Spotted Heuchera. Planting, Care, Cultivation. Types And Varieties. Photo

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Spotted Heuchera. Planting, Care, Cultivation. Types And Varieties. Photo
Spotted Heuchera. Planting, Care, Cultivation. Types And Varieties. Photo
Anonim

Often, long before botanists, ordinary people discovered the plant and began to use it in medicine and cooking. And geychera is no exception. The American version of the English name heuchera is spotted geranium. In the old days it was used as a medicine. The Indians, for example, applied the crushed boiled roots of the plant to wounds and ulcers, a decoction from them was used for fever and diarrhea.

Variety of Heuchera varieties presented at the BBC International Garden
Variety of Heuchera varieties presented at the BBC International Garden

Content:

  • The origin of Heuchera
  • Features of growing geyher
  • Planting Heuchera
  • Geyhera care
  • Heuchera diseases and pests
  • Reproduction of geyher
  • Types of Heucher

The origin of Heuchera

The genus Heuchera (Heuchera) has about 70 species distributed in North America. These are rhizome perennial herbaceous plants up to 50 cm tall. The leaves are collected in a basal rosette, five to nine lobed, serrated. Plants develop numerous peduncles that grow and bloom at different times. The flowers are small, pink, red, white, collected in a paniculate inflorescence up to 20 cm long. The fruit is a capsule. 1 g up to 20,000 seeds.

In 1601, the famous botanist Karl Klusius described one of the plants brought from the eastern regions of North America, called the Mountain Forest (Sanicula montana). This was the first description of the current Heuchera in the literature. It is known that already in the first half of the 17th century this plant was cultivated in the gardens of France. One of the first botanical drawings of Heuchera, made in 1698, with the signature 'Cortusa americana floribus herbidis', is kept in the Natural History Museum in London. Heuchera was first cultivated by John Tradescant the Younger, and 1656 is considered the date of its introduction into culture.

Much later, other species of the Heuchera genus were discovered and described. In the first book devoted to the natural flora of North America - 'Flora Americae Septentrionalis' (1814), Frederic Pursh described 5 new species of Heuchera found during the first transcontinental expedition of Captains Lewis and Clark (1804-1806). At the same time, blood-red Heuchera (Heuchera sanguinea) was discovered in Mexico.

The famous collector David Douglas in 1825-1827, traveling along the Columbia River in the territory of the present state of Washington, for the first time collected herbarium material from Heuchera cylindrica and small-flowered Heuchera micrantha. The work of the famous American botanists Aza Gray and John Torrey (1838-1843) provides a detailed description of 15 species of Heuchera.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, mainly species of Heuchera and their natural forms were grown in the gardens, while it cannot be said that these plants were widespread. The situation changed slightly after the appearance of hybrid Heucheras in France. The renowned breeders Victor and Emile Lemoine were the first to seriously engage in Heucher hybridization. In the catalog of the firm in 1897 for the first time referred to the plant produced by crossing Heuchera sanguineum and melkotsvetnoy called creators Heuchera tryasunkovidnoy (Heuchera brizoides).

Subsequently, Emile Lemoine repeatedly crossed quaggle geychera with small-flowered, as a result of which in 1902-1908. numerous hybrids have been bred. The historical role of these hybrid plants is extremely important, for they became the basis for all subsequent breeding work with Heucheras.

For almost 70 years, starting from 1931, all the most significant work on the development of new varieties of Heucher was carried out in England by Alan Blum. In particular, he obtained 13 lines of complex hybrids from crossing the American Heuchera, small-colored, cylindrical and hairy. The seeds of their mixture called 'Bressingham Hybrids' are still sold by many overseas firms.

Years passed, breeders worked, but geychera still remained a rare garden plant. But in the United States, a new generation of breeders appeared who were in love with this culture and correctly appreciated its gigantic, but little used by that time, genetic potential. Thanks to their works, fantastically beautiful, original varieties of Heucher appeared, which are loved by flower growers of all countries.

Heuchera
Heuchera

Features of growing geyher

Location

Geykhera are unpretentious plants. The required minimum of conditions for their cultivation is universal for all varieties: deep drainage, spotted shade, moisture-consuming soil, obligatory hilling once a year or every other year. Planting around the periphery of the apple tree crown or around bushes provides shading and leaf cover for the winter.

Heucheras are quite labile (unstable) with respect to temperature and light intensity. Different varieties can very significantly change the color of the leaves, the timing and intensity of flowering at different temperature and light conditions, therefore, it is possible to determine the optimal conditions for your pets only experimentally.

Most Heucheras prefer direct sunlight only in the morning hours.

Heicher flowers blood red
Heicher flowers blood red

The soil

The plant is undemanding, but prefers light, well-fertilized soil cultivated to a depth of 20 cm. Compost or humus soil is applied to poor soils at the rate of 10 kg / m 2. In damp areas and with stagnant water, fleshy rhizomes rot and plants die.

Since most of the geyher lives in the mountains, they also prefer good drainage in gardens. To ensure water and air permeability of the soil, it is recommended to add coarse river sand or fine gravel to it, especially around the rosette of leaves. Coarse compost or crushed bark should also be added to the soil. Geucheras, like plants in rocky areas, can withstand an alkaline pH of up to 8.5, but, according to Haymes, they are only happy when soil pH is between 5.8 and 6.3.

Planting Heuchera

In the spring we, longing for the land, want to quickly buy and plant something. However, buying Heuchera with an open root system, and even without leaves, is a rather daring experiment. If you are lucky, and a plant from a just brought batch - it takes root well and starts growing. However, plants (of the same variety, from the same seller and from the same batch), bought after a week and kept during this time without proper storage, very quickly lose their viability. Even if it seems that the plant can be reanimated, it is better not to risk it.

Wait 3-4 weeks, and potted bushes - plants with a closed root system will appear on sale. Then you can choose a healthy specimen.

Young plants must be planted in loose, non-acidic soil. On heavy soils, plants can "dry out", they have a depressed appearance, do not take root well and can even change the color and shape of the leaf.

If within a few days after the purchase you will not have the opportunity to care for the young Heuchera, you need to water and shade it abundantly, covering it with a box with slots.

Now on sale you can find very tiny "kids" who take root well, but you need to plant them in the garden separately "so that the neighbors do not drown out the sprouts. Having grown an adult specimen, evaluate its size and decorativeness, and you can plant it in a permanent place. This is especially important when growing unfamiliar varieties.

Geuchera 'Obsidian'
Geuchera 'Obsidian'

Geyhera care

In nature, geychera very rarely grow on soils with a high content of nutrients; they do not require this in culture either. They should be fed only occasionally with a solution of a complete mineral fertilizer, but at a concentration half as much as for other garden plants. Following Haymes's advice, it is better to underfeed the Heuchera than overfeed. It's the same with watering - the main thing is to avoid extremes.

The bushes must be hilled annually, since their bases grow above the soil level. Needs frequent transplants. Unfortunately, heucheras retain the decorative effect of the rosette for no more than 3-5 years, after which the bush disintegrates and shows its bare middle. This is a signal that it is time to rejuvenate the plant - dig it up and divide it into parts, 2-3 sockets in each. This procedure is best done in the spring, when new leaves appear, but before flowering.

It is good to cover light-leaved varieties and young plants with oak foliage before wintering.

Heuchera diseases and pests

The culture is quite stable.

The rapid increase in the volume of planting material of new varieties, as a rule, causes problems associated with diseases and pests. There are still few Heicher collections, which means that "growing pains" have not yet overtaken us. Large snails and slugs can damage both young and old Heuchera leaves. Caterpillars settle on leaves in whole colonies and gnaw them. Heuchera leaves are affected by spotting and mildew, a downy mildew caused by the Plasmopara fungus.

Heucher diseases are relatively rare. Stagnant water, an overabundance of organic matter and acidic soil can provoke root rot. Having found signs of wilting, you need to cut the rosette to healthy tissue, leave a minimum of leaves and root the resulting cutting in the usual way.

Variations in color and pattern of Heuchera leaves
Variations in color and pattern of Heuchera leaves

Reproduction of geyher

New varieties of Heuchera are expensive, but many interestingly colored plants can be grown from seeds. Heuchera reproduce easily by seed. The round black seeds are like miniature poppy seeds and need water and light to germinate. They can be sown immediately after harvest, or they can be stored for some time (preferably no longer than six months).

It is not necessary to stratify them. Seedlings appear two or three weeks after sowing. The seed substrate should be well drained, you can add 30% perlite or other soil loosening to it. Seeds should be lightly pressed to the surface so that they are not washed off with water when watering, or sprinkled with a thin layer of vermiculite. By changing the color of vermiculite, one can judge about the drying out of the substrate. The seed container can be placed in a plastic bag or box. It is important to prevent the seeds from drying out.

Seedlings dive when 2-3 true leaves appear in boxes or ridges. They are planted in the ground in late May - early June, maintaining a distance of up to 20 cm. They are covered with foliage for the winter. Young plants bloom in the third year.

It is better to divide the bushes in the spring, in May, but it is also possible in the fall (end of August - first half of September). On clay soils, during autumn planting, plants can freeze out in winter, especially with a significant division of rhizomes. Each division must have roots and at least five well-developed buds. It is recommended to divide the bush by hand, without the use of tools. Landing distance 20-25 cm.

Heucheras are easily propagated by cuttings. Cuttings should be done before flowering or immediately after it. It is not recommended to divide the bushes in the fall, since the autumn divisions do not take root well and do not tolerate winter well. Dig out the "old" bush and divide it by 2-3 sockets, then shorten the bare stem to young tissue, leaving only the "heel". The cutting should be dipped in Kornevin and immediately planted in a small pot, poured with Kornevin solution according to the instructions. Don't forget about watering and shading.

Geuchera 'Snow Angel'
Geuchera 'Snow Angel'

Types of Heucher

American Heuchera - Heuchera americana

Forest view. Wildly grows in the east of North America. Inhabits the rocky shores of the Great Lakes. In America it is called mountain geranium. Prefers rich soil, grows on open light edges or in the light openwork shade of trees.

In this heuchera, only the leaves are attractive, forming a beautiful rosette 15-20 cm high. The leaves on the lower side may have a brownish-purple hue. They are round-cordate, with long petioles. The height of the peduncles is 50-60 cm. The flowers are yellow-green, collected in a paniculate inflorescence. Blooms from June 50-60 days. The specific form of this Heuchera is of interest only to collectors and breeders. In culture since 1656.

Heuchera hairy - Heuchera villosa

It grows in valleys east of the Mississippi.

She has large beautiful velvety leaves, pubescent petioles and peduncles. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, greenish cream. For example, the 'Bronze Wave' variety found in nature has luxurious bronze leaves up to 20 cm in diameter. This species prefers humus-rich, moist forest soils and semi-shaded places, therefore it is perfectly suited for growing in the garden. Some cultivars are shade-tolerant. Varietal plants have large leaves of light green, purple or apricot-bronze color. From g. Hairy comes the famous 'Palace Purple', named in 1991 the perennial of the year.

Heuchera hybrid - Heuchera hybrida hort

The breeders managed to get interspecific hybrids by crossing the blood-red Heuchera with the American Heuchera and with the participation of the Small-flowered Heuchera. Lemoine called this group of hybrids Heuchera brisoides. The hybrids resemble the blood-red city, but differ from it in larger leaves, flowers and peduncles. They bloom longer (up to two months) and more abundantly with white, pink, coral, red flowers.

The leaves are mostly green, with contrasting veins or with white and cream specks. Flowering plants give the impression of a festive fireworks display, adding a picturesque lightness to flower beds. The only drawback can be considered lodging of peduncles with a large number of flowers from rain and wind.

More complex hybrids obtained from the crossing of American Heuchera with small-flowered Heuchera with the participation of other species, such as, for example, Heuchera villosa, formed a group of so-called American hybrids (Heuchera americana).

Heuchera blood-red - Heuchera sanguinea

It is found in the mountainous regions of the southern states of the United States - Arizona and New Mexico, as well as in northern Mexico. Despite the fact that the latitude of this area corresponds to the subtropical climate, this type of heuchera winters well in the conditions of Central Russia, suffering only from drought in the hot summer. This is an unusually beautiful plant that Americans call a red bell.

The leaves of the blood-red Heuchera have denser tissues than those of other species. They are round, serrated, pubescent. Form a compact rosette 20-25 cm high. The height of rather strong peduncles is approximately 50 cm. The flowers are small bell-shaped, crimson, pink or red, collected in a graceful oblong panicle up to 20 cm long. Blooms in June-August 60-90 days. Bears fruit.

This hardy species grows well and winters in the conditions of central Russia, preferring well-drained soils and an open, ventilated, but semi-shaded location. The plant is drought tolerant, but may suffer from overheating in the open sun.

Heuchera in a flower garden
Heuchera in a flower garden

Today, decorative leafy heuchera, thanks to the bright and rich color range, variety of varieties, have become famous, fashionable and extremely popular plants, perhaps second only to the host. Like precious gems, they can decorate any flower garden, and beautifully and abundantly blooming varieties will add lightness and delicacy to flower arrangements. Modern varieties and hybrids of Heuchera are decorative, showy, unpretentious, winter-hardy, easy to care for. And yet, these plants are still not widely spread in Russian gardens.

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