Typical differences duranta, care recommendations, advice on plant propagation, pest and disease control, interesting facts, species. Duranta (Duranta) is part of the genus of dicotyledonous flowering representatives of the flora of the planet, that is, in the embryo of such plants, two cotyledons are located opposite each other. These specimens of the green world belong to the Verbenaceae family and the Duranteae tribe of the same name. It is a type genus of this floral association. Almost all varieties of this genus grow in South America, in tropical climates, and can also be found in the lands of Mexico or the West Indies. The main variety, Duranta erecta, was brought to other continents, where it was successfully naturalized. In total, today there are up to 36 varieties of this genus.
The genus received its scientific name thanks to Karl Linnaeus in 1737 when systematizing all the samples of the flora of the planet known at that time in the scientific work "Genera Plantarum" he was also engaged in botany and medical practice. Then, again, this term in relation to the plant was used in the starting point of the modern nomenclature of plants - Species Plantarum. Naturally, for the Slavic peoples, this name does not sound very euphonious and there are popular names for durants, more pleasant to the ear - indoor birch (due to the shape of the leaf plates, but it should be confused with ivy, cissus or lagerstremia). Foreign growers and gardeners named the plant "heavenly flower", in connection with the most delicate shades of petals of buds or "farewell tear".
Representatives of the Durant genus take shrub or tree-like growth forms, and the height of the shoots can vary from one and a half to 4 meters, often the branches are covered with thorns. The stem becomes lignified over time, and the foliage never falls off the plant. Shoots are highly branchy. The contours of the stems are tetrahedral, the peel has a brownish or light brown tint.
The leaf plates are located either opposite (opposite each other) or in a spiral order. The edge of the sheet can be solid or have a jagged edge. The surface of the leaf is rough, leathery or smooth. In shape, the leaf plate can take on ovoid, oval or oblong outlines, there is a sharpening at the top. The length of the leaves varies within 3-5 cm. The color of the surface is light greenish, it is glossy and a pattern of depressed veins appears on it. They are very similar in their delicate outlines and color to the leaves of a birch tree, well known to us. Leaf petioles, if present, are very short, mostly sessile leaves.
A great asset of this plant is its flowers. Basically, they gather in racemose inflorescences that crown the tops of the branches, in rare cases they are placed in the leaf sinuses. The inflorescences can be up to 20 cm long and hang beautifully from the branches. The bracts are small in size, and the calyx is divided into 5 leaves, it does not fall off after the flower wilts. The corolla has an unclear two-lipped structure, and its upper lip is also divided into two lobes, and the lower one, larger in size, is three-lobed. The corolla is very beautifully shaded with snow-white, lilac, pale blue or lilac colors. It also contains two pairs of stamens. The pistil has the outline of a mace, the ovary is in the lower part - four-celled. Interestingly, the edge of the petals of the main shade is often whitish, which emphasizes the decorative effect of the flower. When the flowering process is in full swing, it seems that all the branches are covered with buds.
After flowering, the fruit ripens, which in duranta take the form of a rounded berry with an orange color. This berry is surrounded by a sepal cup. The fruit contains eight seeds.
Cultivation of durants, home care
- Lighting and location selection. The plant is placed in a place with diffused but bright lighting - the east or west direction of the windows. In winter, or on a north-facing window, a backlight is needed so that the duration of daylight hours is 10-12 hours.
- Content temperature. Most of all, it will be comfortable for durants to withstand heat indicators within 20 degrees throughout the year, since the plant does not have a pronounced rest period and it does not discard foliage. However, if the temperature exceeds 25 degrees, then you can arrange daily ventilation, providing protection from the effects of drafts. Also, to circulate air around the bush, it is taken out into the garden or on the balcony, but you should take care of shading. If this is not done, then the plant from overheating may begin to shed its foliage. With the arrival of autumn, the thermometer readings can be slightly reduced, but the room should not be lower than 13 degrees. In winter, it is recommended not to place the durant next to heating devices and away from central heating radiators.
- Air humidity when growing duranta, only slightly increased is kept, since it is a "inhabitant" of the tropics, it is necessary to create conditions for this delicate plant. Daily spraying is carried out in the morning, especially in the summer, when the thermometer readings are growing. When blooming, it is important that drops of moisture fall on the flower petals, otherwise brown spots will appear on them. Water is also used soft at room temperature.
- Watering for the "heavenly flower" it is important to keep it constant and abundant at any time of the year, since duranta is not a deciduous plant. This "indoor birch" will not survive overdrying, however, the bay can negatively affect the roots. It is important to choose the mode so that the substrate in the pot always remains slightly moistened, for example, if it remains dirty when pressing on the soil with a finger, then the soil is flooded with water. Water for humidification is taken only warm and well-settled.
- General care and pruning. Since duranta has a high growth rate, it is recommended to carry out scheduled pruning before the plant begins its growing season. This will not only help to reduce the volume of the crown of a shrub or tree, but will contribute to the abundant branching of the shoots. But it is important not to overdo it, since the inflorescences will be placed at the ends of young branches, and constant molding and pinching can postpone this very effective action.
- Fertilize "indoor birch" monthly from spring to autumn. Apply ready-made complex dressings for flowering indoor plants. If, with the arrival of the winter period, the durant is kept in low temperatures and in conditions of relative dormancy without artificial lighting, then fertilization during these months is not worth it.
- Durant transplant and substrate selection. Change of pot and soil for young "indoor birches" is carried out annually, and adult specimens require the same as the bush grows. When transplanting, you can slightly reduce the volume of the root system; it is necessary to slightly remove the compacted "felt" covering of thin root processes that grow along the edge of the soil coma. If the durant has reached a large size, then they do not transplant, but replace the upper layer of the substrate (about 3-4 cm). Before placing soil in a new container, it is necessary to pour a drainage layer of expanded clay or pebbles on the bottom; crushed shards are also suitable. The soil for this "heavenly flower" is selected light, nutritious and with good air and water permeability. You can use ready-made potting mixes for indoor plants and add a little sand or perlite to them for ease. Florists also recommend compiling the soil on their own, mixing leaf and sod soil, peat soil, humus substrate and river sand, maintaining the proportions of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1, respectively.
Rules for self-breeding durants
You can teach a new plant "farewell tears" by sowing seeds or cuttings.
In spring, it is necessary to cut cuttings from young shoots (semi-lignified), the length of the branch should not be less than 10 cm, and it is desirable to have 2-3 knots on it. The cut can be treated with a root formation stimulator and put the cuttings in a vessel with water or immediately planted in a loose, moist substrate (for example, peat-sandy). The planted branches should be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed under a cut plastic bottle. It is good when the bottom heating of the soil is carried out (the temperature should be at around 25 degrees). It is important to air daily for several minutes of seedlings, if the soil in the container has dried out, then it is moistened with a fine spray bottle. When the durant cuttings take root (release new leaves), they are transplanted into new containers with a more fertile substrate. Plants obtained in this way begin to bloom within two years from the moment of planting. If you wait for the roots to appear in the water, then there is a possibility that more branches will rot.
You can carry out reproduction and seed materials, but this process is more laborious. Before planting, it is recommended to soak the seeds in a stimulating solution, this can be warm water with humate added to it (for example, Epin, Heteroauxin, Zircon or agents with a similar effect). The soaking time can vary from 12 to 24 hours. Planting soil is poured into the container and seeds are buried into it by half a centimeter. The container with crops is covered with glass or foil and the temperature is maintained within 25 degrees. The first shoots will appear in about 4-8 weeks. When the first pair of true leaves is formed on young durants, a dive is performed in separate pots.
Difficulties in growing a plant and ways to solve them
More significant damage to the durant can be caused by scale insects, aphids and spider mites. If harmful insects are detected, it is necessary to process the foliage with soap, oil or alcohol preparations. If these funds are of little help, then the "indoor birch" is sprayed with insecticidal preparations (for example, Aktellik, Fitover or Aktara).
If we talk about diseases, then only if the conditions of detention are violated, they infect the plant. So when the soil becomes acidic due to excessive watering, rotting of the root system can begin. In this case, the durant must be removed from the pot, the affected root areas must be cut off with a disinfected knife, treated with a fungicidal preparation and planted in a new pot with steamed substrate. In the future, the watering mode needs to be adjusted.
If the "indoor birch" is in direct sunlight, the color of its leaves will fade, and burns may appear on them.
Interesting facts about Durant
It is important to remember that due to the high content of a substance such as saponin, leaf plates and berries are poisonous. It is recommended to keep the plant out of reach of small children and pets, which may be attracted by the color of flowers and duranta fruits. If swallowed, hives or even poisoning may occur.
It can also be noted that the plant is registered as an invasive weed by many councils on the Australian continent. Since duranta is distinguished by a high speed of growth and distribution, by means of birds, which transfer fruits in their stomachs when eaten from internal rations to protected lands. This registration was introduced several years ago as a deterrent. Often, if conditions permitting the growth in the open air, hedges are formed from shrub or low tree-like representatives.
Types of duranta
Duranta plumieri. It is this variety that is popularly called the "pigeon berry" or Duranta erecta. In natural conditions, it has a tree-like form of growth and can reach up to 2–4 meters in height. The shoots have a tetrahedral outline. Leaf plates in shape can take on both ovoid and oblong outlines with a sharpness at the top. The edge is notched. The length of the sheet is measured 10 cm.
When blooming, numerous flowers are formed, however, their size is small, the color is purple or bluish. There is a longitudinal whitish stripe on the petal. From the flowers, the apical inflorescences are collected, containing several buds. When the flowering is very abundant, it seems that all the branches are completely decorated with flowers. When the fruits ripen, a berry appears with the size of a cherry and has a yellowish color. The diameter of the berry is 1, 3 cm, just like the flowers are gathered in bunches.
This variety has garden varieties that are not suitable for indoor cultivation, but they look very decorative because of the spectacular color of foliage and flowers:
- Tricolor variety (Duranta erecta tricolor), can be found under the name Duranta Green and Gold - the plant has a golden tone on the leaf blade in the central part, while the edge of the leaf is green.
- Variety Duranta variegated (Duranta variegata) has a green core opposite, but a golden edging on the sheet.
- Grade Cuban gold (Duranta Cuban Gold) has leafy plates with oval outlines and a greenish-yellowish color with an orange undertone, the shade is very reminiscent of a rich golden color scheme.
- Variety Little Geisha (Duranta Geisha Girl) it is distinguished by highly decorative flowers with a bright purple tone of petals, from which dense and dense inflorescences are collected. The edge of the petal is wavy with a whitish color and there is the same core.
Duranta lorentzii (Duranta lorentzii) can be found under the name Duranta serrata The plant has a shrub form of growth, shoots can reach up to one and a half meters in height. The branches are tetrahedral. This one differs from the previous variety in smaller sizes of leaf plates and their surface is leathery, the outlines are ovoid or oblong-elongated, there is a roundness at the top, the edge is decorated with notches, which are smaller and more graceful.
If the growing conditions allow, then it has a very abundant flowering. The natural variety has flower petals of a snow-white shade, but there are varieties with a lilac shade at the buds, and there is also a delicate pleasant aroma. When fruiting, an orange-colored berry ripens.
The most popular variety is White Cayenne Vanilla Bush - it has snow-white flower petals and a bright vanilla aroma.
Duranta creeping (Duranta repens) differs from previous varieties in that the shoots grow shorter and creeping. The leaf plates are small in size, the flowers, despite the small parameters, are quite spectacular. Can be used as a crop to form a bonsai tree.
What a durant looks like, see this video:
