Description of the signs of anigosanthos, tips on maintenance, independent transplantation and reproduction, problems with growing, interesting facts, species. Anigozanthos belongs to the herbaceous genus of plants included in the Commelinales family or, according to other sources, Haemodoraceae. He can consider the territories in the west of the Australian continent as his native places of growth. To date, science knows 13 varieties of this plant.
Often this flower is found under the name "Kangaroo Paws" or "Cat's Paw" - this contributed to the unusual appearance of the green inhabitant of the planet. Its Latin name anigosanthus is due to the fusion of the Greek words "anises" and "anthos", which means uneven and flower, respectively. All of the above characterizes the ability of the flower tops to be divided into six parts unequal in appearance.
Anigosanthus is a herbaceous perennial with a height of up to 2 meters. Rhizomes are short, horizontally arranged, with fleshy forms and quite brittle. The leaf plates are arranged in two rows, they are xiphoid in shape, lanceolate or belt-shaped, painted in a light olive green or medium green color, vaginal at the base. The surface of the leaf is characterized by compression on both sides of the plate, which resembles an iris leaf. The rosette, which forms from the leaves, is located close to the soil surface and a thin leafy stem shoot originates from it. In height, it can reach 20–25 cm. Stem leaves grow on it, which do not differ in strong development. They can be so reduced in size that they sometimes resemble scales. An inflorescence forms at the top of the stem.
The flowers are painted in a wide variety of shades, their color varies from black to yellow, there are pink and green variations. Anigosanthus can also have two-color varieties: greenish-red, violet-green, orange-yellow or red-black. The general background of flowers is formed due to thin hairs, which cover the buds and even part of the stem like pubescence.
The flowers are elongated in shape, reaching a length of 2–6 cm. Of these, racemose or panicle inflorescence groups are collected, measuring 3–15 cm in length. The edge of the flower is curved, which is very similar to the legs of a kangaroo, which is why the name of the plant came from. The flowering process stretches from May to mid-summer. This action can be extended even more if you regularly cut off the peduncles that have grown peppers.
Most often grown as an ornamental plant. But cultivation in the open field will require a milder winter than in our climatic zone. For growing in room conditions, dwarf varieties of anigosanthus were specially bred. The flower's growth is very slow, but over time, an ornamental bush with a rather strong branching is formed, in which a large number of flowering stems with many inflorescence panicles at the top can be seen. The plant does not require too difficult conditions for its care, and a florist who does not have much knowledge of growing indoor or garden flowers can handle it.
Conditions for growing anigosanthos, rules of care
- Lighting. The plant loves good bright lighting and sunny sides. That is, windows facing southeast, southwest and naturally south are suitable for growing in rooms. On the window of the northern location, Anigosanthus will not have enough light and will have to illuminate it, it is recommended to do the same with the arrival of the autumn-winter period, since the bush does not grow in strong shade and will gradually wither.
- Content temperature. "Kangaroo paws" will easily endure hot days, but it is not afraid of a light frost, but it will not survive in severe frosts. Indoors it grows well at room rates of 20-25 degrees Celsius; for the autumn-winter period, the temperature will need to be reduced to 10-14 degrees. If this condition is not met, then flowering can not wait.
- Air humidity when growing anigosanthus, it is not a very important indicator and the plant tolerates dry indoor air normally. If the air is too dry, the tops dry out.
- Watering. In the summer, it will be necessary to moisten the soil in the pot abundantly, but it is important to ensure that the liquid does not get on the leaves of the plant. If the earthen lump is overdried, then this threatens with the fall of flowers. Stagnant moisture is not needed, as the roots will begin to rot. The water should be soft and warm. It is recommended to water with rainwater.
- Fertilizer introduced during the period of activation of growth, you will need to add additional fertilizing every 2-3 weeks. They use universal fertilizers for indoor plants. In winter, the flower is not disturbed by top dressing.
- Dormant period for Anigosanthus it occurs in the winter months. At this time, watering must be reduced, no fertilizing is applied, and the temperature of the content decreases, but the illumination must be good.
- Transfer and selection of soil. For transplanting anigosanthus, select a medium-sized pot with a wide base. A good drainage layer is laid in it, and holes must be made in the bottom for the drain of excess non-assimilated liquid. The plant will require a pot change when its root system completely entwines the proposed substrate and begins to go beyond the pot. The transplanting process is best done in late spring. Young plants are most often not transplanted until the root system has grown.
The transplant substrate is composed of the following components:
- leafy soil, river sand and peat soil (all parts are equal);
- ordinary universal soil for indoor flowers and coarse sand, add crushed tree bark.
Recommendations for self-propagation of anigosanthos
To get a new bush of "kangaroo legs" use the planting of seed or division of the old bush.
It is recommended to germinate seeds immediately after they are harvested, but it has been proven that their germination is not lost for several years. You will need to use a shallow plastic container and peat-sand substrate. Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and lightly powdered with soil. It is necessary to regularly spray the surface of the earth from a spray bottle with warm and soft water. After 15–40 days, sprouts will appear. Seeds germinate well in any period of the year, if the room temperature is maintained (20-24 degrees). When the seedlings grow well, they must be dived one at a time into separate small containers with soil, which is suitable for growing adult Anigosanthus.
In the spring or autumn period (immediately after flowering), it is possible to divide an overgrown bush of "kangaroo legs". It is necessary to carefully remove the Anigosanthus rhizome from the substrate. The root system is divided with a sharpened and disinfected knife. In this case, you will need to remove all old sheets. In planted plants, it is recommended to cut the leaf plates in half, thus, the surface from which moisture will actively evaporate will decrease in size. The main condition for good germination is to ensure that moisture does not get on the slices, otherwise the anigosanthus can get sick. Delenki are kept in a shaded place for several weeks, before they take root.
Difficulties in cultivating anigosanthos
Most often, the plant can be affected by a mealybug or spider mite. In this case, a translucent cobweb or formations in the form of whitish cotton balls appear on the leaves, and the whole plant is covered with a sticky sugary bloom. In this case, the treatment of the bush with solutions that are applied to a cotton pad and wipe the leaves and stems of the flower will help. Such means can be a soap composition (when a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent or laundry soap are dissolved in water), oil - 2-3 drops of rosemary essential oil diluted in a liter of water, or a pharmacy alcoholic solution of calendula. Processing is carried out until the pests are destroyed. But if it happens that sparing agents do not help, then you will have to apply insecticide spraying.
Common problems and solutions are listed here:
- if you overmoisten the substrate in the pot too much, then black spots appear on the leaves;
- in the case when the leaves began to turn pale or too elongated, then this is a lack of illumination and anigosanthus must be kept with a greater flow of light, and in winter, with good illumination and coolness, while the leaves that have lost their shape should be cut off;
- at low air humidity, the tops of the leaves begin to dry out, it is necessary to cut off the dried parts, and raise the humidity;
- when the drainage is poor and the substrate has been flooded, the leaf plates turn yellow, droop and the rhizome begins to rot - an urgent transplant will be required, and the rotted root processes should be removed, the sections are powdered with crushed charcoal, watering is limited;
- if flowering does not occur, then it is necessary to increase the illumination or the winter rest regime was not observed.
Interesting facts about Anigosantos
The Menglaz species of anigosanthos is so common in the southwestern lands of the Australian continent that in 1960 it was decided to make it the botanical emblem of the state of Western Australia. The plant is endemic, that is, it does not grow anywhere else in the world.
Since cut Anigosanthus flowers placed in a vessel with water do not lose their freshness for a very long time, it is customary to use it not only for bouquets represented by this plant, but also include exotic flowers in floristic compositions, highlighting the beauty of flowers with large buds. This is facilitated by the bright shades of the buds and their bizarre extraordinary shapes, which is why “kangaroo paws” are so loved by collectors of flower bouquets. If you visit the west of the Australian continent, you can buy handicrafts and souvenirs made from dried Anigosanthus flowers in local shops, since even in dried form its paint does not fade, and its shape is not lost.
Since the end of the 17th century, twelve varieties of the flower have already been discovered, which are different and beautiful in their own way. It was only thanks to the expedition of the French sailor, Australian explorer and traveler Nicolas Boden that the variety became known, which began to be grown in room conditions since 1803. The participants of this trip have collected a magnificent collection of zoology, botany and ethnography of those places and brought with them among the many samples and seeds of the "wonderful" plant. This collection came into the possession of the Paris National Museum, and the plants began to grow in the Malmaison castle (in its gardens and greenhouse premises), which belonged to the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte - Josephine.
The extract, which is extracted from the leaf plates of anigosanthus, is a raw material for the production of cosmetic products. For example, it is used to produce hair and skin conditioning products.
Anigosanthos species
- Anigosanto bicolor (Anigozanthos bicolor). It is a perennial plant with a height of 70 cm and a width of up to 40 cm. The leaf plates are distinguished by a medium green shade and a prickly edge, their length varies from 30 to 40 cm. Inflorescences are collected in the form of brushes and reach 3–10 cm in length …They usually contain from 4 to 10 pieces of buds. The color of the flowers is olive-green, their length is 3, 5-6 cm. Inside, they have a bluish-green color and the ovary is tinted with a red or yellowish-felt color scheme, the lobes are wrapped.
- Anigosanto yellowish (Anigozanthos flavidus). A perennial evergreen representative, which can reach 1-3 meters with a width of up to 60-80 cm. The length of a leaf plate is measured from 35 cm to a meter, they are olive or medium greenish in color. Panicle inflorescences contain up to a dozen flowers, which are painted in yellowish-green or brownish-red colors. The length of the inflorescence is 4–7 cm. The flowers can grow up to 5 cm long and have lobes with a bend.
- Anigosanto low (Anigozanthos humilis). You can often hear how flower growers lovingly call it "Cat's Paw". The plant has a perennial life cycle, with half-meter height indicators and a width of up to 30 cm. The leaf plates are painted in light or medium green shades. The length of the leaf reaches 15–20 m, the edge is covered with villi. The racemose inflorescences consist of 15 buds, shaded in yellow, yellowish-green, orange or red colors. The length of the inflorescence brush can vary from 5 to 15 cm. The flowers consist of curved petals measuring 5 cm in length.
- Anigosanto Manglesi (Anigozanthos manglesii). The plant grows for many seasons, and its height varies between 30-120 cm with a width of 40-60 cm. The leaves are arranged vertically, their color is gray-green, they can measure up to 10-40 cm in length. Stems with a reddish tint, covered with villi do not have dense branching. On them are racemose inflorescences, which are up to 14 cm long. They are up to 7 pieces of buds, with a length of 6-10 cm. The color of the petals is yellowish-green, the lobes are curved, they gradually acquire a dark green tone. They are decorated with lemon-green villi on the outside, and at the base they can acquire a reddish tint, sometimes yellow or apricot yellow. The flowering process stretches from winter to late summer. Interestingly, the plant is the emblem of Western Australia.
- Anigosanto pretty (Anigozanthos pulcherrimus). A perennial plant with a meter in height and a width of up to 40-60 cm. Leaves are usually painted in a gray-green color, but sometimes they can be covered with soft villi. The length of the leaf plate is measured 20–40 cm. The stems have branching and panicle inflorescences are located on them, with a length varying within 3–8 cm. They are collected from 5–15 units of buds, the petals of which are painted in a yellow tint, the flower grows along the length up to 3, 5–5 cm. The lobes have wide shapes and are covered with yellow villi.
- Anigosanto redhead (Anigozanthos rufus). The height of this perennial plant reaches one meter with a width of up to 40–60 cm. The leaf plates measure 20–40 cm in length, their color is medium greenish, the edge is decorated with rough villi. Panicle inflorescences, located on branched stems, reach 3–9 cm in length. They may contain from 5 to 15 or more units of buds. The color of the flowers is most often red or bright red, or purple-felt. The flower reaches 4, 5 or more centimeters in length. The shares are wrapped.
- Anigosanto green (Anigozanthos viridis). The indicators of this perennial reach a meter in height with a width of only 40-60 cm. The leaves of the plant measure from 10 cm to half a meter in length, they are narrowed and painted in a gray-green hue. The racemose inflorescences grow up to 5-14 cm in length, and there are about 15 buds. The petals of the flower are close to 5–8 cm in length and they are painted in a yellow-green color, the lobes are bent and covered with pubescence of greenish-yellow villi.
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