Description of fuchsia, interesting facts, conditions for growing fuchsia at home, transplantation, choice of soil and fertilizers, flower reproduction, species. Fuchsia (Fuchsia) belongs to the family of plants with the name Cypriot (Onagraceae), which are distinguished by a long duration of growth. The homeland of this flower beauty is considered to be the territory of the center and the south of the American continent, as well as the island lands of New Zealand. There are about 100 species of these unusually gentle plants, and many of them are cultivated for decorative purposes, and a large number of new hybrid bushes have been bred on their basis.
For the first time, fuchsia was discovered to the world by a botanist of French origin Charles Plumier, who was the author of a large number of scientific works in the field of botany, and was also a writer, painter and a man who at that time was called the honorary title of "king of botany".
When at the end of the 17th century, namely in 1696, Charles Plumier took part in the third expedition to the West Indies, a plant with beautiful flowers was found near the city of Santo Domingo, which today is the capital of the Dominican Republic, which had not been seen by Europeans before. It was decided to give this bush with such bright buds the name of the "father of botany" of the German Leonart von Fuchs, who lived in 1501-1566, and was engaged in the study of the plant world of the planet and healing. The full name of fuchsia in Latin began to sound like Fuchsia Triphylla Flore Coccinea.
Later, Karl Linnaeus, who was engaged in the classification of the flora and fauna of the earth, used this name, since the year when the botanical nomenclature first appeared was 1753. And now it is generally accepted that it is Linnaeus who is the author of the name of this genus of plants.
For the unique beauty of the buds, the people call fuchsia "ballerina" or "girlish beauty". In the Tatar peoples, this flower was given the name "flower with earrings", but the Germans recognized fuchsia under the name "darling of the world."
Fuchsia is a shrub or small tree, with rather flexible branches, reaching a height of 30-50 cm. The root system has a fibrous shape. Shoots are covered with small greenish or slightly reddish leaf plates. They are located opposite, they take an elongated-oval shape with a slight sharpening at the apex, along the edge there is a slight serration. Attached to short petioles, painted in a reddish tint. The length of the leaf can be up to 4–5 cm with a width of 2–3 cm.
The real property of this plant is its unique flowers. Usually their location is in axillary leaf buds. The buds are attached to thin and rather long pedicels. They can be located both singly and collected in racemose inflorescences. Flowers have a simple shape or double, drooping. The flowering process stretches over a long period from early summer to mid-autumn days. The fuchsia bud consists of two parts: the calyx, which has a corolla-shaped outline, painted in a bright color, and the corolla itself in the form of a tube with four petals bent to the top. The petals are usually shorter in length than the lobes of the calyx. The color of the petals of the calyx and corolla is very varied from white to dark purple, two-colored and with iridescent tones passing into each other. However, there are no yellow and blue fuchsias.
The stamens located in the center of the calyx are always longer than it and hang beautifully from the anthers to the ground. The anthers are painted in dark colors, but when they mature, whitish pollen crumbles from them. After flowering, a fruit is formed in the form of a berry, which at the very beginning has a reddish color, and as it matures, it acquires burgundy or red to black tones. The berry is edible.
Interesting facts about fuchsia
What else is unusual associated with this luxurious and gentle representative of the green world of the planet?
The first person in Europe to be presented with fuchsia flowers was the king of Spain. So the conquistadors who conquered American lands tried to make a pleasant offering for him.
The purple color, which we know well since our time, was named after the fuchsia flowers.
The chemical element called fuchsin also got its name from the similarity of its aqueous solutions with the color of fuchsia buds.
But the saxophonist Sem Rivers, who lives in America, called his debut album "Fuchsia Swing Song". Fruit-berries have a pleasant sweet and sour taste and are used not only in cooking, but also in medicinal whole. Fuchsia berries are a frequent guest on the table among South American Indians, as they were added as a seasoning to meat dishes.
Energetics emphasize the special positive aura that fuchsia carries and thus affects the human body, strengthening the relationship between family members. It is also recommended to have a fuchsia bush for people who are engaged in creativity, since the plant helps to develop the abilities associated with intuition and the energy of the space to tune in harmony. If it is necessary for creative and creative thoughts to be born, then it is customary to keep blooming fuchsia in the premises. It will also serve as a purifier of all negative thoughts and feelings.
Naturally, such an unusual flower did not bypass the folk epic; there are many legends about fuchsia. Here is one of them: in ancient times lived seven sisters who were famous for the beauty of the dance. And one day, while dancing, the evil wizard saw the sisters and wanted to make one of them his wife, and the rest his concubines. Upon learning of this, the sisters indignantly refused him, and out of anger the sorcerer turned all the girls into flowers that still remind people of the beauty of rebellious dancers.
Growing in New Zealand up to 10 meters in height, fuchsia wood is considered a particularly unique wood species and is used in construction.
The plant is very unpretentious and does not require special knowledge and experience in floriculture, consider the conditions for its cultivation and reproduction. With proper care, the bush can delight with its flowers from 20 to 50 years!
Fuchsia growing tips, care
- Lighting and location. The plant loves good lighting, but in the direct rays of the sun the leaves wither quickly, so you should try to put the fuchsia pot on the window of the east or west location. On the northern flower, there may not be enough light, and the leaves will turn yellow and fly around. However, it must be remembered that if the petals of fuchsia are painted in dark colors, then a lot of light will be required, otherwise the shade will fade, and for a flower with a delicate color of petals, you can select a place in an openwork shade. With the arrival of spring heat, the pot with the plant should be taken out into the fresh air, but take care of shading from the streams of burning ultraviolet radiation from 12 to 16 noon.
- Content temperature. Fuchsia grows well at room heat indicators, which are in the range of 18-23 degrees. But with the arrival of autumn, it is advisable to lower the temperature to 6-10 degrees, this will be the key to the abundant growth and flowering of the plant. With increased heat indicators (more than 25 degrees), the plant begins to shed its buds, and diseases are provoked.
- Air humidity. Since this shrub comes from tropical and subtropical areas, it will most of all like its high humidity values. During the spring growing season, it is necessary until flowers and buds appear to carry out regular spraying of the foliage with warm soft water. This will also be required with the onset of the summer heat. Water containers or humidifiers can be installed next to the pot. They also install a pot in a container, where drainage material (expanded clay or pebbles) will be poured at the bottom and a little water is poured. The pot is placed on a saucer so that the bottom does not touch the liquid level.
- Watering fuchsia. The plant will need regular and abundant moistening of the soil, but you should not allow the gulf or dry out of the earthy coma - this is destructive for the flower. After watering, after about 15 minutes, it is necessary to drain the remaining liquid from the pot holder so that the root system is not in the water. In the autumn period, moistening is carried out only 1-2 times a month, and with the arrival of winter, watering is completely stopped, especially if fuchsia is kept at low temperatures. It is better to take soft and warm water.
- Fertilizing the flower. To maintain fuchsia, it is necessary to add a little complex mineral fertilizer to the water for irrigation every 2-3 weeks at the beginning of the growing season, and as soon as the flowering time comes, fertilizing is used for flowering indoor plants. There are special fertilizers for fuchsias on sale that can even be mixed into the spray water until the buds open. No feeding is required in winter.
- Transfer and selection of soil. Fuchsia must be transplanted annually, but you should not give the root system a lot of space, as the foliage will grow, but you can not wait for flowering. The new container should be only 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. It is better to transplant by the transshipment method, when the earthen lump does not collapse, but only slightly shakes off the soil. In older plants, you can clean the root system a little. Or, instead of transplanting, they are limited to changing 3 cm of soil from above in a flowerpot.
For transplanting fuchsia, take any fertile soil, loose with good air and moisture conductivity. The reaction of the substrate should be neutral and a little peat or perlite is mixed in it, and sometimes a small amount of clay is added, which will retain moisture. Make up a mixture of the following components:
- sod substrate, humus soil, peat and compost (in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1);
- leafy soil, peat soil, river sand (in a ratio of 3: 2: 1).
Recommendations for breeding fuchsia at home
You can get a new flowering bush by cuttings or planting seeds.
In February-March or late summer and early autumn, cuttings can be cut. For this, young shoots are chosen. In principle, even slightly lignified twigs will be able to take root, but this will take longer. The length of the cutting should vary between 7-15 cm. The branches take root easily in water, sand or any other loose substrate. If the branches are placed in a vessel with water, then it is better to remove the lower leaves of the cutting, so that in contact with water, they will begin to rot and the infection will quickly spread throughout the cutting. Roots are formed after 20-25 days at room temperature. When the cutting is rooted (or has released root shoots at least 1–2 cm long), then transplant into a pot 7–9 cm in diameter with a substrate made up of turf, leafy soil and river sand (all parts are equal). To make the future bush lush, it is necessary to plant several branches in one container. To start branching, as soon as the plant reaches 15–20 cm in height, it is necessary to pin the top several times throughout the summer.
You can sow fuchsia seeds, but this process is very laborious and is used by those growers who want to achieve a new shade of plant flowers. In this case, the maternal properties of fuchsia are lost. The whole complexity of the process lies in the fact that you need to try to exclude self-pollination, and so that the plant is not pollinated by insects. Seed material is sown in early to mid-autumn into moist soil, laid in a container. The seeds are not planted. You can also take peat tablets, and then when sprout transplantation is required, their roots will not be injured. The container with seeds is wrapped in polyethylene or placed under glass, the container is placed in a place with sufficient lighting and room heat indicators (16-18 degrees). After about 2-3 weeks, you can wait for shoots. When one and a half to two months have passed, and a pair of true leaves have developed on the sprouts, you will need to dive into separate pots with a diameter of 7-9 cm. They are also wrapped in a plastic bag or placed under a glass jar. Seedlings are hardened gradually, opening the bag or removing the jar for 15–20 minutes a day, gradually increasing the time, otherwise the seedlings may die.
Possible problems in the cultivation of "ballerina"
Fuchsia is not very susceptible to diseases, but powdery mildew may appear at high humidity. For treatment, use the drug "Fundazol".
Aphids, whiteflies and spider mites also harm the plant. Colonies of green or black bugs may appear on the outer side, whitish dots (whitefly eggs) appear on the reverse side, and then a small midge cuts around the bush, a thin cobweb may appear, which will wrap up the leaves and stems of the plant. The leaf plates, under the influence of pests, turn pale, deform, and fall off, and the buds do not open. For all such symptoms, it will be necessary to carry out treatment with soap, oil or alcohol (wiping the leaves or spraying the entire bush). If such methods do not bring positive results, then insecticide treatment will be required.
When foliage begins to fly around, this could be triggered by the following factors:
- waterlogging or drying out of the substrate;
- lack of illumination;
- high air temperature;
- changing the position of the pot, in relation to the light source.
If flowering ends too quickly, then this was the reason:
- in winter, the plant was kept at elevated temperatures;
- violation of soil complications;
- insufficient watering, humidity and lighting during the growing period.
Fuchsia species
There are a lot of varieties of this plant, here are only a few of them:
- Fuchsia brilliant (Fuchsia fulgens). The plant is 1–2 meters tall and is evergreen. Stems are densely branched, glabrous, colored in light red shades. The leaf plates are located opposite, oval-cordate or elongated-oval, the edge has a fine serration, without pubescence. Their size is large, 15–20 cm in length and 8–12 cm in width. The apical inflorescences in the form of brushes are collected from the flowers, hanging to the ground, in a bright red tone. The corolla is tubular in length up to 10 cm, has a narrowing at the base, petals up to a centimeter in length. Sepals are short, with a whitish color or greenish top. The stamens hang below the calyx. Fruits with edible berries. The flowering period is long and plentiful from June to August. This variety is the progenitor for breeding hybrid species with racemose inflorescences.
- Fuchsia bolivian (Fuchsia boliviana Carriere). Shrub plant with a height of 1–1, 2 meters, with evergreen foliage. Leaves with an elliptical shape, they are 10-15 cm long and 6 cm wide. The tops are pointed, the edge is serrated. Branched brushes are collected from the flowers at the tops of the shoots, the buds are large, dark red in color. The length of the corolla tube reaches 6 cm, the bends of the sepals are equal to 2 cm in length, and the petals are centimeter-long. Blooms in March-April.
- Fuchsia magellan (Fuchsia magellanica). The height of the bush is 2-3 m. Young branches are finely pubescent, purple. The veins on the leaves are purple. The corolla tube of the flower is scarlet-red, and the petals are purple-blue.
For more information on growing, caring for and breeding fuchsia, see here:
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