General description and places of natural growth, agricultural technology for growing lagerstremia, breeding rules for Indian lilacs, diseases and pests, species. Larestremia (Lagerstroemia) is a deciduous tree-like, but most often shrubby plant, classified in the family Lythraceae. The native area of natural growth falls on the territory of China, although it began its distribution around the world from India (as indicated by its middle name) and Southeast Asia. You can meet a bush with beautiful flowers in natural conditions and on the lands of the Australian continent. As a garden culture, you can see lagerstremia in the Mediterranean, and it is also not uncommon on the Black Sea coast in Russia and Ukraine. There are up to 25 varieties in the genus.
Due to the fact that a friend of Karl Linnaeus, Magnus von Lagerstrom, returning from a trip in 1747, decided to leave as a gift to all the governors of port cities on the Mediterranean coast, unusual plants with magnificent inflorescences of brightly colored flowers, the plant received its name in honor of this man … But along with him, the people call it "Indian lilac". Lagerstremia came to Britain only in 1759, and only in 1790 it became known about it in the United States. Despite all the beauty, she received real recognition only in 1924 and 2002 - the plant was awarded awards at garden exhibitions.
Along with its image in the form of a bush or tree, there are varieties that have an ampelous growth form. In nature, the height of this plant can approach the 10 m mark, but when cultivated indoors, it rarely exceeds 1 meter. But to date, more compact varieties have already been bred. The growth rate of lagerstremia is quite high and the plant will require regular molding. The surface of the trunk is smooth, the bark is painted in a silvery-gray shade. The foliage can be up to 20 cm in size.
The leaf plates have short petioles and oval or elongated elliptical outlines. The color of the foliage is dark green, with the arrival of autumn it changes to yellow or red. The first buds can be seen already at the beginning of January. But both indoor and soda varieties begin to bloom most abundantly from July to mid-autumn. The buds from which the flowers will appear are rounded, resembling berries. From the flowers, racemose inflorescences are collected, which can reach 40 cm in length. The petals have a wavy edge, sometimes decorated with a fringe in the form of cilia. There are elongated filaments inside the calyx. The color of the petals in the flower can be any except for blue, yellow and orange colors. Since from the very beginning the flowers can be pink in color, but over time the color will change to white, then in one inflorescence there are a variety of colors.
Agrotechnology for the cultivation of lagerstremia indoors
- Lighting, location selection. To make the Indian lilac feel normal, a place on the balcony or window sill with a southeast or southwest location is suitable for it. The plant is not afraid of a certain amount of sunlight, as this promotes good flowering. If the shading is very strong, then the shoots will grow ugly, and the number of flowers will be very small. On the south-facing window, light shading is needed in the summer afternoon so that there are no burns.
- Content temperature. When growing lagerstremia, the temperature is kept within room temperature - 18-24 degrees. But with the arrival of winter, it is recommended to lower the heat indicators to 10-12 units, since the Indian lilac begins a period of rest. In this case, it is recommended to move the pot with the plant to the insulated balcony, where there is the coolest and most shaded place. Often, most Lagerstremia varieties lose some or all of their foliage during this period. Indian lilac can withstand a short-term drop in temperature to 5 degrees below zero, and when growing in open ground conditions, it also tolerates a 10-degree frost without loss. If you do not observe the cool wintering, then the plant looks very weakened, and the flowering, and if so, is very weak or absent altogether.
- Air humidity when growing Indian lilacs, it should be increased, therefore, it is recommended to regularly spray the foliage in spring, autumn and especially in summer, if lagerstremia is kept in a room with heating devices and room heat indicators in winter, then spraying continues. The water is used warm and soft.
- Watering. The soil in a pot with lagerstremia is moistened abundantly and regularly in the summer, sometimes twice a day, and in the fall and spring only once a day. Both the bay and the drying of the soil are unacceptable; it is simply necessary to keep it always in a moist state. If the substrate dries out too much, the plant will shed leaves, buds and flowers. When the time comes to winter, the watering is reduced and the Indian lilacs are transferred to a cooler place. The foliage during this period acquires a red and yellow tint and partially or completely flies around. When the middle of winter comes, the buds begin to wake up. After that, the pot with the plant should be moved to a more illuminated place and occasionally watered, while it is recommended to keep the lagerstremia in a place with warmer temperatures for up to a day. It is necessary that the water is warm and settled, free from lime suspensions.
- Fertilizers. When the plant begins a period of vegetative activity, then fertilizing is applied at intervals of every 14 days. First, complex preparations are used in a liquid consistency, and then closer to the summer period with fertilizers for flowering plants. You can use Kemiru-Lux.
- Substrate transplantation and extraction. As soon as the root system has mastered all the soil offered to it, then lagerstremia must be transplanted. On average, this procedure is carried out every 2-3 years, since the plant does not tolerate transplants well. The capacity is taken 2–3 cm larger than the previous one, but if the pot is enlarged too much, then the flowering will be poor. The transplant is carried out in the spring or, as a last resort, when the bush is already blooming. The transshipment method is applied. When the specimen becomes too large, only the topsoil changes. At the bottom of the new pot, a drainage layer is laid at least 1/4 of the total volume of the container. The substrate is used for flowering plants with sufficient looseness and permeability of water and air. You can mix the substrate yourself from peat, coarse sand, sod and leafy soil (parts are equal).
- Pruning. Since lagerstremia has a tendency to grow, it is subjected to molding. The pruning operation is carried out in early spring or after the plant has faded. In the spring, the branches should be shortened by 2/3. But by the end of March, so that the branches with flower buds have time to develop, the pruning is stopped. Pinching of shoots is carried out to stimulate further branching. The plant can be grown in bonsai style.
Planting and caring for Indian lilac outdoors
The rules for cultivating lagerstremia in open ground practically do not differ from growing it in rooms.
- Lighting. When growing, you can pick up a place in the bright sun, since this plant is not afraid of direct rays of sunlight, unlike other representatives of the flora. All this is due to the fact that there is constant air circulation on the street and overheating and burns are not afraid of it. The bright sun is the key to lush and abundant flowering.
- The soil when disembarking, it should be nutritious and not very heavy. Chernozem will not please the plant too much, you need to mix sand into it.
- Warm wintering. This condition directly depends on the method of cultivation of lagerstremia. If the Indian lilac grows in a tub, then, as soon as the foliage turns yellow and falls off, the container with the bush is brought into the room, with a temperature of 5-10 degrees for the entire winter period. Occasionally (once a month) it is required to water the plant. At the beginning of April, when the heat indices are at positive levels, the lagerstremia is taken out into the fresh air, where it will begin to awaken and grow.
When Indian lilac grows in the open field, it is recommended to cut the bush for the winter months, carefully spud and cover with spruce paws or sawdust.
Self-breeding rules for lagerstremia
It is possible to get a new Indian lilac plant by sowing seeds or rooting cuttings.
If it is decided to propagate by grafting, then the blanks should be cut from semi-lignified branches in early August. Then the cuttings are planted in containers with a peat-sandy substrate. Slices before planting are recommended to be treated with a rooting stimulator. Rooting takes place after 3 weeks.
When seed propagation, the material must be sown in early spring or in the month of November. Since the seeds are very small, they are planted shallowly, they are only slightly covered with soil. The surface of the soil is sprayed with a spray bottle. The pot is covered with plastic wrap or a piece of glass and placed in a warm place (temperature 12-13 degrees) with diffused lighting. After three weeks, it is clear that the seeds have sprouted and it is recommended to remove the film. When the seedlings grow up, adapt and get stronger, they are dived in separate pots. It happens that such "young growth" begins to bloom in the first summer after sowing.
Diseases and pests when growing Indian lilac
The plant is of particular value, as it is sufficiently resistant to pests. Aphids and spider mites are a problem in the form of harmful insects. When such troubles appear, it is necessary to spray with insecticidal preparations.
However, powdery damage can occur if cultivation is carried out in a room with stagnant air. To combat this problem, it is recommended to carry out treatment with fungicidal preparations, for example, Fundazol or Gamair.
If lagerstremia grows in strong shade, then in this case it has a small flowering, and the shoots are ugly stretched out. Also, if you do not feed on time, then the branches develop very weakened and elongated. The reason for the weak flowering is also the too high temperature in winter and the lack of rest. If the pruning was carried out incorrectly, then there will be no flowering at all.
Things to note about lagerstremia
If we talk about the features of lagerstremia, then it is necessary to mention the wood of some species of this plant, since it is so durable that it is used not only to create furniture and joinery, but also bridges and railway sleepers are made on its basis.
Interestingly, Indian lilacs wake up much later than other plants, and sometimes if the grower is not experienced enough, then it seems to him that the plant has died. And some time passes and when the soil is already warmed up enough, the shrub will come to life again and grow.
Lagerstroemia speciosa (Lagerstroemia speciosa), which the local population of India, the Philippines and southeastern Asia calls "Banaba" or "mystical tree", "divine flower". It has long been used to normalize blood sugar and insulin levels. In addition, the plant can serve to reduce appetite and overall body weight. Since gallic acid is present in the banaba leaf plates, it helps to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, since it helps to break down fats. It also contains corosolic acid, which helps stimulate cells with glucose, which plays an important role in regulating blood sugar and insulin levels.
Types of lagerstremia
Of all the abundance of varieties of Indian lilacs, only a few are the most popular.
- Lagerstroemia indica possesses a shrubby form of growth and is distinguished by a winding smooth trunk, covered with a bark of a light brown or silvery-gray shade, sometimes with spotting. The foliage of the plant falls off during the year. The trunk reaches 5–8 m in height, with a width of about 8 cm. The leaf plates take the form from oval to elliptical. Their sizes vary in the range of 2-7 cm. The color of the foliage on top is light green, and the lower surface is a darker saturated green tone. During flowering, flowers are formed, the petals of which are wavy along the edge and decorated with a fringe of cilia. The diameter at full opening is 2.5 cm. The color of the petals can be either white or pinkish, crimson, lilac or red. Only blue, orange and yellow colors are excluded. From the buds, paniculate inflorescences are collected, which can grow in length up to 20 cm. The flowering process will stretch over the entire summer period. The plant has high adaptive properties, and also takes root in almost any growing conditions. To date, many decorative varieties of this Lagerstremia variety have been bred.
- Lagerstroemia floribunda it can take as a tree-like form or grow as a shrub, while reaching a height of up to 7 m. The trunk is covered with a layered bark of a light cream shade. The shape of the leaf plate is oblong-elliptical, there is a slight sharpening at the top, and at the base it is rounded. The size is large, about 20 cm long. The color is dark green, streaks of light green color stand out on the surface. Young shoots and foliage have dense pubescence. If the temperatures in winter are too high, then the plant can shed all its foliage, although it is deciduous. From bright pink or purple flowers, cone-shaped inflorescences are collected, reaching a length of 40 cm. They are placed on the branches of course. From the very beginning, when the inflorescences are just forming, their appearance is very bright, but over time, the color changes to white. Therefore, in one inflorescence, you can see flowers with petals of different shades (from snow-white to purple). When the fruits ripen, capsules appear with elliptical outlines, inside with multiple seeds.
- Lagerstroemia graceful (Lagerstroemia speciosa). The plant is also called "Banaba". The native habitat is in India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Locals call it a "divine" or "mystical" plant. It is an evergreen tree, quite wide and with fairly free branching. Parameters in height are 10–24 m, with a width of up to 5–10 m. The trunk is covered with peeling bark of a bright brown color. Leaf plates can take oval, oblong-elliptical shapes. The length of the leaf varies between 8–20 cm. The color on the upper side is grayish-green, and the lower side casts the color of washed ink. Inflorescences are formed in the form of open panicles, reaching 40 cm in length. They are made up of flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm. The color of the petals in flowers can be varied: white, pinkish, mauve or purple. The flowering process takes place from spring to early summer. When fruiting, capsules ripen with a length of up to 2.5 cm.
More about growing and breeding lagerstremia in the following video:
