Characteristic differences of the plant, recommendations for home cultivation of hoisia, breeding rules for choisia, difficulties arising from care, facts to note, types. Choisia (Choisya) is often referred to in many literary sources on botany as Choisia (following transliteration from Latin). The plant is an evergreen shrub that belongs to the Rutaceae family. Its native habitat is in the southern regions of North America, ranging from Arizona, New Mexico and the Texas lands south to Mexico itself.
The plant bears its scientific name in honor of the Swiss botanist Jacques Denis Choisy (1799-1859), who was a specialist in the field of mycology and seed flora. It is curious that in the Mexican territories and in America the Hoisia is called the “Mexican orange” or “mock orange”. All these names are explained by the general appearance of the flowers of the bush, as well as a similar pleasant aroma.
Choisia in height can reach 1–3 meters with its branches. When cultivated in room conditions, the plant can grow to a maximum of one and a half meters. When the branches are young, they are covered with a green bark, but over time they become lignified and the coating acquires a brownish tone. On the shoots, leaf plates are very densely arranged in opposite order. The foliage form is complex, finger-like, consisting of leaflets, the number of which varies from 3 to 13 units. Their surface is leathery, glossy. The length of each leaf lobe is 3–8 cm, with a width of about 0.5–3.5 cm. The number of leaves directly depends on the type of plant, so the trifoliate choisia has three rather wide lobes, and in the Choisya dumosa leaf plate the number of such leaflets reaches and 13 pieces, but their width is very small. The leaves are painted in a rich dark green color scheme.
Hoisia flowers are her pride; a large number of them are formed on the bush. With their snow-white color, they effectively stand out against the background of emerald foliage. The shape of the flowers resembles an asterisk, while the diameter can vary from 3 to 5 cm. The corolla usually has 4-7 petals. Inside the flower, there are 8-15 yellow stamens and a green stigma. The flowering process occurs in late spring and summer. Umbrella-shaped inflorescences are collected from the flowers.
Flowers have a strong aroma, through which the plant attracts all kinds of pollinators, as a rule, these are honey bees, since a large amount of nectar is released during flowering. After pollination, the fruit ripens, which in the Choisia is represented by a box with a leathery surface. This fruit is divided into 2-6 compartments.
Hoizia is intended for growing by flower growers who have extensive experience in growing indoor crops, since a beginner can accidentally violate the rules of care and destroy the bush. The growth rate of the plant is high from the very beginning, but over time, an adult specimen gives an annual growth of branches of only a few centimeters. But if you follow all the requirements below, Choisya will be able to delight the owner for 10-20 years.
Recommendations for growing choisia at home
- Lighting and location selection. The plant is light-requiring. The window sill of the east or west window is suitable, on the south one needs shading from direct UV streams. When the light level is low, flowering does not occur.
- Content temperature. When caring for a choisia, it is necessary that in spring and summer the heat indicators are room temperature (within 20-24 degrees), if the thermometer column grows, then daily spraying is performed. With the arrival of autumn, it is recommended to gradually reduce heat indicators, bringing them to 5-15 degrees. There is information that the plant can withstand minus marks of the thermometer for a short time.
- Air humidity when growing choisia, it can be within 50%, but it is known that the bush can also tolerate dry indoor air. But this should not be abused, as Choisya can be attacked by pests. When the air temperature rises in summer, spraying the deciduous mass with warm and soft water is recommended. The same procedures are simply necessary in the winter months if the plant is in rooms where heating devices work. If used for spraying hard water, after drying, whitish stains will begin to remain on the foliage.
- Watering the choisie. With the arrival of the spring-summer period, it is recommended to moisten the soil in the pot once or twice a week. In this case, the best reference point is the state of the topsoil, when it dries up a little, then it is necessary to water the "Mexican orange". When the water drains into the pot holder, it is recommended to remove it after 10-15 minutes so as not to overmoisten the substrate. If this rule is violated, then the root system will begin to rot. But complete drying of the earth will lead to the fall of leaves and buds. The best water for irrigation will be soft and warm (temperature 20-24 degrees). You can use bottled or distilled water. Some flower growers recommend collecting it from the river for watering or collecting rainwater, but when there is no confidence in the purity of the liquid, it is better to soften the water yourself by filtering, boiling and settling.
- Fertilizers for the "Mexican orange" are applied during the period of its activation. The frequency of feeding should be once every 14 days. Complete mineral complexes are used. But the plant reacts very well to organic agents, they can be a mullein solution. Usually, alternation of mineral preparations and organics is carried out. It is better to choose purchased fertilizers in liquid form, then they can be dissolved in water for irrigation.
- Transplanting "Mexican orange" and choosing the soil. To make the plant feel comfortable, at a young age, it is transplanted annually with the arrival of spring. After a 3-year period, the pot is changed every 2-3 years. It is forbidden to deepen the root collar. The new container should be only 4–5 cm larger than the old one. In the bottom, holes are needed to drain water from irrigation. Before laying the soil, a drainage layer is placed in the pot. The substrate for the choisia should be fertile and permeable to water and air with an acidity of pH 5, 5–6, 5. They compose the soil from leafy soil, humus and coarse sand or mix sod, river sand (perlite), peat or humus, leafy soil in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1. It is recommended to add small pieces of charcoal to such compositions.
- General rules for care. After the plant blooms, it is recommended to prune the branches, and it is also necessary to remove old leaves that have dried or damaged. If there is a need to obtain blanks for cuttings and fruits, then such an operation is postponed for a month. During this period, a sufficient number of branches with semi-lignified bark are formed at the ends of the shoots, which can then be cut into cuttings.
During the summer, the Choisya pot can be taken out into the fresh air, finding a place with shade from the direct rays of the sun.
Choisia breeding rules
Mexican Orange can be easily propagated by rooting cuttings or sowing seed.
For cuttings, cut blanks from the tops of the shoots are used. Their length should be at least 8–12 cm. The time for disembarkation can be at the end of winter (February) or at the end of summer (August). It is recommended to remove the lower pair of leaves, and the cut must be treated with a root formation stimulator (Kornevin or heteroauxinic acid will do). Cuttings are planted in containers filled with peat-sand or peat-perlite substrate. After planting, the pot with blanks is placed in a warm place (with a temperature of 20-22 degrees) and diffused lighting. The cuttings must be covered with a plastic transparent bag or placed under a glass jar, you can use a plastic bottle in which the bottom is cut off.
When caring for cuttings, it is recommended to remove the cover daily for 10-15 minutes, and if the soil begins to dry out, then moisten it with warm and soft water. When young choisies take root (usually a couple of weeks pass), then they must be transplanted into separate pots with a diameter of 7 cm. The place in which the pots are placed should be shaded from direct sunlight. Then, when the Choisya root system has mastered all the soil offered to it, transplanting will need to be carried out using the transshipment method. Plants grown in this way begin to bloom in the second year.
During seed propagation, the material is planted immediately in separate pots filled with a mixture of moistened peat and sand. The planting depth of the seed should be approximately 1–2 times the diameter of the seed itself. Then the container is covered with a piece of glass or transparent plastic wrap. They try not to lower the temperature that is maintained during germination lower than 25 degrees. When caring for choisia crops, it is recommended to air and regularly moisten the soil from a finely dispersed spray bottle with warm, well-settled water.
Seedlings of "Mexican orange" sprout unevenly and when they are clearly visible, the container with the plants is transferred to a brighter place, shading from direct sunlight. When the height of the seedlings reaches five centimeters, the shelter can be removed. After the hoisia grow up to 12 cm, then transplantation is performed in separate pots with more fertile soil.
Difficulties, diseases and pests that arise when growing Choisia at home
If the owner of the plant often violates the rules of maintenance, then, as a result, the hoisia weaken, and it can be easily affected by pests. The main problem with reducing the humidity in the room is the spider mite. This insect feeds on cell sap, sucking it out of the leaf plate, which it pierces. After that, some of the damaged cells begin to break down, and the area required for the process of photosynthesis decreases sharply and its intensity decreases. When a spider mite is affected, a vivid symptom is the formation of whitish specks and a thin cobweb enveloping parts of the plant on the reverse side of the leaf plates (sometimes on top). If the damage has reached the maximum phase, then the foliage becomes white from numerous injuries, the entire choisia is covered with a whitish cobweb, and at the same time, pests collected in a large mass are already clearly visible at the ends of leaves and branches.
To combat this harmful insect, it is first recommended to wash the bush under a shower with room temperature water, and then wipe all parts (leaves and shoots) with soap, oil or alcohol solution. Sometimes a tincture of tobacco, onion peel or garlic gruel is used. After that, an insecticide treatment is required.
You can also list the following problems when growing "Mexican orange" indoors:
- The defeat of root rot occurs due to improperly selected soil - it is too heavy. It is recommended to immediately carry out a transplant, in which all affected root processes are first removed and treated with a fungicide. The new pot and soil must be disinfected.
- The leaf plates turn yellow if the plant lacks magnesium and iron in fertilizers.
- With insufficient lighting and the amount of nutrients, the foliage acquires a light green color, new branches are strongly elongated.
- When the soil is flooded or it dries too much, the leaf plates and buds begin to fly around.
If the leaves of the choisia at the very bottom of the bush turn yellow and fall off, then this is a natural aging process, the owner should not worry.
Facts to note about hoisia, flower photo
Curiously, a large amount of the alkaloid quinoline was found in the leaf blades of the Choisya ternata variety. This substance has been isolated in 14 families of representatives of the flora, and it is also present in some microorganisms and fauna samples. In addition to rutaceae, which includes choisia, this quinoline was found in plants of the families Rubiaceae, Zygophyliaceae, and Compositae. The quinoline alkaloid has a wide range of physiological activities and can have a calming effect on the central nervous system.
A dry extract is also obtained from the plant containing the alkaloid tetrantranin, which is a volatile anthranilate. In studies carried out on laboratory mice, the substance has been proven to act as a pain reliever.
Types of Choisie
Choisia ternata (Choisya ternata). When grown indoors, this variety is the most popular. It is this plant that is called "Mexican orange". The height of the shrub does not exceed 3 meters. The leaf plate consists of three leaflets, which gave the specific name. Often, the flowering process, which usually occurs in May-June, can be repeated in the fall. The plant tolerates dry periods quite easily and prefers to grow on a well-drained substrate.
This species has the following most famous varieties:
- Choisya. ternata "Lich", which is sold under the species name "Sundance" and has a golden leaf tint;
- Choisya "Aztec Pearl" (C. arizonica x C. ternate) is an interspecific hybrid plant.
These two varieties have even been honored with the AGM Prize, which is awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society to those horticultural flora that are cultivated outdoors or in greenhouses.
Choisya dumosa (Choisya dumosa) is also one of the most common species in the United States, although its distribution is more limited - southeast Arizona, south of New Mexico and west to Texas. Most often, the plant can be found in Mexico.
The flowers resemble a real orange in shape and smell. The flower is composed of five (less often four) sepals of pinkish color and the same number of snow-white petals, which exceed the sepals by 1–1.5 cm. At the base there are clawed petals. The ring of stamens is directed upwards and is located in the center of the flower. They have wide white filaments and bright yellow anthers. From the flowers, small clustered inflorescences are connected, located in the upper part of the shoots. They are attached to the branch through flowering stems 4–7 cm long. The foliage is dark green, leathery, usually the leaf plate is divided up to 13 narrow leaf lobes.
The surface of the leaflets in the middle has irregularities and a grooved surface due to small glands. The stems are freely branching. Usually the bush is round in shape. Those plants that grow in the territory of Arizona are often considered a separate species - Choisya arizonica.
Schuasia neglecta (Choisya neglecta) was first described in 1888 by the botanist Gray, then in 1923 by Stanley, and already in 1940 it was studied by Müller. The plant from Choisya ternata differs in smaller sizes of leaf lobes and inflorescences. In addition to the presented species, the genus includes the following little-known species: Choisya katherinae C. H. Mull and Choisya palmeri.
