2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Lachenalia (lat. Lachenalia) - a flowering ornamental-leaved plant from the Liliaceae family. Lachenalia received its unusual name in honor of a professor at a Brazilian university named Werner von Lachenal.
Description
Lashenalia is a herbaceous bulbous perennial. The leaves of this plant are usually very few - most often there are two of them, but sometimes there are specimens that have up to ten leaves. All leaves have linear outlines and a fairly rich dark green color, in addition, they are spotted in many varieties of lashenalia. The leaves form graceful rosettes and reach twenty centimeters in length.
The cylindrical arrows of the Lashenalia are crowned with either an ear or a carrying brush, and reach a length of twenty-five centimeters. The flowers of this plant can be yellow, orange or red, while the hybrids can have a completely different color, and the fruits of Lashenalia always look like three-ribbed bolls that open at three seams. As for the numerous seeds, they are very small in size.
In general, the genus includes about ninety species.
Where grows
In natural conditions, the beautiful lashenalia can be seen only in South Africa.
Usage
Lashenalia is often used in indoor floriculture, in addition, it is often grown in greenhouses.
Growing and caring
Lashenalia feels best on the southern windows - this plant is very photophilous. And in the summer, it is recommended to move it to the open air, to sunny areas. In winter, lashenalia must be kept in bright rooms, the temperature in which ranges from six to ten degrees. A veranda facing the south side or a glazed loggia are especially well suited for these purposes. Also in September, it is advisable to move the bulbs into sandy soil mixtures.
Moisturization of lashenalia is necessary moderate. In winter, it is generally watered very moderately, and after new shoots appear on it, the plant begins to be watered more abundantly, but still without fanaticism. It is especially important not to allow the earthen coma to dry out during the flowering period. But when the leaves of the plant slowly begin to die off in the summer, its watering is completely stopped.
Before the lashenalia begins to bloom, it should be fed on a weekly basis. And this beautiful plant is transplanted every two to three years at the end of flowering, using for these purposes a soil mixture from leaf and sod land taken in equal proportions, as well as sand.
Lashenalia is usually propagated during transplantation with the help of baby bulbs (they rarely resort to seed reproduction). Usually, five to eight bulbs are planted in one pot. By the way, young bulbs often bloom in the first year! But this does not always happen - if in the first year the Lashenalia did not please with its marvelous flowering, it means that it will certainly bloom in the second year! And one more important nuance - if you plan to purchase lachenalia bulbs in a store, it is important to ensure that they are healthy, without the slightest hint of mold.
If the soil in which Lashenalia grows turns out to be too dense, the roots of the plant may begin to rot, therefore, in order to avoid such a nuisance, the soil should always be kept sufficiently loose. And if the habitat of lashenalia is excessively wet, the development of pathogenic fungi may begin, provoking the formation of unsightly spots on young shoots and on flowers with leaves. It will be possible to get rid of them only through fungicide treatments and maintaining the most optimal conditions.
