrigation must be defended for at least three days, when irrigated, it must be warm.
Equally important is plant nutrition. It begins to be implemented in early spring and ends in autumn. It is worth giving preference to mineral fertilizer complexes for indoor flowering plants. The feeding procedure must be carried out twice a month.
Disease
Cordilina "fruticosis", the photo of which is presented in the article, is not very prone to disease. With proper care, there will be no problems with her. But still there are some moments when the plant begins to lose its original appearance, which indicates a disease. Among them are the following indicators:
- The formation of thrips on the underside of the leaves, and specks of light color appear on the top. This indicates that the room is too dry air. To cure a plant, it is necessary to spray it with insecticides and moisten the air (install an air conditioner, put containers with water, etc.).
- The appearance on the stem of brown plaques - scale insects. These growths take away all cellular sap from a flower. To get rid of them, it is necessary to treat the plant with a soap solution, and then spray with insecticides.
- Yellowing leaves. The source of this disease may be too dry air or lack of nutrients in the soil. By eliminating these factors, you can be sure of the quick restoration of a healthy appearance of the plant.
- Brown or brown spots indicate insufficient watering.
- Twisting leaves indicates the presence of drafts or too low air temperature.
With careful care and compliance with the basic rules, you can grow an unusually beautiful plant that will delight with its freshness and unusual color of all family members and their guests.