Description and origin of the plant, tips for cultivating campelia, rules for transplanting and reproduction, pest and disease control, interesting facts. Campelia (Campelia) belongs to the family containing monocotyledonous representatives of the flora (those who have only one cotyledon in the embryo). It bears the name Commelinaceae in Latin, that is, Commelinaceae. Basically, it includes plants with a herbaceous form of growth (sometimes even they are herbaceous vines), with juicy stems with knotty outlines, leaf plates are usually fleshy and fibrous, and roots with a tuberous shape. These are mainly annuals.
Origin and description of campelia species
The campelia has a native distribution area in Mexico and Brazil. In length, its shoots can reach meter indicators under indoor cultivation conditions, but in nature this value can approach two meters. In the people, because of the shape of the leaves and their color, the plant bears the name "Zebrina" (although it has nothing to do with Tradescantia Zebrina, but they come from the same family) or "The Rook of Jesus".
This representative of the flora has mainly erect and fleshy shoots, with nodes along the entire length. These nodes have characteristic swellings. Beautifully colored leaves grow on the stems in succession. The shape of the leaf plates is broadly elliptical with a pointed apex. Compared to Tradescantia, campelia has much smaller leaves. In the original species of campelia, the leaves are painted in a bright green hue, and there is a purple border along the edge. In the center of the leaf there is a groove, through which water flows down rather quickly from the glossy and masonry surface. The leaves are arranged more densely, growing towards the top of the stem. And there a rosette is formed from them, which is very similar to a dracaena leaf rosette. When blooming, completely unattractive flowers are formed. There are only three petals in the bud; when opened, its shape is very graceful.
There are only three varieties in the genus, and the most popular is Campelia zanonia. The plant has a herbaceous form. This variety also has very long and climbing shoots, and can reach up to two meters, but this is not very beautiful, so they should be shortened. The leaves are sessile (without petioles), with a tube-shaped sheath, on the surface there are a number of hairs, and elongated cilia run along the edge. The leaf shape is broadly elliptical or broadly obverse-lanceolate. The apex has a long taper. The length of the leaf approaches 25 cm with a width varying within 5-6 cm. The leaf plates are bare, only a narrow bed of pinkish color and dense shortened cilia are visible at the edge.
When blooming, small buds with white petals appear, from which paired curls are collected. In bracts, the form is scaphoid or leaf-shaped. From such flower curls, long panicle-shaped inflorescences are formed with a slight branching. They are crowned with an elongated flowering stem. By the number of sepals and petals are the same, there are 3 units of them in a flower. Petals, slightly fused at the base, or can grow freely. Inside the bud there are filamentous stamens covered with long hairs. There are only three pairs of stamens.
This species prefers to settle in the undergrowth of humid forests in the tropical zone of the Americas. Less commonly, this species can be found on limestone cliffs or heavily shaded cliffs.
The plant is quite unpretentious, but if the conditions of care are violated, then the lower leaves begin to age and dry out very quickly, which negatively affects the decorative appearance of the campelia. Often this variegated beauty is grown in greenhouse conditions, since it grows very violently with high humidity. And if the stems touch the soil, then adventitious roots begin to form in the nodes. The growth rate is quite high, in a year the shoots can grow by several centimeters, but since there is a tendency to overgrowth (like tradescantia, it is recommended to carry out regular rejuvenation of the plant).
Recommendations for growing campelia at home
- Lighting and location selection. Most of all, a bright, but diffused light is suitable for a zebrina. If direct rays hit the leaf plates, this will lead to the fact that the color of the foliage will turn purple when it is young, but the old leaves will turn yellow. Therefore, windows facing the east or west side of the world are most suitable. The campelia will also feel good on the northern windowsill, but you will have to carry out additional lighting using fluorescent lamps or fluorescent lamps (phytolamps). If there is not enough lighting, then the shoots will become too stretched, become brittle, but the whole plant can be affected by harmful insects or diseases. If the plant is located on the south side, then curtains made of translucent material are hung on the window (curtains made of gauze or tracing paper is glued to the glass). Otherwise, you can put a pot with a campelia in such a room at the back of the room, 1-2 meters from the window. It will be nice if you place a flowerpot with a plant in a bright kitchen or bathroom.
- Content temperature. In the spring-summer period, the heat indicators should be in the range of 20-23 degrees, if the temperature begins to rise in the summer heat, then the air humidity should be increased by all available means. With the arrival of autumn, the temperature can be gradually lowered, bringing it to 18 degrees. It should not go lower, since the campelia is more thermophilic than its "relative" Tradescantia.
- Air humidity when growing the "Rook of Jesus" does not play a significant role, since the plant calmly tolerates dryness in rooms. However, if you carry out regular spraying, then the zebrina responds well to this procedure. Only warm and soft water is used. Also, in the summer heat, it is recommended to put a pot with a plant in a deep tray, in which a moisture-retaining material is poured, expanded clay, pebbles or chopped sphagnum moss can act. A small amount of water is poured there. But it is important that the bottom of the flowerpot is not covered with liquid, otherwise rotting of the root system is inevitable. For this, the pot is placed on an inverted saucer. Such conditions with high humidity will allow the plant to grow more luxuriantly. And although the campelia is a fairly stable representative of the flora, but with the arrival of winter, it is better for it not to be near heating radiators or batteries of the central heating system. If it is not possible to change the location, then you can hang a wet towel on the devices and change it more often, this will increase the humidity due to fumes.
- Watering. With the arrival of spring and throughout the summer, it is recommended to moisten the potting soil with the "Jesus Rook" twice a week. The substrate should never dry out. But it is also not recommended to fill it, as the plant may begin to rot. In the autumn-winter period, the campelia is watered only once every seven days. In this case, the soil can only dry out slightly from above. Insufficient watering will lead to the fact that the lower leaf plates will inevitably begin to dry out, and if the substrate is often flooded, this will entail decay of the roots and then the whole plant will die. It is recommended to use water only soft, well-separated and free from harmful suspensions. For this, rain, river or melt water can also be used, but in urban conditions it can also be polluted. Therefore, if possible, then take distilled water, or you can filter the tap water, then boil it and stand it for several days. Then the resulting liquid is poured into another container, being careful not to drain the sediment.
- Fertilizers for campelia, they are applied throughout the spring and summer, with regularity once a month. Organic preparations are suitable, but it is better that they do not contain nitrogen, since an excess of it will lead to the plant becoming sick. It is advisable to use fertilizing agents in liquid form, mixing them into water for irrigation. The fertilization technology is as follows - you must first pour the zebrin with clean water in order to moisten the substrate and only then with the preparation diluted in water in the dosage indicated by the manufacturer. This is necessary so that the fertilizer does not burn the roots of the plant. Complex mineral products are also used. With the end of summer, feeding stops and in winter they are not carried out.
- Transplantation and selection of a substrate. Changing the pot and substrate is carried out for the campelia every 2-3 years in the spring, it is by this time that the capacity becomes small for the root system of the overgrown plant. Zebrina in a new container is placed a little in the recess, so as to cover all the bare parts of the stems with soil. On these shoots, leaf plates are often no longer left, and they are bare. Thus, the nodes that will be covered with a fresh substrate will give rise to new roots. At this time, you can also do and pinch the stems to stimulate their branching. In the bottom of the new container, small holes are made to drain excess moisture, and a small layer of drainage material is poured. It can be medium-sized expanded clay or pebbles, broken ceramic or clay shards, crushed and carefully sifted brick from dust. The soil for the "Rook of Jesus" should be slightly acidic and rich in nutrients, have lightness and allow water and air to flow to the roots. You can prepare a soil mixture yourself from equal parts of compost soil, coarse river sand (or replace it with perlite), turf soil.
- Pruning and general care. With the arrival of spring, it is recommended to carry out anti-aging pruning of zebrin shoots. The stem should be left only 3–4 knots in height from the surface of the substrate. Campelia shoots are very fragile and easy to break, so care must be taken when leaving. "The Rook of Jesus" looks great as a tapeworm plant, but it looks more attractive when there are various species of ferns nearby, a praying plant - arrowroot, ficus or philoderdron and similar representatives of the flora.
- Bloom. When the plant is already old enough, strong, elongated flowering stems begin to form from the leaf sinuses. They are crowned with paniculate inflorescences. The flowers can be either whitish or white-violet. When the inflorescence re-blooms, it is recommended to remove it.
Self-breeding rules for campelia
Usually, propagation of zebrins is possible by grafting, since not only leaves, but also parts of the stems can release root processes. You will need to cut off the stalk from the top of the stem, at least 10 cm long. And then put it in a vessel with water or plant it in a moistened peat-sand (mixture of peat and chopped sphagnum moss) substrate. The rooting procedure does not have a pronounced period and can be carried out all year round, however, the time is mostly guessed in the winter months.
If the cuttings are in water or are planted in a pot, then they are placed in a warm place with diffused lighting so that there are no direct UV streams. The shoots can then be wrapped in a plastic bag or placed under a glass or plastic container. As the latter, you can use a cut plastic bottle - its upper part with a lid, removing which it is easy to subsequently ventilate the cuttings. This will help create conditions for a mini-greenhouse with high humidity and heat. However, it is necessary not to forget about the daily removal of condensate from the shelter, airing the shoots and moistening the dried substrate.
Rooting takes place quickly and cuttings with root processes should be transplanted several pieces into a separate pot with soil suitable for adult specimens. After a while, it is recommended to pinch the tops of the shoots so that they begin to branch.
In order not to injure the campelia once again, you can use the stems cut during the rejuvenation of the plant.
Difficulties in cultivating campelia and ways to solve them
Of the problems that can arise when growing such an unpretentious zebrin, one can single out:
- Insufficient lighting level. In this case, the shoots begin to stretch ugly, and the color of the foliage turns pale. It is necessary to move the pot with the campelia closer to the light source or carry out additional lighting using fluorescent lamps. Those shoots that have already stretched out are recommended to be shortened. In a bright place, young foliage can acquire a purple color, but after some time, leafy plates with a green color will appear.
- Excessive illumination. At the same time, at the tops, the leaves begin to dry out and become light brown. But before that, the leaf plates acquire a purple hue, and then become covered with a yellow or brown spot. This is possible with irregular watering and an excess of sunlight. On a hot summer afternoon, it is recommended to shade the plant with curtains on the window, and you also need to make sure that the earthy coma does not dry out.
- Filling the substrate. The leaves at the bottom of the stem begin to turn yellow, and the base of the stem rots. Usually this is facilitated by waterlogging of the soil and keeping at low temperatures in the room. It is recommended to stop watering and transplant the campelia into fresh soil. Draft protection required.
Of the harmful insects that harm the "Boat of Jesus", there are:
- Spider mite. If this pest has settled on the plant, then the leaves of the campelia will begin to turn yellow, and on the reverse side, in the internodes and on the stems, a thin delicate cobweb will form. At the same time, the leaves may appear deformed and then fly around. The affected shoots should be removed, leaving only 3 nodes from the base. It is recommended to treat with an insecticidal agent and wait for new stems to appear.
- Green aphids. This pest is clearly visible in the form of small green bugs that cover the tops of the shoots, while the leaf plates are deformed. It is necessary to rinse the leaves under shower jets, and then carry out the treatment with insecticidal preparations.
Interesting facts about the campelia plant
Campelia is a fairly shade-tolerant plant, so it is often planted in administrative offices, since it is also famous for its good tolerance to temperature changes in rooms, and easily copes with cigarette smoke, purifying the air.
Basically the most popular variety is the Mexican Flag variety, as the leaf blades have a whitish or yellowish background with a beautiful pattern of light or dark greenish stripes running along the leaf and a narrow reddish edge. or purple tones. But sometimes this variety is confused with Dichorisandra albolineata. Since both plants have a similar color of leaves and in shape they are very similar to each other. Yes, and they are "relatives", as they are included in the same family. In culture, this variety is recent.
