The main features of cymbalaria, tips for growing linaria in the garden and indoors, rules for breeding toadflax, difficulties in growing, curious notes, species. Cymbalaria belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family. Plants that are part of the genus as their lands of natural growth can rightfully consider the territories of Southern Europe, namely Greece and Spain. In the genus scientists, there are up to 10 varieties. According to some other information, earlier the cymbalaria was classified as a member of the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family, but in the course of recent genetic studies it was proved that the plant is one of the representatives of the greatly increased Plantaginaceae family.
The scientific name of cymbalaria translates as "similar to plates", as indicated by the shape of the rounded leaf plates. You can also hear how the plant is called "toadflax", "cymbal toadflax" or "linaria".
All cymbalaria have a herbaceous or ampelous form of growth. Their shoots can, wriggling along the soil surface, reach meter indicators. At the same time, encountering cracks in the surface on their way, the branches are fixed in them, rooting with newly formed root processes in order to rush further. In nature, it can grow well on rocks and talus, as it is a ground cover. This is facilitated by rather strong and highly developed underground rhizomes. Although thin shoots are rather long, they do not exceed 2–4 cm in height, although they are distinguished by strong branching. The color of the shoots is purple and pinkish.
On the branches there are densely rounded leaf plates, in some varieties they differ in five small lobes, with a rounded or pointed top - the shape of the foliage is ivy. The leaves are painted in a rich green color; some species have a burgundy edge. There is also a burgundy hue on the reverse side. On the surface, venation is visible, diverging from the base along the lobes. Each leaf is attached to the shoot with a short petiole, the same burgundy color. Even without flowers, cymbalaria is a rather decorative culture.
During flowering, buds are formed, which, opening up, very much resemble ivy budra flowers. Just like this representative of the flora, the flowers are somewhat similar in outline to the snapdragon. The three lower petals, larger and rounded, are directed downward, and a pair of upper, narrow ones - look up. However, budra is distinguished by a pale blue or pale blue color of the petals, while in cymbalaria it is pale, lilac-pinkish, with whitish lips and a speck of yellow. The buds originate in the corners of the leaf plates and are located there one by one.
The plant begins to bloom from the end of May days or from the beginning of June to the end of July, but some varieties can open flowers for much longer. And since the toadflax receives nutrition from the rhizomes located underground and the aboveground part, you can enjoy its flowering without stopping for the second time - from August until the first frost. Flowers attract a large number of pollinators, as they are excellent honey plants. After pollination, fruits ripen in the form of small achenes.
The plant is a rather unpretentious example of the flora of the planet, and even an inexperienced grower can grow it. The growth rate of cymbalaria is quite high and in a short period of time, with its branches, it will cover the entire nearby territory, climbing even into the narrowest and inconspicuous cracks. At the same time, cymbalaria is distinguished by good winter hardiness and does not require shelter for the winter period.
Tips for caring for cymbalaria flowers in the garden and indoors
- Lighting and selection of a place for a plant. Toadflax can live well both in a shady place, in partial shade or in the morning sun. But it is best for a plant in good diffused lighting. When growing, you should choose a place with an eastern or western location. You can plant linaria on the northern side of the alpine hills or low walls, or use it to design phyto-beds of various shapes. Better when the place in the garden has moist and not too fertile soil.
- Content temperature. For cymbalaria, indoor thermometer readings are most suitable, that is, when the temperature does not go beyond 20-24 units. When grown outdoors, the plant also suffers from high heat and begins to wilt - a garden hose spray will be required. But, despite everything, many varieties of toadflax are cold-resistant.
- Air humidity when grown, cymbalaria should be moderate. If the air dryness and thermometer readings grow on summer days, then spraying is used. If the plant is kept as a room culture, then air humidifiers are placed next to it.
- Watering. For cymbalaria, it is recommended that watering is moderate. The soil in a pot or next to a bush in the open field should be constantly slightly moistened. It is impossible that during watering, the water that has drained into the pan under the pot stagnates, as this will lead to rotting of the root system of the linaria or disease with powdery mildew.
- Fertilizers. After the start of vegetative activity, it is recommended to feed cymbalaria every 14 days from mid-spring to September. Complete mineral complexes are used for decorative deciduous plants. Toadflax responds well to the introduction of organic preparations, for example, mullein solution.
- Transplant and soil selection. For cymbalaria growing in containers on a balcony or terrace, it is necessary to transplant every 2-3 years. It is recommended to lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the new container, as in the case of planting in open ground, since the plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture. For linaria, you can use a store-bought universal substrate with an acidity index of pH 6, 1–7, 8. If the substrate is compiled on its own, then its components will be compost, sod soil, river perlite or sand. It is better that the soil mixture is loose and fertile.
- General advice on care. If the summer is hot, then the toadflax needs regular moderate watering and sprinkling - you can spray from a garden hose in the morning. When grown outdoors, the plant can be exposed to freezing, so it can be covered with agrofibre for the winter months. The best partner flowers for her are sedum, veronica, stachis, ivy budra, sedum, or various types of ferns. Often, the plant is dug up and transferred to the cool conditions of a winter garden or greenhouse for the winter. But if the winter is too harsh, then parts of the shoots may freeze, but with the arrival of constant heat, the branches are intensively restored. As an ampelous culture, linaria is grown in hanging pots and pots.
Reproduction of cymbalaria - growing from seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush
To get a new toadflax plant, it is recommended to sow seed, cuttings or dividing the bush.
Seeds should be sown from early summer to September. But often the achenes fall from the bush and contribute to its independent growth. However, in the spring, you can sow seeds in the ground when the average daily temperature reaches 20-22 degrees. The seeds are spread over the surface of the moistened substrate and sprinkled with the same soil. They are very small, somewhat reminiscent of poppy seeds. When sowing, you can use a ruler for deepening. Good lighting is required for successful germination, so if the seeds are sown in pots with peat-sandy soil, then they are placed in a well-lit place. After 14–20 days, you can already see the first shoots, which resemble thin hairs. So that the sprouts do not stretch too much in room conditions, it is possible to carry out supplementary lighting with phytolamps, from sunset until 23 o'clock. Watering is carried out from a finely dispersed spray bottle or with a pipette with warm and soft water.
After the second leaf unfolds on the seedling, the cymbalaria sprouts are dived into separate pots with a diameter of 7–8 cm. After the transplant has been carried out, the optimal temperature indicators are maintained around 14–15 degrees.
When carrying out a toadflax transplant, you can divide an overgrown bush. For this, the plant is removed from the soil. With the help of a sharply sharpened knife, the rhizome is cut into divisions. It is only necessary that the parts are not too small and have a sufficient number of roots and shoots. Then the plants are planted in a flowerbed in a moist substrate.
If reproduction is carried out by cuttings, then in the spring, blanks with a length of at least 10 cm are cut from the tops of the shoots. Then, having processed the sections with a root formation stimulator, it is necessary to plant the cuttings in pots filled with a peat-sand mixture. When the cuttings take root, they can be planted in open ground, pre-moistened. The place should be slightly shaded from direct sunlight.
Difficulties in growing cymbalaria
The main problem in the cultivation of toadflax is the spider mite, which occurs with increased dryness and heat. In this case, the foliage and shoots of the plant begin to be covered with a light translucent cobweb. It will be necessary to spray with an insecticidal preparation, for example, Aktara, Aktellik or the like. To prevent damage by a pest, it is required to ensure that the soil is always moderately moist, especially if the cymbalaria is grown on a balcony or terrace.
If the plant is planted in an area that is too brightly lit, then the foliage may turn blue.
Curious notes about linaria, photo
It should be borne in mind that some varieties of the plant can cause an allergic reaction during flowering, the allergen is pollen.
Since the shoots of cymbalaria easily cling to any provided support, you can use the plant to get any flower bed of the conceived geometric figure. Like boxwood, which grows rather slowly, and its price is high, with the help of toadflax it is possible to carry out a conceived phytodecoration in just one season. For the winter period, the plant does not require transplanting, since what will freeze at this time will easily be filled with shoots and new foliage with the arrival of spring, restoring its intended shape.
For this, the frame of the future "flower-bed-figurine" is constructed and covered with a stack with small cells, or burlap is used, trimming from the covering material (agrofibre). Such a frame is filled with a suitable soil mixture and several cymbalaria are planted around the perimeter of the flower bed. Then you will need frequent watering and after a short time the plant will completely fill the frame of the phyto-flower bed.
Cymbalaria species
Wall cymbalaria, wall cymbalaria (Cymbalaria muralis) is often found under the name Cymbal flax or Linaria cymbalaria. Naturally, the reason for the second part of the species name is the property of the shoots of this representative of the flora to easily climb any wall, even a sheer wall, since the branches can be attached to any ledge on the surface or any vertical support. In height, this plant reaches only five centimeters, although the shoots have a strong branching and can approach the meter in length. Fragile branches are threadlike and can easily entangle even large piles of stones. The color of the branches can be either greenish or burgundy.
The shoots are densely covered with ivy-like foliage, which has five lobes, the top of which can be either rounded or pointed. The color on top is dark green, saturated, and the reverse side of the leaf plate is distinguished by a burgundy or purple tone. During flowering, very small flowers are formed, which do not exceed one centimeter in length (sometimes their sizes vary in the range of 9–12 mm). The color of the petals is pale lilac or whitish. The flowering process will extend over the entire summer period.
The native growing areas are located on the mountain slopes of the southern regions of Europe. It is often found in shady places, but it can also get along in an open sunny space. Due to the high growth rate, it can lead to clogging of the rock garden or rockery. This representative of the flora can "weed" both by seeds and by pieces of shoots that fall to the surface of the soil. It has a long life cycle and is not a winter-hardy variety, however, due to its rather easy reproduction, it can easily restore the frostbitten aboveground part.
Today there is a variety "Alba", which has flowers with petals of a snow-white color. The plant is perfectly combined with any kind of bone.
Pale cymbalaria (Cymbalaria pallida (Ten.) Wettst.) Is also called Pale toadflax or Pale Linaria (Linaria pallida Ten.). The natural habitat of growth falls on the territory of the mountainous regions of Europe, where it prefers to settle in the Apennines at the subalpine level, preferring stony taluses. The plant is a perennial, which varies in height in the range of 5–10 cm and grows to form cushions. The leaf plates have barely noticeable hairs. The length of the leaf does not exceed 25 mm and is distinguished by the presence of 3-5 lobes.
During flowering, the formation of flowers with a blue-violet color takes place. Corolla length is 15-25 cm. The flowering process occurs in the summer months. The variety is recommended to be planted in a sunny open place with a poor substrate, it can be placed in the crevices between the stones of a rock garden or rockery. For the winter period, protection from too much dampness will be required. Reproduction takes place with the help of seeds, which should be sown with the arrival of spring. Seedlings germinate well when the heat is 10-16 degrees. But also in the spring months, reproduction can be applied by dividing an overgrown bush.
Hairy cymbalaria (Cymbalaria pilosa (Jacq.) L. H. Bailey) is found in botanical literature under the name Hairy toadflax or Hairy linaria (Linaria pilosa (Jacq.) DC.). Native lands are also found in the mountainous territories of Europe, where most often the variety can be found along the rocky talus. A perennial plant that does not exceed 5–10 cm in height and can form dense pillow-like curtains. The leaves have barely noticeable hairs. The length of the leaf is 10 mm, the shape is ivy with 7 lobes.
In the process of flowering, flowers are formed along the length of up to 10-12 cm. The color of the petals in them is lilac or snow-white, but there is a yellow-colored sky. The flowering process affects all summer time.
The species should be planted in a sunny place with dry and poor soil, rock garden crevices are recommended. The plant should be protected from dampness during the winter months. It is recommended to propagate with seed, which is sown in late autumn. Shoots are already visible with the arrival of spring in 1–3 months, when the heat indicators will be in the range of 13–16 degrees. In the spring months, reproduction is possible by dividing the bush.
