Dorotheantus is a miniature plant from the open spaces of South Africa, which is able to decorate the garden with bright colorful flowers and unusual shoots. Sometimes gardeners call it a crystal chamomile, this name succulent owes to the unusual structure of the leaves, as if covered with dew drops.
Description
A perennial plant of the Azizov family, which in our country is cultivated on open ground as an annual. The perennial form can be preserved when grown indoors.
It has a fibrous root system extending 20-25 cm deep into the ground. It rises only 5-30 cm in height. The shoots are creeping, fleshy, the color of the green is emerald or dark green. Leaves without stalks, tightly sitting on the stem. The shape of the sheet plate is oval, rounded. The thickness of the sheet is 2-3 mm and may vary depending on the amount of moisture consumed. Under a magnifying glass, the surface of the sheet consists of small capsules with a liquid that resemble crystals.
Flowers on short stems look like a simple aster or daisy. Petals are narrow, long, painted in various colors. There are plants with white, yellow, pink, purple and violet flowers. Despite the short stature, the diameter of the opened bud reaches 5 cm. The core consists of many tubes of white or brown color. Often the saturated color of the petals pales at the base, forming a light disc. The flowering period is very long, it begins in late May and lasts until mid-autumn. After flowering, a box is formed with the smallest, like dust, seeds. In 1 g of seed, there are up to 3000 units.
Popular varieties
There are more than 20 varieties in the genus of this plant, but they are rarely found in our latitudes. Even in stores, it is still not easy to find dorotheanthus seeds.
The most popular and common among gardeners is dorotheanthus daisy. Its short lying stems do not rise above the ground above 10 cm. But the narrow lanceolate leaves on the shoots grow to 7.5 cm and have a coating of shiny villi. Yellow, red, orange and pink flowers with a diameter of about 4 cm appear in June and replace each other before the onset of frost. It is common for flowers to curl up in cloudy weather and open in the afternoon sun. Because of this feature, in the shaded areas of the garden, flowering will not be plentiful, and the buds rarely open completely.
Dorotheantus eye
Less common, but characterized by the presence of a small red spot in the core of the flower. For which he received such a name.
Dorotheanthus grassy
Strongly branched shoots up to 10 cm tall are painted in pink and red. Due to the tight plexus, the stems resemble a small pillow. On them are sessile leaves, 3-5 cm long. The shape of the leaf is elongated, oval. Small flowers of 3-3.5 cm in size have a reddish core and petals of red, salmon and pink flowers.
Breeders have bred other varieties. A feature of the new generation is that they do not curl up in the shade or with the onset of sunset, but delight with constantly open colors. In their diversity captured all the colors of summer. For special lovers of dorotheantus, such instances will be interesting:
- Lunette - sunny yellow petals frame the red-brown core;
- Lemonade - different colored gradient petals of lemon and orange tones;
- Northern Lights - a plant with greenish yellow petals;
- Apricot Pointe Shoes - has a uniform pink color of the petals;
- Magic carpet - pink flowers with a pronounced white stripe around the center.
Breeding
Dorotheantus is grown from seeds, before early planting in open ground, seedlings are prepared. A feature of the plant is that after 1-1.5 months after sowing, the first flowers appear. That is, flowering bushes are planted in the garden, which allows you to immediately create a beautiful pattern on the ground.
The smallest seeds are conveniently sown in rectangular large boxes. It is not necessary to deepen or sprinkle seeds with soil. Light, loose soil is used for planting. It is recommended to make a mixture with the addition of sand and peat. Watering is done with caution and covered until shoots are formed. Shoots appear 10-12 days after sowing. For the first three weeks, the box is stored at room temperature. Then hardening is carried out in several stages, lowering the temperature to + 10-18 ° C.
At the age of 20-25 days, seedlings are transplanted into separate peat pots. Watering is done very carefully. Like all succulents, dorotheantus does not tolerate water droplets falling on stems and foliage.
By the end of May, seedlings with pots are dug in the garden, keeping a distance of 20 cm between them. If early flowers are not a prerequisite, then you can sow the seeds directly into the ground at the end of May. Flowering will begin later, but there will be much less worries. When germinating crops, it is necessary to thin out seedlings.
Plant care
This inhabitant of the African prairies does not tolerate cold and damp places. It is preferable to choose sandy or sandy loamy fertile soil in the open sun. Watering is necessary only at the time of planting and with prolonged drought for more than 2-3 weeks. The shoots contain enough moisture to normally tolerate such a period. But even small dew drops left on the leaves during the day lead to illness and decay.
Dorotheantus does not tolerate frost. Its development stops even when the temperature drops to + 8 ° C, so there is no need to take care of shelter for the winter in a temperate climate. The plant still does not overwinter.
Using
This groundcover is suitable for creating a multi-colored pattern or border along the curb, as well as for decorating stony masonry and rock gardens. With the help of often planted bushes, you can create the effect of a multi-colored carpet.
This crystal daisy is also grown as a houseplant or ampelous plant. Tanks are taken out on a balcony in the summer or decorated with a veranda, and in winter they are brought into a room with an air temperature of 10-12 degrees.
