The characteristic features of the palisot tree, care tips: watering, lighting, transplanting and fertilizing, reproduction, pest and disease control, interesting facts, species. Palisota (Palisota) belongs to the genus of plants with a long-term growth cycle and a herbaceous form. Botanists included them in the Commelinaceae family. This genus contains up to 30 varieties of such flora representatives, the native range of which is in the regions of West Africa, where the tropical climate prevails.
Palisot bears its scientific name in honor of the French traveler, who was fond of research in the field of botany - J. Palisot de Beauvois (1752-1820).
Under conditions of indoor cultivation, palisot can reach the parameters of 30-50 cm in height and reaches the same parameters in diameter. All varieties lack or lack long stems. During its growth, a root rosette is formed from the leaves of the plant. The foliage is usually densely packed at the base of the stem.
The leaf plates can reach a maximum length of up to 80 cm, but on average their size parameters are 30-50 cm, and the width ranges from 10 cm to 40 cm. The leaves have elongated petioles and a leathery surface. The shape of the thickened petioles is vaginal, there are formations in the form of grooves on the surface. At the base, the petiole can form a tube, from the inside, from which a new leaf plate originates.
The shape of the leaf is oblong-oval or broadly lanceolate, with a pointed tip at the top. Often, the surface is covered with uneven colored or embossed stripes. The color of the leaf is rich, dark green. When forming a leaf rosette, the leaves are arranged in tiers, while those located below are larger than the upper leaf plates in size.
During flowering, buds are formed, in which the petals are whitish or whitish-pink in color. The sizes of the flowers are small, they are rather inconspicuous in appearance, differ in actinomorphism (the outlines of the flower are correct - you can divide the flower by a vertically located plane, which is drawn through the axis, into equal parts not less than in a couple of directions). The petals in the flowers are placed freely. A single ovary has three nests. It protrudes from the corolla. Several filaments can be seen between the petals surrounding the ovary. Dense inflorescences are collected from densely placed flowers, taking on a panicle or capitate shape. They are crowned with thick, shortened flowering stems that rise from the center of the leaf rosette. The flowering process takes place from mid-winter until its end.
Along with the elegant foliage, the palisote is adorned with ripening fruits that take the shape of cones. Their sizes are small, the color is blue, white or pinkish, the surface is shiny. A compacted bunch is formed from the fruit, which crowns the peduncle. Ripening of fruits ends completely by mid-spring.
In home collections, this "green inhabitant" of the tropics is quite rare, since it is little known to flower growers, although the plant does not differ in capriciousness and increased requirements for care. The growth rate of this tropical plant is average, while young specimens stretch by several centimeters per year, but over time, the diameter of the leaf rosette increases by 10-15 cm per season.
Tips for growing palisot, home care
- Lighting. The plant should be placed on east or west windows, where there is a bright, but diffused light. Palisot can grow in partial shade, being from the window at a distance of 0.5–2 meters.
- Content temperature. For this tropical plant, summer heat values are recommended in the range of 18-24 degrees, and in the autumn-winter period not less than 16-18 units.
- Humidity when growing palisotas should be 50%. With the onset of summer, frequent spraying of the deciduous mass is carried out. Often, the pot is placed in a pallet on moistened expanded clay or pebbles. In winter, the plant is placed away from central heating batteries and heating appliances, otherwise the foliage will begin to dry out at the ends.
- Watering. With the arrival of the spring-summer period, it is recommended to moisten the soil in a pot of palisot every three days. It is best to keep the soil always moderately moist. When the leftover liquid flows into a stand under the pot, then after 10-15 minutes they are drained, as decay of the root system may develop. In the autumn months, watering is brought up to once a week, and with the arrival of winter and before the onset of activation of the growing season, moisture is needed only once every 10 days. At this time, the substrate dries out almost completely. It is recommended to use water well-separated and at room temperature (20-24 degrees). Often, flower growers use distilled or harvested rainwater.
- Fertilizers for this, plants from the tropics must be introduced regularly, since palisota does not have a pronounced rest period. It is recommended to make top dressing from the beginning of spring days to September. Fertilization regularly every 14 days. Complex mineral preparations are used for decorative deciduous indoor plants. It is better to use drugs that are available in liquid form.
- Features of caring for palisot. Unlike representatives of the Bromeliad family, it is not recommended to pour water into a leaf outlet, as this will inevitably lead to decay.
- Palisot transplant and soil selection. When the plant reaches a large size, the pot and soil in it is changed every 3-5 years. The indicator for transplanting is the tightness in the pot for the overgrown root system. For young specimens, a change in capacity is carried out, focusing on the state of the root system. If she braided the entire earthen lump, then a transplant is necessary. However, it must be remembered that frequent transplants of palisote are not very pleasant, therefore all such manipulations must be carried out by the transshipment method. In this case, the plant is removed from the pot, but the soil is not removed from the root system, but simply transferred to a new container, sprinkling the substrate on the sides. The pots for the plant are selected deep, since the root system tends to grow strongly over time. It is recommended to lay a sufficient layer of drainage material on the bottom. 3-4 cm of soil is poured on top and set, taken out of the palisot pot. The substrate is selected light with neutral acidity or slightly acidic. The soil consists of deciduous land (it is usually collected in a forest or park from under birches, capturing a little fallen decayed foliage), soddy soil, river coarse sand, peat. All parts of the components are taken equal.
How to propagate palisot with your own hands?
To propagate this tropical plant, you can sow seeds or root cuttings.
The seed propagation method is more complex. It is recommended to sow the collected seed in mid-spring in pots, wide and not deep. The planting substrate is mixed from peat, deciduous soil and river sand. Planting holes are made with a depth of about 5–10 mm. Then the soil is carefully moistened from a spray bottle (so that the seeds do not float) and the bowl is wrapped in a polyethylene bag or covered with a piece of glass - this will create conditions with high humidity. The pot is placed in a warm place (heat indicators are about 20-25 degrees), and at the same time do not forget to air the crops daily and if the soil is dry, then moisten it in the above way.
Usually, if you adhere to the above requirements, the seedlings begin to be seen after 2-4 weeks. When the seedlings grow a little, it is recommended to thin them out so that the distance between them is no more than 7 cm. When two pairs of true leaves are formed on the bore of the palisote, it is possible to dive the seedlings into separate pots, with a substrate in which adult specimens are grown.
Often, at the base of an adult specimen, growers can find young shoots (lateral processes). During the transplant, they can be separated and planted in separate containers prepared in advance with drainage at the bottom and selected soil. Sometimes these "kids" are kept in a vessel with water so that they put out a sufficient number of roots. And when the root shoots become at least 1 cm in length, then they are planted in the soil.
After transplanting, the seedling needs careful and careful care. Watering should be moderate, and the owner will have to organize shading from direct sunlight for the first time. A month later, young palisots are looked after already as adult specimens, when the period of adaptation and complete rooting has passed.
It is also possible to carry out division of a highly overgrown bush of an adult plant. However, such operations are often not recommended, since the palisote grows its deciduous mass rather slowly. Also, the division is combined with a spring transplant. At the same time, the bush is carefully removed from the old pot, the soil is slightly cleaned from the roots, what itself has fallen off. Then using a sharpened and sterilized knife, the root system is cut into several parts. It is not recommended to divide finely, as the “delenki” may not take root. Each of the parts must have at least two growth points. It is recommended to sprinkle the cuts with powdered charcoal or activated carbon. Then "delenki" are immediately planted in pre-prepared pots with drainage and soil. The main thing is not to overdry the parts of the plant, so that the adaptation is faster.
Difficulties in cultivating palisot in indoor conditions
When cultivating this tropical plant, the following problems associated with violation of growing conditions may arise, namely:
- When the substrate in the pot dries up, the inevitable weakening of the root system occurs.
- When the illumination level is low, then the leaf plates lose their decorative qualities and the color becomes monotonous dark or light green.
- Decreased air humidity and elevated temperatures will lead to drying out of the ends of the leaves.
- With constant exposure to direct sunlight, the leaves take on a yellow tint, while it is recommended to rearrange the palisot pot in a place devoid of direct streams of destructive ultraviolet radiation.
- Excessive watering will lead to fungal diseases. If the petioles begin to turn black, then it is necessary to carry out immediate treatment with fungicidal preparations in order to be able to save the plant or at least its uninfected part.
- Insufficient nutrition is indicated by a slowdown in the growth of palisota, shredding and paleness of young foliage.
Of the harmful insects that attack the plant at low humidity, spider mites and mealybugs are isolated. The first pest is characterized by the formation of a thin cobweb on the leaves, and the second is the formation of white cotton-like lumps and honeydew (sticky sugary plaque). When fighting pests, it is necessary to spray the leaf plates with insecticidal preparations (for example, Aktellik or Fitoverm). After a week has passed, the procedure is repeated to remove young insects and their waste products.
Facts to note about palisot
It is important to remember that in the juice of its parts, palisot contains toxic substances, namely calcium oxalate, called rafid. Oxalate is a sharp crystal that gets on the mucous membrane (in the mouth or throat) causes a strong burning sensation, and a burn of the gastrointestinal tract can also join such pain. Therefore, it is not recommended to place palisot in the vicinity for small children or pets, which can be tempted by the colorful berries of this tropical plant.
Types of palisot
- Palisota barteri is a plant with a herbaceous form of growth, from the leaves of which a basal leaf rosette is formed. Each leaf is crowned with an elongated fleshy stalk. Basically, the cuttings are concentrated at the base of the rosette. The outlines of the foliage are oblong-oval. The length of the leaf blade varies between 20–40 cm, with a width of approximately 10–15 cm. The color of the leaf is dark green, the surface is glossy, there is a pronounced vein of a lighter shade in the center, it is more visible on the back of the leaf. On the back side, the color is slightly lighter. The type of foliage is slightly wavy or slightly wrinkled. All parts of this plant have a whitish pubescence, which is a thin, silky hair, quite close to the surface. When flowering, small-sized flowers are formed, gathering in panicle inflorescences. The petals of flowers are whitish or light pinkish. When fruiting, berries of a bright red color ripen.
- Palisota mannii also differs in herbaceous growth and long-term life cycle. The leaf plates have oval or oblong outlines. Their color is light green, the surface is glossy. The edge is slightly wavy, the venation on the leaf is well pronounced. The length of the leaf plate is 35 cm with a width of about 10 cm. During flowering, a multi-flowered inflorescence is formed, which is distinguished by a capitate shape. The color of the petals in the flowers is white, the size is small. Ripening fruits are a red-colored berry, oblong, there is a sharp point at the end.
- Bracts palisota (Palisota bracteosa). The plant is a perennial, herbaceous form of growth, the leaves of which have long petioles, from which a basal rosette was collected. The outlines of the foliage are oblong-oval, the length can vary from 10 cm to 40 cm, the average width is about 15 cm. The color of the leaf is dark emerald, the surface is shiny. On the leaf, the central vein is often clearly visible due to the lighter shading. Such a spot takes on a white or yellowish color and can be either wide or rather narrow. The petioles have pubescence in the form of whitish strongly pressed hairs. The petioles themselves are fleshy and have seemingly "hunched" outlines, they reach 6-7 cm in length. Flowering occurs in small whitish faded flowers, from which are collected rather dense inflorescences, with capitate contours. The inflorescence of such a contour is formed due to the fact that the buds are placed tightly at the top of a short flowering stem. The process of fruit ripening occurs in the month of April. The fruits are oval berries of red color. Inside are gray seeds, measuring approximately 3-4 mm in diameter. This variety differs in that it has a variety that has gained popularity among flower growers. A similar plant has leaves of whitish-green patterning. They have multiple white stripes, uneven outlines, which originate from the central vein and rush across the entire surface of the leaf to the pointed apex.
