Distinctive features of the plant, tips for growing eukomis at home, breeding steps, combating possible pests and diseases, facts for the curious, species. Eukomis (Eucomis), or as it is also called Eukomis, is part of the Hyacinth family in Latin called Hyacinthaceae, or it was referred to as Lileaceae - Liliaceae, but according to the new classification, the plant is included in the Asparagaceae family. The native growing areas are located in the southern regions of the African continent, where there is a tropical or subtropical climate.
This representative of the flora received its scientific name back in 1788 from the ancient Greek word "efkomis", which meant "beautiful-haired" or "beautiful whirlwind". This is how the structure of the inflorescences possessed by the flower was described. Among florists, the plant bears the colorful name of the "crest lily" and "pineapple lily".
All eukomis are perennials with bulbous roots and a herbaceous form of growth. The bulbs are large, ovoid and shiny. Plant height can be 70 cm.
Numerous basal leaf plates grow from the bulbs, which have ribbon-like, belt-like or ovoid contours. The surface of the leaves is glossy, shiny. The color of the leaf varies from light to dark green, often with brown spots on the back. Foliage edges can be either plain or wavy. Its length is maximum measured 60 cm.
During flowering, a flower arrow with a cylindrical shape is formed, which is crowned with an inflorescence in the form of a brush. The arrow height can reach almost a meter. The inflorescence is composed of densely spaced bracts, devoid of flowers. Its length is about 30 cm. It differs from eukomis daylilies precisely in this - the presence of a small number of bracts, which are formed at the apex and have the shape of a bundle.
The color of the leaves of the bracts is green, cream, lilac, purple or another shade. Sometimes a coloring includes two colors. The perianth consists of three pairs of lobes, which are distinguished by a lighter color, at the base they are spliced and tend to fall off after flowering. There are also 6 stamens, they are threadlike outlines, at the base they differ in expansion. The ovary of Eucomis is three-celled, with a rounded or obovate shape. Swinging anthers are formed on the stamens. The flowering process occurs in June and July, but some varieties can delight with flowering in August.
After flowering, fruits are formed, which look like a box with three ribs or lobes. Along the three seams between these lobes, there is an opening when the fetus is fully ripe. Inside are seeds of ovoid or rounded outlines. The seed color ranges from dark brown to black.
The growth rate of the "crest lily" is average. Eukomis is considered by flower growers to be a rather non-capricious plant and its cultivation is not associated with great difficulties, it is only important not to violate the rules of care and then you can admire the flowering for 4-5 years.
Tips for growing eukomis: planting and care at home
- Lighting. It is recommended to place the pot with the plant on the windowsill of the east, west and south windows, but the latter will require shading in the heat.
- Content temperature. When the “beautiful vortex” is blooming, the heat indicators should be in the range of 20-25 degrees, but during the dormant period the temperature is reduced to 15-17 degrees.
- Humidity when growing eukomis should be medium or high - about 80%. When the bulb begins to sprout, spraying is recommended. In summer, the pot with the plant is placed on wet expanded clay, laid in a deep pallet. Spraying is not needed in winter.
- Watering. "Pineapple lily" in spring is watered moderately. In the summer, when the flowering process is underway, moisture becomes abundant. The soil in the pot should always be moist. But it is important to remember that if the substrate is constantly flooded, this will cause rotting of the bulbs. After the flowers wither, the watering is reduced until the leaves die off, and with the arrival of September, the moisture ceases altogether. The water is warm.
- Fertilizers. As soon as Eucomis begins to form buds and until the leaves completely dry out, it is recommended to apply a liquid complex fertilizer with a frequency of once every 14 days.
- Transplant and advice on soil selection. It is recommended to use a large plastic container when planting eukomis. Several bulbs are placed in it at once, so that the future bush is more luxuriant. With the arrival of spring, the dormant period (March-April) ends at the "beautiful whirlwind" and sprouts of light clair are formed on the bulbs. Then the bulbs are planted in such a way that their top is not lower than the soil level. A sufficient drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pot. In the bottom of the container, holes must always be made to drain excess moisture. If the grower decided to prepare the substrate on his own, then it is important that its acidity be within the pH range of 5, 6–7, 4. The soil mixture should include turf soil, river sand or perlite, wet peat or humus, in a ratio of 3: 1: 1 respectively. The second option is a mixture of garden soil and coarse sand in a 4: 1 ratio.
- General rules of care. When flowering ends, it is recommended to cut the peduncle, and watering begins to be reduced until the plant begins to dry. Eucomis has a dormant period that begins when the foliage of the bulb dries out during the autumn-winter season. Then it is necessary to remove the dry root shoots, and remove the bulbs from the pot and store them in a container with sand on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator until spring, where the temperature is about +5 degrees. Alternatively, move the pot of bulbs to a dark and cool place. Bulbs do not need moisture.
Steps to Breeding Eukomis
To get a new plant of "pineapple lily", shoots are planted, seeds are sown or cuttings are carried out.
When the growing season passes, the formation of daughter bulbs - babies - takes place on the bulb of the mother plant. These children are separated when the eukomis has a rest period. At the same time, you can be sure that all the characteristics of the variety will be preserved. Children should be planted in a pre-prepared pot with drainage and suitable soil. When leaving, you will need to maintain room heat indicators, normal or increased humidity conditions and the place where the pot with young plants is installed should be with bright but diffused lighting.
Seed material is sown in pots or seedling boxes filled with a peat-sand mixture. Then the crops are moistened from the spray bottle and a piece of glass is placed on top of the container. Crops are placed in a place where there is scattered bright lighting and heat indicators in the range of 20-25 degrees. Caring for eukomis crops consists in maintaining the substrate in a moderately moist state and daily ventilation. When sprouts appear, the shelter is removed, a pick is performed in separate containers, when a pair of leaves develops on the seedlings, the care for them is the same as for adult specimens. Flowering of such “pineapple lilies” is possible 3-5 years from the moment of sowing the seeds, but the characteristics of the species may be lost.
When grafting, a leaf is separated from the mother plant at its very base. Then the sheet plate is cut into segments, the length of which will be 4–6 cm. It is important not to confuse the upper and lower parts, for this they are previously marked. Cuttings are planted vertically in pots filled with peat-sandy soil. The depth to which they are immersed should be about 2.5 cm. Then the pot with the cuttings is covered with plastic wrap and the container is placed on a windowsill with bright but diffused lighting. The temperature at which germination takes place is maintained at about 20 degrees, the seedlings are aired twice a week.
When 8-10 weeks have passed, small bulbs will be formed along the lower edge of the leafy parts, which are seated individually in pots.
Fight against possible pests and diseases of eukomis
Among the pests that, when the conditions of care are violated, affect the "crest lily", they are distinguished:
- Spider mite, entangling parts of the plant with a thin whitish cobweb, while the foliage takes on a yellow color and is deformed.
- Aphids, which manifests itself in the form of an accumulation of small green bugs, while a sweet sugary bloom, called padya, forms on the plant. If you do not take action, then the pad will contribute to the development of a sooty fungus.
- Whitefly, which is at first clearly visible due to whitish specks on the back of the leaf plates. Over time, a large number of white small midges will sit on the plant and the foliage will become covered with honeydew.
- Mealybug - insects, which are found due to the cotton-like lumps that are distributed over the stems and leaves, it is also possible that a sugar coating appears.
If at least one of the symptoms is found, then the eukomis should be treated immediately with insecticidal-acaricidal preparations.
When the substrate is constantly in a waterlogged state, the “beautiful vortex” bulbs decay. To avoid such a problem, it is recommended to establish an irrigation regime, as well as during a dormant period, if the bulbs were removed from the soil, then it is important to preserve them correctly - this will prevent possible decay. If during flowering inflorescences of an ugly shape are formed or the plant does not bloom at all, then this is evidence of insufficient rest time, the absence of cool content at this time and darkness, or insufficient lighting during the growing season.
Facts for the curious about eukomis, flower photo
The name and description of eukomisu was given by a French botanist who was also a judge, but studied the flora of the planet - Charles Louis Lhéritier de Brütel (1746-1800). This eminent scientist described many varieties of plants, but the botanist specialized in representatives of the fern and seed samples of the green world. Since 1795, Brutel was a member of the French Academy of Sciences and after his death he left a magnificent herbarium containing about 8,000 plant species, as well as a huge botanical library.
Types of eukomis
- Eukomis bicolor (Eucomis bicolor) or Eukomis bicolor - one of the 4 most popular varieties in floriculture. Similar to the territories of southern Africa. Plant height approaches 60 cm. It has egg-shaped bulbs. The foliage is painted green with a burgundy spot on the back. During flowering, inflorescences are formed in the form of a cylinder, which are up to 30 cm long. They crown a long green arrow, the surface of which has a pattern of multiple strokes of purple color. They contain small flowers with a stellate outline, located very densely. The color of the bracts and flowers is light green, with a purple hue. The color of the stamens and ovaries is also deep burgundy. Each inflorescence has a thick head of leaves that can be compared to the top of a pineapple. The flowering process occurs in August. Fruits ripening after flowering are also purple in color. Can be grown both in rooms and greenhouses, and in open field conditions. This species is transferred to flower beds with the onset of summer, but if the heat indicators decrease by 10 degrees, then it is recommended to dig up the plant, and store the bulbs until spring in dry sawdust or river sand in a room where the temperature does not exceed 5-10 degrees. If the plant will be grown from seed, then flowering can be expected in the 3rd year from planting. There is a cultivar "Alba", which was bred by Tubergen, with flowers of a whitish-green hue, while both the flower arrow and the leaves are devoid of burgundy shades - their color scheme is monochromatic, dark or light green.
- Eukomis punctate may occur synonymously Eucomis comosa hort. or Ornithogalum punctatum Thunb. This variety appeared on European territory in 1778, where it was brought from the southern regions of the African continent. Plant height varies in the range of 30-60 cm. Flat leaf plates have grooves, their shape is lanceolate or ruled. The edge of the sheet is plain or wavy. The length of the leaf can reach 60 cm with a width of about 6-7 cm. The color of the leaves is rich green, but on the reverse side there is a brown mottling or black specks. When flowering, a loose racemose inflorescence forms on the arrow, in which from 40 to one hundred flowers are collected. The corolla of the flowers is usually wide open; dark dots are visible on the petals on the back side. The length of the pedicel varies within 1, 2–3 cm. The bracts, collected in an apical bundle, are distinguished by an oblong shape with a pointed apex. There are 12–20 of them. Flowers of green color, their width varies from two to 2.5 cm. There is a garden variety "Stricta", the foliage of which on the back side is decorated with a pattern of longitudinal stripes of a reddish-brown hue. This cultivar was bred in 1790.
- Eukomis crested (Eucomis comosa). The height of the flower arrow of this variety varies in the range of 80-100 cm. The inflorescence can reach 30 cm. It is composed of greenish-white, pinkish or purple flowers. The leaf plates have purple dots on the back. The plant was brought from southern Africa to Europe in 1778. The species is one of the 4 most popular in floriculture.
- Eukomis wavy (Eucomis undulata) is a small plant that can reach a height of 45 cm. Leafy basal plates do not exceed these indicators in length. There is a decorative waviness at the edge of the foliage. The characteristic speckled pattern on the leaves is absent. When blooming, the inflorescence-brush can count up to fifty flowers. Flowers are arranged very densely. The number of bracts reaches 30 units, they are also wavy, which gave the variety, the specific name, they are painted in green color.
- Eukomis autumn (Eucomis autumnalis). This perennial herbaceous species can be 0, 2–0, 3 meters in height. The bulb is 8–10 cm in size. The racemose inflorescence contains whitish or cream-colored flowers. This plant is distinguished by a later flowering period and has the ability to tolerate small frosts without harm.
- Eukomis red-stemmed (Eucomis purpureicaulis) … The foliage has a spatulate shape. The bracts are distinguished by the color that gave the specific name - purple or purple-red color with a green edging on the edge predominates.
- Eukomis Pole-Evans (Eucomis pole-evansii). This variety is a rather rare "guest" in gardening. The inflorescence consists of large flowers with petals of a light green hue.
- Eukomis Zambesian (Eucomis zambesiaca) differs in racemose inflorescences with high density. The flowers in it are whitish-green.
