Description of sansevieria and photo of the flower, names of species and varieties, planting and care

Sansevieria is called one of the most popular indoor plants. This flower is considered very easy to care for and can adapt to different conditions. In total, there are more than 60 varieties of this crop, which differ in shape, color and size of foliage. At the same time, no more than 10 of these species are usually grown at home.

Description of the plant

This term refers to a genus of evergreen plants from the Agave family.In nature, this crop grows in dry, rocky regions of Africa, India, and South Florida. This flower is characterized by a number of distinctive features:

1. Sansevieria is distinguished by a creeping underground rhizome, which has hard basal leaves. It contains strong rhizomes, which are root threads. They can grow to the point of damaging the pot.
2. The leaves can reach a length of 1 meter. Many species have a point at their end. Sometimes the foliage is directed upward and extends in different directions. Sometimes it spreads almost along the ground.
3. The leaves have different colors - from greenish to brown. There are also varieties with spots or stripes. In recent years, many varieties have appeared that have a yellow or silver color.
4. Some plant varieties have leaves covered with a thin waxy coating that protects them from moisture loss.
5. Sansevieria is characterized by green-white flowers that have long stamens and narrow petals. They form a dense cylindrical inflorescence, which is located on a long straight peduncle. The buds open in the late afternoon and at night emit a distinct vanilla scent.

Since the eighteenth century, sansevieria began to be grown in European countries as an ornamental crop. It is a hardy and unpretentious plant that is suitable even for novice gardeners. The plant's showy foliage combines beautifully with other plants to create attractive compositions.

In the summer, almost all types of sansevieria can be exposed to fresh air and used to create landscape compositions. Garden forms of culture are often used to decorate premises and winter gardens.They also allow you to create large compositional arrangements.

Kinds

This culture has many varieties. The most popular species is considered to be Sansevieria three-lane. It has oval, flat leaves, the color of which varies from light green to rich. This variety is usually called "mother-in-law's tongue" or "pike tail". It additionally includes the following subspecies:

• Laurentii – distinguished by a golden-yellow border;
• Craigii - has a pattern in the form of longitudinal stripes of white and yellow color;
• Hahnii - has a similar pattern, but is considered a low-growing plant with small leaves and a distinct rosette.

In addition, there are the following types of culture:

1. Large is a garden crop whose height is approximately 60 centimeters. The width of the leaves reaches 15 centimeters. In this case, the flower produces 2-4 sharp leaves at once. They are dark green in color with a red border. The leaves also have a pattern of dark elongated stripes. During the flowering period, the bush produces a long arrow measuring 70 centimeters, which has light green flowers.
2. Graceful - this culture is a perennial succulent. It is characterized by pointed, erect leaves. They are long, have a rounded cross-section and grow upward. The foliage is characterized by a gray-green color and streaks of light shades.
3. Robusta - has wide, rounded green leaves. They are directed vertically upward. The length of the leaf is 25 centimeters and the width is about 7. This variety is divided into several varieties - Black, Blue, Black Coral.
4. Duneri – this plant is also a succulent. She has up to 20 vertical leaves 50 centimeters long. Moreover, their width is 2-3 centimeters.The leaves are distinguished by a rich green color, on which a darker pattern is clearly visible.
5. Futura - this flower appeared not so long ago. It is characterized by glossy shiny leaves with a bright yellow border. As it grows, up to 10 leaves appear on the bushes.
6. Pickaxe is a small plant that has wide leaves. They are directed in different directions. The culture has a pattern in the form of stains. In this case, the foliage has a reddish border.
7. Liberian is a bush variety characterized by large leaves with a brown edge. They grow horizontally. On one stem, 6 leaves can grow simultaneously, the length of which is 1 meter. They have streaks that look like snake skin.
8. Hyacinth - reaches a height of 50 centimeters. This plant is characterized by dense leaves, the width of which is approximately 7 centimeters. They are characterized by a pattern with streaks.
9. Walking - a rosette is formed on the shoots of the plant. The bush has large gray-green leaves with a light border.
10. Cylindrical - distinguished by straight, pointed leaves of a cylindrical shape. The green foliage is covered with a yellow pattern and has very sharp tips that can easily cause injury. This variety is interesting because the leaves that emerge from the rosette can be given unusual shapes. To do this, the stems are braided or made into various patterns. It looks very interesting in the interior.
11. Zeilanika is a plant similar to seaweed. Young foliage is quite thin, but with age it becomes denser and becomes covered with a silvery pattern. With proper care, the crop reaches a height of 1.5 meters.
12. Bentel is a laconic crop with long gray-green leaves.With enough light they only become brighter. The leaves have a leathery texture, light stripes and spots of a turquoise hue. The bush reaches a height of 60 centimeters.
13. Eulensis - distinguished by emerald foliage. With age, it curls up into a tube. The leaves are covered with a pattern in the form of strokes.

Landing

To plant the crop, it is recommended to use a light, drained substrate with a neutral pH of 6-7. You can also buy ready-made soil for succulents containing peat. Making soil yourself is also not difficult. To do this, it is recommended to mix turf or leaf soil, sand, peat and humus in a ratio of 3:1:1:0.5. Heat the finished composition in the oven. This will help prevent it from becoming infected with parasites and fungal microorganisms.

The plant requires a loose and low pot. The root system of the crop grows in width and is located almost on the surface. Ceramic and plastic containers are most suitable for Sansevieria. Before planting, the pot must be filled a quarter full with drainage.

Care

In order for plant cultivation to be successful, it is important to strictly follow the rules of agricultural technology. In this case, Sansevieria needs to provide the right conditions.

Temperature and lighting

The life of the culture does not depend on sunlight. The culture develops equally well in any lighting. It withstands shade and scorching sun rays well. Therefore, you can place the container in any place and room. As for the temperature, the flower needs to provide indicators at the level of +12-25 degrees.

Maintaining Humidity Levels

Sansevieria is able to accumulate moisture in its leaves, which makes it very undemanding when it comes to watering. This procedure is often not required.In spring and summer, it is enough to do this once a week. In winter and autumn it is worth moistening the soil when it is almost dry. For irrigation, you should use melt or rain water. If it is difficult to obtain, it is permissible to use distilled one.

Top dressing

Sansevieria should be fed from the age of 6 months. The need for fertilizers depends on the season - during the growing season, nutrients are applied at intervals of 3-4 weeks. In this case, the standard dosage is reduced by 2 times and the application of foliar fertilizers is avoided. It is better to give preference to watering the soil.

To feed sansevieria, it is worth using liquid mineral products for cacti and succulents, which are dominated by potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. It is important to consider that the flower does not like nitrogen. Excessive amounts of this substance cause rotting of the roots.

Care in cold conditions

In winter, Sansevieria enters a dormant period. In this case, there is a slowdown in its growth or a complete cessation of development. Therefore, the crop does not require special care or fertilization.

In winter, the flower should be provided with a temperature of +16-30 degrees. If the parameters are less than +20 degrees, it is worth reducing the frequency and abundance of watering. Otherwise, there is a high probability of root rotting. If you completely stop watering, the crop can withstand a temperature drop of up to +10 degrees and a short-term drop in parameters of up to +5 degrees. Small drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations are not dangerous for this flower.

Transfer

Sansevieria definitely needs to be replanted, since it has a powerful root system that actively grows. For young plants, the procedure is carried out at intervals of 1-2 years. Mature bushes should be moved every 3 years. However, the need for a transplant should be determined visually. It is necessary to move the bush to a new container if the stems protrude beyond the pot.

The procedure is simple. To transplant sansevieria, you need to choose a pot larger than the previous one and fill the bottom with drainage. When moving crops, it is important to avoid damaging the root system.

Reproduction

The crop can be propagated in different ways - by seeds, dividing the rhizome or leaves.

Using seeds

This method is used quite rarely, since there are difficulties in obtaining material for planting. If the crop blooms, you should do the following:

1. Dry the pod naturally.
2. Remove the seeds immediately before planting.
3. Plant them in damp sand, pressing them slightly into it.
4. Cover the container with transparent film and place in a bright, warm place.
5. Water the seedling through a tray and ventilate every day.

Sprouts may appear after a few months. It depends on the quality of the seed material. A month after the sprouts appear, they should be plucked.

By dividing the rhizome

The rhizome should be divided during transplantation. To do this, the roots should be slightly cleared of soil and divided into parts with a sharp knife. In this case, each fragment should have several leaves with a growing point. The resulting parts should be planted in a container with peat-sand soil. There is no need to water them. Planted bushes should be kept at a temperature of +25 degrees.

Leaves

To use this method, take a large sheet and divide it crosswise into pieces approximately 5 centimeters long. Then leave it in the air to dry and transplant it into prepared sand. This must be done vertically with the lower end. Then cover the containers with a jar. Water the plant through a tray. Rooting will occur in the fifth week. After which new leaves and buds will appear on the bushes. At this stage, the bush can be moved to a new container.

Possible pests

Sansevieria can suffer from the following pests:

1. Spider mites - in this case, white spots appear on the leaves. Pests absorb plant juices, which leads to the death of the affected fragments. Rubbing the leaves with an infusion of citrus peel helps to cope with parasites. In advanced cases, it is worth using insecticides.
2. Thrips - parasitic larvae infect the lower fragments of leaves. There are light spots on top. When bushes are infected, the leaves turn gray-brown and acquire a silvery sheen. For treatment it is worth using insecticides.
3. Mealybugs - settle near the base of leaf rosettes and absorb plant juices. At the same time, lumps resembling cotton wool appear on the bushes. To save the flower, it must be treated with a soap solution. In difficult situations it will not be possible to do without insecticidal preparations.
4. Scale insects - absorbs the juices of young plants. It is possible to identify pest eggs from the reverse side of the foliage. To remove parasites, you should use a strong soap solution. Then the bushes need to be treated with insecticides.

Beneficial features

Sansevieria includes organic acids and saponins, which have many beneficial properties.These components help cope with inflammation and have an expectorant and biliary effect. Saponin is often used to make medicines. Their properties are also used in folk medicine and cosmetology.

The culture can be used to treat otitis and cystitis. It effectively copes with inflammation in the oral cavity and promotes wound healing from burns and cuts.

It is important to take into account that the flower is prohibited for use during pregnancy. The components that make up it have an abortifacient effect. If improperly processed, the crop can cause poisoning.

Sansevieria is a common houseplant grown by many gardeners. This is a fairly unpretentious culture. However, to obtain a strong and healthy plant, you still need to follow some rules of agricultural technology.