Description of the plant, characteristics of eucharis species, care features, advice on transplanting and reproduction, problems with growing and harmful insects. Eucharis (Eucharis) (Eucharis). Refers to a variety of Amaryllidaceae. The native habitat is mountainous wooded Colombian territories and the coastal areas of the Amazon. There are up to 20 species of this flower. When translated from Greek, the word "eucharis" means graceful, the plant got its name from the tenderness of flowers. This plant is popularly called the Amazonian lily, although the flowers of the eucharis have an outward resemblance rather to a daffodil.
Each bulb can grow several dark emerald leaf plates on long petioles that can grow up to half a meter in length. The leaves themselves are quite large, reaching up to 40 cm in length and 20 cm in width. They are elongated-oval in shape with a wide central part and a curved pointed top. With the growth of the plant and the increase in the leaf, its edges begin to take on a wavy shape. The surface of the leaf plate is slightly rough with well-defined veins. The lifespan of a leaf is very long, it can be up to several years. After this time of flowering, with the arrival of autumn, some leaves may dry out and die off. But young leaves immediately appear, which at first are rolled into a tube and of a paler color.
A very long peduncle grows from the center of the point of growth of the leaves, reaching a height of half a meter. Its top is crowned with an umbrella-shaped inflorescence, from which not a pair of buds emerge. The bud in the opening can be as small as 1 cm or large up to 12 cm in diameter.
After the cessation of flowering, the peduncle will dry out, but the eucharis still remains a very beautiful flowerpot, with dark glossy leaves that will decorate any room with their rich emerald color. In order for the eucharis bush to be a real decoration, it is recommended to place more than one bulb in one container when transplanting, then each of them will produce flower stalks, and eucharis bloom at different times and flowering due to this will be very long.
The main varieties of eucharis
- Eucharis Mastersii. The area of native growth is humid and warm forests of Colombia. The bulb has the shape of an ellipse, elongated from the edges, which can grow up to 5 cm in diameter. The leaf plates are large enough, elliptical in shape with a slight taper towards the edges. The tip of the leaf has a slight taper at the top. The color of the leaves is rich, dark emerald, glossy. The leaf size is approximately 25 cm long and 15 cm wide. The leaf petioles are not long, growing up to 15 cm. The flower stem, which is pulled out of the leaf rosette, has the shape of a thick tube, on which is located an umbrella inflorescence containing 1-2 buds … The perianth stalk is lowered to the bottom and has a slight expansion at the apex, the length reaches 5 cm. The petals of the buds in the opening can grow up to 4 cm in length, acquire a flattened oval shape with a strong sharpening at both edges. Flowering lasts in the first month of spring.
- Eucharis white (Eucharis candida). Like the previous species, it grows in the Colombian tropics, mountain ranges and on the slopes of the Andes. The bulb of this species is slightly larger than Euhoris Masters (by 2 cm), but has the same shape. The leaf plates repeat an elliptical shape with a strong sharpening at the base and apex. The length along the entire leaf plate can be 40 cm, and the width in the center can reach up to 15 cm. The veins are well traced throughout the leaf. The color is rich malachite, the leaf is smooth and shiny. The peduncle is colored brownish-green. At the top of the peduncle, in the umbellate inflorescence, from 6 to 10 buds are collected. When opened, the buds can reach up to 8 cm in diameter. The color of the petals of the buds is snow-white; during flowering, this eucharis has a delicate fragrant smell. Flowering time is the last month of winter and early spring.
- Eucharis grandiflora (Eucharis grandiflora). This eucharis is called the Amazonian lily because of its native place of growth - the shores of the Amazon, but it can also be found in the Andes mountains of the Colombian territories. The root has the shape of a head with a diameter of 3-5 cm. Leaves growing in pairs on one stem (2 or 4 pieces each) are in the form of a wide oval with sharp edges at the edges. They are not too large in size - only 30 cm in length and up to 15 in width. The color of the leaf plates is rich, bright, bottle-shaped, with a well-visible central whitish vein. The surface of the leaf is slightly wrinkled, but dense and shiny. The petiole measures 30 cm in length. The tube-shaped peduncle reaches 80 cm in height, the umbellate inflorescence can be composed of 3-6 buds, which, when opened, can be up to 12 cm in diameter. The flowers are snow-white, with a yellowish-green center, and have a delicate fragrant aroma. The flowering process can take place both in spring-summer and in winter.
- Eucharis Sanderi. The South American tropics are considered the homeland of this species. The root is an elongated bulb up to 7 cm in diameter. Large oval leaf plates can grow up to 30 cm in length and 18 cm in width. The petiole, on which the leaf is located, is elongated by 15 cm. The shape of the leaf, although oval with a wide center, but the top of the leaf is very pointed, and the base has a heart-shaped roundness. Each peduncle bears an umbrella-shaped cluster of buds, consisting of 2-3 large flowers or 4-6 small ones. The color of the buds when opening is snow-white with a center in the form of a yellowish crown, on which the pistils of the stamens are held, the bud is pulled to the inflorescence by a tube curved downward to 5 cm. The length of the petals depends on the number of buds, on average it reaches 3-4 cm. Flowering time February to mid-spring. This species is grown on a market-wide scale.
- Eucharis toothless (Eucharis subedentata). The native habitat is the Colombian tropical areas and the Andes mountain slopes. It is found under a different name as callifruria toothless. The root of this type of eucharis is a bulbous head with a diameter of about 7 cm. The leaf plates take on a triangular-elongated shape and are 22 cm long and 10 cm wide at the base. 4 long (up to 15 cm long) petioles emerge from each growth point, with longitudinal grooves. Each peduncle is crowned with a group of buds in the form of an umbrella, numbering up to 8 buds. The pedicel is slightly curved, and its length is 2 cm. The petals of the flower reach one and a half centimeters.
Growing eucharis at home
- Lighting. In order to correctly position the eucharis pot, it is necessary to remember that the plant grows under the crowns of trees and therefore does not need bright sunlight. If this is taken into account, then eucharis is not at all capricious to the location, it can be placed both on the windowsill and in the depths of the room. The only thing is that with more lighting, the plant will bloom more abundantly. Therefore, it is necessary to choose windows that receive the rays of the sun at sunrise or sunset. If you have to place a flower pot on the south side, then it is necessary to arrange shading from hot rays at noon with light curtains or gauze. On windows in the northern direction, eucharis will be able to grow even without special supplementary lighting. In the summer-spring season, eucharis can be exposed to fresh air, but protected from intense lighting, do not allow scorching rays to hit the plant. You also need to choose a place where the plant will not be subject to precipitation. With a decrease in temperature to +5 degrees - eucharis must be hidden in the room.
- Content temperature. Since eucharis is a full-fledged inhabitant of the tropics, warm content suits him best. Thermometer readings should not exceed 25 degrees, and the lower limit is 16 degrees. If the temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius, then the root bulb of the eucharis may begin to rot. It is also necessary to monitor so that there are not large differences between the day and night temperatures. If the plant is often exposed to drafts, then this can also destroy it. Only if eucharis is at moderately warm temperatures can normal flowering be achieved. If these conditions are not observed, then flowering may not occur at all, or if it does, then the flowers of the eucharis will decrease in size.
- Air humidity. The plant loves moderate humidity in the air. Only during the onset of the growth phase, eucharis should be often sprayed with water at about 25 degrees. But even in winter, eucharis will require some moisture. When flowering begins, the spraying is stopped or done very carefully so that the eucharis buds do not fall under the drops of the sprinkler. If moisture gets on the delicate flower petals, they will be covered with brown spots and lose their beauty. At this time, you can wipe the sheet plates with a cloth. If the spraying is not enough, then the flower pot can be placed in a deep tray, with gravel or expanded clay placed in it and constantly moistened, but try to keep the bottom of the flowerpot above the water.
- Watering. Watering for eucharis should be systematic, but care must be taken that the soil in the pot is not waterlogged or completely dried out. Both will lead to the death of the flower. Watering must be carried out when the soil dries out in a one-quarter pot. If you water it more often, then this threatens the appearance of ugly brown spots on the leaf plates and rotting of the bulb root. In addition to the fact that it is necessary to water the eucharis in the middle of the pot, it is recommended to carry out the bottom watering by pouring water into the pan of the flowerpot, as soon as the plant takes in the required amount of moisture, the rest is drained. For irrigation, use soft rain or melt water, but only at room temperature. The water can also be settled for about a day to remove salt impurities from it. If you put peat soil wrapped in a gauze bag in the water and keep it at least overnight, then you can also water the flower with this water. After the completion of the flowering process and the drying of the peduncle, watering is almost halved. Watered with half-dried soil in a pot. Lighting at this time needs to be made stronger - rearrange the flower pot on a lighter window sill or provide additional lighting with special lamps. Such a dormant period will help the eucharis in the future to be more rested for flowering.
- The choice of soil for replanting. The process of transplanting eucharis is carried out in the earliest spring (that is, when the plant is resting), but since the root system is very delicate, it is better not to disturb the plant for 3-4 years. Only if the plant has grown strongly and filled the entire volume of the pot with its rhizome bulbs, then it is necessary to change the container. In order not to lose the plant, it is recommended that the transplantation method is through transshipment - without shaking off the earth from the roots. "Children" grow near the roots of the eucharis, but it differs from other plants with young stumps in that it is better not to tear these shoots away from the mother plant unnecessarily. If this does happen, then it should be remembered that flowering will have to wait for a very long time. The pot is chosen only a few centimeters larger than the old one, and a wide container is preferable than a deep one. In the pot, well-made holes are necessary so that there is no stagnation from excess water and a quarter, from the volume of the pot, of small expanded clay is poured onto the bottom of the pot. The bulbous root is placed in the soil to a depth of no more than 5 cm and after transplanting, watering should be extremely rare. The soil mixture for eucharis should be light, with good air and moisture permeability. It also needs to be rich in micronutrients. A soil mixture for young plants is prepared from the following components: 4 parts of leafy soil, 2 parts each of sand and humus and 1 part of soil with clay and sand. Another composition is also made: 3 parts of leafy land, 2 parts of peat land, and one part of sand and turf. It is important when planting that the soil is moist and not let it dry out too much.
- Fertilization. Basically, it is necessary to feed eucharis during the periods of the beginning of active growth and the flowering phase. This procedure is performed once every 14 days. Top dressing for flowering plants at home is selected, but the composition should contain a reduced nitrogen content. It is best to change the concentration and take the dosage half as much as indicated by the manufacturer. There are recommendations to alternate feeding with a complex of minerals and organics, alternately changing them. When the flowering process is complete, the plant is not fed.
Reproduction of eucharis
Eucharis is propagated with the help of young baby shoots or seeds. In the process of plant growth, many small baby tubers are formed next to the roots-bulbs of an adult plant. You can separate them with each transplant (about once every couple of years), since if there are a lot of bulbs, then they grow very slowly. The breeding process can begin in mid-spring. The bulb of the mother plant eucharis must be carefully divided into parts so that each one has 4–5 small nodules, so less damage to the root system will be done. In this, eucharis differs from similar plants that have a bulbous root - there you can safely separate young stumps from an adult plant without harming them.
The pot for planting parts of the rhizome is selected wide and deep enough, with holes at the bottom, to drain excess moisture. To retain moisture, finely detailed bricks or shards, small expanded clay are poured onto the bottom of the pot. The bulbs are planted in a previously prepared and slightly moistened substrate and deepened a little (by 4–5 cm). If you plant the bulbs one by one in a pot, then the flowering process will not begin until the root has grown the required number of children.
The process of reproduction by seeds is quite long and laborious, and it must be borne in mind that in this case, young plants will bloom after a five-year period.
Difficulties of cultivation and pests of eucharis
The eucharis bloom may not occur for a long time if a dormant period has not been organized for the plant - the level of watering decreases to a minimum at the same illumination after the flowering phase.
Yellowing of eucharis leaf plates indicates a violation of the irrigation regime - waterlogging of the soil or its strong drying, water for irrigation was taken at a very cold temperature or rather high hardness.
Falling eucharis leaves indicate problems with the root system - an inspection of the bulbs is necessary and if rotten parts are found, they must be cut off with a sharp knife, sprinkled with activated charcoal and placed in a new container and new soil.
The pests of eucharis are - aphids, scale insects, thrips, spider mites. You can carry out soap wiping of leaf plates or spraying the plant with insecticides.
For home care for eucharis, see this video:
