2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Armeria (lat. Armeria) - a flowering perennial from the Pig family.
Description
Armeria is a beautifully flowering and decorative-leaved perennial, equipped with a huge number of simple linear-lanceolate leaves, forming bizarre basal rosettes. And at the very tips of the shoots, these leaves form funny bumps-pads. Also, this plant is characterized by short stature, but at the same time it boasts a fairly strong taproot, which is located close to the soil surface.
Bisexual armeria flowers gather in spectacular capitate inflorescences, conveniently located on naked peduncles, the length of which ranges from twenty to forty centimeters. Each flower is equipped with five sepals, which grow together into small tubular calyxes. As for the color of the flowers, it can vary from white to dark purple (however, most often the flowers are still pink). And the fruits of the armeria are always single-seeded.
In total, there are about ninety species of armeria in nature.
Where grows
Most often, beautiful armeria can be seen in the southern part of South America, as well as in North America, North Africa, Western Asia and Europe.
Usage
Armeria has proven itself well in rockeries, on rocky areas, as well as on ridges and curbs. The compact rosettes of this plant will look especially cool between the tiles of the paths or in the crevices of the retaining walls! Armeria is valuable for its ability to perfectly coexist with almost any ground cover plants.
All types of armeria will look perfect in tapeworms, and if you plant several plants in a row, they will form luxurious solid rugs! In addition, the Armeria will stand perfectly in the cut too! And it is widely used for winter bouquets!
Growing and caring
Planting armeria is best in well-drained soils, in areas with excellent lighting. It is important to take into account that this drought-resistant plant does not at all tolerate locking. And one more important nuance: armeria is a calcephobic plant, that is, it will grow very poorly on lime-rich soils! But this beauty perceives acidic soils very well!
Armeria is very unpretentious in leaving, only snowless winters can greatly harm it. This beauty tolerates drought very steadily (but at the same time does not refuse moderate watering), and after flowering, it is recommended to cut off its inflorescences.
At the stage of active growth, it is recommended to feed the armeria - about two or three times during the season it must be fed with good complex mineral fertilizers. It is best to add such fertilizers to the water intended for irrigation, prudently reducing the concentration by exactly half.
This plant can be propagated both by seeds and by dividing the bushes. As a rule, bushes are divided either in early spring or with the onset of August. But the seeds need to be sown in May or June, since in August the plant will need to be transplanted to a permanent place. The first flowering of Armeria can usually be seen already in the second year, but if you want to admire it right away in the first year, then it makes sense to sow the seeds of this plant in February or in March (in room conditions or in special boxes in greenhouses). And the armeria is transplanted once every two to three years, while after the transplant it recovers very quickly.
Armeria is extremely rarely affected by various pests and ailments, however, aphid attacks and the risk of rotting cannot be completely ruled out.
