Zamioculcas is an African plant that every year more and more wins the love of domestic flower growers. A dollar tree (Zamioculcas is also called) can be found both in apartments and in office premises, and this is not surprising, because this houseplant is unpretentious and it is a pleasure to take care of it, in addition, according to the sign, it attracts money.
Content
The history of growing plants and folk signs
Zamioculcas is a flower that came to our latitudes from a tropical climate; its features were first described by C. Lodges. However, he did not give the modern name to the tree - then the plant was called calydium amyloid. After 28 years, the flower was renamed G.V.Shott in Zamioculcas of Lodges. And only in the 19th century, namely in 1908, the tree got its modern name, as A. Engler, the director of the Botanical Garden in Berlin, called it.
However, despite the attention from scientists, the tree began to gain popularity among flower lovers only at the end of the 20th century, before that Zamioculcas was not grown as a houseplant. The tree began to be sold in bulk in the Netherlands at flower auctions, starting in 1996, 11 years later the first cultivar Zamioculcas was bred, which differs from the original plant in extremely compact size.
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Despite the existence of the scientific name of the flower, almost no one calls it that in everyday life. The people called Zamiokulkas a dollar tree for its brilliant green foliage and "monetary" energy. It is believed that the presence of zamioculcas in the house brings prosperity to its owners. However, according to signs, in order for the tree to bring material wealth to the house, it must be treated as a full member of the family.
There is also an opinion that if the tree was donated, then in return for the person who made the gift, you need to give a few coins to strengthen the "monetary" energy of the flower.
Variety characteristics and species diversity
Zamioculcas is a popular plant belonging to the Aroid family. The flower is a succulent, that is, it accumulates moisture in itself, so the leaves look juicy and fleshy. The botanical characteristics of the species are presented in the table.
| Plant parts | Description |
|---|---|
| Inflorescence | A corn cob, light beige in color, consisting of many small flowers that are covered by a pale green veil. |
| Flower stalk | Short and fat. |
| Leaves | Difficult, fleshy, deep green with a glossy surface. Swollen at the base. |
| Rhizome | Thick, tuberous. |
| Height | Up to 1 m |
The tree rarely blooms at home, as it is rather difficult to create suitable conditions for flowering indoors.Zamioculcas refers to grassy, evergreen plants that discard foliage only during periods of severe drought.
There are several natural variations of the plant, but they are not divided into separate species:
- For home cultivation, as a rule, zamioculcas are amyloidaceous, since the flower has a high decorative effect. Its trunk is not visible, and it seems that the leaves grow directly from the ground.
Zamioculcas - But in the wild, as a rule, zamioculcas grows lanceolate, or variegated, which differs from a decorative flower in long sheets of a lanceolate shape. At home, it is practically not grown.
Zamioculcas lanceolate - Due to the growing popularity of the flower, breeders bred a tree cultivar and named it Zamicro. The plant differs from its large congener by a long trunk and small, delicate leaves. If zamioculcas amyloid can reach a length of 1 m, then Zamicro grows only up to 60 cm in height.
Zamicro
How to care for a flower at home
The flower is unpretentious in care, due to which it is easy to grow in any warm room. In order to grow a strong and healthy tree, it is enough to adhere to some recommendations.
You may be interested in:Temperature indicators
This indicator plays a major role in flower care. When growing a tropical resident in the new realities of our apartments or offices, he requires the creation of the same conditions as in his homeland.
The air temperature in the room was above 12 degrees, otherwise the tree may get sick and even die. The plant will not suffer if it is placed close to heating appliances, on the contrary, so its flowering will come much earlier, but only if the air is additionally moistened.
Shine
A tree is a photophilous tropical plant, so a favorable habitat for it will be a place that is well lit most of the day. But immediately after the purchase, it is better to hold the flower for some time in the shade - for adequate adaptation of the tree to new conditions.
In the winter months, like any other exotic plants, a dollar tree will be grateful for the additional lighting to extend daylight hours. But, it is worth saying that this is not necessary for this tree, and the absence of an additional light source will not have a detrimental effect on the plant.
How necessary is additional humidification?
The tree is actively growing in a humid climate that needs to be constantly maintained. To do this, you can spray the leaves with settled water at room temperature every day. But, as a rule, flower growers solve the problem of optimal air humidity by placing a pallet with drainage or wet moss under a container with a plant.
Watering and fertilizer
Despite the fact that the flower loves moisture, it is recommended to water it only after the soil has completely dried. Water the tree should be plentiful, but not often.Since excessive humidity can lead to rotting of the tuber, it is therefore necessary to avoid stagnation of water on the surface of the soil or in the sump.
From spring to autumn, the tree grows actively, so it needs frequent feeding. Florists recommend fertilizing the plant no more than once every two weeks. For feeding, experts recommend the use of fertilizers designed for cacti or succulents.
In winter, when the room temperature decreases, feeding is stopped until the next stage of active growth.
How to propagate and transplant a flower at home
Zamioculcas is a poisonous tree, therefore, it is necessary to transplant it only with gloves. If this precaution is not observed, the juice will fall on an open area of the skin and provoke the appearance of a painful burn, which, as a rule, heals for a long time.
A young plant is subject to annual transplantation, but an adult tree is replanted only after its rhizome fills the entire area of the pot and begins to appear from the soil surface. It is better to transplant flowers in the spring.
Transplantation Stages:
- The bottom of the pot, which should be about 2-3 cm larger than the previous one, is filled with drainage from peat, sifted sand.
- Soil is poured over the drainage. An excellent option would be land suitable for cacti, as it is quite soft and loose. Accurate pebbles can be added to the mixture, for example, it will make the soil more breathable.
Soil for Zamiokulkas - After the container has been prepared, you can proceed to the actual transplant, which is performed by the method of transshipment. To do this, the flower together with the old earthen lump must be removed from the old container and placed in a new pot. The tubers cannot be completely immersed in the ground; 0.5 - 1 cm of tubers should remain bare.
It is mistakenly believed that a tree needs to be planted in a clay or ceramic pot due to its powerful root system, which can deform a plastic container. But, as a rule, experienced flower growers recommend planting a flower in a plastic pot, since the dense texture of clay and ceramics can damage the plant rhizomes at the time of their active growth.
A shrub propagates in 3 ways, namely, by a shank, leaf, and division of a tuber.
The cut
The method of propagation by cuttings is best chosen during the growing season of the plant (spring and summer). The cuttings are cut only from a healthy plant, which is at least a year old.
Cuttings must be cut from the bare branches near the soil with a kidney. The cut-off part must be shortened with a knife, so that a handle with a leaf and a kidney is obtained.
The place of cut must be treated with activated carbon, and the stalk itself should be dried and slightly deepened in a container with a substrate. The stem, in the case of periodic wetting of the substrate in which it matures, starts roots in two to four weeks.
Leaflet
Leaf propagation is time consuming. For this method, you must:
- Separate a small leaf from the flower branch and place it on a loose substrate.
- Humidify the earthen substrate.
- Put the container with the leaf in a place with enough light.
- Cover the sheet with polyethylene, creating greenhouse conditions.
Polyethylene helps to accelerate the process of root maturation, which without it can drag on for several months.
Tuber division
The root system of the flower is fairly easily divided, and its parts are seated in different containers. This method is convenient to use during a flower transplant.
After transplanting into a special soil, the flower is watered and sent to a dark place for adaptation for a couple of weeks, then its conditions of detention do not differ from standard care.
You may be interested in:Possible growing difficulties and their solution
Zamiokulkas is a very unpretentious plant, however, if the content is incorrect, the flower begins to hurt. The problems may be:
- Lack of light can lead to elongation and weakening of shoots, for this reason it is recommended to put the flower pot near the southern windows.
- Sometimes the leaves of the flower begin to turn yellow, but this does not at all indicate its illness. As a rule, old leaves turn yellow, which eventually die off, and young leaves appear in their place. But sometimes new ones do not appear to replace dead leaves, which indicates inept care of the flower.
Rotation of the tuber, draft, lack of moisture and a sharp change in temperature can lead to yellowing of leaves To eliminate the problem, it is enough to move the flower to more suitable conditions and establish watering.
- When rhizomes rot, the tree needs to be transplanted, having previously removed all rotted roots. In order to avoid further decay, the intact tuber should be treated with activated carbon.
- The appearance of spots on the leaves indicates that the plant was affected by the fungus. Antifungal treatment of the flower will help to cope with the disease. During the treatment of the fungus, it is worth refusing to feed the tree.
- Pest damage: aphid, spider mite, mealybug. All of them are easily eliminated by treating the plant with soapy water or with ready-made preparations (Antikleshch, Akarin, Fitoverm, Intavir).
Common Growing Questions
Zamiokulkas is a strong, hardy flower, which, thanks to its decorative leaves, has gained popularity among professional florists and lovers of indoor plants.It is believed that a tree is able to increase the material condition of its owners in case of respect for it. Believe it or not is a private matter for everyone, but the fact that with proper care the plant will delight the owners with a radiant healthy appearance is a fact.
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