2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Kochia (lat. Kochia) - ornamental-leaved summer or biennial from the Marevye family.
Description
Cochia is a rhizome herb or a spectacular shrub and can be both a perennial and an annual. Its erect stems, the height of which can vary from thirty centimeters to one and a half meters, are rather strongly branched, and the whole linear narrow leaves are slightly pubescent and are arranged in the next order.
Quite inconspicuous small flowers of kochia are devoid of bracts and gather one to five pieces in miniature glomeruli, which in turn form attractive paniculate or spike-shaped inflorescences, giving kochia an amazing resemblance to tumbleweed. As for the fruits of this plant, they are single-seeded nuts, while the length of egg-shaped seeds usually does not exceed one and a half to two millimeters. As a rule, the flowering of this plant occurs from July to October itself, and the process of fruit ripening invariably starts in the fall.
At the moment, about eighty species of kochia are known, while only one single variety is grown in culture.
Where grows
The main habitats of this beautiful plant are Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. It is also found in the southern part of Russia, as well as in the Amur and Primorye regions, and sometimes it can be seen on the territory of Western Siberia.
Usage
Cochia is used mainly to add volume to luxurious compositions composed of flowering annual plants, while these annuals are usually represented by low-growing vegetation growing in one plane. The kohija will look very cool in beds with borders, in addition, it is very successfully used to create a magnificent green background in flower beds with mixborders. This wonderful plant looks equally impressive in small groups and in single plantings.
This green beauty is also good because with the help of a haircut it is possible to give absolutely any shape to its thickets - she tolerates a haircut perfectly, in addition, it lends itself perfectly to shaping.
In some countries, kohija is also considered an excellent raw material for the manufacture of brooms, in addition, it is quite successfully used in folk medicine: an infusion of the herb is an excellent remedy for itching, difficulty or painful urination, eczema, rubella, itching in the vaginal area accompanied by leucorrhoea, rabid dog bites, urolithiasis, rheumatism, as well as constipation and dropsy. And in Chinese medicine, a decoction of fruits is actively used - it is used for gonorrhea, as well as for a wide variety of ailments of the urinary tract and bladder.
Growing and caring
Cochia will grow fully and without problems only on well-cultivated, nutritious and loose soils. And the site for planting it should ideally be sunny, although this plant tolerates partial shade very well.
In general, kochia is very unpretentious in care, but when hot weather is established, it must be systematically watered.
Kokhia is propagated either by seeds sown in open ground in May, or by planting in greenhouses in April. And growing seedlings usually begins with the onset of March. When planting this plant, it is important to try to maintain a distance of twenty to thirty centimeters. By the way, kochia gives quite abundant self-seeding!
As for all kinds of pests and ailments, kochia is very resistant to them.
Recommended:
Cochia Broom
Cochia broom is one of the plants of the family called Haze, in Latin the name of this plant will sound as follows: Kochia scoparia (L.). As for the name of the cochia broom family itself, in Latin it will be like this: Chenopodiaceae Juss.
