The flowering of this charming indoor plant occurs in the winter, when most of the decorative flowers rest. Often it is called the Amazonian lily, although in appearance and structure it is more similar to a daffodil, and Columbia is not considered to be its homeland, not the valley of the Amazon River.
The article provides answers to questions related to a plant called eucharis: home care, why leaves turn yellow, why it does not always bloom, growth characteristics, etc.
Many lovers of indoor floriculture have already fallen in love with these amazing flowers.
General information
It was no coincidence that such an unusual name was given to the plant. Eucharis has all the qualities that are valued in indoor plants: snow-white flowers with a pleasant delicate aroma, large saturated green leaves.
This species is part of the Amaryllis family, and its genus has about 20 representatives. The homeland of the plant is the evergreen tropical forests of the lower tier of the territories of South and Central America. In Europe, eucharis appeared in the first half of the 19th century. He immediately fell in love with flower growers, and today is one of the most popular flowers on window sills in residential premises and in greenhouses.
General description of eucharis, photo
Home care of this plant, as noted above, has its own characteristics, as in almost any other case.
Eucharis is a variety of Amaryllis bulbous plants. The range of its growth is the wooded mountainous territories of Colombia and the coastal territories of the Amazon.
Translated from the Greek word eucharis means "graceful." In appearance, it is more like a daffodil than a lily. Each bulb can produce several dark emerald-colored leaf blades growing up to 150 cm in length. Sufficiently large leaves grow up to 40 cm in length and up to 20 cm in width, depending on the species and variety. The shape of the leaves in different species is more oval (wider central part) and pointed at the apex. The leaf life is quite large, up to several years. After a flowering period, some of them, dying, die off, but immediately grow paler young leaves, initially folded into a tube.
A long peduncle appears from the center of the growth point. Its top is crowned with an umbrella-shaped inflorescence, where there are several buds, which, depending on the species, can have sizes from 1 to 12 cm in diameter. The flower stalk dries after flowering, but the plant remains very attractive, thanks to the dark glossy leaves, which perfectly decorate the room with its rich emerald color.
Next, information will be provided on plant species and on the main features of home care. Why eucharis does not develop properly and how to protect it from diseases, the article will also be described.
Popular views
Eucharis Masters grows in the humid and warm forests of Colombia. Large sheet plates have an elliptical shape and a saturated glossy, dark emerald color (25 cm long, 15 cm wide). An inflorescence in the form of an umbrella with one or two buds is located on a flower stalk extending from a rosette of leaves. The petals in the opening grow 4 cm in length and acquire an oval flattened shape with a point from two edges. The flowering period is the first month of spring.
White Eucharis grows in the tropics of Colombia and the Andes mountains. The length of the leaf with good-looking veins is 40 cm with a width of 15 cm. The color of the shiny sheet is saturated malachite. The peduncle has a brownish-green hue. At its top in the inflorescence there can be 6-10 buds reaching 8 cm when opened. The petals are snow-white in color and have a light fragrant aroma. The flowering period is February-March.
The large-flowered eucharis is also called the Amazonian lily, which is associated with its homeland - the shores of the Amazon. However, you can meet him on the slopes of the Andes in Colombia. The leaves growing on one stem in pairs (2-4 pieces) are not very large and oval (length and width are 30 and 15 cm, respectively). They are bright in color, a whitish vein appears well in the center, and the surface is slightly wrinkled, but shiny and dense. The flower stalk grows up to 80 cm in height, the inflorescence can contain 3–6 buds with a diameter of up to 12 cm when opened. Snow-white flowers have a yellowish-green center and have a fragrant gentle smell. Flowering periods - spring-summer and winter.
Species such as Sandera and gearless eucharis are also popular.
Growth conditions
It should be remembered that it is necessary to place the plant in the room so that direct sunlight does not shine on it.
In general, home care is not at all complicated for this plant. Eukharis treats light well, but it can fully develop only in low light conditions. Otherwise, the leaves will fade or even burn. The most comfortable place for him is the wide window sills facing the east or west side. If the plant is on the south side, try to create diffuse lighting.
In addition, the eucharis plant, which is not difficult to care for at home, feels great in a room with an air temperature of 17-23 degrees. In this regard, caring for it boils down to protecting it from drafts and temperature changes, otherwise it can adversely affect flowering. Winter temperature should not be lower than +15 degrees.
Not very finicky eucharis and humidity. Only during the growing season can its leaves be sprayed with water more often.
Home Care
Lily eucharis is unpretentious. It is important to provide her with quite comfortable conditions, to water correctly and in a timely manner, to monitor her condition.
Below are some watering rules:
- An adult plant does not particularly need frequent watering. Each subsequent watering should be done only with the complete drying of the soil surface. Excessive moisture in the soil causes rot.
- More often you need to water a young plant. It is necessary to ensure that the substrate is always not wet, but moistened.
- Tap water must not be used. For watering, water that is well-settled is better, and boiled water can also be used.
- It is recommended from time to time to spray the plant with water, except for the flowering period. You can also just wet the leaves with a damp soft sponge.
- Eucharis after the end of the flowering period requires dormancy, which usually lasts up to 1.5 months. At this time, the plant does not need to be watered, as the flower is gaining strength, after which it blooms even better.
Soil and fertilizing
The best soil for this plant is a substrate with good moisture capacity. It can be prepared by yourself from compost, sheet soil and coarse sand. Soil from a mixture of leaf and heather soil (or peat) with sand is also suitable.
Eucharis, home care which is not complicated, includes some periodic top dressing. How to do it right?
In the warm season, liquid mineral fertilizers designed for decorative flowering plants can be used for eucharis, however, the concentration for them should be lower than indicated in the instructions.
Organic fertilizers are suitable during flowering; however, a high nitrogen content in them, which negatively affects flowering, must be avoided. In the autumn and winter periods, the plant does not need additional nutrition.
Plant transplant
This event is necessary for eucharis. Home care consists not only in watering and fertilizing, but also in carrying out transplants from time to time, although this plant does not treat this process very well. It is advisable to hold this event in the warm season (April-May) approximately every 3 years, when the lump of land becomes completely sprouted and the flower is crowded in a pot.
The best way to transplant is transshipment. It is very important that the root system is not injured. The bulb is planted to a depth of 4 cm, while the top of it should be visible on the surface. Watering the first month should be done carefully, and until the next watering the soil should completely dry.
It is also important to note that the eucharis purchased at the store will not develop correctly if it is not transplanted immediately, as store pots are unsuitable for these flowers, and the peat substrate is also not suitable in them.
Problems
Why do eucharis leaves turn yellow at home? Leaving to detect such a problem is not as troublesome as it seems. If a plant wilt and a couple of leaves on it turn yellow, it is noticed - this is quite normal. If they turn yellow massively and brown spots appear on them, urgent measures should be taken. Possible causes are hypothermia, overdrying, or overfilling of the plant. You should examine the roots, rotten and damaged to remove, after which the plant is transplanted into fresh soil. Water rarely.
With healthy roots, the task is simplified - you need to remove all yellowed leaves. The main thing is not to delay until the final death of the plant.
Why is eucharis not blooming? Home care in this case is not complicated. The most common reason is a short rest period. You just need to organize it correctly. The cause of the problem in this case may be damage to the root system by rot. To find out, you should pull the flower out of the pot and carefully inspect. If a defect is found, you need to dry the bulb on a sheet of paper for several days. After this, the affected parts must be cut off and sprinkled with a small amount of coal, then again planted in the ground.
In conclusion - about pests
There are some features of the eucharis flower. Home care for him is not complicated due to the fact that he has a stable immunity that protects him from various diseases and pests. But, again, the result of improper care may be the occurrence of similar problems.
Pests appear in rooms with high air temperature, as well as with low soil moisture. Dangerous pests: aphids, scale insects, spider mites and thrips. They suck the juice from the plant, as a result of which the leaves lose their color, dry and fall off.
At the first such signs, the leaves and stems should be treated with a soft sponge soaked in soapy water, then the plant should be sprayed with a solution of Actellik or Decis and Fitover.