The characteristic differences of the lychnis plant, how to plant a dawn in the garden and take care of it, advice on reproduction, how to protect against diseases and pests, interesting notes and applications, species and varieties.
Lychnis (Lychnis) can be found in botanical sources under the name Dawn. A plant of this genus is included in the Caryophylloideae family, but today, after additional research, they were introduced into the Silene genus. According to scientists, the genus Lichnisa contains about 30 different species, which have united both annual and perennial representatives of the flora. Under natural conditions, dawns prefer to grow in humid conditions of deciduous and mixed forests, among shrub thickets, at the bottom and sloping slopes of gullies. They can also be found on the edges and glades of forests, in meadows with tall grasses, in the valleys of waterways and along ravines.
The territory in which the lychnis are widespread covers the lands of Europe, Siberia and Central Asia, including Mongolia, that is, the entire Northern Hemisphere, where a temperate and subtropical climate prevails. As an ornamental garden culture, it has long been customary to grow the dawn in the European and North American expanses.
| Family name | Clove |
| Growing period | Perennial or annual |
| Vegetation form | Herbaceous shrub |
| Breeding method | Seed or vegetative (cuttings and division) |
| Landing period | The end of May |
| Landing rules | Planting seedlings in bunches, between the pits they are kept 15-25 cm |
| Priming | Light, loose, nutritious |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5-7 - neutral |
| Lighting degree | Well-lit open flower bed or partial shade |
| Humidity parameters | Watering is moderate, but especially necessary in extreme heat, does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil |
| Special care rules | Varieties with tall stems require garters, drought tolerant |
| Height values | Within 0.3-1 m |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Capitate or corymbose |
| Flower color | Snow white, scarlet and purple, carmine, orange and pinkish |
| Flowering period | June July |
| Decorative time | Summer |
| Application in landscape design | Decoration of flower beds and mixborders, cut |
| USDA zone | 4–9 |
In Latin, lychnis bears its name thanks to the same term "lychnis", which translates as a lamp, lamp or lamp. This is due to the fact that during flowering, rounded inflorescences resemble precisely the glowing lights that adorn any flower bed. Therefore, among the people, it bears the name "dawn" or "adonis".
Plants of the genus Lichnis can be used as summer plants or grown for a long time. The dawn has a developed rhizome and a stem, which, growing straight, can reach a height of 40–100 cm. It is rounded in cross-section. One curtain is formed by several shoots, which only in rare cases have lateral branches. The bark on the branches can be reddish or gray, their surface is covered with thick short hairs. A rather dense rosette is formed from elongated leaf plates with ovate-lanceolate outlines in the root zone. At the base, the basal foliage is cordate. The stem is covered with alternate leaves with a pubescent surface and a smooth edge, at the top of them there is a sharpening.
As soon as summer begins, lychnis buds open, forming an inflorescence with a corymbose or capitate shape. One inflorescence can contain from 50 to 100 small flowers. Their outlines are tubular; when fully opened, their diameter is 1, 5–2 cm. At the apex of the narrowed corolla tubule, the petals are bent rather wide. Their color can be very diverse, this includes snow-white, scarlet and purple, carmine, orange and pinkish shades. Shortened stamens can be seen from the central part of the corolla. A dawn can please the eye with its flowers for a month or two.
After the flowers are pollinated by butterflies, the fruit ripens, which is represented by a nut or a box in the lychnis. It has a large number of nucleoli. When the fruit is fully ripe, it is opened with five cloves. The seeds have kidney-shaped outlines, their surface has a dark brown color and they are rough to the touch. The seed diameter reaches approximately 2 mm. Seed germination is not lost for 4 years from the moment of ripening.
If you do not violate the rules below, you can enjoy the bright bloom of the dawn during the summer days.
Planting lyhnis in the open field and rules of care
- Seat selection for this plant is not particularly difficult, since the dawn can grow in an open sunny location. However, some of its species (for example, Lychnis crown) perfectly tolerate partial shade. At the same time, it is a good level of lighting that will guarantee a long and abundant flowering.
- Lichnis soil it is worth preparing in advance if it does not meet the requirements of lightness, fertility and drainability. Usually, to increase the throughput of the soil, a bucket of river sand is added to it, and to make it nutritious, about 40 g of chlorine-free potassium-magnesium fertilizer (potassium magnesium) and 50 g of superphosphate are added. The specified ingredients are applied per 1 m2. If the substrate on the site is clay, then it is recommended to mix rotted manure (compost) or humus into it. If the acidity of the soil is too high, it is lime.
- Lichnis planting. Since the plant can multiply by seeds, which are sown before winter immediately to the chosen place, the seedlings will not need to be transplanted. Otherwise, the situation will be with the seedlings of the dawn. When the threat of recurrent frosts has passed, it is possible, after a week of hardening, to plant lichnis seedlings in a prepared place. Plants should be located in the pits at the same level as they grew before. Of course, if the cultivation of seedlings was carried out using peat pots, then this process is greatly simplified. Otherwise, the seedlings will need to be removed from the container without destroying the earthy coma and installed in the planting hole. After that, a soil mixture is added at the edges, it is slightly squeezed and abundant soil moisture is carried out.
- Watering for the dawn systematic are necessary, especially in a sultry period, since the plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture next to the root system. In order to support the planting of these flowers, they can be sprayed with a garden hose using a spray nozzle.
- Fertilizers for lychnis become a necessity throughout the entire growing season. Such feeding will have to be carried out twice or thrice. As soon as the seedlings acclimatize and get stronger after planting, it is necessary to use complex mineral preparations, such as, for example, "Kemira Universal". Subsequently, fertilizers are applied once every 2-3 weeks if the substrate is depleted.
- Lichnis wintering. The plant copes with temperature drops and frosts quite persistently, so it does not need shelter. However, when cultivating a dawn with a double structure of flowers, in order to preserve them, you will still have to cover the bushes with non-woven material (for example, spunbond). After the foliage and shoots begin to turn yellow and wither with the arrival of autumn, they must be cut to the surface of the soil. It is recommended to sprinkle bushes of terry varieties with a layer of mulch after cutting, which can be dry foliage, peat chips or dry soil.
- Pruning. It is recommended to regularly remove buds that have already wilted to extend the flowering period. Pruning them will stimulate the formation of new flowering stems. With the arrival of autumn, when the leaves and stems are completely withered, they should be cut to the ground.
- General advice on care. After each rain or soil moistening, the near-trunk circle of lichnis is loosened, simultaneously removing weeds. The latter aspect is especially important, since weeds can easily drown out the plantings of such a plant.
- Lichnis application in landscape design. The name of the plant is translated as "lamp", because such bright flowers will be a very good decoration for any flower garden. It is advantageous to locate group plantings of a dawn in the central part of green lawns. Since some varieties prefer to settle near water in nature, they can be used to decorate coastal areas of artificial and natural reservoirs. Lichnis with small height parameters are recommended to be planted in mixborders, as well as to fill the spaces between stones in rockeries and alpine slides. The best neighborhood next to lychnis will be planting bells and primroses, nyvnyaki and gailordia look good. Some growers form a mix planting only from dawn plants, which differ in a variety of inflorescence colors. If desired, such plants can be cultivated as a pot culture, planted in a pot and placed on the windowsill of the room. With the arrival of the warm season, the flowerpot with the plant is taken out into the garden, and when it gets colder, they are brought back into the room in order to enjoy its luscious greenery all winter long.
Read more about growing an agrostemma outdoors.
Lichnis breeding tips
To plant a beautiful plant with inflorescences-bulbs on a flower bed, it is recommended to carry out both seed and vegetative propagation. The latter includes grafting and dividing a heavily overgrown dawn bush:
- Seed propagation of lychnis. This method is simple and makes it possible to quickly obtain a large number of young plants. Crops sprout amicably. Seed material is sown directly on the seedling bed in open ground, and the best time for this will be the last week of April or early May. The main reference point for sowing are temperature indicators, when it will average in the range of 18–20 degrees. Seeds are buried in the soil no deeper than 1–1, 5 cm. Germination takes about 10–20 days. If you want to get seedlings faster, it is recommended to cover the beds with dawn crops with plastic transparent film. Only when the seedlings germinate is such a cover removed. After 2-3 leaf plates unfold on young lichnis, a dive is performed and transplanted to a permanent prepared place in the flower bed. Such plants will bloom only next year. When sowing dawn seeds before winter, they will undergo natural stratification. The sprouts will appear immediately after the snow melts and the soil warms up. In this case, the flowering of such plants will begin this summer, but not yet in full force.
- Reproduction of lychnis by cuttings. This method allows you to preserve all the specific characteristics of the plant, while in the process of growing dawns from seeds, they can be lost. With the arrival of summer, blanks devoid of buds with a length of 15–20 cm are cut from the shoots of lychnis. After that, the slices can be treated with a root formation stimulator (for example, heteroacetic acid) and planted in a container filled with loose garden soil, or apply a sand-peat mixture. Some gardeners use a seedling box or a greenhouse for rooting. In the first case, it will be necessary to use a shelter, which is used as cut plastic bottles or plastic wrap. With the arrival of autumn, full-fledged root shoots are already formed on the cuttings and you can transplant into a place in the garden, ready for planting.
- Reproduction of lichnis by dividing the bush. Over time, basal processes are formed on the mother plant of the dawn. If the cultivation is good, then some of these shoots appear every year. This leads to the fact that the bush grows and becomes thickened, which can provoke diseases. Therefore, gardeners recommend dividing the bush every 4-5 years. Usually, the time is selected for this in the period of April-May. The division is performed with a sharpened knife and the divisions are immediately planted in a previously prepared place. It is important not to allow the root system to dry out, otherwise the parts may not take root.
See also tips for breeding gypsophila.
How to protect lichnis from diseases and pests when grown outdoors?
The plant is unpretentious and unproblematic in cultivation, but if the cultivation rules are regularly violated, then the dawn will begin to undergo diseases. With constant waterlogging of the soil, lychnis suffers from diseases with fungal etymology. Among them, the following are distinguished:
- Root rot, at which the plant becomes lethargic and lays down, the leaf plates dry out, constrictions and brown spot appear on their surface. The growth rate slows down.
- Rust, well distinguishable due to spots on the leaves of a brown or red-brown hue.
- Foliage spotting, also manifested in spots of red color and gradually leading to wilting and death of lychnis.
If any symptoms are detected, it is recommended to treat the bushes with fungicidal preparations, like Fundazole. When growing, you should engage in regular thinning of dawn bushes.
Among the harmful insects that infect lychnis plants, there are aphids and leafworms. In order not to use potent chemicals, you can use folk remedies for a start, such as, for example, tincture of tobacco, onion husks or tomato tops. Grated laundry soap is also added there. However, with an extensive lesion, you should not hesitate and it is better to immediately resort to treatment with insecticidal preparations - Fitoverm, Karbofos or Aktellik. You can take others, but so that their composition is the same.
Read also about the fight against diseases and pests when growing bryozoans
Interesting notes about lychnis flower
Zorka began to be called "lyhnis" not only because of the bright inflorescences like bulbs or lights, but there is a version that in ancient times leaf plates of one of the plant varieties were used as a wick for lighting rooms. The first mentions that can be found about lychnis are found in the works of the philosopher, naturalist and generally versatile scientist Theophrastus (370-285 BC).
As a culture, lychnis began to be planted in gardens around the end of the 16th century. Although according to various sources, from 20 to 50 varieties are combined in the genus, but gardeners have chosen no more than 15.
Despite the fact that the dawn (a species of common lychnis - Lychnis chalcedonica) was not included in the pharmacopoeial lists of medicinal plants, but its properties have long been familiar to folk medicine men in many countries where the plant is found in the wild. There is information that the products made on the basis of lychnis have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. They are also recommended to be used for various skin problems or blood diseases.
However, there are contraindications for the use of this plant, among them are: individual intolerance to the dawn, pregnancy or lactation, the child's age of the patient.
For the preparation of medicines based on chalcedony lychnis, inflorescences, leaf plates and roots are used as raw materials. It is recommended to harvest from the beginning to the end of flowering until the fruits begin to ripen. Usually this period stretches from late spring to August, but it all depends on the climatic conditions in which the dawn is grown. It is during this period that the accumulation of nutrients occurs in the parts of the plant.
It is recommended to dry the raw materials that have been collected in shade, away from direct streams of ultraviolet radiation, but in a place where there is good ventilation. After that, the grass is placed in a plastic container or paper bag. Storage is carried out in a dry room, but for no more than a year.
Tibetan doctors prescribe decoctions of Lychnis vulgaris for headaches, to calm the nervous system if a person suffers from high irritability and anxiety for a long period of time.
It is curious that in the roots of the common dawn there is a substance that helps to remove grease stains, so the plant was used when washing or washing hands.
If we talk about ancient beliefs, a bouquet of lychnis in a house is a talisman not only for a room, but also for people and pets living in it. Such a tool was used in the old days to drive out demons. Dawn inflorescences also help to restore the body from the stress experienced and the loss of energy after severe overload.
Types and varieties of lyhnis
Lychnis Arkwright (Lychnis arkwrightii)
It is represented by a dense bush, the parameters of which are in the range of 35–40 cm in height. It is formed by shoots and narrowed lanceolate leaves, characterized by a dark red tint. There are few inflorescences on the bush, or the flowers are located singly. They crown the tops of the branches. The color of the petals in flowers of a rich orange color, when fully opened, their diameter reaches 30 cm. Flowering occurs in the last week of June and can stretch until the third decade of August. The variety that has won the greatest love of gardeners - Vesuviocharacterized by rich emerald leaves and heart-shaped outlines. The inflorescences, due to the large number of buds, are more splendid than the base species. Flowers with petals of a fiery tone.
Lychnis alpine (Lychnis alpina)
may occur under synonymous names Viscria alpine (Viscaria alpine) or Alpine steris (Steris alpine). The natural habitat is in the forest-tundra and tundra belt in the Scandinavian area, and also covers the eastern regions of Greenland. This plant may be found in North American lands, in the alpine and mountain tundra European region. A perennial, which takes the form of a bush, reaches a height of 10–20 cm with its shoots. In this case, the foliage is connected to the rosettes of the root zone, a small number of shoots are covered with oppositely located linear leaves. Inflorescences, taking on panicle outlines, consist of flowers with mauve or raspberry-colored petals. In this form, the most popular variety is Laracharacterized by light pink dense inflorescences.
Lychnis viscaria
also referred to as Viscaria vulgaris (Viscaria vulgaris) or Silene viscaria (Silene viscaria). The natural area of growth falls on the Crimean and Central European lands. It can be found in the Ciscaucasia and in the southwestern regions of Siberia. A perennial herbaceous shrub with shoots reaching a height of 40–100 cm. Since the top of the branches is sticky, the people call the plant “tar”. Panicle-shaped inflorescences are formed in groups of 5–7 buds at the same height. The color of the petals in the flowers is snow-white or crimson. Among all, the Rosetta variety stands out, distinguished by its flowers of a fluffy structure and rich crimson petals.
Lychnis terry flora pleno (Lychnis terry flora pleno)
not exceeding 30 cm in height. The color of the leaves in the root section is dark emerald. Their outlines are narrowed, the width is the same throughout the plate, the leaves are concentrated in the root zone of the bush. Inflorescences at the tops of the shoots are characterized by the outlines of the brushes, flowers with a large number of lilac petals. In diameter, the flower can be equal to 20-30 mm.
Lychnis coronaria (Lychnis coronaria)
may occur under the name Lychnis coriacea. A perennial herbaceous representative of the genus, not exceeding the height of 40–90 cm. The shoots are painted in an ash-gray color, but they are difficult to see under the leaves of the color of spring greenery. Flowering occurs in the remaining ten days of May and can last until mid-autumn. Terminal inflorescences with racemose or corymbose outlines, formed by white, crimson or pinkish flowers. The most commonly grown varieties are:
- Angel's Blush or Angels Blush pleasing to the eye with inflorescences of a dark red hue, but there are specimens with snow-white or crimson flowers.
- Mysterious Island with a corolla in the central part of the pink color, along the edge of the petal there is a whitish stripe.
Lychnis chalcedonica (Lychnis chalcedonica)
may be named Dawn ordinary or Lychnis ordinary … The natural area of distribution covers the territory of the European part of Russia, it can be found on the lands of Siberia, Central Asia and Mongolia. The plant is perennial, herbaceous, not exceeding 80–100 cm in height. The leaves are ovoid or oval-lanceolate. In the process of flowering, capitate-corymbose inflorescences are formed, towering over the entire curtain. Their diameter reaches 10 cm. Inflorescences are collected from flowers of a fiery bloody color, the disclosure of which usually does not exceed 3 cm in diameter. The petals are characterized by notched outlines, but there are also two lobes. The species is characterized by frost resistance. Cultivation dates back to 1561. The most beloved cultivars among gardeners are:
- Albiflora represented by a garden form with snow-white flowers, when fully opened, their diameter reaches approximately 2 cm.
- Lychnis Maltese cross, delighting gardeners with lush flowering, inflorescences are formed by flowers of graceful outlines and a rich bloody shade.
There are also species that have a simple or double structure of flowers, their petals are pink, and have a red eye at the base.
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Video about growing lychnis in the garden:
