The origin and natural habitat of achimenes, species and their exterior, reproduction, growing and caring for a flower at home, diseases and pests. Ahimenes - under this sonorous name, which inspires courage and a steely disposition, there is a particularly beautiful plant that will look harmonious in different locations of your home and outside its walls. This bright decoration is really worth taking care of it, because, despite the weather outside the window, it will cheer you up every minute with its cute flowers, the variety of colors of which is fascinating.
Origin and natural habitat of achimenes
Achimenes (Latin Achimenes) is a magical flowering plant that is an excellent continuation of the Gesneriaceae family. By the nature of its origin, it belongs to the perennial herbaceous representatives of the flora, which are awarded with delightful inflorescences and a well-developed rhizome system. This beautifully flowering miracle is a native of the rainforests of South America, namely Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay and Guatemala.
Variety of varieties of achimenes
If you believe different sources of information, then on average there are about 25-50 different plant species in nature, but this is not the limit, because science and floriculture are not standing still. They differ from each other in various characteristics. The most popular and demanded varieties of decorative perennials are presented to your attention:
- Achimenes grandiflora (Latin Achimenes grandiflora). This delightful representative of the green world is difficult to ignore, not only because of his enchanting uncommon appearance, but also because of the largest size among all Ahimenes. It grows to a height of about 60–65 cm. Sprawling, well-pubescent shoots are adorned with large leaves of a rich dark green color, which has a reddish tint around the edges. The length of the leaves is 8–10 cm. Also, along the entire length of the shoot, flowers are located, which are also not small in size, their average diameter is 5–7 cm. The flowers are colored red and have relatively short pedicels. The "visiting card" of this species is a baggy swelling located near the base of the corolla. This species also has garden forms, which differ mainly in colors and their color, and the leaves of some of them have a beautiful noble bronze color. The most common ones are: Little Beauty, Pink Beauty and Rose, Yellow Beauty, Paul Arnold, Purple King, Cattleya, Schneewitschen, Snow Queen, Ambroise Verschaffelt ".
- Achimenes sweet (lat. Achimenes dulcis). The flowers that adorn this representative are in the form of a small bell, the diameter of which is 3-4 cm on average. The bell has a white color and petals slightly protruding outward. The throat of the flower is wide, in its depth it hides a lemon-colored speck. The shoots of the plant are covered with medium-sized bright green leaves. A barely perceptible delicate smell emanates from it.
- Achimenes Mexican (lat. Achimenes Mexicana). A rather large plant, its height is about 30-50 cm. By nature, he got relatively large straight shoots, on which large leaves flaunt, painted in a magical emerald color. The violet-blue flowers have a bell-shaped corolla with a white spot in the center. A yellow stripe is visible on the pharynx.
- Achimenes erect (lat. Achimenes erecta). This plant is distinguished by beautiful small flowers, the diameter of which is close to 1 cm. Shoots are relatively long, green with a slight reddish tint. Leaves grow on the shoots, which have a rather dense edge. At the end of its growth, the flower grows to approximately 30–40 cm in height.
- Achimenes prostrate (lat. Achimenes patens). The upper limit of its growth is about 30 cm. The stems of this perennial have a brown, less often red tint. Flowers on it are located singly, they have a corolla, which has the property of expanding upward. The color of the flowers is lilac. Their diameter is about 2 cm.
- Achimenes Misera (lat. Achimenes misera). The plant is small in size. The flowers, about 1 cm in diameter, are painted in a white shade, around the throat, as if covering it, a wide spot of purple color is located. The stem is straight, covered with tiny leaves, saturated green.
- Achimenes lion-grain (lat. Achimenes antirrhina). This representative is unusual in that on its medium-sized flowers with a yellow corolla, a dense dark red ornament is very clearly visible.
- Achimenes snow-white (lat. Achimenes candida). The name of this species speaks for itself. Its flowers have a snow-white color, it happens occasionally that they acquire a slightly yellowish tint. The shoots are shaded with a red-brown color, they are distinguished by a slight roughness. The peculiarity of the leaves is the marginal notches.
The last species we are considering is Achimenes longiflora (Latin Achimenes longiflora) from Guatemala. It is appreciated not only for beautiful multi-colored flowers, but also for the fact that they delight the eye for a long time. It grows in the form of a low-growing shrub, its height is no more than 30–35 cm. For its life it prefers warm places with a sufficient level of humidity. On its shoots, painted in bright green, narrow leaves of a light green color are comfortably located, which have a serrated edge. The leaves are arranged opposite each other, flowers gradually appear from their sinuses. The buds have a tubular shape, their length is about 5–8 cm, they are painted white, on their surface there are stripes of light yellow or purple colors. Rhizomes are similar in shape to cones. This type of achimenes also has garden forms, which mainly differ in the color of their flowers. The most famous of them:
- Achimenes Chiapas - has flowers of a pale purple color, the edges of the petals of which are decorated with light waviness.
- Achimenes Juaregia - this plant pleases us with large flowers painted in a delicate white color. It also has a feature - a lilac speck located in the projection of the upper part of the pharynx.
- Achimenes Haage - This representative has a purple throat, which is located on white flowers.
- Achimenes Major - the uniqueness of this species is represented by the fact that it has the largest flowers among all its fellows. The color of the flowers is presented in light blue or light purple, the pharynx has a lighter shade. A light speck is located in the center of the pharynx, and its beginning is separated by brown specks, their rims are yellow.
Growing achimenes, features of care
As for growing a plant at home, it is safe to say that there is nothing particularly difficult in this, although there are still some nuances, but they will seem extremely petty to you as soon as you see your flowering child.
- Possible breeding methods. In floriculture, there are three main ways in which this flower can multiply, these are: cuttings, dividing rhizomes and directly by seeds.
- Propagation by cuttings. This method is used extremely rarely due to the fact that it requires a lot of effort and does not always give the desired result. They do it this way: rooting of cuttings should be carried out in water, sand, or in a mixture of sand with leafy soil. The container with a young plant should be covered with plastic wrap or glass containers. Watering is recommended with a sprayer. The rooting process takes about 2 weeks. For its acceleration and higher efficiency, substances are used that are stimulants in the process of root formation, for example: "Kornevin" or "Heterouaxin". Provided that rooting is successful, the flower can be transferred to mature potting soil.
- Sowing seeds. This is perhaps the easiest way to get a beautiful inhabitant of your home. It is not at all necessary to run to the store for seeds, they can be prepared with your own hands, if you or your friends already have this fabulous plant in the house. Approximately 2–2, 5 months after the end of the flowering period, the seeds should be fully ripe, a certain softness of the small fruits of achimenes will tell you about this. Sowing seeds in the ground is best in the pre-spring period. The container with the seed is sufficiently moistened and covered with plastic wrap or glass. Before the first sunrises appear, and this will happen about 2-3 weeks after sowing the seeds, the flower should be stored in a dark place at a temperature of 22-25 degrees.
- Reproduction using rhizomes. The rhizomes of the Achimenes have some of their own characteristics. Firstly, they have their own name - rhizomes, and secondly, they differ in a very unusual external appearance: in their shape they are very similar to a pine cone or to a large mulberry fruit. Reproduction of this bright miracle with the help of its robe is the most common method of procreation. Larger rhizomes can be neatly divided during planting, but this must be done so that each small rhizome has at least one shoot. After that, they should be slightly dried and freely taken for planting in a suitable substrate.
- The optimal soil for your Ahimenes. As for the choice of soil mixture for this graceful flower, he does not put forward any special requirements. A prerequisite is the obligatory looseness of the soil, which will provide good drainage for liquid and oxygen. It is perfectly acceptable to use a store-bought mixture for flowering ornamental plants. The following substrate is considered the ideal composition: sod land, sand and leafy soil, in a ratio of 2: 1: 3. The addition of peat or humus soil, vermicompost or perlite shows itself well.
- Nutritional Supplements. Since the plant grows quite intensively, it should be fed regularly. It is recommended to do this every 10-14 days. After a winter awakening or after a recent transplant, the flower should be fed no earlier than 1, 5–2 months, for the reason that fresh soil is rich in nutrients, and an overabundance of individual elements negatively affects the development of our pet. Complex mineral fertilizers for flowering indoor plants are ideal for feeding.
- Watering. As for the liquid, there are some peculiarities. The plant itself is water-loving, but at the same time, in no case should the liquid stagnate, as well as moisture on the leaves. During development, and after flowering, watering should be carried out regularly. To do this, use soft water at room temperature. After the last leaves have fallen off, the plant is recommended to be placed in the place where it will live in winter, and watering should be postponed until about February, only occasionally moistening the soil (once every 2-3 months).
- Temperature conditions. In principle, the flower is moderately thermophilic. He feels great at a temperature of 20-24 degrees. Protect it from drafts and sudden temperature changes. When the dormant period begins, the heat indicators can be gradually reduced, the lower limit of which should be within 15-16 degrees.
- Air humidity. In relation to the humidity of the air, Ahimenes is a little capricious. This is manifested by the fact that the optimal coefficient of humidity should be at least 60%, but at the same time, he is categorically against being sprayed. The solution to this dilemma will be a pallet with wet pebbles, into which this whimsical handsome man is placed. Or you can place it in a comfortable neighborhood with plants that prefer an aquatic existence.
- A place under the sun. This representative of the plant world is quite photophilous. But it is necessary to protect it from direct rays of the scorching sun, as they can have a very negative effect on the health of the flower. The optimal location will be a well-lit place, on which a very light diffused shadow falls - an east or west window.
- Pruning. This is an extremely important action for our green friend. It should be carried out at the end of winter, before the start of rapid growth. All shoots should be cut, leaving stumps about 20-25 cm long. This measure will preserve the individuality and beautiful appearance of the plant. If you want the flower to bush, then it is recommended to pinch young shoots for this.
- Transfer. You need to transplant the flower into new pots every spring, after the end of the dormant period.
Difficulties in growing achimenes
If these few rules for caring for a flower are not followed, you can face serious consequences of this, which leads to a lot of unnecessary worries, or in the worst case, there is a possibility of a complete cessation of the life activity of achimenes. He reports about all these pathological conditions with defects in appearance. The most common ones are:
- If the rules for watering are not followed, namely, moisturizing with cold or hard water, spots in the form of rings may form on the surface of the leaves, which in the first stages are colored light yellow, and as the process progresses, they acquire a dark brown color.
- If your blooming household was sprayed with water, and later exposed to drafts, you will immediately receive a signal of danger: spotting also appears on the surface of the plant.
- Direct sunlight, when exposed to this green miracle, causes severe leaf burns.
- In the event that your pupil is not provided with the proper amount of iron, a disease such as chlorosis may develop. Its clinical manifestations will be excessive yellowness of the leaves as a whole or their individual parts.
- With a high frequency, these bright plants suffer from diseases of fungal etiology, which in turn provoke the death of leaves and decay of the whole body of achimenes. The most common cause of the appearance of fungi is excessive waterlogging of the soil or when keeping a flower at low temperatures. As for the means for resisting fungal infections, the following drugs have the most effective effect: Fundazol, Abiga-peak and other drugs with a fungicidal effect.
This flower, charming in its appearance, attracts the attention of some creatures dangerous to it. The most common pests that disrupt your green pet's comfort are spider mites, whiteflies, aphids and thrips. In the fight against them, you can use folk remedies: soap products, solutions of wormwood, garlic, tomato leaves, hot peppers and other plants that have pungent aromas. But chemical preparations are considered a more effective method. These include: "Aktellik", "Fitoferm", "Mospilan", "Aktara", "Neoron" and many others.
How to care for achimenes at home, see here:
