Distinctive characteristics of bertolonia, growing conditions, advice on transplanting and reproduction, difficulties in caring for a flower, interesting facts, species. Brazil has always been a country with exotic flora and fauna, so closely intertwined with each other that sometimes it is not clear where the plant is and where the animal is. Truly, the experiments of Mother Nature have no limits, and you understand this by looking at the leaves of bertolonia. But how nice it is when their diversity adorns the windowsill or your collection of flowers. Let's take a closer look at how to grow this interesting bush, the leaves of which are so similar to the color of the skin of a snake.
Characteristics and distinctive features of bertolonia
Bertolonia is a herbaceous or semi-shrub plant, belonging to the Melastomataceae family. And it is clear that the native lands on which this exotic representative of flora settles is Brazil, as well as the humid forests of South America, where a tropical climate prevails. On the territory of Europe, this plant appeared only in the middle of the 19th century, or rather in 1850, and began to be actively cultivated in greenhouses. About a hundred years ago, Belgian flower growers managed to breed the first hybrid plants based on Bertolonia. Some of the varieties are obtained even by crossing with representatives of other genera. The most famous of all the variety was the Bertolonia Guttena variety, which simply amazes the eye with the variegated pattern of its foliage. This plant is rare and can only be found in the collections of avid florists and flora connoisseurs. All this is due to the high sensitivity to the microclimate and the considerable exactingness of this exotic flower.
The main genus Bertolonii includes about 14 varieties, but some sources claim that there are only 6 varieties. It is considered a low-growing dwarf shrub with a height of 18–20 cm with a very slow growth rate. Shoots are often creeping, and therefore the plant can be grown as an ampelous crop. They can be up to 30 cm long, have a rounded cross-section and are flexible.
The color of the leaf blades is highly dependent on the type of plant. The color can be either whitish with purple, pinkish-purple, and green with a carmine sheen or copper tint. Hybrid shrubs are distinguished by a large variety of patterned foliage. The shape of the leaves is heart-shaped or ovoid, oval or oblong, with a slight sharpening at the top. The leaf plate itself is rather fragile, but fleshy and wide. The color of the general background is dark emerald. Regardless of the type, there are beautiful white stripes on the upper surface, some varieties differ in a pattern of pale green veins. Their number on a sheet varies from 3 to 9 units, and they can be variously shaded. There are soda varieties in which even reddish tones appear in the color of the leaves, and the pattern is completely absent. On the leaf surfaces there is pubescence, which is formed due to glandular hairs. Some varieties are so densely covered with it that the color seems slightly silvery.
Flowers are not the main advantage of Bertolonia, since they are small in size, painted in a nondescript whitish, red, pinkish or purple tone. The buds reach 2-3 cm in diameter. Umbrella or spike-shaped inflorescences are collected from them. The flowering process is very rare. After flowering, seeds ripen, which are used for reproduction. Bertolonia looks rather modest, but it is a rare representative of green home collections. If you do not create the necessary conditions of detention, he often dies. It is usually customary to grow it in wide and not deep pots, more often in pots. But the most common places for growing a variegated beauty are glass, transparent terrariums and aquariums, where you can create conditions similar to natural ones. Sometimes closed flower windows, called "green", are used in cultivation.
Creation of conditions for growing bertolonia, care
- Location. As already mentioned, flower windows are used for cultivation (if possible). A closed flower window is used to grow rather capricious plants. In it, the flowers will be isolated from the common room, with the help of additional sliding glasses. The space is usually small, in which its own microclimate is arranged. It may differ from indoor and will be suitable for growing just such representatives of the flora. Such a "flower window" can be a window with double frames, which was once quite popular. The frames are spaced apart from each other. They have the possibility of opening one half for plant care. In such closed spaces, many "green pets" develop especially magnificently.
- Lighting. Bertolonia likes to grow in slightly shaded places, but direct sunlight is contraindicated for her, as this can lead to sunburn. An east or west orientation window will do. On a young windowsill, you need good shading.
- Content temperature. For a variegated beauty, it is important to maintain a sufficiently warm climate in the room, and it should not change either in summer or in winter months. For the spring-summer period, the thermometer is kept within 21-26 degrees, but with the arrival of autumn, the indicators should not fall below 15-16 degrees. She does not tolerate frost and can easily freeze out. Bertolonia drafts are also not to their liking.
- Air humidity when caring for a variegated bush, it should be in the range of 65-70%, but spraying is prohibited. All this is due to the fact that the leaf plates have pubescence and, falling on them droplets of liquid, are retained and can lead to rotting of the plant. Therefore, humidifiers or vessels with water are placed next to the pot - this will help reduce dryness in the room. You can also put the pot on wet moss or set it in a deep tray with expanded clay poured at the bottom and poured water. It is only important to ensure that the liquid does not touch the edge of the flowerpot.
- Watering bertolonia. This plant is in great need of abundant moisture in the potted substrate, it should not dry out. The slightest drying out will cause the flower to die. It is best to keep the soil always moist to the touch. In summer, watering is carried out 3-4 times a week. With the arrival of autumn and during the winter months, moisture levels decrease. For irrigation, the water should be at room temperature and be soft. It is better to take rainwater or river water, but when this is not possible, the tap water is filtered, boiled and defended. It is also important to ensure that water does not fall on the leaves of bertolonia, otherwise it can threaten the flower with fungal diseases. However, soil flooding is also not recommended.
- Fertilizer Bertolonia is carried out once a week using organic and mineral dressings. But fertilization will only be required in the spring and summer months. The rest of the time, the plant does not need nutrients. You can also apply complex liquid fertilizers for indoor plants once a month, alternating with organics.
- Transplantation and selection of soil. This variegated bush is transplanted only when absolutely necessary. When the stems and leaves cover all the soil in the pot, then the container and soil are changed. Basically, this happens once every two years - the young can be annually, and the old only once every 3 years, since the growth rate is very low. The time is selected in the spring, but you can start from February.
The soil must be taken by mixing fertile soil with half of river sand and the same amount of humus and peat substrate. But there may also be the following options:
- leafy land, sod, river sand and peat soil (parts equal);
- peat soil, fertile or turf soil and sand (in proportions 3: 6: 1).
Then a little mullein, coniferous soil and crushed charcoal are mixed into this soil mixture.
Bertolonia breeding guide
To get another bush of a variegated beauty, you will need to sow seeds or cut cuttings.
To propagate with twigs, spring or summer is recommended, so that the soil is completely warmed up. The length of the cutting should not be less than 10 cm and have at least a couple of leaves. Their surface can be halved to reduce the area from which moisture evaporates. The twig is placed for several days in a glass with boiled water and a root formation stimulant diluted in it. You can just treat the slice with a stimulant, such as "Kornevin", before planting. In order for rooting to proceed normally, you will need to mix a fertile substrate with river sand and add humus and peat soil to it. The pot should be small (no more than 9 cm in diameter).
After planting, the cuttings are placed in a well-lit place, but without direct sunlight. You can wrap it in a plastic bag or cover with a glass vessel, and also use mini-greenhouses with bottom heating of the soil. The rooting temperature is maintained at 25 degrees. It will take 10-15 minutes of airing and moistening the substrate every day, if it dries out with a spray bottle, it is only important that moisture does not get on the leaves.
With the help of sowing seeds, reproduction is very problematic and takes a long time, since the growth rate of Bertolonia is very low. And it is rarely possible for a non-specialist to create the proper conditions for germination. But if the desire has already appeared, then sowing of seed is carried out during the period of February-March in sandy-peat soil. It will also require bottom heating of the soil up to 25 degrees. And the creation of conditions for a mini-greenhouse.
Difficulties in plant cultivation
Bertolonia is often attacked by various pests and diseases. The most common are gray rot and powdery mildew. Most of these troubles occur when the leaves are often wet.
If the stem of the bertolonia began to become covered with a spot of light brown hue, which is most often dry, then this is similar to the symptoms of gray rot. Also, on the leaves and shoots, a seemingly "fluffy" bloom of a gray tint may appear. First of all, young leaves, flowers and buds come under attack. The next phase is the decay of plant parts. At this time, the leaves become lethargic, the color is lost, and the plant begins to wilt. To cure, you can carry out the treatment with the following preparation: wood ash and chalk (one glass each) are diluted in 10 liters of water and 1 teaspoon of copper sulfate is added there. You can use fungicides or 1% Bordeaux liquid.
When small white spots appear on the bertolonia on the upper side of the leaves, these are signs of powdery mildew. Subsequently, they begin to cover the entire sheet. And they cover the entire aerial part of the flower. As the disease spreads and progresses, the spotting becomes more extensive, denser and more whitish. It seems that the plant is watered with a solution of lime. If you look closely at the affected areas, you get the impression that a dense cotton layer covers the leaves. To combat the problem, spraying is carried out with both folk remedies (milk solution, iodine or ash) and systemic fungicides.
It happens that a cobweb becomes noticeable on the leaf plates, their color turns yellow, and the surface itself is deformed - the cause was the defeat of a spider mite. In this case, you can spray bertolonia with a soap, oil or alcohol solution or carry out treatment with insecticides (for example, Aktara or Aktellik).
Interesting facts about bertolonia
If we talk about energy, then people born under the sign of Taurus need to take a closer look at Bertolonia. These delicate plants, which have pubescent leaves, will contribute to the purification of the atmosphere in the house, and will help the accumulation of material possessions. And the Taurus owner will be able to increase his physical endurance and strength thanks to bertolonia. The plant is often used as a green talisman.
Types of bertolonia
- Bertolonia marble (Bertolonia marmorata) or as it is also called Bertolonia freckled. The plant is a low-growing shrub 10–18 cm long, with creeping shoots, and has a long-term life cycle. The stems practically spread over the soil surface. Large leaves are placed on them (they can grow up to 15 cm in length and 9 cm in width), with a broadly elliptical shape, the surface of which is shiny, at the base resembling a heart. Leaves covered with glandular hairs. The color of the upper side of the leaf is dark emerald tint. Against this background, a pattern of white spots and silvery-whitish veins emerges (there are up to 5 of them). Sometimes there is a wide white stripe. On the reverse side, a reddish or purple undertone is mixed. The flowers are small, shaded with purple tint.
- Bertolonia maculata, no less stunted plant than the previous species. It is also a perennial with creeping stems-shoots. A rosette is formed from the leaves. The shape of the leaf plates is heart-oval or ovoid, the size is large (about 15 cm in length and up to 10 cm in width), they are covered with such dense pubescence that the surface seems velvety to the touch, 5 veins are visible on it. The edge is solid, without serration, the surface is dense, fleshy. The color on the upper side is green. There is a pattern of specks and silvery-gray outlined veins. Flowers collected in umbellate or racemose inflorescences have pink or purple petals. The diameter of the flowers reaches 2 cm. The flowering process takes place in autumn and mainly the buds open in the morning hours.
- Bertolonia Gutteana or Gutta (Bertolonia hautteana). Often found under the name Bertolonia pubescent or Bertolonia trio-lena. A rather rare plant in floriculture, as it is even more sensitive to living conditions in rooms. Will need to be grown in terrariums or in a closed flower window. In height, this dwarf shrub reaches 30 cm, the stem is upright. Leaf plates measure 10-15 cm in length. Their shape is broadly oval, the surface is velvety due to the hairy pubescence, along it there is a relief similar to a quilted structure. On the upper side, the leaf is painted in a dark emerald or light green color, there is spotting and a crimson-red pattern with veins. On the reverse side, the leaf plate is purple. The flowers are attached to the flower-bearing stem, which is quite high, in comparison with other varieties, its surface is, as it were, segmented. The size of the flowers is small, the petals are painted in pink color.
- Bertolonia jussari. The native habitat is in the Atlantic forests in the state of Bahia (Brazil). Prefers to settle on the surface of the soil in humid and shaded places. The plant reaches a height of 35 cm, it is a semi-shrub. The flowers have a diameter of 2 cm. Flower petals are cast in pink color. The leaf plates are cast in a copper-brown tone, on the back they are painted pink.
- Bertolonia Sandersii possesses leaves painted in silvery tones.
What Bertolonia looks like, see here:
