2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Water poppy (Latin Hydrocleis) - a rosette plant belonging to the Limnocharis family and endowed with bizarre floating leaves. He also has a second name - hydrokleis.
Description
The water poppy is a rhizomatous aquatic plant that easily takes root in the soil with the help of its own stalks' nodules. Rather long, slightly branched and brittle cylindrical stems are filled with milky juice. Having broken off, the stalks of this perennial do not stop active development even in free swimming.
The leaves of this plant have two varieties: underwater and floating. All sessile linear underwater leaves in reality represent expanding petioles that perform the function of leaves. Smooth floating leaves sitting on long petioles are characterized by a heart-shaped shape. For this feature, the water poppy has acquired another name - the floating heart. Young leaves are yellowish in color with miniature purple dots, and older leaves are always painted in dark green tones. But such leaves shine, regardless of their age - and they have a special shine, paraffin.
Single and rather large creamy-yellowish flowers of the water poppy reach a diameter of seven centimeters and rise above the water surface. All of them come out of the leaf sinuses and are endowed with three petals. Moreover, each flower of a blooming water poppy lives only one day.
The fruits of the water poppy are oblong, containing floating smooth seeds (up to fifty pieces) and many-leafed open at the seams.
Currently, there are five varieties of water poppy in nature. However, in landscape design, only one species is used - the water lily-shaped water poppy. It is considered the most decorative variety, as it is famous for its amazing large flowers.
Growing and caring
Water Poppy is a plant native to South America that grows instantly when grown in warm waters and forms a stunning solid carpet. True, for this, in addition to heat, he will also need bright enough lighting. By the way, this amazing plant is quite widely used in landscape design - with its help, both coastal zones and all kinds of water bodies are decorated.
Water poppy should be grown in submersible containers filled with fertile substrate (ideally at least ten centimeters deep) - they are lowered into reservoirs to a depth of sixty centimeters. Sunny and well-heated areas of reservoirs are especially well suited for its cultivation. And the water temperature should ideally be between twenty-five and twenty-eight degrees. If the thermometer drops below, this aquatic beauty can stop growing. The most suitable acidity in this case will be an indicator of 5, 5 - 7, 0, and the hardness should be in the range from 4 to 12. As for the quality of the soil intended for growing water poppy, it should be properly silted.
Water poppy propagates by dividing shoots with rhizomes or seeds. Smooth floating seeds can be spread not only by fast water currents, but also by various water birds or animals, so that they can be carried away from the mother bushes at truly great distances.
The water poppy does not tolerate cold weather, therefore, it should not be left in water bodies for the winter. Immediately, as soon as it starts to cool, all containers with it must be removed from the reservoirs, after which the water poppy is immediately transplanted into flattened vessels filled with clay soil and installed in a fairly shallow, but at the same time rather large and ideally closed vessel filled with water. The room intended for wintering the water poppy should be well lit, and it is important to try to maintain the water temperature at a level of eight to twelve degrees. The water poppy overwinters well in aquariums.
This beautiful plant boasts excellent disease and pest resistance.
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Perennial Poppy
Perennial poppy is an amazingly beautiful plant with very exquisite flowers. It is worth noting that the flowering of this plant is rather short, but, nevertheless, perennial poppy is especially popular among gardeners. However, not everyone decides to grow this plant.
Holostem Poppy
Holostem poppy is one of the plants of the family called poppy, in Latin the name of this plant will sound as follows: Papaver nudicaule L. As for the name of the family of poppy itself, in Latin it will be like this: Papaveraceae Juss. Description of bare-stemmed poppy Holostem poppy is a perennial herb, the height of which will fluctuate between twenty one and fifty centimeters.
Argemon Poppy
Argemon poppy is one of the plants of the family called poppy, in Latin the name of this plant will sound as follows: Papaver argemone L. As for the name of the argemon poppy family itself, in Latin it will be: Papaveraceae Juss. Description of poppy argemon Argemon poppy is an annual herb that can grow up to forty centimeters tall.
Hydrokleis - Water Poppy
Hydrokleis, also called water poppy, is widely used in landscape design to decorate coastal areas and various water bodies. This native of South America, when grown in warm waters, grows rather quickly, forming a luxurious solid carpet. However, in order for him to please with such beauty, he should be provided not only with warmth, but also with bright lighting
Multicolored Poppy
After fierce persecution and persecution, Mac began to appear again in garden plots and city flower beds. The flower petals have become larger and brighter, and the red color has made room, giving way to other stripes of the rainbow
