2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Nemophila (lat. Nemophila) - a light-loving annual or a biennial from the Water-leaved family. Another name is American forget-me-not.
Description
Nemophila is a spectacular herb with creeping stems, the height of which can reach twenty centimeters. And the leaves of this plant are opposite.
Single wide-bell-shaped nemophila flowers boast rather large sizes (their diameter often reaches four and a half centimeters), the presence of five petals and the most varied colors (white, blue, blue, purple, etc.). All of them are located in the axils of pubescent feathery-lobed leaves. Flowering nemophila can be admired from June until September, and its ovoid seeds can be either smooth or wrinkled.
In total, the genus nemophila has eleven species. And the name of these wonderful flowers comes from two Greek words: nemos (translated as "forest") and philos (translated as "love").
Where grows
Nemophila came to us from distant North America, or to be more precise, from the sunny groves of Oregon and California. And now it is most often seen in the southeastern United States, as well as in western Mexico and Canada.
Usage
In Russia, in decorative floriculture, the most common Nemophila Mencis and Nemophila spotted. The nemophila will look especially cool in the composition of meadow decorative lawns, ridges and grassy borders, as well as under the windows of houses and near ponds. In addition, it is excellent for planting in hanging baskets or containers. However, if you wish, you can also grow it in pots in an apartment environment. And in the famous Japanese park Hitachi there are about four and a half million nemophiles!
Growing and caring
Nemophila feels great in sunny areas, however, it also grows quite well in partial shade, however, already at the expense of its impressive decorative effect. Nemophila will bloom profusely only in well-lit areas! And the soil for growing this beauty should be sufficiently nutritious, with a neutral reaction, well-drained, permeable and loose, ideally garden.
When placing nemophila on the site, it is important to take into account the fact that due to the fragility of the shoots, it must be protected in every possible way from too strong winds.
Nemophila should be watered in a timely manner, since without regular watering, this plant simply stops blooming. It is especially important to thoroughly moisturize the nemophila growing in sunny areas. However, it is also not worth overfilling it - this can provoke the formation of root rot. In general, this beauty is very unpretentious in leaving.
Nemophila is usually propagated by seeds - they are planted in a permanent place with the onset of April, after which the seedlings are carefully thinned out. Also, when planting between plants, it is necessary to maintain a distance of twenty centimeters. It is not necessary to plant a nemophila too densely - it tends to grow very quickly, and the lack of full-fledged air flows near the soil and precipitation can lead to twisting of the lower shoots. So there must be free space between beautiful flowers! By the way, it is quite permissible to plant nemophila in June as well - this is done in order to be able to admire its autumn flowering. And nemophila perfectly reproduces by self-sowing, and this is largely facilitated by its seeds overwintering in the ground.
As for resistance to various pests and ailments, it is quite high in nemophila.
