Description of the plant, tips for caring for arctotis when growing it in the open field, rules for breeding bear ear, combating diseases and pests, notes for flower growers, species. Arctotis (Arctotis) belongs to one of the most extensive families, combining plants, in the embryo of which two oppositely placed cotyledons are formed and it is called Asteraceae or Compositae. In this genus, scientists have up to 30 different species, whose territories of natural distribution fall on the lands of South Africa. Arctotis prefers to grow at the foot of the cliffs, where the air is dry and hot, but there is shade from the scorching rays of the sun.
| Family name | Astral or Compositae |
| Life cycle | Annual, biennial and perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous or subshrub |
| Reproduction | Seed |
| Landing period in open ground | Seedlings are planted in late May or early June |
| Disembarkation scheme | 25-40 cm apart |
| Substrate | Any except clay |
| Illumination | Open area with bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture stagnation is harmful, watering is moderate, drainage is recommended |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.2-0.7 m |
| Color of flowers | Snow white, red, pink, orange, purple |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Basket |
| Flowering time | June to November |
| Decorative time | Summer-autumn |
| Place of application | Borders, rock garden, rockeries, ridges, borders, mixborders, flower beds, used for cutting |
| USDA zone | 4, 5, 6 |
This representative of the flora received its name in Latin due to the structure of the leaf plates, since they somewhat resembled the auricle of a bear. So by combining two words in Greek "arktos" and "otos", which have a literal translation "bear" and "ear", respectively, received "bear ear".
All arctotis can grow as annuals or perennials, but there are species with a two-year life cycle. Plants have a herbaceous or semi-shrub form and can grow into small clumps (group plantings from the same representative). Thanks to its thick root, which takes on a rod-like shape, the bear's ear is able to extract moisture in such difficult natural conditions from great depths, located in poor rocky ground.
The stems are erect and can vary in height in the range of 20–70 cm. They have excellent branching. The entire surface of the stems is covered with thin short hairs of a silvery-whitish color. The same pubescence is present on foliage, it helps to protect parts of the flower from direct sunlight. The leaf plates are opposite, but they can grow in the next sequence. The color of both leaves and shoots is grayish-green. Due to the fact that the edge of the leaf is slightly wavy, there is an impression of a whitish border on the plate.
In the process of flowering, the formation of inflorescences occurs, which are baskets crowning elongated flowering stems. The central part of the flower disk in the inflorescence is composed of tubular small flowers, painted in grayish-violet, blue, purple or brown. The ligulate marginal flowers are striking in the variety of their color variations. There are arctotis flowers with snow-white, red, pink, orange and even purple petals. In some species, the diameter of flowers can approach 10-15 cm (especially in hybrid forms). The surface of the petals has such a structure that it seems satin to the touch.
In their outlines, the flowers of the bear's ear are somewhat similar to gerberas, but the main difference is that the latter never close, and Arctotis closes its inflorescences with the arrival of evening hours or in cloudy weather. The flowering process is quite long, it stretches from early summer to November.
After pollination, fruits ripen, which take the form of achenes filled with multiple seeds. Their number can vary in the range of 450-500 pieces, and they can be used for reproduction even after collecting for 2 years. The seeds contain volatile elements that allow them to be carried by the wind far from the mother plant.
Usually, a bear's ear is planted in flower beds, in rock gardens or rockeries; you can use these colors to decorate borders and mixborders.
Tips for growing arctotis outdoors, planting and care
- Drop off location. Since in nature Arctotis grows in places with fairly bright lighting, then here you can also choose an open place, illuminated by the sun all day. Recommended for growing outdoors in the southern, but, in extreme cases, eastern or western location. On the north side, growth will be inhibited, and flowering will be poor or not at all. It is important to ensure that there is no stagnation of moisture from rain or too close to groundwater at the selected location.
- How and when to plant arctotis. Since the plant is thermophilic, it will have to wait for the time when return frosts pass, that is, the period from late May to early June. They try to maintain the distance between seedlings in the range of 25–40 cm. If the plants were not transplanted into separate peat pots, then it is recommended not to destroy the earthen ball at the root system. To do this, you can use a spoon to remove the seedlings from the substrate. After planting in open ground, young bear ear seedlings must be thoroughly watered.
- The choice of soil for planting arctotis. Usually, the plant does not impose special requirements on the soil, but the only exception is the clay substrate, since in such a heavy soil, when it is waterlogged, rotting of the root system is possible. It is better to dilute ordinary garden soil with river sand for friability. You can add leafy humus to it for nutrition. Bear ear reacts poorly to wet soil or with high acidity.
- Watering - this is an aspect that should not be paid much attention to when growing such African exotic plants, since in natural conditions, due to its rod-shaped roots, arctotis is able to extract water even during severe drought from the soil. And even if there is no rain for a long time in summer, and it is hot, the flowers will still have a fresh look. But weeds at the same time become a real scourge in the care of Arctotis, therefore it is recommended after watering, if any, to inspect the planting, loosen the soil and remove weeds.
- Fertilizers for arctotis. Top dressing must be applied before the activation of growth begins. Complete mineral preparations are used, but it is important to remember that organic remedies will harm the bear's ear.
- General advice on care. Florists who have been cultivating Arctotis for a long time recommend immediately removing it after the inflorescence withers, if it is not planned to collect seeds after flowering. This will help the plant to avoid wasting nutrients that will go to live flowers, which will prolong the flowering process. If the variety is tall, then when planting, it is necessary to provide support to the stems, since, being in an open area, they can suffer from gusts of wind.
- Bear ear wintering advice. If you live in the middle lane, where winters are harsh and snowy, then such weather conditions will be disastrous for the arctotis. Therefore, it is customary for us to grow it in the open field as an annual crop. If you want to preserve the bush, then after flowering it is dug up and transplanted into a pot, then transferred to the room. But due to the extremely fragile root system, plants can die. In the case when this operation was successful, then the rules of winter care are as follows: a good level of lighting and infrequent watering, only after the soil dries up from above.
Reproduction of arctotis
Usually, a bear's ear is propagated using seeds, sowing them directly into the ground or growing seedlings.
Since the seed material does not lose its germination properties for a long time, it is harvested independently or purchased in flower shops. When self-harvested, the seeds reach full maturity within 14 days from the beginning of flowering. Arctotis seeds are small in size, so it is important to monitor the maturation of the achenes so as not to miss the harvest time.
When growing from seedlings, it is recommended to sow them in early spring. A peat-sand earth mixture is poured into the seedling box, which can be previously processed with potassium permanganate. This will protect young arctotis from possible pathogens and infectious diseases.
Seeds are scattered evenly on the surface of the prepared soil. Then the container with crops should be covered with plastic transparent film or glass should be placed on top. This will create conditions for a mini-greenhouse with high humidity. The germination temperature is maintained within 22-24 degrees. After a couple of weeks, you can see the first sprouts of the bear's ear.
When most of the seedlings hatch, the shelter is removed, accustoming young seedlings to indoor conditions. It is recommended to moisten the soil using the "bottom irrigation" method, when water is poured into a tray placed under the seedling box. Spraying is not recommended, as this may disrupt the course of vegetative growth. After the seedlings of arctotis still grow and get stronger, they will have to be thinned out.
When a pair of real leaves unfold in young plants, it is necessary to transplant in separate pots. It is advisable to take made of peat, so that later, when planting in open ground, does not injure the roots or use peat tablets. You can place 2-3 seedlings in one container. When planting, you should be extremely careful, since the root system of the bear's ear is very delicate and fragile.
When the seedlings reach a height of 10 cm, you can pinch the tops to stimulate branching. When the morning frost has passed, then you can engage in planting in open ground. In this case, the distance between them should be no more than 40 cm.
If you live in a warm climate, you can plant the seed directly into the soil. Sowing begins in April days or early May. It is recommended to place several seeds (3-5 units) in each well. In this case, the distance between the pits is maintained about 20-30 cm. After the sprouts appear (usually after 7-12 days) and they grow a little (up to about 3 cm), thinning is performed so that the plants do not thicken each other and grow healthier. The bushes of the bear's ear obtained in this way will begin to bloom only after 2, 5 months from the moment of sowing.
Fight against possible diseases and pests of Arctotis
When growing arctotis in the garden, the problem is the defeat of aphids and meadow bugs. If symptoms of the 1st pest are identified, then treatment with insecticidal preparations is recommended, and spraying with a mustard solution is necessary for bedbugs - 100 grams of mustard dissolve in a 10 liter bucket of water.
If the plant was planted in heavy soil or it was a very rainy summer, then a disease with various rot is possible. The same problem will manifest itself with excessive moisture or high doses of fertilizers. Sometimes, simply regulating the irrigation regime helps. But since the root system is characterized by increased fragility, the plant can rarely be saved and it is recommended to dig up and burn diseased bushes so as not to spread the infection to other plantings.
Too much moisture can cause Arctotis to suffer from mottling that affects foliage. For control, spraying with fungicides (for example, Bordeaux liquid) is used.
Notes for florists and photos of arctotis
Arctotis has long been known to mankind and has been cultivated for over a century. There is information that the seeds of the bear's ear do not lose their germination for two years. The same property is possessed by the seed material of asters (they are sometimes called callitsrefus), marigolds and calendula, and chrysanthemums with a one-year life cycle, ageratums and perennial nyvnyak are distinguished by their germination capacity, which does not lose its strength up to 3-4 years.
Arctotis species
Arctotis hybrida (Arctotis Hybrida) is, in all likelihood, the most popular type of bear ear, as its inflorescences can open up to 10-15 cm in diameter. Numerous variations in flower color are also attracted. The most famous varieties are:
- Harlequin Mixed and Large-Flowered Hybrids, stems in height can reach 30–45 cm, inflorescences have marginal petals in a reddish-orange range.
- Wine, whose flowers have a dark pink tint.
Hybrid variations with a semi-double flower structure have also been bred:
- Arctotis grandis (Arctotis grandis) differs in inflorescences with a color in silvery-whitish tones. At the same time, the reverse side of the petals is with a delicate bluish color scheme.
- Arctotis beautiful (Arctotis speciosa) a plant with a small bush, the stems of which reach up to 30 cm in height. The color of the inflorescences is a rich yellowish-orange tone.
- Arctotis auriculata (Arctotis Auriculata) in height does not exceed 45 cm, while its inflorescences are taken as bright yellow reed flowers.
- Arctotis stoechadifolia Berg. A species with stems almost 70 cm high, but occasionally they reach a meter. The foliage is large, with superficial pubescence. The flowering stems are distinguished by elongated outlines and are crowned with single flowers. The inflorescences have a faint aroma, the diameter in the opening is 8 cm. The color of the tubular flowers of a shiny steel blue or grayish-violet color scheme, the petals of the marginal flowers are snow-white pearl or are milky white with a yellowish tinge. The flowering process is very long. There is a garden form, which, as a difference, has more elongated leaf plates and enlarged sizes of inflorescences. Botanists consider this plant a variety - Arctotis grandis (Arctotis grandis).
- Arctotis short-stemmed (Arctotis Breviscapa). A species with a miniature size, not exceeding 15 cm, but the stems practically do not exist, since the foliage gathers in basal rosettes, while forming bushes of compact outlines. During flowering, decorative inflorescences open, the marginal flowers in which have a yellow or orange-yellow color scheme, while there is a darker strip at the base. The tubular flowers are dark.
- Arctotis stemless (Arctotis acaulis. L. x Arctotis scapigera Thunb.). Leaves are 15–20 cm long. Basal rosettes are collected from them. The leaf shape is pinnately dissected. The color is green on the upper side, whitish-gray on the back. The ligulate flowers in the inflorescence are yellow, orange or reddish, with a crimson lining. The shade of tubular flowers is dark red, but sometimes burgundy and so dark that it seems black. The diameter of the flower is 5 cm, the flowering stem reaches 20 cm.
- Arctotis rough (Arctotis Aspera). Stems with a height of 40-50 cm, occasionally reaching almost 1 m. The size of the inflorescences is average, the tubular flowers are dark brown, and the marginal flowers are white or yellowish, with a strip of contrasting color at the base.
