Characteristics of anemopsis, tips for growing a plant in a garden plot and in rooms, how to reproduce, dealing with possible difficulties in cultivation, notes for flower growers. Anemopsis (Anemopsis) belongs to the family Saururaceae, but sometimes in the literature on botany you can find such interpretations as Saurura or Saurura. This plant has the appearance of a herbaceous flowering perennial. Its native area of growth falls on the territory of the lands of the North American continent and regions of East and South Asia. Although it is often found in the southwest of North America and the northwest of the Mexican possessions. At the same time, he prefers to settle in shallow water or along the banks of large or small river arteries or closed reservoirs, where the soil is well moistened.
| Family name | Savrurae |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (by dividing the bush) |
| Landing period in open ground | Delenki are planted in April or August, and seedlings in late spring |
| Disembarkation scheme | Root collar level with soil |
| Substrate | Light sandy or medium loamy or heavy clayey, sometimes even rocky. Prefers an alkaline environment up to saline soil. Can grow in bottom silt, while the rhizome is immersed in water |
| Illumination | Open area with bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture-loving |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.3-0.6 m |
| Color of flowers | Whitish or pinkish |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Ear |
| Flowering time | May |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Winter hardiness | Weak |
| Place of application | On the banks of water bodies or in containers, alpine slides, rockeries and flower beds |
| USDA zone | 4, 5, 6 |
One of the versions of the origin of the name of the plant is the word in Spanish "Mansa", which means "calm" or "tamed". Most likely, Anemopsis received such an unusual name because of its medicinal properties, which were used to make sedatives. The local population calls it "calm-grass". However, the true reason is unclear.
Since there is only one representative in the genus - Californian Anemopsis (Anemopsis californica), we will consider it more closely. In terms of height, the parameters of the shoots are close to 60 cm. The rhizome is rather thickened, creeping outlines, and the entire root system is well branched. It is thanks to her that the bush can actively grow, forming dense clumps - a small thicket of one representative of the flora.
The leaf plates are concentrated in the lower part, forming a basal rosette. At the base, its size can be measured by 30 cm. The shape of the leaves is mostly oblong, but it differs among themselves depending on the place of formation. So the leaves in the lower part are large in size, from which a wide rosette is assembled. Their elongated petioles have a smooth transition to the central vein. Its outlines are quite clearly visible, since it differs in width, shaded with a yellowish tone. Since this color combination is quite contrasting (the entire background of a leaf of a rich green color scheme), it serves as a decoration for anemopsis even without flowers. Such leaves are oval with a rounding at the top.
On the stems, leaf plates of a narrower contour are formed, elongated and originating from the stem nodes. There are up to 1–3 of them. When summer sultry days come, a reddish spot begins to form on the leaf surface. The shape of the spots is small, but over time they become larger and their number grows. By September, the entire leaf can already become a bright red color.
When flowering, Anemopsis becomes even more attractive, as its flowers are quite small, and they gather in an inflorescence that is shaped like an ear. There are many flowers in it and the cob, because of this, has a high density. But each of the flowers is the owner of small whitish or pinkish bracts. The entire flower ear is surrounded by large bracts. Therefore, if a person does not understand botany, then it seems to him that the flower of this plant consists of a certain number of snow-white petals, and in the center there is a motley center with cone-like outlines. Flowers are crowned with tall flowering stems, the surface of which has pubescence. The flowering process lasts from May to June. If the grower creates favorable conditions for growth, he will be able to admire the flowering even until August.
After this process is completed, a spikelet of green tone remains from the inflorescence, crowning a thin flowering stem. In such a spikelet, the seeds that serve as sowing material ripen.
You need to plant a plant in a garden in a place where the soil is quite wet, so landscape designers prefer to decorate it with artificial ponds or man-made waterfalls with bushes. The best "neighbors" on the site for anemopsis are irises or miscanthus, it looks good next to geraniums, a swimsuit or a lobster. It can give plantings a special dynamics and volume, since its green deciduous mass becomes an excellent background for brighter representatives of the flora with beautiful flowers. It is customary to organize “green islands” with the help of “calm-grass” curtains, and this feature is used in landscape design. The root system of Anemopsis tends to be fixed on stones, then it can be planted in stone gardens, rakaria, or used for landscaping alpine hills.
Tips for growing anemopsis outdoors and indoors
- Place for disembarkation or keeping in the house. Since in nature the plant prefers sunny areas, then it is worth choosing a flower bed for it with a southern orientation so that there is a lot of direct sunlight. With a lack of lighting, flowering will be poor and short. However, partial shade will not do much harm to the "calm-grass". But you should not be guided by such rules for home maintenance, since on the south window, due to a lack of movement of air masses, foliage can suffer from sunburn. Therefore, the pot can be placed on the windowsill of the east or west window. If there is not enough light, then backlighting is recommended.
- Soil for planting. A variety of substrates are suitable for growing, but it is desirable that they be fertile. However, if there is a place with light sandy, medium loamy or heavy clayey soil, then this will not prevent anemopsis from living well on it. It can sometimes show good growth on rocky ground. Prefers alkaline environment up to saline soil. It can grow in bottom silt.
- Watering. If "calm-grass" grows in shallow water, then this aspect of care disappears by itself, but when it is planted in a flower bed or in a pot, the grower will have to carefully monitor the moisture content of the substrate. It is important to note that if the soil is very dry, then the anemopsis will die. As soon as the soil is slightly dry on top, the plant is watered. The same is carried out in the summer heat, when growing away from artificial or natural reservoirs. When growing in a pot, you should also avoid stagnant water in the pot holder.
- Planting Anemopsis. When planting, it is necessary to dig a hole that would correspond in size to the root system of the plant. After the bush is installed in the hole, make sure that the root collar is at the level of the soil. When "calm-grass" is planted in shallow water, you can use a container or basket here. If this is not done, then the growth of the root system is almost impossible to stop, and when cultivated in a pond, it is rather difficult to do such an operation manually. But here another problem arises, since our winters will be disastrous for anemopsis and we will have to do an autumn digging every year to keep it indoors, and then plant a bush in spring.
- Calm-grass fertilizers applied during the entire growing season every 2-3 weeks. In this case, it is recommended to use both mineral and organic preparations. An industrial complete universal complex for ornamental deciduous plants is suitable as a mineral, and wood ash, peat or humus can act as organic matter.
- Wintering. If winters in your area are mild, then the "calm-grass" bushes grow in the open field, and they perfectly survive the cold season without shelter. Otherwise, it is recommended to dig up the plants and plant them in containers that are placed in basements or other cold rooms. When such a rule is violated, then Anemopsis can freeze out.
- General advice on care. Since the rhizome of anemopsis has the property of growing, it is not uncommon for the plant to turn into a weed in case of mistakes in care, filling the surrounding areas. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to keep it in containers or to limit its growth area with sheets of iron or tin. You can use plastic or stone for greater decorativeness. In the process of caring for the plant, dried stems should be regularly removed, in addition, the flower heads that have grown pepper should be plucked. This is to ensure that Anemopsis does not waste its energy on ripening the seeds if such a propagation method is not required. Then the process of further flowering lengthens and becomes more abundant. In addition, the appearance of discolored inflorescences-cobs is very harmful to the decorative effect of the bush, since the bracts acquire a brown tint, they dry out and rise ugly above the green leaf plate.
How to reproduce anemopsis?
You can get a new bush of "calm-grass" by sowing the collected seeds or dividing the overgrown rhizome.
It is recommended to sow seeds in autumn, so that with the arrival of spring the seedlings will grow for planting in a permanent place in a flower bed or in a pot. The seeds are placed in seedling boxes filled with a mixture of peat and sand, taken in equal parts. After that, the soil is sprayed abundantly with a spray bottle. Then the container with the crops is placed in a cool place, at a temperature of about 12-15 degrees, with good lighting, but without direct sunlight. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the soil is always in a moist (but not flooded) state, since anemopsis is very fond of moisture.
When sprouts appear, the temperature is slightly raised so that the column of the thermometer is in the range of 15-18 units. In the spring, when the threat of return frosts has passed (May-June), seedlings can be planted in a permanent place in the garden. If you plan to grow them at home, then you don't have to wait so long, and when the Anemopsis plants reach a height of 8–10 cm, they are transplanted into pots.
When reproduction is carried out by dividing the overgrown rhizome, then such an operation is carried out at the end of summer or in April, that is, before the flowering period or after it. Plants are removed from the soil with a pitchfork and the rhizome is divided into parts using a sharpened garden tool. Each of the divisions should contain renewal points and a certain amount of leaves. Do not make the parts too small, as such plants are more difficult to go through the adaptation period.
Planting (what is the share, what is the seedlings) is carried out in a prepared place, but they will bloom only the next year.
Coping with possible difficulties in caring for anemopsis
It is possible to delight lovers of garden flora that "calm-grass" is practically not affected by pests and diseases. But if the owner violates the growing rules, then the following troubles may happen:
- When the turgor of the leaves decreases, it is recommended to immediately check the moisture content of the soil, and when it is very dry, moisturize.
- If the planting site is chosen incorrectly and the plant does not have enough sunlight, then the flowering process becomes very short-lived and poor. At the same time, an urgent transplant of Anemopsis is carried out, and if it is grown as a home culture, then the pot with it is transferred to a more illuminated place or supplementary lighting with phytolamps is organized.
Some problems can be caused by slugs, snails or cabbage that grow in the garden. It is clear that slugs and snails prefer damp and shady places, but under the leaves of "calm-grass" they just "live" well. Often they can infect not only leaves, but stems and even flowers. Such pests can be collected by hand or using a special device like a fan in the evening when they come out of hiding places. Some growers use biocontrol agents, such as the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodit, marketed under the brand name Nemaslug. For prophylaxis against such pests, it is recommended as protection to carry out treatment with special insecticides or other preparations, for example, "Meta" or "Thunderstorm".
Notes for flower growers about anemopsis, a photo of a herbaceous plant
For a long time, the plant was well known to the indigenous people of the American continent, as it possessed not only medicinal, but also magical properties. It was believed that it is suitable for the treatment of not only foliage, but also the rhizome of anemopsis. Such drugs were used as for stomatitis or to relieve symptoms of toothache, and also helps to eliminate inflammation of the mucous membranes or skin diseases. All due to the fact that antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, blood-purifying and analgesic properties were attributed to him.
But the application is not limited to this, even the Indians of the southwestern regions of America have adapted to use drugs made from parts of the "calm-grass" for the treatment of infectious diseases of the genitourinary system, such remedies for tonsillitis and tonsillitis also helped. Cuts and burns could heal quickly. At the same time, the rhizome was also used, which was not only dried and a medicinal powder was obtained from it, but tinctures were prepared on it.
Anemopsis foliage could be harvested, dried, and then brewed into tea. Such a solution is also used for rinsing the mouth, as well as for treating the skin. Such teas contributed to the elimination of uric acid, and the elimination of rheumatic pains. For such preparations, plant roots were pre-washed, thoroughly dried and steamed using a water bath. The course of treatment was usually 10 days.
If, during training or competitions, athletes or hard-working people received sprains of joints or ligaments, then folk healers recommended rubbing the damaged areas with powder from the root of anemopsis. The same remedy will help with diaper rash.
Important
The dosage can be prescribed only by a homeopathic doctor, it is not recommended to use such drugs on your own, otherwise poisoning is possible. If the inflorescences-cobs or leaf plates are dried, then winter bouquets are created from them or they are used as aromatherapy, since they have a pleasant herbal smell and help clean the premises.
Among the indigenous people of the United States, Anemopsis is found under the name "Yerba Mansa", which translates as "Tamed Herb." It was believed that the flower can serve as a guide between the worlds of the living and the dead, so it was used by shamans in ritual ceremonies.
