Desert indoor plants. Karyopteris - there is nothing simpler and more beautiful. Tip: Pinch out young stems to balance the plant and increase the number of lateral branches.

“Rules for caring for indoor plants” - Grass-like plants have long, narrow leaves collected in a bunch. Feijoa fruits are rich in iodine. Plants according to the planned plan are planted in a container with a substrate. Globular plants. A characteristic feature of a modern interior is the use of vertical planes. Climbing and hanging plants are an excellent element of window decoration. Shadow. Hanging Gardens. Green pharmacy. Conditions for keeping indoor plants.

“Names of indoor plants” - Primroses. Bryophyllum. Cyclamen. Agave. Pelargonium. Primrose. Aspidistra. Chlorophytum. Amarylis. Certification of indoor plants. Sultan's balsam. Calla. Begonia Rex. Plants. Network Creation. Violet. Aucuba. Ficus. Dracaena. Ivy. Plant passport. Sansevieria. Azalea. Zygocactus. Cyperus. Coleus. Clivia. Asparagus.

“Indoor Plant Garden” - Bromeliads. Palm trees. Increasing motivation to study indoor plants. Pests and diseases. Ferns. Decorative leaf plants. Bulbous plants. Houseplants. Cacti and succulents. The meaning of indoor plants. Main groups of indoor plants. Decorative flowering plants. Agricultural technology for indoor plants. Watering.

“Indoor plants and flowers” ​​- Caring for indoor plants. Places in the interior. Dishes for flowers. Indoor plants in the interior of a residential building. Lighting in the room. Propagation of indoor plants. Climbing plants. Tall, spreading plants. Aloe. Plants with fleshy modified stems. Plants need to be watered daily. Large plants. Introduce students to the role of indoor plants. Wild plants. Plant care.

“Plants for the home” - Orange. The bulk of indoor plants. Coffee. Pepper. Houseplants of the subtropics. Distribute indoor plants into 3 groups. The meaning of indoor plants. Climate of subtropical regions. Aloe. The history of indoor plants. Jasmine. Tropical rainforest zone. Houseplants. Riddles about indoor plants. Ficus rubbery. Houseplants of tropical rainforests.

"House plants" - Hippeastrum. Chrysalidocarpus. Cyclamen. Dieffenbachia. Vanka is wet. Azalea. Poinsettia. Cactus. Monstera. Ficus. Primula acalius. Ivy. Aloe. Hoya. Begonia. Laurel. Homemade rose. Saintpaulia - violet. House plants.

10 of the most spectacular indoor plants from the desert Among indoor plants, the original inhabitants of the driest places on the planet have always enjoyed special love. The well-deserved reputation of desert stars is explained simply: no other plants can boast of such ease of care and endurance. Although not all succulents and cacti belong to crops found naturally in semi-deserts and deserts. Even so, the choice among true desert endemics is very large - from bright blooming stars to modest living stones. The special character of plants native to deserts The natural conditions of the desert areas of our planet are so harsh that only extremely hardy plants have been able to adapt to them. But there are by no means a small number of them: hundreds of species of the hardiest plants thrive even where everything around seems lifeless, competing for precious moisture with representatives of the fauna that are no less well adapted to drought. Low and uneven humidity with sharp changes in precipitation between seasons, very low air humidity, scorching sun, extreme hot African or more moderate North American temperatures have led to the fact that in the process of evolution, plants adapted to desert areas have acquired exceptional features: - the ability to be content a minimum amount of moisture, sometimes hundreds of times less than for inhabitants of even a temperate climate; - variable metabolism - the ability to absorb carbon dioxide at night and close the stomata to stop the evaporation of moisture; - a sharp change in periods of active growth and complete dormancy - seasonal, pronounced vegetative activity, followed by deep “sleep”; - absence or minimal number of stomata, leathery leaves protected by a wax or fatty coating. Cacti and succulents are often associated with desert plants; to many, all plants from these groups seem the same in character. But not all succulent crops come from deserts and even semi-deserts. After all, many succulents migrated to rooms from mountainous regions, where the problem of lack of nutrients, moisture and sudden temperature changes is no less pressing, although we are talking about completely different climatic conditions. Most popular cacti and almost half of succulents grow in the subtropics, in mountainous and even forest areas. So not all succulents are from the desert, but all desert plants are definitely succulents. They are able to store water reserves in shoots or leaves, have fleshy water-storing tissues and thick skin, and few stomata. All these adaptation mechanisms are most clearly manifested in cacti. Indoor plants of desert origin have not lost a single feature of their natural ancestors, even if we are talking about decorative forms and varieties that have undergone long-term selection. It is believed that adaptation to extreme conditions of deserts and semi-deserts is irreversible. Such plants, even in the interior, remain ordinary inhabitants of deserts, accustomed to far from typical humidity, temperatures and lighting. One of the key features of desert plants is their extremely narrow “specialization.” Such crops have adapted to the difficult conditions in deserts to such an extent that they can no longer adapt to any other conditions, having lost their ability to acclimatize. Their entire metabolism is structured completely differently than that of plants from other climatic zones. Those who want to grow desert plants should study their character well: in order to succeed and admire the drought-resistant stars for many years, they will have to recreate the conditions they are already familiar with. Standard care will not work for such plants. All indoor plants that came to us from desert places have other characteristics in common: 1) drought resistance; 2) sun-loving up to the need to be in direct sunlight, extreme sensitivity to any shading and insufficient lighting; 3) thermophilicity; 4) love for differences in night and day temperatures; 5) the need for a long and strict dormant period for subsequent flowering. There are many similarities in caring for desert crops. Such plants require careful and infrequent watering; during the resting phase, they can often do without it at all. Feeding for desert stars is rare, and the substrate must be specific - light, sandy or rocky. Let's take a closer look at the brightest desert stars, which are especially popular in modern interiors. 1. Star Cactus Astrophytum Astrophytums are one of the most colorful desert cacti. These are slow-growing plants with massive ribs that make the unbranched stems look like a star when cut. The soft hairs are collected in tiny tufts, which gives the cacti a unique “pointed” pubescence. The cactus blooms indoors, surprising with large yellow flowers with a red throat and a pubescent tube. This is an easy-to-grow cactus that does not like transplanting or deepening the root collar. It is distinguished by its light-loving, drought-resistant, and demanding soil composition. 2. Invulnerable prickly pear Capable of creating entire thickets and impassable areas, prickly pears (Opuntia) lose their aggressiveness in indoor culture. These cacti are found in different conditions, but it is not for nothing that they have become a symbol of the Mexican deserts. The flat, segmented stems, often teardrop-shaped or oval-shaped, are surprising with spines and thin bristles, which, due to the jagged edges, can be very difficult to pull out of the skin. Unique rooting abilities and a powerful superficial root system make this cactus very tenacious. And single bright flowers in a half-bloomed state are reminiscent of roses. Growing prickly pears will not cause any difficulties even for novice gardeners. Cacti develop quickly, love abundant watering in spring and summer, and very little in winter. Prickly pears are not afraid of sudden temperature changes; they can spend the summer in the garden and are very light-loving. 3. “Hedgehogs” of echinocacti One of the largest spherical cacti, which loses its spherical shape only at a very advanced age, flaunts numerous ribs and golden spines. In indoor conditions, Echinocactus not only does not reach its true size (in nature, Echinocactus can exceed one and a half meters in height), but it almost never blooms. But the beauty and symmetry of the plant, decorated with densely arranged colored spines - gold, red, orange or golden brown - is so unique that the popularity of the “hedgehog” cactus does not seem so surprising. Growing echinocacti is very simple, but you need to ensure that the substrate is light and slightly acidic, the lighting is the brightest, and wintering is cool. Echinocacti are watered even in winter only once a week, but this cactus does not tolerate sudden changes in humidity and will prefer to spend the summer in the fresh air. 4. New varieties of boring aloe A few decades ago, aloe (Aloe) was going through a period of undeserved oblivion, but today it is again included in the list of the most fashionable succulents. Boring and faceless specimens of ordinary aloe vera are already history. Today, flower growers around the world have paid attention to amazing varieties and types of aloe, which are ready to give odds to even the most original indoor desert stars. Similar to the bizarre inhabitant of the deep sea, Aloe marlothii, flower-like elegant rosettes of variegated aloe (Aloe variegata), unique multi-leaf aloe (Aloe polyphylla) with its leaves arranged in a complex spiral in flat rosettes, etc. - here are the new favorites. But all aloes, without exception, remain succulents with fleshy leaves, collected in a basal or apical rosette, with a crescent cross-section, a pointed tip, sharp teeth along the edge of the leaves and bluish patterns. All aloe - both old and newfangled - are amazingly unpretentious. They love annual transplants, fresh air and cool wintering. Like all desert stars, aloes are sun-loving, but somewhat more tolerant of low light. They require fairly abundant summer watering and do not really like feeding. 5. Fan gasteria Shortened to the point of being completely invisible, the stems of these succulents allow you to admire only the beauty of the leaves. In some species of gasteria (Gasteria) they are located in dense classic ones, in others - in two-row rosettes of striking symmetry, in which tongue-shaped leaves, often with a rounded tip, seem to have been manually laid out in “stacks” or fans. Old leaves of Gasteria lie down, while young ones can be almost erect. White warts give dark, tough leaves a variegated effect. And the daughter rosettes formed in very large numbers make it easy to propagate the plant or grow it in “colonies”. Gasterias are fast-growing succulents that will need to be replanted annually. Gasteria prefer to overwinter in cool conditions. But otherwise they are unpretentious, shade-tolerant, easily forgive mistakes and are watered quite abundantly in the summer. 6. Blooming miracle - lampranthus Among gardeners, these plants are still better known by the old name of the most common species - deltoid oscularia (Oscularia deltoides), but other representatives of the genus Lampranthus, which included oscularia, deserve attention. These are unique shrubby succulents with strongly branching shoots that lie down with age. They form real leaves, although the greenery looks unusual. Gray-blue, thickened triangular leaves with jagged edges make these succulents one of the most original. But the real show of lampranthus begins only when flowering starts. Small chrysanthemum-shaped flowers of pink or lilac colors bloom in such numbers that it is sometimes impossible to see the special green oscularia underneath them. The most difficult thing in growing lampranthus is choosing the right watering. Even in summer they are carried out rarely and very carefully, but in winter they are almost stopped. This succulent should spend its dormant period in the cold, but bright lighting is a measure that plants need all year round. Without access to fresh air, it is very difficult to grow lampranthus. 7. The thinnest shoots of Othonna The most unique of the succulents, Othonna, is a plant whose true desert character is not easy to recognize even upon close examination. Lodging and drooping thin purple shoots are combined in this unique plant with long and thick leaves (with a length of up to 7 cm, the diameter of the leaf reaches 3 cm). The leaves are arranged in rare pairs, gracefully spaced, and captivate with the beauty of their elongated teardrop-shaped (or lobe-shaped) shape. The round cross-section of the leaves is not their most unusual feature. After all, the waxy coating on the fleshy greens seems special. This succulent even blooms, releasing small yellow baskets of flowers, which make it obvious that the plant belongs to the Asteraceae family. For all its outlandish beauty, ottone is one of the easiest succulents to grow. Even in summer, the plant is watered about once a week, avoiding overwatering. Not just light-loving, but sun-loving Otton loves light soil, cool wintering and fresh air. 8. Round-leaved portulacaria trees It would be a big mistake to compare portulacaria with another tree-like succulent - the crassula. After all, portulacaria are special plants. Shrubs, which in indoor conditions develop in the form of densely branching, amazingly beautiful, compact trees, look amazingly impressive. Round, fleshy leaves with bright colors sit opposite on fleshy, drooping shoots. The plant is easy to shape, even creating silhouettes reminiscent of bonsai, and the presence of several variegated forms allows you to choose plants to your liking. Portulacaria love to spend the summer outdoors and are not afraid of even the midday sun. They are easy to grow, because even in summer the plant prefers moderate watering, and they are fertilized very rarely. 9. Guatemalan miracle - Hechtia Guatemala One of the most unusual plants not only in the list of desert stars, but also among exotic indoor crops. The shortened stem is not visible under the stunning rosette, which looks artificial. Dense “bundles” of hechtia (Hechtia guatemalensis) contain long and very narrow linear leaves that can stretch up to half a meter. The spiny edge, grayish color, scaly bottom and reddish coating turn Hechtia Guatemala into a sparkling star in bright light. But this succulent also manages to surprise with its flowering - panicles of white three-petaled flowers. Growing this original crop is easy. To flower, it needs to be provided with a cool winter, the light regime must be stable, and watering must be very careful. Otherwise, hechtia is a typical unpretentious succulent, surprising with its endurance 10. Silver pebbles of pachyphytum oviferum One of the most unusual and “precious” indoor plants, pachyphytum (Pachyphytum oviferum) surprises with its texture, shape, and color. Shortened shoots are not visible under obovate, round or oval in cross-section, resembling either outlandish pebbles or decorative pebbles, leaves reaching 5 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter. The fleshy, waxy leaves are grey-white, but their texture makes them appear bright silver in the shade, with a hint of rose gold in bright light. They seem to be strung or scattered in slides on the soil, seeming like an artificial decoration of the interior. Silver pachyphytums also bloom in an original way, producing bright red flowers on long pubescent pedicels. Growing this silvery miracle is no more difficult than any ordinary succulent. In summer, pachyphytum will not refuse a place on the balcony, but even there it is content with scanty watering, it is sun-loving and magnificent in any temperature. Even a cool winter is needed only for flowering.

Among the indoor plants, one flower is notable, it looks like a small baobab, covered with flowers reminiscent of roses. This is adenium, which got its name from its habitat - Aden, where Europeans first discovered a beautifully flowering tree. Caring for adenium at home will be discussed in this article.

In nature, adenium is found in sultry Africa, from Senegal, Sudan to the Arabian desert. It has many names: Desert Rose, Impala Lily, Star of Sabinia. Adenium has many faces in its species diversity. Depending on the place of growth and conditions, the following plants are found:

• with thickened bottom ( caudex), reaching a height of two to five meters;
• in the form of a small bush.

Regardless of the height and shape of the trunk, the branches have a rosette of leaves at the end, decorated with large flowers. Under natural conditions, flowers have shades from white-pink to bright red and purple. The plant belongs to the woody or shrubby succulents of the Kutrovaceae family.

The plant, accustomed to the high temperatures of Africa, feels comfortable on the windowsills of our apartments. Under natural conditions, adenium feels comfortable at a temperature of 30-35 degrees. Therefore, the hot summer of central Europe makes it possible to provide comfort for this flowering succulent.

The flower feels good on a south or east window.

Popular varieties

Botanists still cannot come to a consensus on how many species of Adenium exist in nature. Depending on the shape of the caudex, leaves, and habitat, ten main species are distinguished. Although other scientists are of the opinion that all species diversity comes from the main species - Adenium Obessum.

The development of desert rose breeding occurs mainly in the countries of Southeast Asia: Thailand, the Philippines and others. This is due to the fact that the climate is suitable for growing Adeniums. Many new varieties of indoor desert rose have been developed in these countries.

Obesum

Adenium Obesum

Among flower growers, the most widespread variety is Adenium Obesum. Its second name is Adenium Obese or thick. Under natural conditions, the above-ground part of the caudex grows to a meter thickness, and the plant reaches a height of up to three meters. Green leaves are oblong, rounded in shape, with pointed ends. There are varieties in nature with variegated leaves, glossy or dull.

The flowers of Adenium Obesumi are large, 5-7 centimeters in diameter. Selected varieties are distinguished by a variety of colors: from snow-white to dark red, burgundy flowers.

The plant begins to bloom at the age of one and a half to two years, but much depends on the growing conditions. Flowering duration is at least two to three months. At suitable temperature conditions, Adenium pleases with long-term flowering.

Arabicum (Arabicum or Arabian)

Adenium Arabicum (Arabic)

This variety differs from other Adeniums in its large leaves and dark brown bark. The flowers of Adenium Arabicum are red-pink. The plant got its name from its place of growth in nature - the Arabian Peninsula. The caudex has a massive, squat appearance. Depending on the habitat, the type of trunk can vary: from a thick tree to a shrub in places with a minimum of moisture.

Multiflora (Multiflora)

Adenium Multiflorum (Multiflorum)

The name Multifloral Adenium speaks for itself. This species is characterized by abundant flowering and grows in the central and southern regions of the African continent on saline or sandy soil. A thick trunk, expanding downward, goes deep with powerful roots. It is not afraid of droughts, because the powerful trunk serves as a storage facility for water reserves. The plant can reach three meters in height under natural conditions.

This variety of Adenium is also called Impala lily. In indoor floriculture, the plant is less common than Adenium thick, which is due to its slow growth, and as a result, flowering occurs after four years.

Mini

Adenium Mini

About ten years ago, breeders from Taiwan received mini Adeniums. These dwarf trees look like bonsai and decorate the interior in themselves. They are characterized by slow growth, and in 4-5 years they reach twenty centimeters. Intense flowering begins at two to three years of age and continues throughout the year, unlike other varieties. The size of the flowers is quite large for dwarf plants, reaching seven centimeters in diameter. Varieties of Adenium mini differ in the color of their buds - from white to bright red.

Dorset Horn

Adenium Dorset Horn

As a result of the mutation of Adenium Multiflorum, a new variety Adenium appeared « Dorset Horn." The leaves of the new variety curl, curving downwards, and resemble the horns of sheep of the breed « Dorset Horn." In addition to the curled leaves, « Dorset Horn" shorter branch internodes.

A special feature of this variety is the instability of its characteristics during propagation. If you graft « Dorset Horn" to another Adenium, then the leaves become even, the branches lengthen due to the increase in internodes. Therefore, this variety is propagated only by cuttings or aerial rooting. Although even with this method, the characteristics of the variety are not always fully preserved.

Anouk

Adenium Anouk

The Anuk variety is distinguished by thick, fleshy leaves of a slightly elongated shape. The plant grows up to half a meter. The variety is distinguished by early flowering with a large number of bright pink flowers.

Features of planting desert roses

When planting and replanting Adenium at home, you should carefully choose a pot. The roots of the plant develop quickly and wide, so the pot should be wide and not deep. To avoid stagnation of water, the pot must have a sufficient number of drainage holes.

You should pay attention to the color of the pot. It doesn’t matter what material the pot is made of, it is important that it is light. Otherwise, in the hot sun, the roots will overheat, which will lead to their death.

The roots grow quickly, so Adenium is replanted as needed. It is recommended to carry out the procedure during the period when active growth begins, in the spring. A layer of drainage (2-3 cm) is poured onto the bottom of the pot, the roots are straightened, carefully sprinkled with soil. After transplantation, the plant should not be watered for two to three days.

When choosing soil for Adenium, you should pay attention to lightness, looseness, and breathability. According to the acidity value, the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. You can purchase ready-made soil for succulents and orchids. To make it loose, crushed charcoal, perlite, vermiculite, and coconut fiber are added.

The mixture for Adeniums is easy to prepare yourself. To do this you need to take the following components:

• deciduous humus soil (30%);
• perlite, fine expanded clay, river sand (20%);
• coconut fiber (50%).

Add a small amount of crushed charcoal. Before use, it is advisable to disinfect the soil in the microwave or treat it with a fungicide.

Attention! Adenium is a poisonous plant. Care must be taken when transplanting and cutting. It is better to work with gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after care procedures. If small children and pets live in the house, then it is better to refuse to keep the plant in the apartment.

Caring for Adenium at home

Adenium's spartan life in natural conditions allows it to perfectly adapt to apartment conditions. It has already been mentioned that it feels comfortable at high summer temperatures, reaching 35 degrees. But it is necessary to pay attention that if the heat exceeds 38 degrees, an additional increase in air humidity is necessary.

Lighting

Adeniums need bright sun to develop and bloom. But the following nuances should be observed:

• In young plants, the base of the stem should be protected from burns.
• During the growth period, do not turn the plant, because parts that were in the shade may get burned.
• When moving a flower from a dark place to a brightly lit one, it should be gradually accustomed to the sun.

In winter, it is necessary to increase daylight hours to 12 hours using artificial lighting.

Watering

The amount and frequency of watering Adenium, illumination and air temperature are inversely related. At high temperatures, during the growth period, increase the frequency of watering. Watering is done when the top layer of soil has dried. When the temperature drops to 18-20 degrees, watering is reduced so that the soil dries out completely. Otherwise, rotting of the roots cannot be avoided.

If the plant is wintered at a temperature of 10-15 degrees, then watering is stopped completely. When leaving dormancy, watering begins in small portions after the buds swell, and only on warm, sunny days.

Soft, settled water at room temperature is suitable for irrigation. From time to time you can slightly acidify it.

Top dressing

For active growth and flowering, Adenium needs fertilizing, especially if the soil contains a lot of coconut fiber and is not rich in nutrients. At the beginning of active growth, a predominance of nitrogen fertilizers is desirable, enhancing the growth of green mass. During flowering, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added to ensure lush and long-lasting flowering. The frequency of feeding is 1-2 times a month.

Dormancy and flowering period

In winter, it is recommended to place Adenium in a cool room, an insulated balcony at a temperature of ten to fifteen degrees, but not lower than ten. Only adult individuals can survive a drop in temperature, and only with dry soil.

During wintering, Adenium may lose all its leaves, but do not worry - this is a normal transition to a dormant state. If it is not possible to ensure the ideal wintering temperature, then you should move the plant to the coolest place in the apartment, watering in small portions after the soil has completely dried.

With the beginning of the active phase, the buds awaken and new leaves grow. The beginning of flowering of a young plant begins at the age of 1.5-2 years. But some varieties bloom after four years.

What to do if Adenium does not bloom? If a plant that has already delighted you with its beauty does not bloom, then you need to look for errors in care. These could be the following mistakes:

• abundant watering during the dormant period;
• root rotting;
• lack of sunlight;
• excess nitrogen fertilizers and lack of potassium fertilizers.

Crown formation

One of the reasons why the plant is so loved by flower lovers is that by trimming Adenium, shaping the crown and caudex, you can get miniature trees - bonsai.

To form a lush crown, seedlings are pinched before growth begins. In adult plants, the branches are shortened, leaving 5-8 cm. There is another way to form Adenium - cutting off the main trunk above the caudex. Soon, lateral buds begin to form along the circumcision perimeter. If you trim too low, many new branches will be thin, which can ruin the appearance of the flower.

Video: Trimming Adenium at home.

There is a way to increase the caudex by raising the roots during transplantation. Sometimes a small piece of plastic is placed under the roots so that the growing roots resemble a mango tree.

Diseases and pests of Adeniums

Despite the toxicity of the flower, it can be affected by pests and diseases. The main pests and methods of controlling them are given in the table.

Errors in care

Adenium, despite its unpretentiousness and adaptability, often suffers if it is not properly cared for. Let's consider the reasons and their manifestation.

Reproduction of Adenium

Desert roses are propagated in different ways:

• cuttings;
• air layering;
• seeds.

To propagate Adenium by cuttings, use twigs obtained during spring pruning. Cuttings 10-15 cm long are suitable, the cut of which is sprinkled with crushed charcoal (activated) charcoal and dried, like all succulents. For planting, use a mixture of perlite, sand and charcoal. Place in a warm, well-lit place. Monitor humidity, avoiding excess. The cuttings take root within a month. Rooting cuttings in water requires changing the water daily to avoid rotting.

1 2 3

Aerial shoots are used for propagation in early summer, during the active growing season. On a branch no more than two centimeters thick, an incision is made in a circle, which is sprinkled with a root growth stimulator, wrapped with sfarnum moss, and secured with opaque tape. The moss is kept slightly moist. After the roots have formed, the plant is replanted separately. But this method of propagation leads to the fact that the new plant will not have a caudex.

Rooting aerial shoots

Seeds for growing Adenium at home can be bought in special stores. They are soaked for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then placed in a zircon solution and kept for several hours. The seeds are placed on a mixture of sand, vermiculite and charcoal, and sprinkled with a thin layer. It is recommended to place the pots in a warm place (30-35 degrees), then after a week you can expect sprouts to appear. Seedlings need additional lighting, compliance with humidity and temperature conditions, and daily ventilation. When the first leaves appear, increase the ventilation time, preparing for new conditions. After the appearance of the second leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots with a dive.

Growing Adenium from seeds

Adenium grafting

Adeniums, like cacti, can be grafted onto each other, creating bizarre shapes. You can also graft them onto oleander. The rootstock and drive are connected with oblique cuts and secured with tape. Plants are placed in a warm place without direct sunlight. The sprouts are periodically removed from the junction points.

In conclusion, it should be noted that following simple rules for caring for Adenium allows you to get a beautiful flowering plant that will decorate your home.

Adenium (Adenium) is a slow-growing indoor plant from the cucumber family (Apocynaceae). Recently they have become very popular because of their exotic appearance. Imagine a small tree or bush with a thick trunk that has a thickening at the base (caudex), completely strewn with large flowers of white, red or burgundy. Its leaves are rich green, shiny or velvety.

In nature, adenium can be found in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the countries of the African continent. In addition, it is grown as an ornamental plant in tropical countries - India, Thailand, Malaysia.

Popular names for adenium are known - desert rose, Sabinia star, impala lily.

In indoor conditions, the plant grows no more than half a meter, in nature – up to 3 meters. The leaves grow on thin branches at the top of the main stem. Their shape varies depending on the species, usually they are green, oblong, slightly pointed. During the dormant period, they turn yellow and fall off. Adenium flowers of various shades - red, white, yellow, pink, are up to 6 cm in size, collected in brushes. The flower lasts for more than a week.

It grows slowly, so it can be used in compositions of succulents and cacti.

In indoor culture, the rather unpretentious obese adenium (Adenium obesum) is most often found. Its leaves are most often green (oblong, rounded or slightly pointed at the ends), but they are also variegated. Variegated varieties are more capricious, require very good lighting, and they bloom less (perhaps due to lack of sun).

Recently, numerous new varieties of adenium with a variety of flower colors have become widespread - from pure white to rich dark red, there are even burgundy and blue ones. In addition, there are flowers with variegated colors; the petals have all kinds of borders, strokes, stripes, etc.

Adenium begins to bloom at the age of about 2 years.

Attention! The juice of all parts of adenium is poisonous.

It is recommended to work with gloves and not to rub your eyes with your hands, as the juice, penetrating through the skin, can cause poisoning. Many adenium lovers claim that they do not use gloves, but they always wash their hands thoroughly after work and have not observed any signs of poisoning.

Caring for indoor adenium

Lighting. Adenium needs good lighting. It is advisable to provide several hours of direct sun each day. With insufficient lighting, plants become stretched, bloom poorly, or even refuse to bloom at all. South windows are perfect for them.

In winter, during the dormant period, the lighting can be reduced, but when returning the plant to a sunny window, gradually accustom it to bright light.

Humidity. Not significant. Grows in any humidity.

Watering. Adenium is a fairly unpretentious indoor flower. The rules for watering are simple: in hot weather, water a lot with warm water, in cold weather - very little, just like cacti. In spring and summer, during the growing season and flowering, watering should be done without restrictions, but in cool weather, watering should be reduced slightly to prevent rotting of the roots.

As an option, water rarely, but abundantly. Wait until the soil dries well, and then water or take a warm shower. If the soil is constantly wet, adeniums easily rot even in warm weather, so good drainage in the pot is required - all excess water should drain freely.

If there is insufficient watering, the adenium will not die, it accumulates moisture in the trunk, but it will look like a big thick bottle with a small number of small twigs and leaves.

Formation of the crown and trunk. Some types of adenium begin to branch at a young age, but more often the top is pinched to form the crown. This should be done at the end of winter, before intensive growth begins. In mature plants, you can also trim or remove unnecessary branches.

The caudex itself forms with age. To achieve a complex caudex shape, a simple technique is used: when replanting, raise the plant above the soil level so that some of the roots are on top. The roots begin to thicken, forming a bizarre trunk. You can tilt the trunk of a young plant, fixing it in this position.

In older plants, pruning stimulates the appearance of new leaves and flowering.

Transfer. Adenium has a powerful root system, it develops quickly and requires space. Young specimens are replanted once a year in early spring.

Take a pot large enough, preferably light, so that it does not overheat in a sunny window. Good drainage is a must.

The soil. The soil for adenium should be nutritious, loose and well permeable. Acidity - slightly acidic or neutral.

You can use store-bought soil for succulents.

Fertilizers Adenium has a very positive attitude towards fertilizers. Feed during the growth period once or twice a month.

Rest period. During the dormant period, in some species the leaves completely or partially fall off. In winter, the recommended temperature is 10-15°C, but not lower than 10°C. Watering is greatly reduced, then stopped completely. Lighting is reduced.

In the spring, transfer the flower to a bright window and, when the buds awaken, gradually increase watering. If it is impossible to provide coolness in winter, watering is not stopped completely, just reduced to a minimum.

Reproduction.

Seeds. If you can’t buy adenium, order seeds online. It is better to sow in the spring, but adenium seeds lose their viability quite quickly, so it is better not to delay sowing, but to arrange additional lighting. Before sowing, it is recommended to soak the seeds for 2 hours and sow them in a mixture of sand, perlite and crushed charcoal. Peat is not used due to its high acidity.

Cover the planting and place it in a warm, bright place. Seeds should be germinated at a temperature not lower than 24°. They will germinate in 1-2 weeks. It is better to protect seedlings from direct sunlight.

The disadvantage of this method is that there is no guarantee that the seeds are suitable and of the exact variety that was ordered. Yes, adenium grows slowly, it takes a long time to flower.

Cuttings. Propagation by cuttings is easy; when pruning, there is always suitable material. It is better to take a cutting of at least 10 cm, be sure to dry the cut well (1-2 days) and treat it with a root growth stimulator.

You can root in a mixture of sand, perlite and crushed charcoal; be sure to cover the cutting to maintain moisture. Can be rooted in water. Rooting temperature is 24-26 degrees.

The disadvantage of this method is that such a plant usually does not form a caudex.

Air layering. Can be applied to shoots at least 2 cm in diameter. It is better to make layering during the active growing season. To obtain a cutting, you need to make a circular cut with a clean, sharp knife, dry the wound, treat it with a root formation stimulator and wrap the cut with damp sphagnum. Then wrap this area with opaque polyethylene. Moisturize sphagnum regularly. When roots form on the shoot after a month, you can finally separate the cuttings and plant them.

Diseases and pests. Adenium is most threatened by root rot. It is damaged by mealybugs, mites, and spider mites. Control measures are the usual drugs used to control these pests.

In the sultry desert under the hot sun, where, at first glance, nothing can survive, desert cacti stretch upward...

Description and varieties

Cactus is an evergreen plant, has succulent trunks with spines, and belongs to the genus of succulents. Areoles are the hairs and spines on the trunks of the cactus. Cacti come from America; under natural conditions they grow in the desert, bloom luxuriously, and withstand drought and chronic heat well.

Before the advent of cacti in America, natives used cacti for food, as medicine and for construction. In Mexico they are used as food, like fruit; There are also plantations for growing cactus fruits.

We have long been accustomed to seeing cacti as small round or elongated prickly balls. Under natural conditions, cacti are tree-like - bushy ones in some cases do not differ from traditional trees; pillar-shaped - from a distance they look like multi-meter forked pillars; ampelous - with stems bent to the soil; liana-like - grow on rocks, stones, soil and trees; forest cacti are completely different from desert cacti and grow on trees.

Varieties

Desert cacti are a family of Cactaceae, the academic name of which comes from the Latin word Cactaceae, perennial flowering plants of the order Cloveaceae. Contains more than 3000 species:

• Ariocarpus- the trunk of this genus is very low, flattened. Some have thin snow-white stripes. In the axils of the tubercles of these succulents there is fluff. The blooms are truly amazing;

• Astrophytum- a type that has a spherical shape. Found primarily in the southern United States. The ribs are quite rare. The length of the stem is strewn with small hairs. There are very beautiful variations that resemble a star;
• Aztecium is a genus formed by 2 species. The shape is spherical, wrinkled, the needles are poorly defined;
• Gymnocalycium- There are a lot of representatives of this species, they are connected by one characteristic feature - a flower tube, some are fluffy, while in his case it is completely naked. The ribs are divided by transverse tubercles. Green, brown, or gray stem. There are quite interesting varieties that lack chlorophyll, which is why their color is red, lemon, pink;

• Cleistocactus- a genus of cacti, the trunks of which are shaped like sausages, long, tubular. The needles are thin and quite dense, the flowering is rich;
• Coryphantas- has approximately 60 species. The stem is round, but may look like a cylinder. The spines are up to 2 centimeters long, grow in cells, and form a “snowflake”. Flowers can reach 10 centimeters in diameter;
• Leuchtenberg- there is only one species in this genus. The trunks resemble agave because of their elongated tubercles and thin needles that look like tendrils;
• Lophophora- a genus native to Central Mexico. In appearance, the plant resembles a pumpkin. The appearance is smooth, there are almost no spines. The juice causes hallucinations, collection in natural conditions is prohibited;

• Mammillaria- a fairly common type. Small round, wart-like tubercles - the trunks are collected in groups. The needles are not sharp, smallish flowers of various shades, at the tops they form a spiral;
• Matukana- named after the Peruvian province. Round view. Some do not have needles; if they do, they are sparse, long, curved ones. The flower is large with a tube showing straight from the center;
• Myrtillocactus— the trunk is smooth, the ribs are quite sparse, the needles are dark, long, the flowers are barely noticeable;
• Obregonia- a round-shaped trunk with unusual edgings-tubercles with fluffy tassels. The flowers are snow-white, reminiscent of chamomile;
• Parody- the cactus is a nobleman on one side, and a hedgehog on the other. The size is quite small, it blooms for an extremely long time, there are many species;

• Rebutia— small balls from the mountains of Argentina, grow in groups, bloom generously, the flowers form a spiral at the bottom of the stem;
• Ferocactus— the character of the trunks resembles barrels with pronounced powerful spines and ribs, flowers appear on the very top of the head;
• Cereus- he's great. In its homeland it grows up to 40 meters in height, has a powerful root system, ribbed, little pronounced spines, and produces several flowers on the trunk;
• Cephalocereus- the stem is long, there are hairs on it, sometimes quite thick, white, soft, the flowers are peculiarly thick;

Features of growth

In the desert, cacti can endure all the hardships, since they have no leaves, and it is thanks to their fleshy trunks that quite little moisture evaporates. In addition, the presence of grooves on the stems allows them to swell when absorbing water during the rainy season.

Thorns are of great importance in the issue of survival of cacti in the desert. Specifically, they prevent animals from eating this plant. In addition to protection, hairs and spines collect moisture. They can absorb drops of water that settle like dew. For the majority of desert cacti species, this will be the only way to obtain liquid in arid regions.

For a long time, desert cacti adorned only these lands. But today they can often be seen at home among lovers of such plants. This confirms that desert types of cacti adapt well to various living conditions.

Features of plant care

With proper care and timely picking, cacti will look healthy and will delight your eye with their unusual color. We must not forget that cacti stand out from other house plants, so excess water in the ground can cause the death of the cactus, and summer heat and dry soil will “send” the cactus into hibernation.

In order for cacti to easily grow and bloom at home, they need low temperatures in winter, and in summer - a shaded room, moderate temperatures (up to 25 degrees Celsius) and sufficient watering.

Air temperature

The air temperature should be mild from spring to autumn. In winter, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 15-18 degrees; some cacti have the ability to tolerate 5 degrees Celsius. However, cacti that are on the windowsill in an unheated room on cold nights are safer to move to a warmer room.

Watering and air humidity

The main rule of watering: it is better not to top up than to overfill. In the spring, watering begins to increase; in the period April - August, watering should remain the same as for ordinary house plants (provided that the room is warm and sunny) - as the soil dries out. Cacti should be watered with soft and warm water. At the end of summer, watering is gradually reduced, and from mid-autumn it is watered quite rarely and little by little (table spoons).

Cacti do not need to be sprayed (except Cleistocactus can be sprayed); on hot, stuffy days they do not spray the plant, but around it.

Soil and replanting

For cacti, as a rule, earth mixtures are used in equal parts of compost and sand with the addition of coal and peat. This soil mixture is loose, airy and quite moist. The chemical composition of the soil, for different varieties of cacti, requires the same ratios of mineral and organic components, but the acidity should be low.

Young cacti are replanted every year, 3-4 year old ones - once every couple of years. It is advisable to perform transplantation at the beginning of the growing season. The new pot should be 1 centimeter larger than the previous one. Before picking (two to three days), do not water the cactus; the soil will easily fall off the roots.

To remove a prickly cactus from a pot, wrap it in paper or wear gloves. Do not water or keep in the sun for a couple of days after picking. The choice of pot for the cactus should correspond to the size of the root system.

If the cactus has short roots, choose a low pot, but cacti with huge roots require a deeper pot. Cacti are grown in plastic pots (the soil dries out more slowly, and it is better to plant fresh plants that take root in such pots), but this is not a necessary condition; the pot can be clay (the soil dries out faster and hardens after watering) or glass (usually used for decor). Any pot must have a drainage hole to drain unnecessary water - this is probably one of the most important conditions for growing succulents.

Reproduction

Most species of desert cacti reproduce vegetatively in summer or spring. Cactus cuttings are cut (they already have rudimentary roots), dried for 2-4 days before planting in a peat-based mixture, after a short time the cactus will develop a root system.

Cacti are also propagated by seeds. Growing cacti from seeds is a serious and rather painstaking job. Most importantly, purchased seeds must be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate. Then sprinkle the soil in a small layer up to 1 centimeter and spread the seeds. The soil should always be moist, so it should be covered with glass or film - this will create the proper conditions for seed germination.

Based on the type of cactus and the characteristics of the seeds, the duration of germination can last from a day to a couple of months. As soon as the plants form their first spines, they should be planted in single pots in the most nutritious substrate. At the age of a couple of months, young cacti require the same care as other cacti. It is recommended to sow seeds at the end of winter so that seedlings emerge in early spring.

Cactus blossom

The flowering stage of many cacti does not coincide with the active growth stage. Some cacti (Lobivia, Parodia, Notocactus...) bloom quite often at a young age, while others, such as Opuntia and Cereus, very rarely delight with their color. Flowering of cacti can be expected at about 3-4 years of age, then they should bloom annually.

The secret of cactus flowering is in fresh shoots, which contain flowering buds, and this requires proper care in summer and winter. To encourage cactus flowering, it is extremely important to keep the plant in a tight pot.

Asceticism and beauty

Desert cacti are extremely unpretentious and very profitable plants to grow at home. Minimum effort, no difficulties and maximum pleasure from contemplating beautiful cactus carcasses.