2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Among low perennials, Armeria is truly one of the first places in terms of unpretentiousness and beauty. The name of the flower comes from one version of the Celtic dialect, translated as living "near the sea", according to the habitat of most species. Another group of scientists ascribes the primary source to the French language, for the similarity of the inflorescences to the bearded carnation. What features are inherent in a wonderful flower?
Biological description
Perennial herb of the Pig family. The height of the peduncle, depending on the species, ranges from 15 to 45 cm. Tap root, shortened. From dormant buds at ground level, it forms many daughter rosettes, collected in "pillows".
Narrow leaves are concentrated in the lower part, have a central vein, smooth or slightly pubescent. The length of the leaf plate is 10 cm, the edge is with small cilia, sometimes a bluish bloom is present on the front surface.
The inflorescence is of the capitate type, resembles a dense ball with a diameter of 4-6 cm. It consists of small flowers of pink-red color, less often white color is found. Each bud is wrapped in a wrapper, exudes a pleasant, delicate aroma. Blooms all summer. The plant is bisexual, cross-pollinated, forming a single-seeded fruit with a capsule.
Habitat
In the wild, Armeria grows on both continents of America, North Africa, Western Asia, Europe, Mongolia, Siberia. It settles on coastal dunes with sandy, rocky soil, river slopes, rocky crevices, mountain meadows. Introduced into culture at the beginning of the 17th century.
Better conditions
Armeria prefers light sandy loam soils with sufficient moisture, acidic reaction. On loamy soils, a drainage device is required to drain excess water during heavy prolonged rains.
Loves sunny areas, tolerates light shading. Drought-resistant. When flooded in spring, the root system is affected by rot. It winters well under the snow at a temperature of at least 30 degrees without additional shelter. In severe frosts without snow cover, the bushes are sprinkled with leaf litter, spruce branches.
Easily tolerates urban conditions in the presence of heavy metals in the soil, being melallophyte. Cleans the area from the accumulation of harmful substances.
Varieties
Foreign selection offers hybrids that differ in the color of the buds and the height of the peduncles:
1. Rosea Compacta - pinkish, low build.
2. Alba is white.
3. Laucheana is a bright pink, undersized form.
4. Dusseldorfer Stolz, Solendens Perfecta, Bloodstone, Vindictive - various shades of red.
The most accessible varieties of armeria are domestic options:
• Ariadne
• Anna Maria
Both of them are represented by a mixture of carmine, deep pink, lilac, pale pink colors, sometimes white specimens are found. The height of the peduncles reaches 20-35 cm, ending in complex inflorescences in the form of a ball with a diameter of 4-6 cm. The winter hardiness of the varieties is high. The options are adapted to the conditions of the middle lane.
Application in garden landscape
For dwarf varieties, a place among the stones of the rock garden is suitable. Good drainage, optimal lighting help the bushes to show themselves in full glory. Curtains of cushion-like greenery with miniature "caps", emerging from the crevices of the stone, add bright colors to the composition.
Armeria, located along the garden paths, looks great in group and single plantings. The wide range of colors allows you to create carpet patterns among the lawn.
Tall varieties are suitable for difficult mixborders. The bushes, planted in the middle tier, retain their decorative effect throughout the season, in the summer they decorate the flower bed with bright colors of inflorescences, closer to autumn they shade the neighbors with juicy dense green leaves.
The partners are creeping variants of creeping thyme, saxifrage, lobelia, stonecrop, arabis Kabursky, alyssum, ageratum, pansies, styloid phlox, yaskolka, sedum, Carpathian bell.
We will consider reproduction, caring for a beautiful armeria in the next article.
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