Heteropanax: rules for growing and reproduction

2024 Author: Arianna Cook | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:23

The characteristic features of the plant, the cultivation of heteropanax indoors, advice on self-propagation, the difficulties associated with its agricultural technology, interesting facts, types. Heteropanax (Heteropanax) is part of the Araliaceae family, known to many. Naturally, a person who is not strongly associated with botany will say: "Well, the representatives of this family are not too familiar to me!" But it will turn out to be wrong, because, for example, the plants ginseng, eleutherococcus, aralia, shefflera and many others are heard. Now let's consider another example of this colorful family, numbering up to 46 genera, of which 8 varieties belong to the genus of the same name.

Heteropanax “venerates” the territories of South and East Asia and all of China with its native lands of natural growth. This plant has a tree-like growth with a pronounced and slender trunk, and there is also a beautiful well-leafy crown with neat outlines. Since this representative of the green world of the planet is measured in rather large dimensions, it is customary to grow it in spacious and bright rooms, winter gardens and, naturally, if climatic conditions permit, then in gardens and parks.

Under natural conditions, the height of the trunk can reach from 3 to 30 meters. The bark casts a light brown and beige tone.

The leaves have highly decorative feathery outlines with a glossy surface, and the leaf plate itself has oval outlines. The main petiole measures 10 cm, while each leaf lobe may have its own small petiole, the length of which is equal to 2–12 mm. The shape of the leaves is elongated, lanceolate, elliptical, ovoid. At the base there are wedge-shaped outlines, and at the apex there is a sharp narrowing. The color is green.

Umbrella inflorescences consist of individual flowers, which reach 1–2.5 cm in diameter. Flowers can be bisexual, that is, the heteropanax plant is dioecious. After flowering, the fruit ripens, which is usually slightly flattened from the sides. Its length reaches 5–8 mm with a thickness of 1–2 mm.

Heteropanax looks most beautiful in phytocompositions next to the following decorative leafy and beautifully flowering representatives of the flora: room pelargonium (or as it is also called geranium), with homemade yucca, phalaenopsis orchid, Benjamin ficus, hamedoria palm and Wax ivy-hoya.

Recommendations for growing heteropanax

Lighting and selection of a place for a pot. The plant loves good, but diffused lighting. Such illumination will be provided on the windowsills of the western and eastern windows. If the heteropanax is located in the south, it is shaded from the direct rays of the sun.
Content temperature. The plant will feel great at moderate heat values, when in the spring-summer period they will fluctuate within 20-25 degrees, and with the arrival of the autumn-winter season, a transition to the range of 14-15 degrees will occur. Heteropanax responds well to daily fluctuations in thermometer readings. In winter, it is better when the pot is located far from the heaters.
Humidity air should be elevated. For this, any ways to increase it are suitable, especially in summer heat or when keeping heteropanax in warm winter conditions. You can spray the foliage with warm, settled water, wipe the leaf plates with a soft damp sponge, or place a pot with a plant in a deep pan, at the bottom of which a layer of expanded clay or pebbles is poured and a little water is poured. The main thing is that the bottom of the pot does not touch the liquid.
Watering heteropanax. In order for the plant to feel normal, in the spring-summer period, it will be necessary to moisturize the substrate moderately, but regularly. As soon as the top layer of the soil has already dried, you can water it, although in some sources there is a statement that after the top layer of the substrate dries up, they wait another day or two. Drying out, like a permanent bay, threatens with foliage falling and subsequent decay of the root system. As soon as autumn comes, watering is reduced, and in winter they are very limited, especially if the plant is kept at cool temperatures. Water for irrigation should be soft and warm.
Fertilizing the plant. As soon as a period of active vegetative activity begins in heteropanax, it is necessary to carry out regular and mandatory feeding. This time begins with the arrival of March-April and ends in early September. Once a month, you will need to apply fertilizer for ornamental deciduous plants grown indoors. If the tree is sick, then the feeding is stopped so that it does not cause more harm. It is better to fertilize the soil after it has been watered, since when applying top dressing to dry soil, a chemical burn of the root system can occur. During the autumn-winter months, there is no need to feed the "rastyu".
Pruning carried out on young plants to help form a beautiful crown. To do this, in young heteropanaxes, you will need to pinch the tops of new shoots.
Transplantation and selection of a substrate. Like all members of this family, heteropanax requires a transplant in the spring. If the plant is still young, then the change of the pot and soil is carried out after a year, and when the tree grows up, this procedure is repeated every two years. When the plant grows in a large container, it will be necessary to change the topsoil (about 3-4 cm) annually without replanting.

Small holes must be made in the bottom of the new container so that excess liquid during watering can not stagnate in the pot. These holes must be sized so that drainage material cannot fall out. As drainage, use the medium fraction of expanded clay, pebbles, you can also take broken shards or crushed sifted bricks.

The substrate is selected with a slightly acidic reaction, in which the pH is approximately 6. From the ready-made compositions, you can use soil mixtures for ficuses or ornamental foliage plants. The soil should be nutritious and dark in color, light and loose. The main thing is that its color does not give off a reddish color, since this is evidence of poor-quality peat, the presence of which can lead to negative consequences when growing heteropanaxis.

You can mix the substrate yourself, taking the following components as a basis: sod soil, humus soil and coarse-grained river sand, maintaining a ratio of 2: 1: 1.

Tips for self-propagation of heteropanax

If it is necessary to get a new heteropanax tree, cuttings, sowing of seed material and the use of air layering are used.

Diseases and pests of heteropanax

All problems in the cultivation of this plant occur due to violations of the conditions of its maintenance:

with a lack of illumination, the leaf plates turn yellow and fall off, this begins with those on the lower branches;
also "leaf fall" can be observed when the heat indices in summer are too high or in winter they are very low;
with an excess of moisture in the soil, heteropanax begins to sprinkle with leaves;
the leaves have wilted and lost turgor, this means that the plant does not have enough moisture;
with an excess of moisture and flooding of the soil, the leaf plates also droop, but at the same time they acquire translucency and begin to fade, then an urgent transplant is needed;
when there is not enough light, the color of the leaves becomes faded, and when the illumination is increased, then light spots appear on the foliage, sunburn is possible;
when the substrate is constantly in a flooded state, the roots begin to rot;
the tips of the leaves turn brown and dry out with low air humidity and lack of moisture;
if the shoots of heteropanax grow weakened, then the reason may be a lack of lighting or poor feeding.

It happens that a plant is affected by aphids, a scabbard or a spider mite, then it is necessary to carry out treatment with insecticidal preparations.

Interesting facts about heteropanax

Many of the varieties are successfully used by local peoples as medicinal plants or because of the fairly dense wood in the carpentry industry.

Types of heteropanax

Fragrant Heteropanax (Heteropanax fragrans). The native territories of this variety are considered to be Chinese lands and countries in the southeast of Asia - Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam. Most often it can be found in the hills or in forests and valleys, as well as in gardens at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. The first descriptions of the species date back to 1830. These slender trees can be up to 30 meters high. The trunk is expressive, and the crown has good foliage. Leaves 3–5 pinnately compound, reaching 50–100 cm in length. Their petiole is 15–45 cm, glabrous. The leaf lobes are opposite, almost sessile on the petiole or have a separate petiole up to 1 cm. The contours of the leaf parts are elliptical or elliptical-ovate. Each part is 3–6 cm long. Their surface is bare, the lateral veins, 6–10 pairs in number, are clearly distinguishable on both surfaces. At the base, the leaf is rounded-wedge-shaped. Inflorescences are stellate, with tomentose pubescence. The flower-bearing stem can be up to 9 cm long. The flowers are bisexual: the male flowers are 1–1.5 cm in diameter, and the female is 2–2.5 cm. The pedicel is only 4–8 mm in diameter. The shape of the fruit is oval-spherical to elongated. There is a slight compression on the sides. When fully ripe, fruit length is 5–7 cm, width is up to 3–5 cm, thickness is 2–3 mm.
Heteropanax chinensis can be found under synonymous names - Heteropanax fragrans or Seemann var. Chinensis. The native habitat in the natural environment falls on the lands of Southeast Asia. Most often it settles in forests and on mountain slopes at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level - Guangxi, Yunnan. The plant can grow up to 3 meters and has a bushy outline. Leaves reach up to 50-60 cm and have a feathery shape. The petiole measures 15–35 cm. The leaf lobes are glossy, dark green to khaki green, sometimes a bluish-greenish tone. Their contours are narrowly elliptical with dimensions 2, 5-6 x 0, 8-3 cm. Both surfaces are not pubescent, the lateral veins are 6 pairs, they are indistinct on the surfaces. At the base, the leaf is narrow-wedge-shaped, there is a sharpening at the apex. The inflorescence is umbellate, dense, pubescent. Pedicels about 4 mm. Flowers reach 2.5 cm in diameter. The fruitlets have a strong compression on the sides, they reach 8-9 mm in diameter with a thickness of up to 2 mm. This variety also has medicinal value.
Heteropanax brevipedicellatus (Heteropanax brevipedicellatus). A plant that has a tree-like shape and reaches a height of up to 7 meters. Leaves 4–5 pinnately divided. The length of the petiole measures 10–45 cm. The leaf lobes are practically sessile, their fleshy petioles are only 1 cm. The color is dark green or may be gray-green. Their shape is from elliptical to narrowly elliptical and even slightly ovoid. Their sizes vary within 4–8, 5x0, 8–3, 5 cm. Both surfaces are bare, lateral veins are indistinct and their number is 5–6 pairs, along the edge there is a small irregular serration. The inflorescence is dense, the peduncles are 1–2 cm in size, and the flowers reach a diameter of 1–1.5 cm, with pedicels only 1.5–4 mm. Fruits are strongly compressed from the sides, 5-6x7-8 mm in size and only 1 mm thick. They are attached to stalks 3, 5–4 mm, with glandular pubescence. Flowering from October to December, and fruiting from January to February. Most often, the variety is found at altitudes up to 600 meters above sea level in forests, forest glades and roadsides, often in places with shade in Vietnamese territories. Like the previous varieties, it is used for medicinal purposes and as an ornamental deciduous plant.
Heteropanax Seemann. It can grow as a shrub or tree, has an evergreen crown. Leaves with 2–5 pinnate division, stipules not visible. Inflorescences have paniculate contours. Calyx toothed, 5 petals per flower, the same number of stamens, 2 ovaries. The fruit is a drupe, compressed from the sides.
Heteropanax hainanensis (Heteropanax hainanensis). It can stretch to a height of 7 cm. The leaves are divided into 3-4 parts. The petiole and flowering stem are glabrous. The length of the petiole of leaf lobes is 4–10 mm. The leaf lobes themselves have a narrow-elliptical shape and sizes varying within 4, 5-11x1, 2-4, 2 cm. Both surfaces of the leaves are bare, the lateral veins are 5-6 pairs, at the base the plate is wedge-shaped at the apex of a slight sharpening. The inflorescence is collected from red-brick stellate flowers. The diameter of the flower reaches 2-3 cm, the stalk is 5-10 cm. When ripe, the fruits are colored red-brown, slightly compressed from the sides and measure 4-6x5-8 mm, their thickness is 2 mm. Fruiting occurs in the month of December. Most often, the variety grows in its natural environment at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level in forest glades and near settlements in Hainan.
Heteropanax nitentifoliu represents tall evergreen trees that can reach 10 meters in height. Leaves are paired with petioles measuring 10 cm in length, glabrous. The leaf lobes have their own petioles with parameters 0.3-2 mm in length. The surface of the leaves is shiny, their shape is oblong or elliptical. Sizes vary within 8-12x3-6 cm. They are leathery, both surfaces are bare, at the base the leaves are wedge-shaped, and meanwhile there is a sharpening at the top. Inflorescences have dense glandular pubescence. The flower-bearing stem reaches up to 1–2 cm in length, while the flower stalks of the buds are only 5–11 mm long. Ripening fruits are strongly compressed from the sides, their outlines are broadly ovate to flattened. Measurements are carried out in the range of 5-6x7-8 mm, with a thickness of 1 mm. Flowering lasts from September to November, and this variety bears fruit in December. Most often, the tree can be found on forest glades and roadsides, it grows at altitudes of 100-800 meters above sea level and mainly in the Vietnamese region of Yunnan. It can also be used for medicinal purposes.
Heteropanax yunnanensis. It has a tree-like form of growth, reaching a height of 10 meters. Leaves are double-pinnate with a main petiole, up to 6–22 cm long, glabrous. Petioles of individual leaf lobes are 2–12 mm in size. Leaves with oval-rounded outlines or elliptical. Their parameters vary within 4-6x2, 5-4, 5 cm. Both surfaces are devoid of pubescence, glabrous. Lateral veins are slightly visible on both sides of the leaf, they number 4–5 pairs. At the base of the leaf there is a rounding to a wide-wedge-shaped contour, at the top there is a sharp sharpening. Inflorescences have a dense glandular edge. Peduncles can grow up to 1, 8-3, 2 cm in length. The fruit has compression on both sides, the diameter is slightly flattened, reaching 6–8 mm, with a thickness of only 1.5 mm. Flowering occurs in November, and the fruits appear in April-May.