2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Hakonechloa (lat. Hakonechloa) - a spectacular decorative leafy perennial, which is a representative of the Cereals family. Other names for the plant are hakonechloa or weeping grass. And among the people it is sometimes called the Japanese forest grass or the Japanese reed.
Description
Hakonehloa is an incredibly cute undersized ornamental grass, the height of which ranges from thirty-five to forty, and sometimes up to fifty centimeters. The long rhizomes of the plant are very firmly rooted in the soil, and the thin long stems of hakonechloa bend under the weight of its foliage, forming fluffy bushes up to half a meter high and up to half a meter in diameter. This cereal grows very slowly (it takes at least five years to reach the size of a full-fledged adult plant), while it is characterized by cascade growth in one direction, that is, the bushes of this amazing plant gradually acquire similarities with a luxurious cascade of leaves and stems. The rather long narrow leaves of hakonechloa are equipped with well-defined central veins and are colored in a wide variety of shades of yellow or green. And sometimes there are spectacular variegated varieties. These leaves also have one more extremely interesting and very unusual feature - when the temperature drops, they change their color.
The flowering period of hakonechloa is not the same - it depends solely on the variety. Sometimes it falls in July-August, and sometimes at the beginning of autumn. The spike-shaped inflorescences protruding above the surface of the leaves are formed by small inconspicuous white flowers, and in each inflorescence there are from five to ten such flowers. And by autumn, all these flowers turn from white to bronze or orange. It is noteworthy that the decorativeness of the bushes is not disturbed even after flowering - rather, on the contrary, the elongated weevil fruits even give them a certain originality and airiness.
In the genus Hakonechloa there is only one single species - Hakonechloa large, which has been cultivated since the distant 1930. But this plant has a lot of varieties!
Where grows
The birthplace of haakonehloa is Japanese Honshu. This plant is especially widespread in the east-central part of the island of Honshu. At the same time, in the wild, hakonechloa prefers to grow on well-watered mountain cliffs. However, at present, this plant can also be seen in temperate zones.
Usage
In culture, mainly ornamental varieties and forms of hakonechloa are grown, and they are grown exclusively as ornamental plants.
Growing and caring
Hakonechloa should be planted in semi-shady areas that are reliably protected from cold winds (although, if this plant is provided with sufficient moisture, it can grow very well in the sun), and the soil in these areas should be well-drained and rather loose, ideally garden … As for the acidity of the soil, the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. But on heavy or dry sandy soils, this plant will not develop normally.
To prevent water from stagnating at the roots of the hakonechloa, when planting it, it is imperative to pour an impressive drainage layer into each hole. In general, this handsome man is undemanding to care. If the weather is too dry, this plant will need watering, and with the onset of winter, it needs to provide proper shelter. And on this, perhaps, all the care ends! And hakonechloa usually reproduces by dividing the bushes in the spring.
