Common features of strongylodon, tips for indoor plant cultivation, reproduction of "jade vine", disease and pest control, facts, types. Strongilodon (Strongilodon) belongs to the genus of representatives of the flora that are part of the legume family (Fabaceae). The native habitat on the planet falls on the lands of the Philippines, and they are also found on the African continent, Madagascar and in some places in Southeast Asia. Plants prefer to settle under the dense crown of tall trees that adorn the banks of streams and streams. There are up to 20 varieties in the genus, and at this time only one species - Strongilodon macrobotrys is quite popular when grown in temperate climates. Such beautiful exotic plants can be found in southern Florida and the Hawaiian Islands. In their natural habitat, such representatives of the flora are endangered, since almost all places of natural growth of strongylodon are ruthlessly destroyed by humans.
The people have many names for this unusual representative of the green world, and all the names are associated with the rare color of flowers and the type of shoots - jade vine, emerald vine, turquoise vine. The locals call it "tayabak".
Strongylodon is a perennial plant that has a liana-like, shrub or semi-shrub form of growth. Moreover, the outlines are quite powerful, since the shoots, intertwining, can rise to a height of up to 20 meters, while the diameter to which the bush grows will reach 6.5 m. Liana most often prefers to settle next to large trees and with the help of its shoots it climbs the trunks and branches, braids them and any support nearby. The stem over time has the property of lignification and is covered along its length by sheet plates with a smooth surface. The shape of the leaf is trifoliate, the color is rich dark green.
But the greatest advantage of the plant is considered to be its extraordinary flowers of bizarre outlines, which are collected in grandiose inflorescences, racemose. The size of a flower can vary in length in the range of 7–12 cm. Often in such an inflorescence group there can be up to a hundred blossoming buds. The flowering process of the "jade vine" occurs in the spring and can last until the very beginning of summer days. The color of the petals in the flowers is also quite unusual for the world of flora, although there are varieties with a red tint, but the strongylodon amazes with the color of the petals of a delicate beautiful greenish color scheme. It seems that a solution of brilliant green is diluted in the water (we know the remedy under the popular name "brilliant green"). The length of the brush itself can be up to 90 cm, but often becomes equal to 1–2 m.
After pollination of flowers, which is also of interest, since not only butterflies and wasps are pollinators, but also bats. The fruit is a bean, like all representatives of this family, which can reach 5 cm in length. Inside it there are seeds of black color.
In the territories that the plants are native, especially in Hawaii, it is customary to make lei from inflorescences full of flowers, as flower garlands are called in those areas. If the climate allows, then the "jade vine" can be grown in gardens and park areas, while the vines are planted along hedges and walls, which later serve as a support for the shoots.
We must not forget the fact that in the environment of natural growth, the "jade vine" is very aggressive, since the entangled trees still cope with the weight of the plant, but the supporting structures do not always stand up and may break off. With such vigorous growth, it is best to keep Strongylodon in greenhouses or conservatories. If the owner provides this exotic with more space, then both growth and flowering will be a worthy reward.
Strongylodon Care Tips - Watering, Fertilizing, Transplanting
- Lighting for the "jade vine". Since this is a resident of a tropical and subtropical climate, it is desirable that there is a lot of light, but with a little shade from direct sunlight in the summer afternoon.
- Temperature. The most comfortable heat indicators in the summer for strongylodon is the range of 20-30 degrees, but in the autumn-winter period they are monitored so that the thermometer does not fall below 15 degrees. The "jade vine" practically does not have a pronounced dormancy.
- Air humidity. For this plant, those conditions are suitable in which the humidity indicators are high, but many growers note that the "emerald vine" feels good even with normal apartment parameters. If the room is too dry, then the plant can be affected by pests. To prevent this from happening, they spray the deciduous mass or put a pot with a plant on a tray with moistened expanded clay or pebbles.
- Watering the Strongylodon. Throughout the year, the soil in the pot should be well moistened, so it is watered intensively and abundantly. If only the substrate begins to dry out on its surface, then this serves as a signal for watering. Water is poured in until it flows out through the drainage holes. After 10-15 minutes, the liquid is removed from the stand to prevent acidification of the soil. Only warm and soft water is used for irrigation. It is recommended to use distilled, well (preheated to a temperature of 20-24 degrees), collect rain or melt snow in winter.
- Fertilizers. Since the strongylodon has practically no rest period, it is still necessary to feed during the spring-summer period. Complex mineral preparations are used for flowering plants. The frequency of fertilization is once every 14 days.
- Transplantation and selection of a substrate. While the plant is young, it needs transplants annually. When the strongylodon becomes large, the pot is changed to the vine as rarely as possible, so the pot is selected larger so as not to disturb the plant with transplants once again. At the same time, it is recommended to change only a few centimeters of the old earth from above every year. A sufficient drainage layer is placed in the new pot, such as pebbles, expanded clay, broken shards or medium-sized pieces of brick. The plant is most suitable for a fertile substrate, the basis of which is peat and humus soil.
- General care. Since strongylodon is still a liana, when transplanting, it is necessary to install a support in the pot, along which the shoots of the plant can grow upward, since it is the inflorescences formed on the branches that are hanging down and constitute all the decorative attractiveness. In the spring, pruning needs to be done, but it is only important not to get too carried away with such a procedure, since buds begin to form both on old branches and on a young growth.
It is also noticed that if the "jade vine" is kept in a small and cramped room, then it stretches very much over time, the foliage flies around, and flowering does not occur.
Reproduction of strongylodon with your own hands
You can get a new exotic specimen of the "emerald vine" by sowing seeds or by cuttings.
For seed propagation, only fresh seed is required. Stratification is recommended for seeds. For this, the following steps are performed:
- the seeds should be filed with a file or rubbed on sandpaper;
- the seed should be soaked in warm water for 1-2 days.
A light and loose substrate is poured into bowls or pots, a peat-sand or peat-perlite mixture can act as it. Then the seeds are buried in the soil and carefully sprayed with a spray bottle. It is recommended to wrap the container with transparent plastic wrap or put a piece of glass on top. It is necessary to periodically remove the shelter to remove moisture droplets accumulated on its surface and to ventilate the crops a little. Also, if it is noticed that the soil has dried out a little, then it is sprayed again. However, the soil should not be swampy.
After a 10-day period, you can see the first sprouts of strongylodon. At the very beginning of its life, there will be no leaves on the seedlings, then their height increases rather quickly. When the first leaf plates are formed, the seedling can be cut off.
However, cuttings are considered a simpler and more effective method of propagation. The procedure is carried out in the spring. Having cut off the blanks, their lower parts are processed with a rooting stimulator, although you can not do this, if you adhere to the necessary conditions of detention, then the cuttings root successfully without such drugs.
The cuttings are planted in a mixture of peat and chopped sphagnum moss and covered with a plastic bag or placed under a glass jar. Pots with cuttings are placed in a warm place (with a temperature of 20-24 degrees), but it is recommended to carry out the lower heating of the soil. Here it is also important not to forget about airing and timely watering the soil in the pot. After about 1, 5 months, you can observe a new growth of the cuttings of the "jade vine".
Diseases and pests affecting strongylodon
When growing, the plant does not cause big problems to its owner, since it is rarely affected by pests or diseases. Such troubles are possible if the conditions for growing strongylodon are regularly violated. Such harmful insects that can attack the "jade vine" are mealybugs or spider mites. If these "uninvited guests" are identified, which are expressed by the formation of a thin cobweb covering the foliage and shoots or lumps of white color, resembling cotton wool or a sticky coating on the leaves. It will be necessary to immediately carry out the treatment with insecticidal preparations, with repeated spraying after a week.
With a constant waterlogged substrate, fungal diseases develop. In this case, treatment with a fungicidal agent will be required, followed by transplantation into a sterile substrate.
If there is not enough lighting, flowering will not come.
Strongidolone Flower Facts
Interestingly, some species of birds or bats are engaged in pollination of strongylodon. Such a bats hangs upside down on inflorescences and drinks nectar. Also, some species of wasps and butterflies can act as pollinators.
Since the plant is not poisonous, despite its unusual appearance, it can be safely placed in children's rooms.
The plant was first introduced to the inhabitants of Western European countries in 1854. The "Jade Vine" was discovered by botanists on the US Wilkes Exploring Expedition who were exploring the dipterocarp forest at Mount Makiling in Luzon. This territory is located on the largest island of the Philippines, located in the very north. It was then that scientists saw a species of Strongilodon macrobotrys. The flower today is one of the rarest on the planet.
It is also curious that on a large liana, the flowers can sometimes be difficult to distinguish in strong sunlight against the background of foliage. But the blossoming buds growing in the lower part of the shoots, on which the sun's rays do not fall so much, can already be clearly seen. When the flower dries up and flies around, then its color changes, their petals from mint green turn blue-green and often even purple.
The characteristic color coloration became possible due to the presence of the substance malvin (anthocyanin) and saponarin (flavonoglucoside), which are present in the plant in a ratio of 1: 9. Under conditions of acidity pH 7-9 (alkaline), which are found in the sap of epidermal cells, it is this combination of substances that promotes pink pigmentation. It was experimentally found that at acidity values below pH 6, 5, a colorless internal floral color of the fabric appears. In the course of research, it was found that saponarin causes a strong yellow color in alkaline compounds, and this is the reason for the greenish tint of the flower.
Strongylodon species
Strongilodon racemose (Strongilodon macrobotrys). The native growing areas are in subtropical and tropical areas. This species prefers to settle along streams in highly humid forests or in ravines. It is most often used as an ornamental culture. It is a large liana with a stem that lignifies over time. Its length can be up to 20 meters or more. On the shoots, leaves of triple outlines grow, their surface is smooth, painted in a beautiful shade of pale green color. Leaves can be combined in bunches-whorls of three pieces. The flowers are the most decorative in the plant. The length of the flower of the "jade vine" can vary in the range of 7–12 cm. Large size racemose inflorescences are made from the buds, the length of which is often measured at 90 cm, but occasionally their length approaches the three-meter mark. They can contain from several tens to hundreds of units of flowers. The color of their petals can strongly resemble the shade of a very diluted solution of brilliant green (and according to the folk simple "green", that is, green mint) or a pale turquoise tone. Each flower is shaped like a large large butterfly with folded wings. Pollination takes place by means of bats. Inflorescences are formed only in fairly mature plants. After that, the process of ripening the fruits, which are represented by beans, takes place. Their parameters in length are 5–15 cm. There can be up to 12 seeds in a pod.
Strongilodon red (Strongilodon ruber). It is a powerful vine with many-meter strong branches. The native growing area falls especially in tropical territories, the plant can most often be found on the African continent, on the island of Madagascar and in regions of Southeast Asia. In the conditions of natural distribution, dense forests serve as native lands for him, where this species can grow under the cover of large trees, which are settled along the banks of large and small waterways. The sprouts do well in shade, but when the vine becomes an adult, bright lighting is most suitable for it. Using the branches and trunks of trees as support, the strongylodon can shoot up to a height of 15–20 meters. The color of its flowers, collected in clustered inflorescences, is reddish or scarlet red. There is evidence that a variety of red "jade vine" has already been assigned to the genus Mucuna and is called Mucuna benettii. The plant is an endemic species found only in this area for the islands of the Philippine archipelago and grows in its forests. It is considered endangered, since today it is exotically deprived of natural pollinators due to the destruction of their habitat.
Strongilodon archboldianus is a herbaceous species first described by botanists Elmer Drew Merrill and Lily May Perry.
For one of the most interesting varieties of strongylodon, see the video below:
