Rules for caring for aspidistra at home

2024 Author: Arianna Cook | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:55

Homeland, origin and known varieties of aspidistra, characteristics of their appearance, advice on growing and care, healing properties. Aspidistra is a beautiful perennial plant that will serve as an elegant decoration for the most secluded corner of your apartment or office, where it is difficult to get even to the smallest sunlight. Beautiful appearance and ease of cultivation are the key to the popularity of this flower in our time. Because of its unpretentiousness and resistance to environmental conditions, the people called this flower "iron lady".

The origin of the aspidistra

Aspidistra is a perennial shade-loving flower that originates from the large Liliaceae family, although some scientists attribute it to the Landyshev family. In our area, it can be found on the shelves of flower shops, offices or in the apartments of acquaintances in the form of a beautiful indoor plant, but in its native places it is a green inhabitant, it grows and develops very successfully in open ground conditions.

The homeland of this representative of the world flora is considered to be the territories of East and Southeast Asia. Its most favorite places are humid and shady forests with low air temperatures.

Exterior features of aspidistra varieties

In nature, there are from 6 to 8 different types of this "iron lady". Some of them are presented to your attention:

Aspidistra tall or broadleaf (Aspidistra elatior) - this is not only the most studied representative of this large genus, but it is the aspidistra elatior that is most often cultivated at home. This beautiful native of China has an extraordinary-looking wide leaves that originate directly from the root and grow to a height of about 40-60 cm, their width is approximately 6-10 cm. The leaf plates are lanceolate, less often oblong. Nature has awarded them with a beautiful rich green tone. Today variegated aspidistra are very popular, they are distinguished by their extraordinary appearance. Their peculiarity lies in the special contrast of the leaves: on the dark green background of the leaf plate, you can see light spots that resemble small stars or graceful strokes and stripes. In its structure, the oriental beauty has another beautiful detail - flowers. Despite their relatively small size (they measure up to 1, 5–2 cm across), the flowers have a charming appearance. Their petals are painted in a rich purple color with a brown tint. Basically, the buds are solitary, but each of them has 2-5 bracts. Although at home it rarely pleases us with its flowering, but in its natural habitat, the flowering period of this plant is quite long - from January to April, it coincides with the rainy season in Asian territories. At the end of this colorful period, in the place where purple decorations flaunted, round-shaped fruits, shaded with brown color, are formed. They contain large seeds inside. The root system is usually located in several layers of soil. The main rhizome is conveniently located directly underground, and thin additional root processes move into deeper layers of soil, with each year of its life it requires an ever larger underground area.
Aspidistra Attenuata - Aspidistra Attenuata he revered the mountain forests of Taiwan as his homeland. For the first time in botany, this representative of the Liliaceae family was described in 1912. The leaves of the plant have a noble green color with a dark shade, their surface is often painted with light specks. The width of the leaf plate is not very large - about 6–8 cm, but the length can reach up to half a meter. Nature has given the leaf a reverse lanceolate shape. Flowers are solitary, with a small number of perianths. The petals are white or pale green. The purple corolla is similar in shape to a bell. Inside the flower there are 6-8 stamens and a pistil with a diameter of about 4-5 mm. The flowering period occurs in the first summer months, after which the fruiting time begins.
Aspidistra grandiflora (Aspidistra Grandiflora) - This is the youngest variety of Asian perennial, Vietnam is considered its home territory. The discovery of this species caused a furor among fans of tropical cultures. Long beautiful leaves combined with amazing flowering - these are the qualities that briefly describe the appearance of this extraordinary plant. The leaves of this native of Vietnam take on a very interesting shape - obovate. The length of the leaf plate is rather big - 70–80 cm. The color of this part of the perennial is also unusual - a rich green color, against which contrasting spots are located. In the midst of summer, small aspidistra flowers begin to appear from flower buds that are conveniently placed on the roots of the plant. On the stalks about 4-5 centimeters long, the corollas of purple color are kept. The petals give a special uniqueness and charm to the flowering: each of them has a long appendage of white color, with dark purple edges. Some believe that the shape of the flower resembles a tropical spider. The regularity and duration of flowering in your home is highly dependent on care and environmental conditions.
Aspidistra Sichuan - Aspidistra Sichuanensis. In the wild, this representative should be sought in the bamboo forests of China, at an altitude of 600-1100 meters above sea level. It is there that you can stumble upon the fabulous dense meadows formed by this original plant. From the nature of this variety of aspidistra got a powerful rhizome and single graceful, erect leaves, the height of which reaches 60-70 cm. The leaf can take a lanceolate or elliptical shape, its width does not exceed 7-8 cm. On the surface of the plate, which is endowed with a dense green or spotted coloration, arcuate venation is observed. The flowering period of this Chinese native falls at the end of winter - early spring. It is represented by small flowers, painted in a dark purple tone.
Aspidistra oblancefolia - Aspidistra oblanceifolia. China is considered to be the homeland of this species. The peculiarity of this green miracle lies in especially small flowers and narrow leaves (their width does not exceed 2, 5–3 cm), which have an inverse lanceolate shape. Sometimes you can find this type of aspidistra with green-yellow foliage.
Aspidistra Guanjou -Aspidistra Guangxiensis. This native of China has rather thin, scaly rhizomes. On a relatively long petiole, which can grow up to 40 cm, is directly a green leaf plate, on which you can easily notice chaotic specks of yellowish color. Approximately in the middle of May, near the aspidistra itself, it seems possible to find paired flowers, which are measured in diameter up to 4–5 cm. Corollas, which have a purple color, keep on short petioles. The flower is decorated with eight petals, each of which has elongated outgrowths.

Growing aspidistra at home, care

If you do not have experience and skills in growing indoor plants, but decided to do this, then aspidistra is a godsend for you. You will not find a more unpretentious and modest flower. Also, this plant will add new colors to the most shaded corners of your home, but this does not mean at all that you can place the flower in the basement - it still needs at least some amount of light.

The optimal place of growth. In the conditions of your home or office space, your green pupil will never require direct sunlight for himself. It can be safely placed on the north side of the house, in any corner of the room, as it will feel great in full or diffused shade. The exceptions are variegated forms of perennials, which require more light for good development; with insufficient insolation, the plant quickly loses its original color and the leaves acquire a solid green color.
Temperature conditions. As for the temperature of the room in which your plant will live, then the choice is yours. If you like hot conditions - the aspidistra will warm up with you, if you prefer that the thermometer showed lower readings - this is also not a hindrance to her. In the autumn-winter period, the most suitable temperature is considered to be in the range of 15-17 degrees. The flower can live in cooler conditions, but only so that there is no frost. Some sources say that if the plant hibernates at low temperatures, this will provide more intensive leaf growth next spring.
Air humidity coefficient. This Asian miracle will never need to install artificial air humidifiers, but it is advisable to pamper it with ordinary spraying. This is especially necessary if you keep your pet in a hot climate.
Hygiene. Due to the fact that nature has awarded the aspidistra with very large leaves, dust often accumulates on them. As it appears, the deciduous surface should be washed with water (preferably settled), it is not recommended to use chemical agents.
Watering. There is no clear frequency for watering this flower. It is recommended to moisturize this ingenuous representative of the green world as the top layer of the earth dries up. In a hotter time (spring-summer), this procedure will need to be carried out 2-3 times a week, if it is an autumn-winter period - no more than 1 time in 7-8 days. For a plant, excessive drying out is considered detrimental, or vice versa, waterlogging of the soil.
Top dressing. If you want to admire a plant with beautiful, rich, beautiful colors and leaves with natural shine, then you will need to pamper your Asian beauty with useful substances. The ideal solution for this would be a liquid mineral fertilizer intended for decorative deciduous plants. For example: "Uniflor - green leaf", "Master-agro", "Activin" and many others. They can be easily found in any flower shop at a very affordable price. Top dressing should be applied during the period of intensive growth. During wintering, you do not need to fertilize the flower. It is imperative to remember that aspidistra with variegated leaves cannot be fed at all, because of this they lose their uniqueness.
Reproduction of aspidistra. The most common and effective breeding method is by dividing the rhizome. It is good to combine this action with the transplantation process. Separation of the roots should be done with a very sharp knife so that no chipping is left. It is advisable to cut so that each part contains at least three leaf blades. Sections are required to be sprinkled with crushed charcoal, after which they are planted in prepared soil. It is recommended to observe the measure in watering, as excessive moisture can provoke rotting of the roots.
Transfer to a new pot. This decorative green adornment is characterized by very slow growth, to be more precise, no more than 5-6 leaves grow per year, for this reason it is recommended to transplant no more than once every 2-3 years, but still it is an essential care measure. If you see that the voluminous rhizome has completely entwined the soil lump, you should already be preparing for the transplant. It is advisable to do this in the spring.

For planting this "iron lady", a universal soil purchased in a store is quite suitable, but if you want to do everything yourself, then there are the following methods for preparing an optimal soil mixture:

sod land, sand and leafy soil, in a ratio of 3: 1: 3;
turf soil, leafy soil, humus soil and river sand, in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1;
sod substrate, peat soil, leaf and humus soil, coarse sand, taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1.

Difficulties in growing aspidistra

If we talk about this original plant, then it can be argued that Mother Nature gave him not only a wonderful outstanding appearance, but also good immunity. Basically, all the deterioration in the health of this "cast-iron beauty" is nothing more than a consequence of errors in caring for her.

If you notice that the tips of the leaves are beginning to turn brown, you should increase the humidity or move the flowerpot to a less dry place.
Some leaves turn yellow - this is physiological aging followed by the death of individual green elements, but if all the leaves turn yellow at the same time - this alarming sign tells you that the plant needs a little more light.
There are unnatural brown spots on the surface of the leaf plate - it is necessary to fence off the flower from direct sunlight.
All the deciduous mass began to fade and turn black - this means that you overdid it and "flooded" your pet.
There is also a more dangerous disease for your eastern perennial, it is called infectious chlorosis. Its main symptoms are yellowing of the leaves and a rapid change in the color of the flower petals. If you find this disease, the affected flower should be destroyed.

If we talk about pests, then you are advised to protect your green bush from such dangerous creatures as red spider mites and aspidistric scale insects. If you find a lesion with a scabbard, then it must be removed by hand and the flower should be washed with a mild soapy solution. It is recommended to fight the red spider mite with solutions of ethyl alcohol or laundry soap. In case of abundant infestation, the plant should be treated with "Aktellik".

The use of aspidistra in medicine

Since ancient times, the inhabitants of the native lands of the aspidistra were aware of its healing qualities. Nowadays, it is part of many fees that are designed to treat the following pathological conditions: