Pedilanthus is a beautiful houseplant with succulent shoots and bright foliage. It belongs to the Euphorbia family and is found in the tropical and subtropical forests of the United States, as well as in some areas of Mexico. Attract long, twisted stems with a shock of small leaves and bright flowers. Florists can buy pedilanthus in large stores or order a seedling online. Caring for it does not require much effort.
Plant description
Pedilanthus is an exquisite tropical perennial with evergreen leaves and ornamental shoots. The plant has a superficial, branched rhizome that nourishes massive shoots. The stems of the plant are covered with dark green bark and gradually lignify. Its branches reach a height of 2 m, and are about 1-1.5 cm in thickness.
Petiole leaves are located in the upper part of the stem on young shoots. Falling at the base of the stem, they give it a stepped shape, for which the pedilanthus is called the "ladder of Jacob" or the "ridge of the devil." The leaves are ovoid or oval with a smooth lateral surface and a sharp end. The surface of the sheet plate glistens, as if covered with a layer of wax. In the light, you can easily distinguish the relief of the central veins. The color of the leaves is bright green, pinkish or mottled (with a white border).
The flowering period falls on December-January. At this time, panicle inflorescences are formed at the ends of the stems. Bracts are the most striking, not the flowers themselves. They are painted red and resemble the shape of a female shoe. The diameter of each bud reaches 2 cm. The flowers themselves have a faded, pinkish tint.
Types of pedilanthus
There are 15 varieties in the genus. Its representatives can be very different from each other. Let us dwell on the most popular species that are used in culture.
Pedilanthus is large-fruited. A plant with fleshy, bare stems. The gray-green shoot is succulent and stores moisture. Shoots can have a round or oval cut. Almost atrophied leaf plates are small, rounded flakes. On the tops of the shoots groups of red flowers with glossy petals and bracts are formed.
Pedilanthus titimaloid. The plant forms a sprawling shrub, covered with ovoid, petiolate leaves. The length of the rigid sheet plate is 10 cm and the width is 5 cm. Leaflets can be painted in bright green, pinkish, whitish or cream shades. Coloring of the same species depends on lighting and other living conditions. With the advent of new shoots and foliage, the stem is slightly curved and takes on a stepped shape. On the tops of the branches panicle inflorescences of 5-7 buds are formed. Flowers are painted red or orange.
Variegate varieties of pedilanthus are found with a wide or very narrow white border on the sides of the leaves.
Pedilanthus Finca. The plant forms a tall shrub or small tree. The stems branch at a certain distance from the ground and form a trunk with a spreading crown. Oval leaves have a glossy surface and are painted bright green. They are grouped in the upper part of the branches, while the bare stalk has a zigzag shape.
Pedilanthus koalkomanensky. The plant looks like a sprawling bush or miniature tree. It lives in the mountainous regions of Mexico with pronounced periods of rain and drought, therefore it is deciduous. Flowers are particularly beautiful and large in size. Petals are painted in scarlet, pink or peach.
Pedilanthus spur. It resembles a tall (up to 3 m), evergreen tree with a wide crown. However, during cooling or lack of moisture, part of the foliage may fall. Shirokooovalny leaves are attached to the petioles along almost the entire length of the shoots. Shiny leaf plates have a plain bright green color. The length of the leaves is 5-6 cm, their edges have a slightly wavy texture.
Breeding
Pedilanthus propagates by seed and vegetative methods. Seed propagation is hampered by the fact that the seeds almost never knot at home and quickly lose their germination. If you managed to buy high-quality pedilanthus seeds, they are sown in flat pots with a sand-peat mixture to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. The soil is moistened, covered with a film and kept in a warm place (+ 22 ... + 25 ° C). Every day you need to ventilate the greenhouse and moisten the ground. Shoots appear within 2-3 weeks. They are freed from shelter and grown in a moist, warm environment. When 4 true leaves appear, seedlings dive into separate pots with earth for an adult plant.
Rooting cuttings of pedilanthus is a faster and easier way. For this, apical cuttings 8-10 cm long are cut. The work is carried out with gloves, since milky juice, getting on the skin, causes irritation. Cuttings need to be dried in air for 1-2 days, and then planted in sand. The optimum soil temperature is + 22 ... + 25 ° C. The sapling is covered with a cap, periodically it is necessary to moisten the ground and ventilate the plant to prevent the formation of rot.
It is possible to root cuttings in water. In this case, after cutting, they are placed in a glass of warm water and left in a bright place. Water is replaced daily; when roots appear, the sprout is planted in the soil and grown as an adult plant.
Growing
Caring for a pedilanthus is so simple that some growers think it grows on its own. For planting, compact, preferably clay pots with large drainage holes are used. The bottom of the tank is covered with a layer of expanded clay. Land for planting pedilanthus should be fertile and breathable. It is useful to periodically loosen the top layer of the earth, for aeration and prevention of decay. It is convenient to buy ready-made soil for cacti. The substrate independently consists of the following components:
- sheet land:
- soddy soil;
- river sand.
Transplantation is rare, as the rhizome grows. The roots are trying to completely free from the old substrate. Damaged areas are also removed. After transplantation, it is recommended for 1-2 days to place the pedilanthus in a darker place.
The flower is kept in bright rooms with diffused light. From direct rays in the summer heat, foliage should be shaded. It is recommended to take the pedilanthus in the fresh air in the summer, but it will need protection from rain and drafts. In winter, the pots are kept on the southern windowsill or additionally illuminate the plant with a lamp.
The optimum temperature for pedilanthus is + 25 ° C. In winter, cooling is allowed up to + 14 ... + 18 ° C. With cooling, part of the foliage may fall, which is not a pathology.
The plant is watered in small portions of soft, settled water as the top layer of the soil dries. Signal to watering can also be drooping leaves. Excessive waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed so that fungal diseases do not develop. With a decrease in temperature, watering is reduced.
In spring and summer, fertilizer for succulents is added monthly to water for irrigation. It is important that the components with nitrogen are kept to a minimum.
To ensure satisfactory humidity, it is recommended to spray the leaves periodically, and place pallets with wet pebbles near the pot. Do not put a flower near a hot battery.
Possible difficulties
With increased dampness and excessive watering, fungal diseases can develop. They are manifested by blackening of the stems and brown spots on the leaves. It is necessary to replace the soil, treat the soil with fungicides (Topaz, Fitosporin) and change the conditions of the flower.
Sometimes pedilanthus is affected by aphids, spider mites, mealybugs or whiteflies. The foliage and stems should be treated with an insecticide at the first sign of parasites.
