Bouvardia

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Bouvardia - a genus of tropical flowering evergreen herbaceous plants and shrubs. In areas with a temperate climate, it is grown in greenhouses and as a houseplant. Glossy green leaves and false umbrellas of inflorescences of fragrant tubular flowers give the plant decorativeness.

What's in your name

The name of the Bouvardia family preserves the memory of the doctor of the French king Louis XIII the Just. He received this honor for combining the position of a doctor with the position of caretaker of the Parisian Royal Botanical Gardens. The name of the doctor is Charles Bouvard, years of his life from 1572 to 1658.

Description

In natural conditions in the American tropics, where Bouvardia was born, it is a perennial plant with glossy decorative leaves, like many tropical plants, and fragrant tubular flowers that form apical inflorescences. The shape of the leaves can be different, from ovoid to lanceolate, from 3 to 11 cm long.

The flower tube ends in a bend with four lobes, which can be pink, white, yellow or red in color. The diameter of the inflorescences in the hybrid species exceeds that of other cultivated Bouvardia species.

Varieties

* Bouvardia jasmine-flowered (Latin Bouvardia jasminiflora) - most suitable for indoor cultivation, as it is a dwarf species that grows no more than 60 cm in height. This species received the adjective "jasmine-flowered" for the external resemblance of its flowers to jasmine flowers. Their aromas are also similar. White flowers come to the world in winter.

* Bouvardia long-flowered (lat. Bouvardia longiflora) - Bouvardia growing in a sunny place reaches a meter height. As with the previous species, the white flowers of the plant fill the air with a jasmine-like scent. The leaves are ovate-pointed.

The hybrids created by the breeders are inferior to Bouvardia long-flowered in height, rising only up to 70 cm. The shape of the leaves of the hybrids is oval, and the color of the flower blades can be pink, red, white, purple.

* Bouvardia yellow (Bouvardia flava) - one meter tall bushes of this species are distinguished by glossy juicy green leaves and tubular yellow flowers.

Growing

Bouvardia is a very picky plant, for which it is not very easy to create favorable conditions in an apartment.

A child of the tropics loves places that are well lit, but without direct sunlight. She doesn't like high and low temperatures. The optimum temperature at which Bouvardia feels comfortable is the thermometer mark, equal to plus 13 degrees.

Bouvardia is considered a two-year-old plant, since in the third year of life it can no longer bloom profusely, and therefore, as a rule, the whole plant is replaced with a new one. Since flowering is born only on new shoots, the faded shoots are cut shortly.

In addition, during the year she needs a dormant period that occurs after flowering and reduces the decorative role of the plant. For rest to be complete, the plant needs a temperature below a comfortable one, but not less than plus 7 degrees, which is not always possible to provide in a residential apartment.

Watering Bouvardia during the dormant period is rare, in contrast to the growing season, when regular watering is required.

Soil for flower pots is prepared by mixing coarse and clean river sand, leaf humus or peat soil, turf soil, observing the ratio (1: 2: 4).

Propagated by apical or root cuttings.

It is much easier to create favorable conditions by growing Bouvardia in greenhouses. This is what enterprising people are doing today, growing plants for cutting and selling in flower shops. Bouvardia flowers are often used in wedding ceremonies, decorating the bride's outfit, or using them for the bride's bouquet.

Enemies

The enemies of the plant are dampness (not to be confused with moisture), as well as high and low temperatures.