Flowers klorodendrum: care at home, reproduction, photo

The name "clerodendrum" has an interesting translation from the Greek language - "the tree of fate". It's difficult to say reliably how the plant really affects a person, but the fact that it will make your home cozy and bring a little tropical exotica into it is a fact. In indoor floriculture, the most common are three species, forming lush bushes and pleasing the eye with bright colors. Read in the article about what is required for a plant called klarodendrum care at home. The photos below will help you understand the plant species.

Description of the plant

Under the generic name of Clerodendrum, about four hundred species of shrubs, lianas, and trees are grown in the tropics and subtropics. Plants belong to the family Neskotkovye, but earlier erroneously they were included in the Verbena. The natural habitat is Africa, America, Australia, Asia (Japan, Philippines, China, India, Indochina and Korea).

In the main mass of clerodendrums are curly bushes that form shoots of more than 4 m in length in nature, the total height of the plant reaches 2.5 m. In this connection, like some other domestic flowers, clerodendrum requires pruning. Flexible shoots adorn large, oppositely located leaves of a rich dark green color with a highly prominent venation. The size of the leaf blade reaches 12 cm in length, the edges are often smooth, the tip is slightly extended.

One of the main advantages of the plant is flowers. Clerodendrum blooms twice - in spring and autumn. It is abundantly covered with bunches of buds on long peduncles (8-20 pieces each). Color and shape depend on the type of plant. In the room culture, three types have become especially widespread: the clerodendrum of Wallich, Thompson, and Ugandan.

Wollich's Clerodendrum

The plant comes from the subtropics of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and southern China. It grows at a height of 100 to 1,200 m above sea level. Its name was given in honor of the Danish botanist and surgeon Nathaniel Wallich, who was the owner of the botanical garden and often made scientific expeditions to India. Among its many discoveries are also tropical flowers. The clerodendrum of Wallich in the room conditions grows to 50 cm in height. Its distinctive feature is large glossy dark green leaves with wavy edges up to 15 cm. Large white flowers are collected in a brush.

Thompson's Clerodendrum

This species (in the first photo) is the most common and it can often be found already blooming on the shelves of stores. Evergreen vines in room conditions shoots up to 2.5 m long, which is often used for vertical landscaping. Flexible shoots are covered with large leaves. Flowers of unusual form consist of a snow-white five-lobed bract in the form of a flashlight and a halo of a saturated red hue, which is slightly smaller in size. Flowers Thripson's klorodendrum is dissolved twice a year. Corollas quickly fade, and bracts last for several months.

Clerodendrum Ugandan

The species is native to the mountain regions of East Africa. He is quite a rare guest in our apartments and houses and one of the most outstanding representatives of the family. In the people it has received the name "blue butterflies" because of the specific form of colors. The plant is a liana with thin semi-mature shoots up to 2.5 m long. Large five-petalled flowers have a soft blue hue and are collected in a paniculate inflorescence.

Lighting and air temperature

When choosing a place for a plant and to provide the best conditions for it, you should first of all consider the information about where it comes from. By this principle, all indoor flowers should be placed. Clerodendrum grows in the humid tropics on rich soil, under the cover of large trees that scatter natural light.

In this regard, the plant requires bright lighting, but without direct sunlight. Provide it with diffused light. For this purpose, the western and eastern windows are best suited. On the south side, shadowing is required, and on the northern side, there will be a lack of light, and the plant will not bloom.

Clerodendrum is thermophilic, so it can be quite comfortable in the climate of our climate in the summer. The most optimal range of air temperature is +18 ... +25 ° С. The winter period should be cooler, around 16 ° C. Therefore, it is best to remove the plant away from the radiators.

The soil

The soil for clerodendrum should be light and nutritious. In order to cook it, take peat, sand and ordinary garden soil, pretreated and disinfected in a ratio of 1: 1: 3. If there is no way to do it yourself, then the best option is to purchase a ready-made special primer. A weakly acidic nutrient substrate with a pH of 5-6.5 is what "likes" the clerodendrum. Care at home (the photos used in the article show how a green pet looks when it does not need anything), it is not too laborious, but it must be permanent.

At the bottom of the pot for the flower should be poured a drainage layer 2-3 cm thick of expanded clay or broken bricks. To transplant adult specimens is recommended every 2-3 years, and young plants every year after the flowering period.

Humidity and watering

High humidity, warmth and regular watering are one of the main conditions for the successful cultivation of clerodendrum at home. A classic tropical plant does not tolerate dry air at all. Spraying is often carried out (especially if heating radiators are located nearby) and throughout the year, avoiding water drops falling on the flowers. Clerodendrum can discard leaves during a rest period, in which case it is sufficient to protect it from heat sources.

Watering in summer and during flowering should be regular and abundant, in autumn and in winter - moderate. Despite the love of moisture, the plant does not tolerate its stagnation at all. Water for irrigation is recommended to take a soft: rainy or settled.

In the period of active vegetation and flowering it is necessary to fertilize the plant with mineral complex fertilizers. Periodicity - once in two weeks.

Clerodendrum: pruning

An adult plant needs regular sanitary and rejuvenating pruning. It is carried out until the moment when the clerodendrum moves into growth - in the early spring. To activate the growth of the lateral branches, shoots are cut to 1/3 of the entire length. In addition to the aesthetic factor, there is also a practical one. Flowers are formed only on young shoots, so you will stimulate the plant. Young specimens are easy to pinch to increase bushiness.

Some species, in particular Thompson's Kristodendrum, can be grown as a beautiful ampel plant or used in vertical and horizontal landscaping with stretched strings or threads. The growth of the bush can be directed, for example, along a spiral or ring, or form a small tree.

Reproduction of a plant

This issue is especially relevant for lovers of indoor floriculture, due to the fact that it is a very spectacular and beautiful flower. Clerodendrum, the reproduction of which is possible in two ways (vegetative and seed), very quickly increases the bulk green mass. In this regard, the receipt of a new plant specimen from lignified apical cuttings does not cause any difficulties. Planting material is formed more than enough after cutting.

Cuttings are brought to a length of 20 cm, the lower part is released from the leaves. Then they are placed in an opaque jar of water. Roots appear very quickly and develop well. Young specimens of some species bloom in the first year after planting.

The seeds of the clorodendrum are large enough, so they rarely have problems. And yet seed reproduction is relevant for rare species or varietal hybrids, when it is simply not possible to obtain a stalk. This process is more laborious. Seeds are sown in a mini-greenhouse or greenhouse, lightly sprinkled with soil and waiting for seedlings, periodically ventilating the tank and moistening the soil as it dries. After the appearance of the second real leaf, seedlings are planted in separate small pots.

Diseases and pests

Clerodendrums are quite resistant to pests and diseases, due to the presence of essential oils in leaves and shoots. However, it should be borne in mind that the plant is most vulnerable to whitefly, aphids, spider mite and scab. If there are signs of damage, then immediately treat the bush with special preparations and for a while isolate it from other indoor flowers.

The cause of diseases is most often covered in the wrong care of the plant. Thus, high soil moisture combined with low air temperature can trigger the appearance of powdery mildew and the development of various rot.

Why does not the clerodendrum flower?

Clerodendrum is an ornamental plant, the green powerful shoots of which are already good in themselves. The effect intensifies at times, when beautiful flowers with a delicate aroma appear on it. If this does not happen for a long time, then the problem lies in the wrong care. The reasons can be the following:

• Not pruned, while inflorescences are formed only on young shoots;
• Non-observance of the winter period of rest (for abundant flowering the plant should "rest" at low temperatures and reduced watering);
• Lack of lighting - the location on the northern windows or in the shade leads to dull foliage, stretching of shoots and the absence of flowers, since the clerodendrum needs at least 2-3 hours per day of diffuse sunlight.