Description, planting and caring for the asphodelus plant when grown in open ground and indoors, breeding methods, combating possible pests and diseases, notes for a florist, species. Asphodelus (Asphodelus) can also be found in scientific literature and search engines under the name Asphodelus or Asphodel. Its botanists attributed it to the type genus belonging to the Asphodelaceae family. As a rule, in nature, these representatives of the flora are found in the southern regions of Europe (on the Mediterranean coast), often even reaching India. They can also be bred there as a pot culture or grown in the open field. In places of natural growth, the plant is used for food or used in industry. But it was this that led to the fact that the asphodelus was on the verge of extinction, and this genus had to be entered into the Red Book. There are, according to various sources, 12-19 varieties. The most common species is Asphodelus albus, others are practically unknown, although worthy of attention.
| Family name | Asphodelic |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period in open ground | Seedlings are planted in May-June, and delenki in August. |
| Disembarkation scheme | 30-40 cm between plants |
| Substrate | Loamy, sandy loam, well-drained |
| Illumination | Bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Stagnant moisture is undesirable, moderate watering, drainage is necessary |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.02–1.2 m |
| Color of flowers | Snow white, pink, yellow |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Racemose, paniculate or spike-like |
| Flowering time | April June |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Curbs, flower beds, ridges, mixborders or alpine slides, garden pots |
| USDA zone | 5–9 |
There is a version that asphodel owes its name to the famous ancient Greek poet Homer (who lived in the 5th century BC), who mentioned him in his famous Odyssey. Based on the translation, the plant had the name "nothing surpasses it", but the people called it "the king's spear" because of the shape of the inflorescence, or it served as a symbol of the goddess of the underworld Persephone.
All asphodelyus are perennials and are herbaceous, but occasionally the plants can be annuals. Instead of a bulb, they have thickened rhizomes, on which oblong cones are formed. These pineal formations are juicy and useful in industry and cooking. The height of the stems is quite varied. There are species that do not exceed 20 cm, and there are those that stretch up to 1, 2 m. From the leaves, a root rosette is collected, which is also very diverse in size in diameter. The length of the leaves can vary from 20 to 60 cm. The shape of the leaves is linear or grooved, can grow rather curved or almost in a vertical plane. The color of the leaves is green.
From the center of the foliage rosette, a simple or branched flowering stem, devoid of foliage, originates. Its top is crowned with large flowers. From them racemose, paniculate or spike-shaped inflorescences are collected. The flower can be 3-4 cm in diameter. The bud is made up of petals, which are fully open, revealing six elongated filaments with an extended base, which is a distinctive feature of this genus of plants. The shape of the petals is oblong with a sharp point at the apex. They can be white, pinkish or yellow in color. Often there is a strip of crimson hue, which divides the petal in two, or there is a pattern of brownish well-defined veins.
It is the short flowering period that does not make asphodel widespread in culture, like other plants with similar decorative flowers. It is only 14 days, starting in mid-spring or no later than June. After the flowers wither, the asphodelus becomes completely unattractive. After that, a gradual wilting of the peduncle and foliage occurs, and when growing Asphodelus in the open field, an empty space is formed at the site of its planting, which would be nice to fill with other plants that will serve as a "disguise". The fruit is a capsule with a wrinkled surface and almost spherical shape. When it is fully ripe, it cracks into three parts. Inside the fruit there are seeds of black color with three edges.
Asphodelus: growing and caring for a plant outdoors and indoors
- Choosing a landing site. In nature, the plant prefers to grow in places where there is a lot of sun, therefore, when planting in open ground in their area, they try to pick up a flowerbed, well-lit by the sun's rays, located in the southern location, in extreme cases, the eastern or western is suitable. But the place must be protected from wind gusts. You can plant asphodel in the cracks between stones or in rock gardens, it becomes a decoration for a rabatka or mixborder. When kept in room conditions, the same rules should be followed (south, east or west location). If the plant will be on the sill of the south window, then shading is needed.
- How to plant asphodelus. The timing of planting asphodelus flowers depends on what the plant is: seedlings are planted in May-June, and delenki in August. The hole in which the seedling or asphodel will be installed should be 5–8 cm, and the distance between them is kept about 40 cm. In order for the root system not to suffer from waterlogging, a drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the hole. For it, crushed stone, expanded clay or pebbles are used. When planting, since many species have a high flowering stem, it is recommended to organize a support. If you want to grow a plant indoors, then a rather wide and deep container is selected for it, since the size of the root system should be taken into account. Drainage is also required.
- The choice of soil for planting asphodel. The plant will thrive in any soil, but light and well-drained formulations should be preferred. This can be a loamy or sandy-loamy substrate with average fertility. When planting in such a soil mixture, it is recommended to add compost, especially for home cultivation.
- Wintering of the asphodelus. If you live in mid-latitudes, then when growing asphodelus in the open field, you don't even need to cover it, since it easily tolerates frosts of 15 degrees. But if your winters are more severe, then the bush must be covered with spruce branches, fallen leaves or agrofibre. When the plant is cultivated indoors, with the dying off of its leaf rosette and peduncle, it will be necessary to move the pot with it to a cooler place until March.
- Watering. Since asphodel can accumulate nutrients and moisture in tubers, drought is not terrible for him, but the bay is extremely harmful. When grown both outdoors and indoors, soil moisture should be sparse and moderate. It is recommended to loosen the soil after watering.
- Fertilizers for asphodelus. The plant practically does not need nutrients. Only once, before the buds begin to bloom (in the spring), it is necessary to fertilize. The choice of funds is unlimited, since both mineral and organic preparations are suitable for this exotic. Of the minerals, Kemira, Agricola and Pocon can be distinguished. Organic matter can be manure or chicken droppings.
- General advice on care. If it is noticed that when grown in the open field, the asphodelus has begun to grow too much, then it is necessary to plant it. When it is cultivated indoors, you will regularly have to change the pot to a larger one.
Recommendations for breeding asphodelus
When growing the "king's spear" both in the open field and in rooms, you can sow seeds or plant an overgrown bush.
Seed material can be purchased at flower shops, or collected by yourself. But here it should be remembered that the seeds do not have a long period of retention of germination and they need stratification (keeping for a certain period of time at low temperatures). To do this, they are placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator for 1, 5–2 months. At the same time, experienced flower growers recommend immediately sowing seeds in open ground after harvesting (before winter, so that they undergo natural stratification) or sowing in seedling boxes in March. But in the latter case, the crops are placed in a cool place, for example, on a windowsill.
Crop care consists in the fact that when the soil begins to dry out from above, it is sprayed from a finely dispersed spray bottle. Seedlings can be expected pretty soon, and after the seedlings get a little stronger, it is recommended to dive them. The time for planting asphodelyus in open ground is the time when return frosts pass (May-early June). However, it is worth expecting flowering only after 5-6 years from the moment of sowing, therefore, the preferred vegetative propagation method for asphodel.
With this reproduction, an overgrown bush is divided. It is better to carry out such an operation in August, when the plant has already grown pepper. It is necessary to remove the bush from the substrate, but neatness is required, since the Asphodelus root system is very fragile. The division is carried out in such a way that on each division there is at least one renewal point and a sufficient number of roots. When examining the root system, it is necessary to remove all processes that have undergone mold or decay. Then the sections are sprinkled with charcoal or activated carbon powder. It is recommended to plant asphodelus strips at a distance of about 30–40 cm from each other, while the planting depth should not exceed 5–8 cm.
Fight against possible pests and diseases of asphodelus
The biggest problem when growing asphodel in the open field is rot, which can occur when the plant was planted in the wrong place and was flooded with melt water in the spring, there was no drainage during planting, or abundant watering was carried out. These factors entail the decay of the rhizome and the death of such an extraordinary flower.
Of the pests showing interest in asphodelus, aphids are isolated, which are clearly visible on the stems and leaves. If this harmful insect is found, spraying with insecticidal preparations is carried out.
Due to the fact that often a plant can multiply by self-sowing and at the same time the boundaries of a well-thought-out landscape design will be spoiled, it is recommended to immediately remove the formed bolls before they are completely ripe.
Notes for a florist about asphodelus
Previously, representatives of the asphodelyus were attributed to the Liliaceae family and therefore it could occasionally be confused with the daylily, since outwardly both plants are quite similar.
On the territory of its natural growth, Asphodelus has long been famous for many useful properties. It was used in both cooking and medicine. In the first case, when the buds have not yet opened, it is customary to use them as a spice. And since a large number of pineal tubers are formed on the rhizome, which are fleshy and juicy, and also contain a large amount of starch and sugars (which, moreover, are much more than even in sugar cane), the local population did not ignore such a valuable product. In some areas, if such tubers are crushed, then the resulting mass is added to flour, while baking asphodel bread.
In medicine, the roots helped to restore the body after food poisoning. These rhizome "bumps" were ground into a gruel that could be applied to wounds and ulcers for speedy healing.
Asphodel stems are also used. Of these, it is customary for the local population to weave baskets into which buns are superimposed. And if you need to pack burrata and mozzarella cheeses, then there is nothing better than the foliage of this plant.
Since sugar and starch are present in the roots, just as in ancient times glue was cooked from the latter, there is also the use of asphodelus for industrial purposes. But that's not all. The tubers of this herbaceous plant are used as raw materials for obtaining alcohol. Such a product is distinguished by its high purity and is devoid of impurities of fusel oils, and can also carry in itself the aroma that is inherent in the "king's spear".
Types of asphodelus
- White Asphodelus (Asphodelus albus). This type is the most common in the culture. A perennial plant that can reach a height of 120 cm with a stem. Its surface is bare and straight. A root rosette is collected from the leaves. The leaf plates are grooved, 60 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. The inflorescences have the shape of a simple or slightly branched brush. The diameter of the flower is about 2–4 cm, the color of the bracts is brown, the petals of the corolla are white or pink, they have veins of green or burgundy color. At the base of the stamens, triangular outlines.
- Branched asphodelus (Asphodelus ramosus). Strongly resembles the previous variety in its outlines. But its distinctive feature is the bracts of a yellowish color. When ripe, the fruit (capsule) is also impressive in size, reaching the shape of a cherry. It can be found under the name Asphodelus cerasiferus. The native range falls on the territory of Spain, France and other countries that are located on the Mediterranean lands of the western regions. It is customary to cultivate the plant there because of its decorative properties.
- Asphodelus fistulosus called Onion Weed. A plant with a one-year life cycle, its stem is slightly more than 40 cm in height. There are no leaves on it. The size of the flowers is small and they gather in medium-sized loose branched inflorescences. Petals with a light pinkish color scheme. It can be found not only on the Mediterranean coast, but also in all European lands, including the Near and Middle East (Syria, Iran, Afghanistan).
- Asphodelus fistulosus. A perennial that grows evergreen under natural conditions. The leaf plate is flat, light green in color. A root rosette is formed from the leaves. The length of the leaf is 20 cm, while the diameter of the rosette itself is 20 cm. The flower is up to 4 cm in diameter, the shape of the corolla is funnel-shaped. The petals are snow-white or pinkish, there are stripes on their surface. The flower stem does not exceed 15 cm in height. The shape of the inflorescence is a loose raceme with strong branching.
- Soft Asphodelus (Asphodelus aestivus). Perennial with large size, its stem is approaching the figure of 1 m. The leaf rosette is represented by a dense bunch. The leaf shape is flat and linear, wide. Inflorescences formed during flowering have the appearance of a branched panicle. They are made up of rather large flowers, the diameter of which is 5–8 cm. The petals have a snow-white or pinkish color scheme, in the center there is a brown stripe dividing the petal in half. Bracts are greenish-white. Since the rhizomes are fleshy, they have a significant supply of moisture and nutrients, which contribute to the fact that the plant can tolerate the absence of rain without harm to itself.
Video about asphodelus:
