Function

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Function (Latin Hosta) - shade-loving and shade-tolerant perennial from the Hostovye family. The second name of this plant is host, and this name was received by a beautiful plant in honor of N. Host, a famous Austrian botanist and doctor. And the name of the function was given to this representative of the flora world in honor of the German pharmacist H.-G. Funk.

Description

Function is an incredibly effective decorative leafy perennial. Its dense and simple large elliptical leaves sit on petioles painted in a wide variety of shades. And they all gather in fairly dense bushes, the height of which can reach ninety centimeters. By the way, it is the leaves that are the main advantage of the funkia! And the shape of the bushes formed by these leaves can be both ground cover, vase-shaped or horizontal, and hemispherical or domed. In general, the structure of the leaves in funkia is such that a certain part of their tissues, saturated with chlorophyll, can boast of a pleasant green or bluish color, and the other part of the leaf tissues is practically devoid (and sometimes completely devoid of) the characteristic green pigment, as a result of which the leaves appear also white or yellow patterns of a wide variety of configurations. These varieties are usually called variegated.

As for the flowers of the funkia, they are not as remarkable as its leaves. They are characterized by a funnel-shaped shape and gather in racemose, often one-sided inflorescences, crowning rather high peduncles (the height of these peduncles often reaches even one hundred and twenty centimeters!).

In total, the genus of funkia has about forty plant species.

Where grows

Funkia can be found mainly in East Asia, as well as in the Far East.

Usage

About ten species of funky were introduced into the culture, as well as a great many of its garden forms, characterized by a hybrid origin. Subsequently, these forms received a single name - the hybrid function. And all these plants are very actively used in ornamental gardening! And in order to get especially beautiful and spectacular plants, it is important to try to give them the opportunity to develop without transplanting or dividing for at least five years! By the way, the overwhelming majority of species and varieties of funkia do not lose their decorative effect even if they grow in the same place for twenty years or even more!

Growing and caring

When planting funkia, it is important to consider that, despite the fact that most of its species boast very impressive shade tolerance, there are also a number of such garden hybrids that prefer open sunny areas. The leaves of these plants are usually cream or golden colored.

Best of all, the function will develop on fertile, well-provided with moisture, but not damp soils. And this plant is quite capable of putting up with a deficiency of various nutrients. By the way, it was noticed that the most spectacular brightly colored varieties of funkyi acquire an even more spectacular color on sandy poor soils, however, they will grow much more slowly than on solid rich loams - if all the necessary nutrients are available, all varieties without exception form funkyi more beautiful and "fat" bushes. Well-drained light loams, which are characterized by a neutral reaction, will become the "golden mean" when growing this beauty. Too heavy soils can be improved by adding sand, and the introduction of non-acidic peat will definitely help improve sandy soils. As for organic fertilizers, they are used with great care and in very small doses, because in the case of an excess of nitrogen, the function will begin to lose its decorative effect. By the way, compost that has had time to decompose well, as well as cow or horse manure (the latter option will be the most preferable), will be a very good improving additive on poor soils. But bird droppings are not used at all for feeding funky!

Varietal funkii are propagated exclusively vegetatively - as a rule, their reproduction is carried out by dividing the bushes. At the same time, you can dig up and divide this plant at absolutely any time - it will take root in any case perfectly!