2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Lobularia (lat. Lobularia) - a flowering plant that looks very similar to alyssum and is a representative of the rather numerous Cruciferous family.
Description
Lobularia is a plant that forms densely branched bushes, which can be both an annual and a perennial. On average, the height of these bushes reaches thirty centimeters, and near the roots of the lobularia it almost always branches very densely. Small linear-lanceolate leaves of this beauty are painted in grayish-greenish shades pleasant to the eye and are covered with tiny white hairs. And the small flowers of this plant can boast of the correct shape and can be either white or pink or light purple (as a rule, their color is in direct proportion to the variety). All flowers gather in attractive racemose inflorescences and are characterized by a rather strong, but at the same time pleasant smell. Lobularia usually blooms from May to October. And its fruits look like small rounded pods, generously filled with a huge number of tiny seeds.
In total, the genus Lobularia includes five species.
Where grows
Lobularia is a plant native to the Mediterranean.
Usage
Some varieties of lobularia are widely used in landscape design. It has proven itself well in carpet gardening, in addition, it is often planted in containers or pots, and is also used as a spectacular curb plant in flower beds, flower beds and mixborders. They cannot do without this beauty and the rock garden, however, and in independent landings, it also looks great! That is why some amateur gardeners are very willing to plant it!
The lobularia also has one more valuable property - it is an excellent honey plant!
Growing and caring
Lobularia grows superbly in sunny areas, while this plant is completely undemanding to the composition of the soil (nevertheless, garden soils will be the most preferable for its cultivation). As for moisture, it does not tolerate either its deficiency or its excess.
In order for the lobularia not to lose its decorative effect, it is necessary to promptly eliminate the shoots that have had time to bloom from the plants, and also provide this green pet with moderate watering during the summer drought. But at other times, it is not recommended to moisten the soil under the plants. The only exceptions are the first weeks after planting lobularia in open ground.
Lobularia does not need pre-winter preparation either. But the garden varieties of Lobularia will be very grateful for feeding with high-quality mineral fertilizers - they are usually applied together with one of the irrigations carried out in the summer.
Reproduction of lobularia usually occurs by seeds, while both the seedling method and sowing in a permanent place in open ground can be used with equal success (it is usually carried out in April or in October-November).
As for diseases and pests, sometimes Lobularia can be affected by white rust, brown rot, powdery mildew, as well as cicadas, aphids and caterpillars. Plants attacked by the above ailments should be promptly removed from flower beds and promptly burned - this will prevent further spread of the disease, and various pests are usually fought with the help of insecticides. However, if aphids have started up on the plants, you can systematically spray them with environmentally friendly natural remedies like a decoction of citrus peel. In general, Lobularia is extremely rare, and pests attack it, too, not so often.
