2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Tricyrtis (lat. Tricyrtis) - a flowering shade-loving perennial from the Liliaceae family.
Description
Tricirtis is a magnificent short-rhizome perennial, equipped with leafy straight stems from fifty to sixty centimeters high. The shallow root system of this plant is very well developed and boasts the ability to regenerate. And the sessile ovoid leaves of tricyrtis are most often spotty and have either an elongated (belt-like) or oval shape. These leaves are devoid of petioles and tightly entwine the stems along their entire length. In length, they often reach fifteen centimeters, and their width is usually about five centimeters.
The wide-open spotted tricyrtis flowers boast quite large sizes and a very original shape. Outwardly, these flowers are somewhat reminiscent of orchids, but they are much more unpretentious in care. As for the color of the flowers, they are quite bright and can be either monochromatic (blue, purple, beige, as well as pink or white), and speckled, with rather dark specks, in most cases - purple.
With the onset of autumn, fruits are formed on the plants that look like compact oblong boxes filled with brown or black seeds.
In total, there are about two dozen species of tricyrtis in nature, with most of them growing wild. And scientists are gradually continuing to discover more and more new species!
By the way, tricirtis has three other names! In the Philippines, it is called the “toad lily” because the locals use tricyrtis juice as bait while hunting edible toads. In Japan, tricithis is called "cuckoo" because its variegated color is very reminiscent of the Japanese plumage of this adorable bird. And in Europe, this plant is called "garden orchid" - this name is due to the original and extremely interesting shape of this amazing flower. Despite the fact that tricyrtis still does not have a striking resemblance to orchids, it still very much resembles them due to some of its features and its stunning beauty.
Where grows
The homeland of tricirtis is the luxurious East Asian forests. Especially often this beautiful plant can be found in the Himalayas or Japan.
Usage
Some varieties of tricyrtis are successfully cultivated as ornamental plants. By the way, this plant has been cultivated as garden flowers since the ninth century, but tricirtis gained its greatest popularity in the twentieth century.
Growing and caring
It is best to plant tricyrtis in shady or semi-shady areas with fairly loose, well-moistened forest soils. He especially loves moist peat soils. At the same time, ideally, this plant should be placed under the canopy of broad-leaved trees, each autumn giving a fairly abundant leaf litter.
Tricirtis will be very grateful for regular feeding, for which it is best to use peat, humus and all kinds of mineral fertilizers. As for fresh manure, it will not work as a top dressing for this plant.
Tricirtis tolerates drought very well, but frosty winters become a very difficult and too harsh test for him.
Tricyrtis is usually propagated by seeds, which are either sown before winter or subjected to preliminary stratification. Young seedlings usually bloom only in the second or even in the third year. The easiest way to propagate tricyrtis is by dividing the bushes, which is done either at the end of summer or with the onset of spring.
