2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Dodecatheon - winter-hardy light-loving perennial from the Primrose family. The second name is dryakvennik. This plant has other names, but they are not particularly widespread: meteor, steppe and chandelier.
Description
The dodecateon is a spring-flowering, low-growing perennial, capable of boasting very beautiful rosettes of oval dense leaves. And the roots of this plant resemble fibrous formations with thickenings extending from the central tubers. And the bright green foliage begins its growth directly from the roots, but the straight stems of the dodecateon, the height of which sometimes reaches seventy centimeters, are completely devoid of foliage (the only exception is the basal formations)!
The flowers of the dodecateon are also quite unusual - the flowers themselves are facing downward, and the anthers playfully peeking out of them form spectacular sharp cones. As a rule, dodecateon bloom occurs in May or June, and sometimes in both of these months.
The translation of the name of the plant from the Greek language sounds like "flower of twelve gods" or "god's dozen". It is possible that the plant received this name by the number of flowers in the inflorescences of the Mead dodecateon - there are just twelve of them. In total, the genus of the dodecateon has three dozen species.
Where grows
In nature, most of the dodecateon species grows in North America, in the mountains of its Pacific part. And on the territory of Russia, you can find only one species of this plant, and you can see it only in the Arctic Far Eastern regions.
Usage
In ornamental gardening, the dodecateon has no equal - this plant will easily decorate even the most ordinary-looking area! It looks great in group or curb plantings, going well with low-growing conifers, astilbe and ferns. However, the dodecateon will look no worse in rocky gardens, in addition, it is also actively grown for cutting.
Growing and caring
Dodecateon should be planted either in shaded or sunny areas with fertile forest soils. Ideally, soils should be moist, loamy, light, and well-drained. Also, the root system of a beautiful plant periodically needs to be fed with humus.
It is necessary to water the dodecateon regularly and abundantly, trying in every possible way to prevent stagnation of water in the area. In the process of its growth, this plant perfectly tolerates dampness, but when the dodecateon bears fruit, it immediately begins to go into a state of dormancy - by August its aerial parts die off, and during this period it is completely intolerant of high humidity, but it tolerates drought perfectly, and even the strongest. By the way, light mulching (ideally with peat) will not hurt the dodecateon at all.
Dodecateon is propagated either by dividing the bushes (it is usually carried out closer to the end of the summer season), or by seeds. However, seed reproduction is a rather complicated and laborious process: since a given plant does not produce seeds during self-pollination, it needs a genetically different partner. In addition, the seeds of the dodecateon require stratification (they are placed in the cold for one or two months), and they sprout when sown under winter sowing, at best, with the onset of next spring, and sometimes even a year later. Moreover, the very first flowers may appear only after three to five years!
As for various pests and ailments, the dodecateon is practically not affected by them. However, anti-slug pest control is never superfluous!
