Flower of mother-in-law, the tongue has several names, among which - pike tail, leopard lily and snake skin. However, its scientific name is sansevieria. It is unpretentious, so it is suitable even for beginner gardeners. Thanks to its simple care, it is often grown both in various public places and in offices.
Places of distribution
Sansevieriah belong to succulents - plants that store water. Scientists know more than two hundred species. Different varieties of sansevieria can reach one meter in height. Some of them look like compact sockets. There are also flowers with flat erect or thick and rounded leaves.
Their homeland is the tropical and subtropical parts of Africa. In nature, the mother-in-law's flower language also grows in India and some other Asian countries. Growing in conditions of intense heat, frequent and long-term droughts, it is characterized by extreme unpretentiousness and vitality. Due to this, it can be found not only on the flat terrain, but also on the slopes of the rocks.
In places of distribution, sansevieria is used in different ways. It can serve as a hedge, as well as material for the production of ropes and fabrics. In addition, it is often used as a medicine.
Description
In the flower of mother-in-law, the tongue has a well-developed root system, smoothly turning into strong and sometimes very hard leaves. Sometimes you can meet plants with a crown directed horizontally in relation to the soil, as well as spread out to the sides. Leaves can be colored with varying degrees of intensity, ranging from bright green to green-brown. The pattern on them is also different: it can be not only in the form of stripes, but also spots that have an irregular shape.
During flowering, white-green stamens appear on the plants in the frame of thin petals. They are collected in dense inflorescences located on a long straight peduncle. Sansevieria blooms a little over a week. During this time, you can enjoy its delicate aroma, something like vanilla. Under natural conditions, it can highlight a little nectar that attracts insects that contribute to its pollination. A photo of the flower of mother-in-law's tongue can be seen in this article.
However, it is worth noting that not all species bloom the same. For example, on a pickaxe during flowering, small berries form, inside of which there are seeds. However, the same plants, but at home almost never bears fruit.
Home Care
The flower of mother-in-law's tongues is unpretentious due to the difficult natural conditions in which it originally grew. He is used to the sun, so he needs to allocate a place on the windowsill, where there is a lot of light. However, do not leave it in the area of direct sunlight. The air temperature should be at least +14 ⁰C in the room where the flower of the mother-in-law's tongue is contained.
Home care requires watering the plant no more than once a week, and only when the soil has already managed to completely dry. This procedure must be done carefully so that the liquid does not get into the center of the outlet, otherwise the tongue may rot. Home sansevieria needs periodic wet wiping of its leaves. Its powerful and well-developed roots require a heavy pot made of reliable and durable material.
Breeding
For these purposes, the spring season is most suitable. Propagation of mother-in-law's tongue can occur in the following ways: dividing the root, sowing seeds, using a cuttings and cutting the leaf. We consider only the first two in more detail.
First, you need to divide the roots so that each of the parts that are to be planted has a green rosette. Now you need to drop them in prepared pots in advance.
Some species of mother-in-law's tongue during flowering form berries with seeds inside. Now you don’t have to injure an adult plant to make several young ones. It is enough to prepare a pot of earth, sow the seeds, cover them with foil and put in a bright and warm place. After the bores become stronger, they are seated in two, and then they are looked after as adult flowers.
Transfer
As mentioned above, sansevieria is very unpretentious. Therefore, a young plant needs a transplant no more than once every three years. An adult flower is subjected to this process only when its root system completely occupies the entire space in the pot. When transplanting, you should take into account its feature. It lies in the fact that the root system of this plant is always distributed in breadth. Therefore, a wide, but low pot is ideal for him.
For transplanting mother-in-law's tongue, it is best to give preference to soil intended for the cultivation of dracaena. If this was not in the store, then you can cook it yourself. To do this, you will need the following components: two parts of turf and one peat, humus, fine sand and sheet land.
Beneficial features
Flower mother-in-law language has a number of healing qualities:
- it is known as an effective painkiller;
- will help get rid of migraine if you set it on fire and breathe in the smoke coming from it;
- has a quick healing effect;
- help to quickly get rid of inflammatory processes in the body;
- has a hemostatic effect.
Traditional medicine actively uses the beneficial properties of this plant in the form of various infusions, as well as freshly squeezed juice. The flower will help get rid of various inflammations that occur in the genitourinary system and the gastrointestinal tract, as well as from otitis media, tonsillitis, periodontal disease and scabies. In addition, it contributes to the destruction of bacteria and the neutralization of chemical fumes in the room. It is believed that it can absorb negative energy and radiation coming from the TV and computer.
Traditional healers compare its properties with the well-known aloe flower, because sansevieria can also disinfect and heal wounds. With skin abscesses, it is necessary to cut, rinse and firmly fix the leaf of this plant directly at the site of damage.
Harm
Although the home flowers of mother-in-law's tongue are safe for the human body, it is not worth placing these plants in the nursery, so that the child could not be poisoned by them. Sansevieria can be dangerous only if they are used incorrectly inside. It is also not recommended that children and pregnant women stay with them for a long time due to the content of saponins in the leaves of the plant. Therefore, the optimal place to place sansevieri is a living room or a loggia.
It is believed that the energy of the flower is too powerful, so it can interfere with healthy sleep in both children and adults. When this plant is consumed by domestic animals, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion may occur. In case of careless handling of it, children can also be poisoned. If this happens, they must be vomited, then give activated charcoal and be sure to call a doctor at home.
A flower of mother-in-law is a tongue, the care of which, although quite simple, needs to be transplanted with gloves. At the same time, you can use glasses in order to protect the eyes from the possible ingress of plant juice into them. Cropped parts of the flower are packed in a plastic bag or destroyed.
Signs
The flower of mother-in-law's tongue is surrounded by a large number of superstitions, which are associated mainly with its saber-shaped form. Some are inclined to believe that the plant can bring squabbles and quarrels into the house, and grows well exclusively where there is negative energy. Others are convinced that a flower can relieve it and radiate only that which contributes to peace and tranquility.
Feng Shui experts recommend starting this plant in those houses where conflicting families live, as sansevieria supposedly neutralizes and takes away all the negative aspects, transforming them in some way into positive ones. The appearance of bad news is preceded by drying or dying of its leaves. If the mother-in-law begins to bloom in the winter, this is a major quarrel or even trouble at home, and in the summer, successful undertakings in business.