Night violet - varieties and breeding

To decorate the garden, flower lovers pick a variety of plants, trying to create a unique look of the site. For the arrangement of beds or single landings, a night violet, or an evening meal, is perfect. Its name was given to the flower due to its remarkable feature: its aroma intensifies with the onset of twilight. About his grades and methods of breeding is described in the article.

Night violet - description of the plant

The flower belongs to the genus Hesperis, the most famous of which is the species Hesperis matronalis. The plant belongs to the cruciferous family. It is perennial, in height from fifty to seventy five centimeters. Stems are straight. Its leaves have a lanceolate shape, flowers with large petals are collected in a brush. The flower has received in the people its second name - a night violet due to the fact that its purple or purple inflorescence emits a strong aroma in the evening or at night. It is especially noticeable before the rain and resembles the smell of gillyflower. Flowers have a diameter of two or more centimeters. In horticulture, a wide variety of plant varieties have been widely spread, among which there are white inflorescences. There are about thirty species of plants. It is common in the Eastern Mediterranean, in Western Siberia, found in Asia and Central Europe.

Flowering Hesperis Matronalis continues for four to five days. Double types of plants bloom for up to twenty days. The plant is photophilous, but at the same time, if the flower is planted in the penumbra, it will bloom for one and a half to two months. Well tolerates the cold. The fruit is a pod with a lot of seeds. Their germination lasts from two to three years.

Varieties and methods of breeding

Hesperis, she is a night violet, bred with seeds. It is planted in the open ground from May to the end of June. Also suitable is a cold greenhouse. A month later, picking plants. In August or September they should be seated at a distance of thirty-five to forty-five centimeters from each other. Quite often simple forms are spread by self-sowing. Terry plants can be propagated by dividing a bush in autumn or spring and growing from cuttings. Flowering begins two years after sowing, from June to August. The plants do not require special shelter for the winter. They go under the snow with the already formed rosette of leaves.

When sowing for flowers, friable, slightly alkaline soil, rich in humus and containing lime, fits. To night violets bloom longer, it is necessary to remove the faded inflorescences in time. Referring to the family of crucifers, to which the cabbage belongs, the flower suffers from the same diseases and pests as this garden crop. Do not allow the soil to be waterlogged, otherwise the plant can rot. The moisture content should be uniform, this will ensure the protection of flowers from earthen fleas

Hesperis Matronalis or master's vespers, violets, the varieties of which are not so diverse. Two varieties are known: var. Nana candidissima - has white flowers, and f. Purpurea plena - terry purple.

In addition to Hesperis Matronalis, distinguish Vechernitsa Siberian, Vechernitsa yellow. Fragrant night violet is suitable for growing on balconies (low-growing varieties of plants), for decorating curbs of flower beds and garden paths, for cutting. In bouquets it is combined with a fern and decorative herbs. Not high plants are used for pastoral culture and for cucurbits.

For growing flowers at home, a glazed balcony or loggia is suitable, where you can successfully place pots and tubs with plants, creating a microclimate for them. If the balcony is oriented to the north, then Hesperis Matronalis will blossom beautifully, and will be able to overwinter well in tubs.

In addition to decorative qualities, the flower has medicinal properties. Decoctions of grass are used in folk medicine.