The woolly purifier is a magnificent decoration at any time of year

Fur wool is a perennial plant belonging to the family of the clearing. In the wild, it is found in Transcaucasia, Iran, Turkey, and also in the south of Russia.

This plant has a powerful root system. Without peduncles its height does not exceed 20 cm. The leaves are gray-green, thickened, oval-oblong, pubescent, tapering to the base, forming a fairly dense outline. Peduncles in height reach 60 cm, erect, tetrahedral, silvery. Blooms from late May to September. Its flowers are small, lilac, bilabiate, about 1 cm in diameter, collected in inflorescences.

A woolen purifier, "sheep's ears" - these are the folk names of the Byzantine stachis - plants of extraordinary beauty. Surprisingly, the peduncles do not adorn him very well, some people cut them off so as not to spoil the decorative look of the flower bed or composition.

A wooly smoker can be grown from seeds. To do this, they need to be planted in seedlings in March. Seedlings will appear in about 3-3.5 weeks. Initially, young plants do not look like adults at all, they have green leaves and no leaves. It may give the impression that the seeds of some other plant have been caught.

Once the seedlings grow up a bit, they need to be seeded in separate containers. Planted on the bed is desirable at the end of May, without disturbing the earth clod. Gradually, inconspicuous bushes will become faintly noticeable and acquire a silver hue. By the end of summer, each plant will be a medium-sized rosette, and on the whole, a mat, as if sprinkled with silver, will turn out.

A woolly plum does not lose its appearance even in winter, decorating the empty flower beds, if not covered with snow. It hibernates perfectly without any shelter, moreover, without loss of the above-ground part. In spring, the leaves become larger, and in early May the peduncles begin to grow, by the end of the month the plant blooms.

Care for stahis uncomplicated. He can grow on any soil (except for waterlogged). All its splendor shows on a sunny spot the woolly purifier. "Sheep ears", the cultivation of which is not difficult, drought-resistant, watering is required rare and only under the root. Peduncles after bloom should be cut as low as possible, remove some of the lower leaves, so that the plant quickly acquired a magnificent appearance.

In one place, a woolly plaster can grow for several years. However, over time, the middle of the bush bald, dies, and the plant itself shifts to the side. Therefore it is desirable to transplant it every 3-4 years, throwing out the middle and dividing into rosettes. It is better to do this in the spring. On the fresh soil enriched with organic soil, the stachis grows particularly lavishly.

The woolly wool has an interesting feature. If you touch his pleasant to the touch of the leaves, the hands for a long time retain some subtle aroma, reminiscent of wild strawberry. It is very attractive in the morning, when the leaves are strewn with diamonds - dew drops, shining in the sun.

The wooly smarter is an amazing soil cover. It looks great on the lawn, on the Alpine hill, along the edge of the path or the flower bed. Settle this silvery (if I may say so) plant in your garden. It is very decorative in the summer, will decorate the deserted area in autumn and winter, the first will please you in the spring.