Zebrina

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

Zebrina is a perennial herb that belongs to the family Commelinaceae

The plant is common in the South of America, Mexico, the Antilles and Central America.

Zebrin leaves shine, their top is colored green with stripes, and below such leaves are purple-purple. The name itself is explained by the silvery and white stripes that run through the entire length of the leaves. The flowering of this plant occurs during the period of spring and summer, at which time the flowers are painted in bright pink tones.

Most often, this plant is used to decorate balconies and terraces. Several species of this plant are distinguished. Hanging Zebrina is characterized by few small pink flowers. Zebrina Purpuza has a reddish-olive stem. As for the color of the leaves itself, it directly depends on the degree of illumination intensity.

Zebra care secrets

As for lighting, this plant needs solar windows. However, at the same time, in the summer season, the zebrin should be protected from excessively bright and scorching sunlight. West and east windows will be the best option for placing such a plant. Of course, even in low light, the plant will not die and will continue to grow, but the pattern will become paler, and the stems will elongate.

Special adherence to a strictly temperature regime for this plant is not required. Zebrin grows very well indoors. In summer, this plant can also be taken out onto the balcony. Zebrina will look especially good as a terrace decor. The plant can easily tolerate temperature drops of up to ten degrees Celsius.

The increased humidity of the air will very well help the growth of the plant. In summer, the leaves should be sprayed, but this applies to all species, in addition to desert and pubescent ones.

Watering the plant is quite abundant; in general, zebrins love moisture very much. In summer, especially intensive watering is required, and the soil must always remain moist. As soon as the thermometer drops a little lower, watering should be moderated, otherwise the roots may rot. The plant should be watered with settled soft water.

The active growth of zebrins occurs in the period from March to September. At this time, the plant should be fed twice a month. For this it is necessary to use a special complex mineral fertilizer. In the rest of the time, the zebrin does not need additional feeding.

The plant has a unique ability to grow rapidly, so transplanting will not be required for most species. If you plant the plant in the spring, then by the fall these cuttings will grow to long lashes and begin to get rid of the leaves at their base. As the shoots grow, it is necessary to pinch, and in the fall such an active growth slows down significantly. In winter, this plant will serve as an excellent decoration for your home, and in spring new shoots are already beginning to appear. In order to preserve these new plants, the stems are cut off, because the plant can be significantly damaged due to transplantation.

As for the soil, in this regard, the plant is not particularly whimsical. A flower substrate will be an excellent option for a zebrin. You can create this soil yourself, for this you need to take leafy soil, turf, humus and sand. In this case, the ratio should be unitary for all land, except for sheet, which is required to be taken in double size.

Reproduction occurs by cuttings. This method is the simplest, so even novice gardeners will definitely succeed. To do this, you need to put a stalk of a plant in the water, however, you can immediately transplant the stalk into the ground or in the sand. After a few days, the roots of the cuttings begin to grow back, and the lateral shoot is formed from the upper node.

As for diseases, this plant is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, spider mites and thrips. Aphids most often appear on young shoots and leaves. The plant should be inspected regularly, and if pests appear, they should be removed with a sponge and soap solution. However, care should be taken when doing this. You can also use folk remedies, for example, an infusion of garlic.