In apartments and houses, this plant is an exotic guest, as its homeland is the subtropics and tropics. He is loved by many flower growers. Unusual flowers of most species of this plant attract attention, successfully complementing the interior of the room. They are also suitable for cutting into bouquets.
Strong features and bright appearance have provided this plant with great demand. It's called Anthurium. It also has other names - a flower of "male happiness" and a flamingo.
Among these plants there is a variety that attracts attention not with flowers, but with its original patterned leaves. This is a houseplant Anthurium crystal. Before you get him at home, you need to get to know his features well and compare desires with opportunities, since this guest, like other varieties of the family, is a little capricious.
General information
For the first time this outlandish plant was described in 1829. Due to its relatively capricious nature, wideit has not received distribution. It was grown only in greenhouses with the obligatory observance of the conditions and rules of care. After the emergence of hybrids adapted to completely new growing conditions, anthurium gradually gained attention.
One of the varieties of this plant, crystal anthurium of the genus Anthurium, belongs to the Aroid family. The name comes from the Greek words: "anthos" - a flower and "oura" - a tail.
Distribution
The birthplace of this flower is America (South and Central). Under natural conditions, it is distributed within the territories of Mexico, Argentina and Paraguay. It grows both in humid subtropical and tropical regions, and in mountainous areas. You can meet this plant both in the lowlands and at the height of the mountains up to 3400 meters. Representatives of this genus are common in the Cordillera and the Andes.
Most of the species are epiphytes, and the rest are semi-epiphytes with adventitious aerial roots and slightly shortened stems, as well as creepers (stem and herbaceous). Distribution area - from the northern part of Mexico to the southern regions of Brazil, Paraguay and Northern Argentina.
It is possible that such a name was given to the plant because in its homeland in the wild it grows as an epiphyte, descending its roots from the branches like a tail. The crystal anthurium has quite a few "relatives". According to various estimates, there are about 500-900 species in the family.
Description
Anthurium belongs to the family of evergreen plants (Aroid). Appearancethis flower is very showy. Moreover, both the leaves and flowers of the plant look great. Large leathery leaves have a different shape and size - whole, incised, small from a few centimeters and large up to one meter in length. They have a velvety sheen, and a silvery sheen peeps through their veins. Many groups have large large leaves with beautiful ornamental patterns.
How does crystal anthurium bloom? Flowers with an extraordinary colorful palette are collected in an inflorescence, which is an ear in the form of a tube or in the form of a tail.
At home, the plant can stretch up to 25 centimeters. The thick stem reaches a diameter of up to two centimeters. Petioles are painted purple. The bright green leaves are quite large in size, sometimes reaching up to 40 centimeters in length and up to 20 in width. They grow densely and clearly defined white veins are visible on them. The pattern resembles a pattern on a crystal glass.
The flowering of this plant is not very beautiful. It is valued more thanks to magnificent leaves. The inflorescence, resembling a yellow-green corncob, is formed on a long (about 25 cm) pedicel. The cob consists of inconspicuous small flowers. With proper care, the flowering of the plant is quite long.
Care
Crystal Anthurium, as noted above, is a plant that came from tropical forests. This means that it should be provided with residual heat, humidity and good lighting. With proper care of the flowerwill not be threatened by pests and diseases. Basic rules for home care:
- Lighting should be bright but well diffused. The best places are east or west windows. You can put it on the north side, but there will most likely not be flowering there.
- You need to grow a plant at an air temperature in the range of 20-25 degrees, but in winter, values of 16-18 degrees are acceptable. Temperature fluctuations and drafts are not desirable.
- For irrigation, water is needed, well settled and at room temperature. Water every 3-4 days, but in winter - once a week. Excess water must be removed from the pan. Water with a high lime content is not suitable, since crystal anthurium, like other species of this family, loves acidic soil.
- The plant needs moist air, and therefore it needs frequent spraying. It should be remembered that moisture should not get on the inflorescences, otherwise spots will appear on them and they will quickly fall off.
- Fertilize twice a month (March to September).
- Anthurium prefers acidic soils.
Care for the flower should be done carefully, as the stems and leaves contain substances that can damage the mucous membrane. Therefore, transplanting and pruning is best done with rubber gloves. You can learn more about how to transplant anthurium and how to propagate it later in the article.
Soil
The main requirement in the process of planting and transplanting is the correct composition of the soil. The soil musthave sufficient moisture and air capacity, as well as friability. The reaction is slightly acidic (pH within 6.0). It is not difficult to prepare such soil. Mix the following ingredients well:
- 2 parts of peat and moss each, 1 part of sod land;
- equal amount of peat, hardwood, coarse sand, charcoal and conifer bark;
- 2 parts each of pine bark, small pieces of pumice and one part each of peat and well-decomposed manure (preferably horse manure).
Soil, consisting of large compound particles, holds the plant well in place, and also it will not be compacted. Thanks to this, the soil will perfectly breathe and pass moisture.
Reproduction
The best propagation method for all anthuriums is by splitting the roots. This procedure is carried out in the spring. Prepare the pot and soil first. Carefully taken out of the pot, the plant must be divided into parts, while each seedling must have a developed root system. Then the flower must be placed in a new container, sprinkled with soil and covered with dry moss.
Crystal Anthurium can also be propagated by seeds. In the spring they are sown in the ground, which should consist of dry moss and peat. The container is covered with a film to create a mini-greenhouse. For germination, it is necessary to maintain an air temperature of about 24 degrees. After 14-20 days, the seeds germinate.
Popular and propagation by cuttings. Plants over 2 years old should be used. The length of a branch with 2-3 leaves shouldbe about 10-15 centimeters. The stalk is lowered about 5 centimeters into vermiculite and watered periodically. Rooting occurs in a month.
How to transplant anthurium?
Anthurium needs to be transplanted every 2-3 years. The signal for this process is the filling of the entire container with roots. It should be noted that the plant can be divided into parts during transplantation.
The pot must be equipped with drainage holes. The volume of the container should be slightly larger than the volume of the roots. Many flower growers use plastic pots, but Anthurium also feels good in ceramic dishes.
Some tips
- How to awaken crystal anthurium buds? The plant will be able to lay flower buds if you hold it in a room with an air temperature of 16 degrees. But it must be light. The period of cold dormancy can last from September to February. Next, you should gradually increase the temperature to 20-25 degrees.
- Faded inflorescences must be cut together with the pedicel. This will allow the plant not to waste energy on seed maturation. In a similar way, you can extend the flowering period of the plant.
