Confidently migrated to home comfort from the dry tropics of America and Africa, a remarkably hardy and unpretentious culture with an unpronounceable name sansevieria quickly won the love of many flower growers, who immediately renamed it into a much more understandable Russian ear “pike tail” or a very ironic “mother-in-law language.”
It is under these simple names that we most often get acquainted with a plant that is amazing in terms of the degree of adaptation to the proposed conditions. The heroine of this publication is sansevieria. Types and features of culture are described in the article.
Description
Botanists from different countries did not come to an agreement and rank the plant in different families - asparagus and agave. Nevertheless, the genus Sansevieria includes more than 60 species of evergreen stemless perennials - natives of dry stony regions of tropical and subtropical latitudes with the most difficult climate. Probably, it was the centuries-old growth in such conditions that the plant developed an incredible ability to survive at all costs,practically without losing the "face", i.e. decorative. This property of culture is used by both flower growers, especially beginners, and designers - compositions with sansevieria decorate homes and offices, organically fitting into any interior. Along with unpretentiousness, the plant is also distinguished by excellent decorative effect. Many varieties of pike tail have been introduced into the culture. All of them, despite differences in appearance, are similar in that they are equally hardy and decorative.
Sansevieria: species
In indoor floriculture, many types of culture have become widespread. One of the most common varieties of the plant is three-lane sansevieria, so named because of the peculiarities of the longitudinal color of the leaf. A stemless plant, growing in rosettes, forms in each of them 5-6 tall sword-shaped dark green leaves with light transverse stripes and a bright yellow-green border along the edge. Dense powerful leaves grow up to 1.2 m in height, their width usually varies from 3 to 10 cm. The leaves are lanceolate, smooth, gradually tapering upwards and ending with a strong single spike. The color of the leaf depends on the degree of illumination: in a plant located in a well-lit place, the stripes are noticeably brighter, with a lack of light, they become blurry and may disappear altogether. The sheet will become evenly colored, with no zonal separation.
Varieties of three-lane sansevieria
As the original species, three-lane sansevieria served as the basis for the development of many popular varieties. Here are someof which:
• Laurenti is a long-established variety that has remained at the peak of popularity for many decades. The leaves of this variety grow vertically upwards, their edges are bordered by a sharp yellow stripe, the width of which may vary slightly.
• White Sansevera is a variety developed from Laurenti in 1948. Its leaves are decorated with white longitudinal stripes, alternating with dark green. The white sansevieria, the photo of which is presented above, is a beautiful plant with straight, hard leaves that is rarely found in home floriculture, since it has a very slow growth.
• Hanni is characterized by flirtatious vase-shaped rosettes with upturned leaves.
• Derivatives of Hanni are varieties Golden Hanni and Silver Hanni, patented in the middle of the last century. Very similar to Hanni, they differ in the color of the leaves: in Golden Hanni they are speckled with irregular golden yellow stripes, while Silver Hanni is characterized by a silvery gray color, blurred transverse stripes and dark edging.
• Futura is a new cultivar similar in rosette formation to Laurenti but with wider leaves adorned with a thin yellow stripe.
• Robusta, different from Futura in the absence of stripes.
• A newly developed variety, Moonshine, is similar to Robusta in growth rate and shape, but has a wonderful grey-green color.
• Nelson is a descendant of the Laurenti variety, characterized by a deep velvety green coloration of shorter, thicker leaves and a slowgrowth. There can be more than 6 leaves in the rosette, and only reproduction by dividing the rhizome retains varietal characteristics. When cutting, the original species grows.
• The Compact variety is endowed with thinner and shorter, unevenly colored leaves: in the center - intense dark tones, towards the edge - a clearly defined yellow stripe. Sometimes the leaves twist, giving the plant a special appeal. It grows slowly, to preserve the signs of the mother bush, reproduction by dividing the rhizome is necessary.
• Extremely decorative variety Twister Sister, forming a rosette of twisted leaves - olive with a dark speck and yellow edging.
We have listed only a small part of the varieties of three-lane sansevieria. In addition to this species, there are many others.
Sansevieria hyacinth
This is one of the most sought after and popular types of culture. Ayo is recognized as the best variety of the species. The owner of wide ovoid leaves with silver-gray fuzzy spots and a thin orange edging, it barely reaches half a meter in height, but this does not prevent it from being a favorite of many flower growers: both professionals and amateurs. Ayo is found in the collections of famous connoisseurs of home floriculture.
The type of hyacinth sansevieria is complemented by ampelous (hanging) varieties grown in hanging containers.
In all representatives of the species, the leaves grow 2-4 in a rosette, reaching, depending on the variety, from 15 to 45 cm in height. The width of the leaves is no more than 7 cm, and their color is dark green with spots or strokes. Mandatoryedging along the edge, the color of which varies from reddish-orange to milky white tones. The culture blooms in winter, releasing a strong long peduncle up to 0.7 m with small fragrant flowers.
Big Sansevieria
Despite the fact that the species is loudly called "large sansevieria", it is not gigantic in size. Its leaves are able to grow only by 0.3-0.6 m. Only some varieties of this species can boast of a height exceeding the specified one. But they are not the most attractive for flower growers. All varieties of the species have the following characteristics: light green leaves with dark transverse stripes and a reddish margin.
View of Duneri
Strikingly different from the listed species, Duneri's sansevieria is a leafy succulent that forms rosettes, the number of leaves in which often exceeds 10-16.
Flat and erect, they often reach 25-30 cm in height and 3 cm in width. The leaves are painted in light green tones with a dark pattern. The plant blooms, throwing out a peduncle up to 40 cm long, on which small white flowers are collected, emitting an aroma reminiscent of the smell of lilacs.
Liberian Sansevieria
A species that forms a rosette of 5-6 leaves, located almost parallel to the ground and reaching 35-50 cm, is called "Liberian sansevieria". Lanceolate leaves, edged with a light, pink or terracotta border, are painted in dark green, blurred with transverse light stripes. Arrow-peduncle reaches almost a meterlength, white small flowers bloom on it with a rather sharp aroma.
Guinean, or three-lobed, sansevieria
One of the most decorative species - guinea sansevieria with dense fleshy leaves, edged at the edges with a light yellow border. The length of the leaves of different varieties varies from 0.3 to 1.5 m, the width reaches 10 cm. Fragrant small flowers of light green tones are formed in the center of the rosette. They are rather inconspicuous and can not always be seen, but the view is appreciated primarily by luxurious leaves.
Pickax
Sansevieria Kirk is a type of perennial that forms a rosette of 3-5 leaves growing up to one and a half meters. The plant is characterized by green leaves with light spots and a terracotta border around the edges. There are varieties with brick-red leaves.
Within one publication it is impossible to give a complete description of all varieties and varieties. We will limit ourselves to listing the most popular indoor crops.
Caring for sansevieria
Despite the fact that the mother-in-law's tongue home flower is unpretentious and completely easy to care for, by creating comfortable conditions for it, you can significantly increase its decorative effect. The plant is responsive to any manifestation of care, but does not impose strict requirements on the grower. Consider the basic agricultural practices used in growing sansevieria.
Lighting and temperature conditions
Culture prefers bright lighting (but not scorchingdirect sunlight), although it grows in shady places. Intense lighting contributes to the formation of he althy leaves, increases the contrast of their color. Particularly in need of high-quality illumination are variegated forms. The lack of light is not critical for the plant, but it can stop growth and make it acquire an even, uniform green shade of the leaves.
Wide temperature range in which a culture like sansevieria feels comfortable. Its species and varieties are unpretentious, the plant develops successfully, withstanding both hot and cool growing conditions. It is only important to remember that the temperature in the room should not fall below + 12-14 ˚С. In winter, they make sure that the leaves do not touch the cold window glass, and also do not leave the crop in drafts - frosty air is detrimental to a decorative southerner.
Water and fertilize
Sansevieria, photos of which show a variety of species, is a succulent, which means it accumulates water in the tissues, and constant moisture will lead to rot. The plant tolerates short-term droughts more easily.
Therefore, sansevieria is watered moderately, focusing on the condition of the soil and letting it dry out between waterings. The intensity of moisture depends on the characteristics of the content in the room: in conditions of shading and coolness, the culture needs to be watered less often. It is important to remember: water the plant from above, trying not to fall into the center of the outlet. Culture is absolutely indifferent to the level of air humidity, it is equally well adapted togrowth in both dry and high humidity conditions.
Feed sansevieria only during the growing season. Suitable fertilizer for cacti. The concentration of solutions for top dressing depends on the conditions of detention. If the culture is in a well-lit place, it is fertilized once a month with the solution recommended in the annotation. When the plant is kept in a shaded and cool place, it is fed with solutions whose concentration is 2-3 times lower than recommended, and sometimes it is advisable to take a break altogether if atypical deformation of the leaves is observed or varietal characteristics are lost.
Transfers
The plant is transplanted only when the pot becomes cramped. The rhizome of sansevieria is powerful, growing in breadth, capable of deforming the walls of the container or even breaking them. Therefore, when choosing a container, they prefer wide and shallow dishes. The soil is selected well-drained. A mixture of universal purchased soil with river sand in a ratio of 2: 1 has proven itself well. Transplants are carried out in the spring, this is the most gentle time, allowing the plant to quickly recover and start growing.
At the same time, it is desirable to carry out reproduction. Sansevieria (species listed in the article and not included in the publication) perfectly tolerates rhizome division. Cuttings are also possible, but this method is used if the transfer of maternal varietal characteristics is not necessary.
