Distinctive features of armeria, advice on growing a plant in a personal plot, recommendations for its reproduction, combating possible diseases and pests, curious facts, types. Aremria (Armeria) is part of the Pig family or as it is also called Plumbaginaceae. Botanists have assigned up to 93 varieties of flowering plants to this genus, of which only fifty are used in cultivation. The natural distribution area of this representative of the flora covers North America, the southern regions of South America, the territories of Europe, Western Asia (which includes the north of the Siberian lands), as well as North Africa.
| Family name | Pig or plumbagovye |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (cuttings or division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period in open ground | Seedlings are planted in May, cuttings in summer, cuttings after flowering |
| Disembarkation scheme | 15–20 cm or 30–40 cm apart, depending on the formation of the curtain |
| Substrate | Sandy or stony, sour |
| Illumination | Open area with bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Stagnant moisture is harmful, watering is moderate, drainage is necessary |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.15-0.6 m |
| Color of flowers | From white to dark purple |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Capitate |
| Flowering time | May-August |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Borders, ridges, rock gardens, rockeries, mixborders, used to form winter bouquets |
| USDA zone | 4, 5, 6 |
Armeria got its name in Latin due to the fusion of a couple of words in the Celtic language, such as "ar" and "mor", meaning "nearby, nearby, near" and "sea". That is, it turns out that this is a plant found on the dunes located near the coast of the sea. But there is another version, pointing to the word "armoires", which from the Old French language refers to the bearded carnation (Dianthus barbatus), the outlines of which are similar to some species of Armeria.
All armeria are perennials, with a herbaceous form of growth. In height, the stems can rise by 15–20 cm, but when the time of flowering comes, they stretch up to 60 cm. The shoots are upright, their surface can be both smooth and pubescent. The rhizome is rod-shaped, rather short.
The shape of the leaves is simple, lanceolate-linear. All-edge sheet plate. There are quite a few leaves, and they are collected in a socket located next to the roots. From such sheet rosettes, the formation of dense cushion-shaped curtains subsequently occurs. They are so dense that the soil under them is not visible. The color of the leaves is bright green or bluish.
When Armeria blooms, bisexual buds open, from which an inflorescence with the outline of a sphere (capitate) is formed. The inflorescence is crowned with a flowering stem, which originates from the center of the rosette of leaves. Its surface is also pubescent or smooth to the touch. The color of the peduncle is emerald green. The size of the flowers is small, the pedicels are short, because of this, the inflorescence takes the form of an almost perfect ball. Of the five sepals, which have splicing, a tubular calyx is formed. Five petals, at the base also differ in accretion. Their color can range from pure white to dark crimson. There are five stamens in a simple circle. The flowering process occurs in May and can last until August.
After pollination, the single-seeded fruit ripens, which has the shape of a capsule and becomes completely dry when fully ripe.
Caring for armeria when grown in the open field, planting rules
- Choosing a landing site. An area protected from the wind and constantly exposed to the sun is recommended. It is important that moisture does not stagnate on it in the spring.
- Watering. Armeria, when grown in open ground, does not tolerate waterlogging, since the root system begins to rot quickly. Watering is carried out in moderation, even if there is a summer heat, and there has been no precipitation for a long time. At the same time, it is recommended to carry out irrigation from a garden hose using the "sprinkler" method. The soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings.
- Armeria fertilizers performed once every 1–1, 5 months from the beginning of the activation of vegetative processes. Mineral preparations are used for flowering plants. It is recommended to use top dressing in liquid form and apply them directly to the soil, replacing watering. If Armeria is planted in loamy or peaty soil, then such fertilization should not be applied so often, since all the nutrients taken from the soil will be enough for the plant.
- Landing. The soil is preferable sandy or stony, but in no case, not limestone. In the latter case, it is neutralized with ammonium nitrate or acetic acid solution. 14 days before planting in open ground, it is well loosened and organic fertilizing is applied. If only armeria will be involved in planting, then the holes for the plants are made at a distance of 30–40 cm. The rosette of leaves should not be in the soil, and the root collar of the seedling should not be deepened. After planting, the ground around the bush is slightly crushed, then watered. When forming a "green carpet" from Armeria, the distance between the seedlings is maintained at about 15–20 cm. In this case, not separate pits are dug out, but shallow grooves are made. After planting, watering is carried out often, for 20 days, so that the soil does not dry out.
- Armeria care in winter. The plant can easily survive the winter time without additional shelter in the southern regions or in the territory of central Russia. For the type of turfy armeria for this period, it is necessary to organize a shelter with spruce branches or fallen leaves, you can use agrofibre. But if the winters in your area are harsh, then any species will need to be sheltered. In this case, it is better to use the last option, in which it will be possible to prevent the accumulation of moisture, next to the curtains.
- Using Armeria. Despite the large number of species, few of them are grown outdoors. It is recommended to use such plantings for the formation of group phytocompositions, when landscaping rock gardens and rocky gardens, plant similar flowers in rabatki and mixborders, and if the stems are tall, then you can use them to "grow" a border for a flower garden. The best "neighbors" are stunted phlox, bells or saxifrage with thyme. Often, in one planting, different varieties of plants are combined with different colors of inflorescences and height of stems.
Recommendations for breeding armeria
To get new Armeria shrubs, it is recommended to sow seeds or use a vegetative propagation method (cuttings or dividing the rhizome).
When collecting seeds from plants that are on your site, it is recommended to tie the inflorescences that begin to wilt with gauze. This is necessary so that when the seeds ripen, they do not fall out of the fruit on the ground. When the inflorescence is completely dry, it is cut off and the seed is shaken out onto a paper sheet. Then the remnants of flowers are peeled off from them and poured into paper bags for storage.
When grown from seeds, the seedling or seedling method is used. If you live in warm regions, then the seeds can be placed directly into the soil after harvest. Since they will rise in the first days, when the sun warms up, then with return frosts, all seedlings may die. If such a decrease in heat is not observed in your area, then the seeds are sown at the end of autumn so that during the winter they undergo natural cold stratification in the soil.
When growing seedlings, sowing is performed in mid-February. But before that, you will need to subject the seeds to stratification. They are kept at a temperature of 2-8 degrees for about a week. After this period, the seeds are soaked in warm water for 24 hours and only after that they are sown in seedling boxes. It is recommended to fill the containers with a peat-sand mixture, the depth of seeding should not exceed 5 mm. Armeria seeds are germinated at a temperature that will not go beyond 16-20 degrees. After sowing, a piece of glass is placed on the box or the container is wrapped in plastic wrap to create the conditions for a mini-greenhouse.
After 14–20 days, the first shoots can be seen. In greenhouse conditions, seedlings grow up until May days, waiting for the time of return frosts to pass. Around mid-May, plants are planted in open ground.
With vegetative propagation, you can both root the cuttings and divide the overgrown root system of the armeria. Since during each growing season many basal processes are formed, they can be carefully planted, dividing the root system of the curtain. However, it should be remembered that for this, plants are selected from the age of 3 years. Division is done in August when Armeria has completed flowering. Then the shrub is completely removed from the soil and the rhizomes are divided into parts with a sharpened knife. You should not form a division that is too small, with an insufficient number of roots, since it is then difficult for it to take root. When planting in open ground, the distance between the armeria divisions should be no more than 20 cm.
Throughout the summer, cuttings can be carried out. At the same time, a young leaf rosette, devoid of roots or with a very poorly developed root system, must be separated from the bush. The stalk is planted in a loose and well-drained substrate (peat-sandy or sandy-leafy). You need to cover the stalk with transparent plastic or put a cut plastic bottle on top. In this state, the seedling should spend 7-15 days, but caring for it will consist in daily airing and watering the soil when it dries. Rooting takes place in a fairly short time.
Fight against possible diseases and pests of armeria
To the delight of flower growers, this plant practically does not suffer from diseases and is not affected by pests. However, if the soil acidity indicators are insufficient, then "attacks" of aphids may occur, or Armeria will get sick with spotting. At the first problem, the leaves and stems become as if dried out and then the affected parts of the flower will have to be removed. But to prevent this from happening, it is recommended as a preventive measure to carry out treatment with insecticidal preparations, among which "Intavir", "Karbofos", "Aktara" or "Actellik" are popular.
If the soil is in a flooded state for a long time, which happens in early spring due to melting snow or an incorrectly chosen place for planting Armeria, then rotting of the root system develops and specks of brown color form on the leaves. When the problem is noticed on time, then by spraying with fungicides, you can still save the bushes, but in case of severe damage, you need to burn the diseased plants.
Interesting facts about armeria and photos
Since the inflorescences do not lose their decorative effect after drying, they are used to create winter bouquets and dry phytocompositions. At the peak of flowering, it is recommended to cut off the stems with inflorescences, hang them upside down in a dry room with good ventilation.
Types of armeria
Alpine armeria (Armeria alpina) is a perennial that, with its stems, is capable of forming cushion-like clumps of increased density. Plantations in height approach 15 cm with a diameter of about 30 cm. The foliage is linear-lanceolate and some leaves are able to survive the winter period without much damage. Flowers of a pale pink hue are combined into an inflorescence. Inflorescences are capitate, grow from leaf sinuses. The diameter of the flower does not exceed 3 cm. The length of the flower-bearing stems is 30 cm. The flowering process lasts 20-25 days, starting in June. The most popular varieties are known:
- Alba flowers with white petals;
- Laucheana flowers with a carmine-red tone are connected in the inflorescence;
- Pink (Rosea) attracts the eye with flowers, the petals of which have a bright red hue.
Pseudoarmeria (Armeria pseudarmeria) or as it is called beautiful Armeria. Stems of this species can approach 40 cm in height. Basal evergreen rosettes are collected from leaf plates. The capitate inflorescences consist of white or pinkish flowers. Flowering continues throughout the summer period. Popular varieties are:
- Joystick White inflorescences with spherical outlines, snow-white color, mainly used as an annual;
- Thrift it is stunted, the stems are only 20 cm;
- Red planet - this variety is perennial, flowering stems are crowned with red globular inflorescences;
- Ruby Bees is a plant with bright pink inflorescences, not exceeding 60 cm in height.
Armeria maritima. The variety is found in coastal areas of the sea. The stems are stretched in height up to 20 cm. The curtain is formed across to the same parameters. The shape of the leaf plate is linear, the leaf is narrowed, flat, painted in bluish-green color. Inflorescences are capitate, formed from mauve flowers, which have film bracts. The first flowers open on May days, the flowering process will last up to 70 days. Often there is a second wave of flowering in the fall. The best varieties:
- Armeria Louisiana (Armeria formosa) found under the name Armeria beautiful or beautiful has pinkish flowers;
- Pride of Dusseldorf (Dusseldorfer Stolz) or Dusseldorf Stolz can delight the eye with inflorescences of a dark red color;
- Vindictive with bright red flowers;
- Bloodstone differs in inflorescences of a dark red tone.
Armeria juniperifolia is found under the name Armeria cespitosa. The native habitat is the highlands of Spain and Portugal. Perennial, the stems of which can reach 15 cm. The foliage is narrow, with linear outlines, forming a basal rosette, which measures 20 cm in diameter. The flowering stems bear capitate inflorescences, collected from the red or pinkish color of flowers, at the tops. They are framed by membranous bracts. Since a large number of flowers are tied, which when opening, they completely obscure the foliage. The flowering process takes about 40-50 days, starting in the middle of summer. On the basis of this species, a rather popular hybrid was bred - Armeria x suendermanii, which corresponds to Armeria caespitosa x Armeria maritima. The following varieties are famous:
- Brno - stems are short, the inflorescence is collected from flowers of a terry structure of lilac color;
- Bivens Varayeti Terry flowers, color - pale pink.
Armeria welwitschii is a tall variety, the stems of which reach 35 cm in height. The foliage is large, the plate is 10 cm long and about 5 cm wide. The diameter of the flowers is 2 cm, their petals pink, gather in capitate inflorescences. A large number of flowers bloom, the first are revealed in early summer, and flowering ends before the first winter days.
