2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Hypoestes - an ornamental-leaved plant belonging to the Acanthus family.
Description
Hypoestes is a spectacular herb, shrub or shrub with pointed opposite ovoid leaves. The length of these leaves usually ranges from seven to ten centimeters. Their edges can be both smooth and serrated, near the very bases, the leaves smoothly taper into petioles, in addition, all the leaves are covered with bizarre patterns of specks of different sizes and shapes. The main background of hypoesthesia leaves is usually dense purple or green, and pink, yellow or white strokes and dots are generously scattered over this background.
The flowers of hypoesthesia are usually collected in spectacular semi-umbrellas or heads, and at the bases of the bracts that have grown together in the form of veils, small flowers are located: one, two or three pieces.
In total, this genus has about one and a half hundred species.
Where grows
The main growth zone of hypoesthesia is the tropical regions of the island of Madagascar or Africa.
Usage
Hypoestes is grown mainly as an indoor ornamental plant, however, only light and sufficiently warm rooms are suitable for its cultivation. This green pet not only contributes to the creation of a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment, but also boasts insignificant phytoncidal activity. And it also has a powerful aesthetic effect on the body!
Sometimes hypoesthesia is cultivated as a ground cover plant. However, it is perfectly acceptable to plant it in containers as well.
Growing and caring
Hypoestes is very unpretentious, but throughout the year it requires moderate watering and bright light (without direct sunlight). If the lighting is insufficient, the stems of the plant will stretch out strongly, and the leaves will noticeably fade. When watering, it is very important not to allow the earthen coma to dry out, while hypoesthesia should ideally be watered with water with an insignificant lime content. As for the soils, this plant does not impose special requirements on them. However, hypoesthesia will feel best in a soil mixture formed by turf (two parts) and leafy (also two parts) soil combined with sand (one part).
At the stage of active growth, hypoesthesia is fertilized about once every two weeks, and in winter the frequency of top dressing is reduced to once a month. Also in winter, the plant is kept at a temperature of seventeen to nineteen degrees (as for summer temperatures, in this case, the most optimal temperature range will be from twenty-two to twenty-five degrees). It is also important to know that hypoesthesia is afraid of too sharp temperature changes and drafts, and the proximity to various heating devices from it is also extremely unimportant.
If, before the spring awakening, it turns out that the plant has grown too much, it is necessary to prune it. Young plants should be pinched regularly to stimulate branching. And it is necessary to transplant hypoesthes every spring.
Hypoestes is propagated either by apical cuttings or by seeds. In this case, the soil temperature should be in the range from twenty-five to thirty degrees. And cuttings from mother plants are usually cut either in summer or spring. As a rule, it takes up to eight to nine weeks for the plant to take root completely.
Of the pests, hypoesthesia is most often damaged by whiteflies or aphids. And with a nutritional deficiency or excess dampness, the edges of the leaves may turn black. If the soil is too cold, the roots of the plant may start to rot.
