Characteristics of the small-petaled plant, tips for planting and growing erigeron, breeding rules, possible difficulties in care, areas of application, species and varieties.
Small petals (Erigeron) can be found in botanical sources under the name corresponding to transliteration - Erigeron. The plant is part of the Astraceae or Compositae families. This genus combines approximately four hundred varieties. At the same time, about 180 of them revered the North American territories as their native habitat, but today the cultivation zones can fall on different parts of the globe. Many of them are usually used as ornamental crops.
| Family name | Astral or Compositae |
| Growth duration | Perennial, but there are two-year and one-year |
| Growth form | Herbaceous |
| Breeding methods | Seed and vegetative (dividing the bush or grafting) |
| Open ground planting time | The beginning of summer, when return frosts completely recede |
| Landing rules | Seedlings are planted at a distance of 20-30 cm |
| Priming | Light, drained medium nutrient |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5-7 - normal or alkaline - from 7 and above |
| Lighting degree | Penumbra or open well-lit location |
| Humidity parameters | Regular and abundant watering |
| Special care rules | Afraid of waterlogging |
| Height values | May vary from 5 to 70 cm |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Single baskets, sometimes gathering in panicle or corymbose inflorescences |
| Flower color | The central ones are bright yellow, the marginal ones can have a wide variety of shades of purple, red and crimson, there are specimens with pink, snow-white and cream colors |
| Flowering period | June August |
| Decorative time | Summer |
| Application in landscape design | Flower beds, flower beds, mixborders, as a medicinal crop, cut |
| USDA zone | 5–8 |
The plant got its name in Latin due to the fusion of two words in Greek - "eri" and "geron", which translates as "early" and "old man", respectively. This is because achenes have the property of a very high ripening rate and they are decorated with a gray tuft. Well, the name in Russian was given to this representative of the flora because of the very small size of the petals in the flower. In some areas, because of the love to grow on sea coastal lands, the plant is called "coastal aster".
Representatives of the genus can have both a long-term life cycle, as well as species growing in the form of an annual or a biennial. Small petals are characterized by a herbaceous form of growth and a branched rhizome. But you can also find dwarf shrubs that resemble perennial asters. Erigeron shoots are not well branched, they are simple, their surface is rough. The stems grow straight or can lie to the soil. The height of the stems directly depends on the variety. There are those whose shoots do not exceed 5 cm in height, and there are varieties approaching the 70 cm mark.
Rosettes are collected from the leaves of the small petals, concentrated in the root zone. The outlines of the leaf plates are elongated-oblong. The length of the leaf is approximately 20 cm. The foliage can be whole or with a shallow dissection into the lobes. Leaves are painted in a rich herbaceous shade.
It is curious that during flowering of erigeron, both single baskets can form, and corymbose or panicle inflorescences are collected from them. The structure of such a basket includes ligulate flowers located along the edge, and the central part in the form of a disk, represented by tubular flowers. Regional flowers have 1–3 rows. The middle, tubular ones usually have a bright yellow color, and the marginal ones can have a wide variety of shades of purple, red and crimson, there are specimens with pink, snow-white and cream colors. The flowering process also depends on the species, mainly the buds begin to open with the arrival of summer days and the duration of the process is 30-40 days.
The already mentioned achene acts as the fruit of the small-petal, the surface of which can be either pubescent or bare. There is a gray crest, characterized by a two-row arrangement of hairs.
The plant is quite unpretentious and is capable of decorating any flower garden with its appearance, if you make very little effort to cultivate it.
Tips for planting and caring for small petals in the garden
- Landing place try to pick this plant open and sunny, as this will affect the brightness, splendor and duration of flowering. But it is permissible to place the bushes of coastal asters in light shade. It is desirable that the groundwater be farther away, otherwise it is recommended to provide drainage during planting or form high beds.
- Small petal soil it is recommended to take in moderation nutritious and rich in trace elements. However, as practice shows, the plant can take root in poor and problematic soil. Often used and slightly alkaline, with a pH of 7 or more. The best choice, of course, is a substrate with normal acidity (pH 6, 5-7). It is important that the soil is light while still providing good drainage properties. Better sandy loam or loamy soil, but not heavy and waterlogged, since waterlogging is harmful and will entail fungal diseases.
- Planting small petals it is recommended for outdoor use at the very beginning of summer, since although the coastal aster is famous for its frost resistance, young seedlings (seedlings) will not yet cope with the probable return frosts. The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method so that the earthen lump is not damaged, while the root system will not be injured. The distance between plants of erigeron should not be less than 25 cm, but it is better to leave 30–35 cm as well.
- Watering. Since the coastal aster will bloom better if the soil is sufficiently moistened, the small petals are irrigated systematically and in moderation. After each watering, a mandatory loosening of the soil is carried out so that its surface is not taken by a crust.
- Fertilizers for Eringeron should also be applied regularly. So, if you feed during the budding period with a full mineral complex, for example, Kemira-Univaersal or Fertika, then this will positively affect both the splendor of the flowering process and its duration.
- General advice on care. To prolong flowering, it is recommended to periodically cut off wilting inflorescences and carry out weed control. When the vegetation activity comes to an end in the autumn, it is necessary to cut off the entire aerial part of the small petals. If the cultivation takes place in a region characterized by a frosty winter period, then it is better to sprinkle the bushes with dry fallen leaves. It is recommended to rejuvenate the bushes every 3-4 years, since by this time they can grow and lose their decorative effect. Usually this process is combined with reproduction by division. Since some varieties have rather tall shoots, they begin to bend under the weight of their inflorescences, therefore, a garter should be provided to the pegs driven in next to the bush.
- The use of small petals in landscape design. Such plantings will look best in flower beds, where their group placement is provided. It is recommended to decorate mixborders and ridges, rocky hills and rockeries with such bushes. It has also been noticed that cut inflorescences can remain fresh for quite a long time in a bouquet placed in water. Tall coastal aster species look great with gazebos and terraces and in the background of flower beds. If the inflorescences of the small petal are dried, then they will become an adornment of any winter bouquet.
The best combination with erigeron is plantings with chamomiles, which have flowers of a pale pink, lilac or lilac shade, basket inflorescences of elecampane of bright yellow color will act as a good shade. For decorative purposes, it is possible to plant Heucheras and Veronica, geraniums and Liatrixes nearby. For low-growing varieties, daisies can act as neighbors.
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Erigeron breeding rules
In order to get a plant with beautiful basket flowers, it is recommended to sow seeds, rooting cuttings or dividing the bush.
Reproduction of small petals by means of seeds
At the same time, you can sow seed material, both directly on the prepared bed in the garden, and grow seedlings. The latter method is more preferable, since most of the varieties are characterized by reduced germination. If the sowing is immediately prepared in the open field, then the operation can be carried out in March-April or in November (before winter). For seedling propagation, seeds are placed in containers filled with a substrate based on sand and peat in March so that young plants of coastal asters can grow strong enough for transplantation into open ground. In the seedling box, the seeds must be evenly distributed over the surface of the soil mixture, and then slightly pressed into the ground. The container with crops is placed in a room with a cool temperature (within 10-12 degrees). Such a place can be a window sill in a room without heating or a loggia. But in any case, for germination, you need good lighting and cover the container with plastic transparent film or glass. It is only important to provide shading from the direct rays of the sun at noon, since the scorching rays can simply burn the young green petals of the seedlings.
The first shoots of small petals can be seen a month after sowing. When the plant grows stronger, then at the beginning of summer they can be dived and transplanted to a dedicated and prepared place in the garden. The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method so that the earthen lump is not destroyed, which will ensure the integrity of the root system. It is this method that will ensure successful engraftment. It is recommended to maintain the distance between the seedlings about 25 cm during transplanting. After transplanting, regular but moderate watering is recommended for erigeron until it is completely rooted.
If sowing seed is planned directly on the garden bed, then this operation is performed in November or March. Then it is recommended to dig up the area selected for sowing and break the earthen breasts with a rake. Then the beds are formed, into which the seeds are sown. Before placing the seed in the ground, the grooves are soaked with warm water. The seeds are then sprinkled with soil mixture only a little. After the sowing has been carried out, you can mulch the substrate, even a simple dry soil will do for this. However, due to the fact that the germination of seeds is low, the flowering of such plants can be expected only after a couple of years from the moment of sowing.
Reproduction of small petals by cuttings
For harvesting, young shoots are used, which have the so-called "heel", that is, when the stem comes off with a small part (piece) from the rhizome. The cuttings are carefully separated from the erigeron bush in the spring and planted in the prepared soil mixture. After planting around the soil next to the cutting, it is sprinkled with sand, mixed with shavings and watering is carried out. As soon as the stalk acquires root processes and leaves begin to unfold on it, then such a seedling can already be transplanted to a permanent place in the flower bed.
Also, for better rooting, the cuttings are planted in a mini-greenhouse, that is, after planting the workpiece, a plastic bottle is placed on top of which the bottom is cut off or the seedlings are simply wrapped in transparent plastic wrap. To ensure ventilation, the cap is slightly unscrewed (or removed) from the neck of the bottle, and holes are made in the plastic wrap.
Reproduction of small petals by dividing the bush
To carry out such an operation, the bushes of coastal asters are suitable, the age of which has reached 3-4 years. When the vegetative process begins (Moor-April) or in August, the bush is dug in a circle and with the help of garden forks is removed from the soil, the remaining soil is shaken off from the root system and, using a sharpened knife, the root system is divided into parts. Then the erigeron cut is instilled into the prepared place. They try to maintain the distance between the divisions less than 30 cm.
Possible difficulties in caring for small petals
You can delight flower growers by the fact that the coastal aster does not suffer from attacks from harmful insects, but this cannot be said about diseases. If the temperature in the spring-summer period has dropped significantly and the weather is damp for a long time, then the plant can be affected by rot of fungal origin. They can be:
- Rust, when dark brown spots are formed on the leaf plates.
- Powdery mildew, in which the foliage is covered with a cobweb-like whitish bloom, reminiscent of a lime solution.
If the disease is noticed at the initial stage, then all the affected parts of the small petals are removed, and then the bushes are treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid or another fungicidal preparation. As the latter, you can take Fundazol. Re-processing will be required after 10 days. Some gardeners recommend sprinkling coastal aster bushes with ash, but if the damage is very severe, then the entire aboveground part is cut off and burned.
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Scopes of small petal flower
Since the 18th century, folk medicine men knew about the medicinal properties of small petals. This is because the plant is full of active substances such as flavonoids and tannins. Also, the aerial part is characterized by the presence of essential oil, striking in its uniqueness, and tannins are also present here. Thanks to this set of substances, coastal aster can be used as an anti-inflammatory and astringent agent that can stop bleeding. Also, infusions on the herb of this plant are able to neutralize the uric acid accumulated in the body.
Due to their properties, medicines based on small petals are recommended for the treatment of rheumatism. They help to eliminate joint pain that occurs with this disease. If the patient suffered from diarrhea, then the doctors prescribed him infusions or decoctions based on erigeron, they can also eliminate uterine bleeding or regulate heavy menstruation. It is also possible to treat bleeding, both nasal and caused by diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. If bleeding is accompanied by hemorrhoids, then similar drugs based on small petals will also come in handy. Already in those distant times, folk physicians used erigeron to fix the intestines in case of diarrhea.
Usually, both aqueous and alcoholic tinctures are prepared on the basis of green mass. But official medicine also appreciated the plant according to its merits, and today in the network of pharmacies you can find such a tincture as "Erigeron canadensis". This preparation is similar to manufacture at specialized pharmacological plants and is based on the collected and fresh flowering shoots of the coastal aster. Doctors prescribe this remedy for bleeding in gynecology or nephrology.
Description of species and varieties of small petals
Blue-gray petal (Erigeron glaucus)
also found under the name Coastal aster … The native area of distribution falls on the western lands of the United States, where (from the synonym name) it is clear that it prefers to grow on the sea coast. Herbaceous perennial, which does not exceed 20–40 cm in height. Stems can grow both erect and spreading. The outlines of the shoots are powerful, branching is present in the upper part, while rather dense and wide bushes are formed through them. Without exception, all parts are characterized by green or bluish color and meatiness.
The length of the leaves is 15 cm. A root rosette is assembled from their part. The outlines of the leaf blades can vary from broadly spatulate to obovate, with a rounding at the apex. Leaves in the root zone are entire, while there is a gradual narrowing into a winged petiole of considerable width. There are not many leaves on the stem, they are whole, small in size, they are devoid of petioles. The surface of the foliage is glabrous, glossy, bluish-green in color.
During flowering, basket inflorescences open, the diameter of which does not exceed 30 cm. Baskets can grow both singly and gather in corymbose inflorescences, in which there are up to 15 of them. There are many reed flowers, their outlines are linear, more or less wide. The marginal flowers are painted in colors ranging from crimson violet to pale lilac. The tubular flowers in the central part are bright yellow. The flowering process stretches from mid-summer to September. The plant is hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as -40 frost. Grown as a garden plant since 1812.
Beautiful small petal (Erigeron speciosus)
may have a synonymous name Stenactis speciosa. This variety has earned a well-deserved love from gardeners because of its magnificent flowering. In nature, it can be found in the western regions of the North American continent. This herbaceous perennial has a shortened, horizontal rhizome. Shoots reach 0.7 m in height. Stems are erect, branched and densely leafy, the surface is rough. The leaf plates in the root zone are characterized by a spatulate shape, those leaves that are attached to the very stems are lanceolate.
When blooming, which can occur in July or the last month of summer, the duration is about a month. Corymbose inflorescences of large sizes are formed from the baskets. The baskets contain tubular yellow flowers in their central part, and lilac reed flowers along the edges. The beginning of cultivation dates back to 1826. The most popular among gardeners are the following varieties:
- Violet the owner of double inflorescences, in which the marginal flowers are painted in a dark ink color.
- Wuppertal with the help of shoots, it forms a bush in height not exceeding 45 cm. Inflorescences-baskets in diameter are 5-6 cm. In the flower, you can count three rows of reed flowers with a lilac hue.
- Dunkell's Adler or, as it is also called - Dunkelshnee Adler. Flowers at the edges of the basket inflorescence have an ultramarine tone.
- Lilofee characterized by a semi-double inflorescence shape, while the shade of the reed flowers is dark purple.
- Sommerneuschnee forms a bush, the shoots of which grow up to 60 cm. The opened baskets are measured at 4 cm. The marginal flowers immediately after the opening of the bud have a white color, which by the end of flowering will change to pink.
- Rose Triumph characterized by lush inflorescences-baskets, in which the tongue flowers have a dark pink hue.
- Fests Laybling also the owner of double inflorescences, the marginal flowers of which are painted in pink.
- Rote Shengite when blooming, it opens semi-double baskets, in which the reed flowers have a pinkish-red color.
- Prosperity or Success, flaunt with inflorescences-baskets, distinguished by marginal flowers of a pale blue shade.
Hybrid small petals (Erigeron x hybridus)
the most common variety of the family, which is most popular among flower growers. This is where a wide variety of varieties and hybrid varieties are combined. The basis for their breeding was a variety of beautiful small petals (Erigeron speciosus). The stems reach a height of half a meter. Growth is possible at one location for almost five years. Since it has sufficient winter hardiness, it does not need shelter for the winter period. The color of the flowers can take on shades of purple, lilac and pink. The diameter of the inflorescence-basket with full disclosure is 6 cm.
The most popular varieties are:
- Dunkelste allerwhich is also called Darkest … The color of the marginal petals in baskets of a rich lilac color. Petals are straight and thin outlines.
- Sommerneueschnee may occur under the name Summer new snow. It has a brown color of the shoots. Flowers with pinkish-whitish petals open on the stems in large numbers.
- Azure Beauty bears the name Azure beauty the owner of lilac baskets with a lavender hue.
- Dimity or Dimiti, the basis for breeding was the species of small-petaled gray-gray, characterized by inflorescences with a large floral disk made up of tubular flowers and short marginal petals, painted in a pinkish-peach shade.
- Sea breeze or Sea breeze, also originates from erigeron gray, while the color of its center of the basket is dark, and the reed flowers are lilac.
Also, the following types are noted by flower growers:
- orange small petal (Erigeron aurantiacus);
- alpine small petals (Erigeron alpinus) or Erigeron schleicheri;
- small-petal Karvinsky (Erigeron karvinskianus), which is also called Erigeron mucronatus;
- small-petaled acrid (Erigeron acris) or, as his call calls it, small-petaled acute;
- one-year-old small-petal (Erigeron annuus), also called one-year-old thin-bristle.
Read also about the types and varieties of lychnis.
Video about growing small petals in a garden plot:
