What is the difference between scadoxus and other plants, tips for home care: watering, feeding, lighting, reproduction, disease and pest control, facts, types. Scadoxus belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family by botanists and was isolated as a separate genus from the more extensive genus Haemanthus. This division took place in 1976. In nature, scadoxus can be found on the territory of the African continent, the lands of distribution are located slightly south of the Sahara Desert, and the Arabian Peninsula is also included here. Some of the species have been introduced (deliberately removed by humans from their original natural range) to areas of Mexico.
The genus includes up to 9 species of scadoxus and most of them prefer to grow in tropical forests, where tall trees form a pleasant shade. If the variety is rhizomatous, then it can settle as an epiphyte on trees, attaching itself to the trunks and branches with its root processes. When the plant is bulbous, it feels good on the soil surface, but there is a species - Scadoxus crimson, which prefers to grow as a lithophyte on rocky or sandy soil.
This representative of the amaralis, due to its highly decorative inflorescence, has a large set of synonymous names among different peoples. So in England and English-speaking countries Scadoxus is called "Paint Brush", "Blood flower", "Catherine wheel" (Bloedblom, Catherine wheel), "Fireball lily". But if we talk about the true etymology of the name of scadoxus, then there is no exact information about this, although there is a version that the term comes from the Greek word "sciadon", which translates as "umbrella" and speaks of the type of inflorescence.
There is a difference between the genus Scadoxus and Gemantus in how their leaf plates are arranged around the stem, and also the flowers of the latter have large bracts that surround the inflorescence. If conditions are favorable, the plant can reach a height of 70 cm. Bulbous varieties of scadoxus are mainly grown in rooms. On a strong stem, 4–5 leaf plates develop, the shape of which takes on wide-oval contours. The edge of the leaf is wavy, the color is rich green color. A kind of attractive umbrella is assembled from these leaves.
In the summer (approximately June-July, and often the days of August are also affected), a peduncle begins to develop next to the stem, which is distinguished by its height and thickness. Its parameters in height are 50-60 cm, often reaching even 110 cm. The entire surface of this flowering stem is covered with small pimples of a cherry shade. The top of the peduncle is crowned with an inflorescence, which has a spherical shape. The diameter of the inflorescence can vary from 25 cm to 200 cm and even more. In such a decorative inflorescence, flowers of scarlet or orange color are collected, with protruding bright yellow stamens. It is because of such stamens that during flowering, which lasts almost 10–20 days, the entire inflorescence is surrounded by a solar halo. With its outlines, the inflorescence resembles a gigantic dandelion, with scarlet, parachute-like fluffs.
After the flowering is completed, the fruit is formed in the form of berries, taking the shape of an ellipse. The size of the berries resembles a pea. The color of such fruits is deep red, but they pose a danger to humans, due to increased toxicity. After the berries are fully ripe, the flowering stem tends to lean towards the soil surface, but the fruits do not separate from it. It is because of this feature that scadoxus saves its berries from a strong dry wind. If the humidity is sufficient, then after 1–2 weeks, a primary root shoot with a bud of green color will appear from each fruit. When such a root reaches the ground, then, without even breaking away from the flowering stem, it begins its rooting and subsequent growth. And for a long time, the mother plant seems to "take care" of the young "fireworks lily".
Tips for planting and caring for Scadoxus at home
- Lighting and selection of a place for a pot. To grow this "giant dandelion", a window sill facing east or west is suitable, since only there will the scadoxus receive a sufficient level of light and shade from direct sunlight. If the plant is in the southern room, then it is moved 2 m away from the window, in the northern one additional lighting is needed.
- Content temperature. As soon as autumn comes, the plant goes into a mode of relative dormancy. The foliage at this time is completely lost by the scadoxus and the stem dies off. Then it is necessary to keep the onion at a heat rate of 12-14 degrees. If the variety is evergreen, then in winter the thermometer should not fall below 15 units. When the spring-summer period comes, then you need to keep the "lily-fireworks" at temperatures of 20-22 degrees.
- Air humidity when growing scadoxus does not play a special role. Since it can tolerate dry indoor conditions well. However, if the heat readings rise above the permissible rate, then it is recommended to spray twice a day. Moreover, soft water is used, at room temperature.
- Dormant period the "wheel of Katarina" is pronounced, it falls on the winter months, capturing a few spring days. A cool and practically dry content is recommended during this time.
- Watering for the "firework lily" from late spring to early September, when the plant begins to grow and bloom should be abundant and regular, but when the scadoxus is at rest, the soil in the pot is rarely moistened. Water is used only well-settled and warm. The rule for watering is to dry the top layer of soil in the pot. Moreover, it was noticed that the plant will tolerate a slight drought more easily than the substrate flood, which immediately entails rotting of the bulb.
- Fertilizers for scadoxus, it is recommended to apply as soon as its vegetative growth begins to intensify and until the autumn days. Liquid complex mineral preparations are used for flowering indoor plants. The frequency of fertilization is once every 15 days.
- Transplant and suitable substrate. Since, like its relative Gemantus, Scadoxus is rather difficult to endure any trauma to the root system, after the plant is transplanted, it does not bother it for 3-4 years, sometimes bringing this period to 5-7 years. If, nevertheless, a decision is made to change the pot, then this operation should occur in early spring, while the plant has not yet begun to actively develop. A drainage layer should be placed on the bottom of the new container. When a transplant is carried out, it is recommended to leave the bulbous part above the ground.
The substrate is selected light and nutritious. You can use ready-made soil mixtures "For hippeastrum" or compose the soil yourself from the following options:
- turf, greenhouse and leafy soil, peat and bone meal (parts are taken equal in volume);
- leafy soil, turf, river sand, peat and humus (in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1).
Steps for self-propagating scadoxus
To get a new plant "Katarina's wheel", you should sow seed or plant daughter bulbs.
If the method of seed reproduction is chosen, then it is recommended to leave the fruits on the plant until they fully ripen and their decorative effect is lost. Then the berries are picked, and the seeds are cleaned of pulp, and they are immediately planted. The substrate is selected light and nutritious - for example, a peat-sand mixture or peat, half combined with perlite. The soil is poured into pots and slightly moistened so that it does not get too wet. Then the seeds are pressed into it, but they are not sprinkled with soil. The container is covered with a plastic bag or a piece of glass is placed on it. This will help create conditions with high humidity, which is necessary for normal seed germination.
The place where the container with crops is installed should be warm, with heat indicators of 20-24 degrees and sufficiently illuminated, only with shading from direct rays of the sun. With this care, the florist should not forget to ventilate every day in order to remove condensation. Such air procedures are performed for 10-15 minutes. Also, you need to ensure that the soil in the pot does not dry out, it is moistened with a fine spray gun so that the seeds do not float. But it is not recommended to flood the soil, as crops can easily rot. When the sprouts appear above the soil surface, the shelter can be removed, accustoming young scadoxus to room conditions. Such plants can please with flowering after three years.
There is also a way of propagation by seeds without their preliminary planting, since the scadoxus has the ability to bend its flowering stem with fruits to the soil, then when the berries touch the substrate and moisture is favorable, they release small roots. Such sprouts firmly cling to the ground and begin their existence as a separate plant, which is still "cared for" by the parent specimen. So they grow for more than one season, until a young bulb is formed. It is interesting that near an adult "firework lily" you can often see a whole shoot of young plants. When these young scadoxuses are sufficiently developed, they are carefully separated from the mother flower and planted in a separate pot with suitable soil.
The simplest method is bulb propagation. So in a well-developed specimen of the “wheel of Katarina” bulb, over time, you can see daughter bulbs - children. When transplanting, such bulbs are carefully separated and planted in separate pots, in which drainage and a suitable moistened substrate are laid. The place in which the rooting of baby bulbs is carried out should be shaded from direct sunlight, with sufficient temperature indicators (within 20-24 degrees). However, it should be borne in mind that a plant obtained from a small bulb will bloom only 3-4 years after planting.
Scadoxus pest and disease control
Most often, the plant begins to suffer from diseases or pests, the plant begins with systematic violations of the rules of care, whether it is open ground conditions or crumpled cultivation.
If the moisture readings are too low, then the scadoxus is attacked by the red spider mite, daffodil fly or mealybug. In this case, immediately wash the deciduous mass under warm shower jets, and then treat with insecticidal preparations. Some growers do not want to expose the plant to chemistry and try to remove harmful insects using folk remedies. Such drugs can be:
- soap solution made on the basis of grated laundry soap dissolved in water or a small amount of dishwashing detergent;
- oil - it is based on a few drops of rosemary essential oil, which are diluted in a liter can of water;
- alcohol preparation, acts in the form of a pharmacy tincture on calendula alcohol;
- often used garlic (based on gruel of garlic) or onion (tincture of onion peel) solutions.
With low humidity, especially in winter, drying out and subsequent foliage may be lost. If the substrate is constantly in the state of the bay, then this will inevitably lead to rotting of the bulbs.
If the cultivation of scadoxus is carried out in open ground, then slugs and snails can act as an enemy of the plant, and Brithys crini moth can annoy the plant in its native land in South Africa.
Scadoxus facts for the curious
Important! You cannot put this highly decorative flower in children's rooms and in the accessibility of pets. Scadoxus berries are very poisonous. Bulbs are also a danger, even in the camps of the African continent, tribal warriors saturate the tips of the steles with juice from the bulbs before hunting. Therefore, it is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use thick gloves after working with the "Katarina's wheel".
The rhizome, stem, leaf plates and even the inflorescence itself are poisonous. All of these parts are loaded with alkaloids such as caffeine, morphine, cocaine, as well as quinine, strychnine and nicotine. Because of such toxic substances, with the help of scadoxus, the indigenous peoples of Africa clear the river arteries of fish - they simply poison it. Even if livestock eats grass, into which at least one stalk of "fireworks lily" accidentally fell, the outcome will be fatal.
If we speak from Feng Shui, then a poisonous plant introduces a negative wave into the energy of the house, therefore it is not recommended to grow scadoxus in a room. Therefore, if conditions permit, it is better to cultivate this exotic flower in open field conditions or to admire it from photographs or a TV screen.
Types of Scaducus
- Scadoxus multiflorus (Scadoxus multiflorus). The native area of distribution falls on the lands of Africa, Ethiopia and Namibia. Perennial, characterized by a thickened pseudostem, that is, its structure consists of closely adjacent, grouped bases of leaf plates. The color of the foliage is dark green or emerald. Flowering occurs once a season, in the homeland it occurs from December to March or from July to August days. If there is enough light and warmth, then flowering lasts quite a long time - up to 20 days. Only one inflorescence is formed. It is a huge red ball, the size of it resembles a soccer ball, red and scarlet colors. Its diameter reaches almost 30 cm. The height of the whole plant is almost 20-40 cm.
- Scadoxus crimson (Scadoxus puniceus). The plant is distinguished by a spherical inflorescence of red-violet color, located on a powerful peduncle. This flowering stem originates from a rosette made up of large leaf plates. The shape of such leaves is lanceolate. Interesting for flower growers, is the "Alba" variety, characterized by snow-white flowers that make up the inflorescence. Also worthy of attention are its hybrids obtained from the combination with multiflorous scadoxus: "König Albert", which appeared in 1899, and the "Andromeda" variety, bred at the beginning of the 20th century.
- Scadoxus membranaceus (Scadoxus membranaceus). The native habitat of this species is in the Cape Province. The plant is the smallest in size among all members of the genus. A short stem can reach a size of 8-15 cm. On it leaf plates of light green color are formed, growing up to 10-15 cm in length. The diameter of the umbellate inflorescence is 4 cm. The shade of the flowers from which it is composed is pinkish or pale. red color scheme with green undertone. When the fruits of the plant are fully ripe, they give it a special decorative beauty.
More information about Scadoxus in the following video:
