Good afternoon, my reader. A herbaceous perennial plant has firmly established itself in our homes due to its high decorative effect. A spectacular arrowroot has another undoubted advantage - it is easy to grow and propagate at home.
Please put your likes and subscribe to the channel "About Fasenda". This will allow us to publish more interesting garden articles.
Flower description
An exotic plant native to the tropics of South America, at home it grows no more than 20-30 cm. Although in the wild there are varieties whose height reaches up to 1 m. At home, the tropical miracle is easily propagated by dividing the bush and cuttings.
A flower with tuberous roots forms rosettes of elongated leaves on high petioles. The color of the crown, depending on the variety of the plant, has a wide range of colors. In addition, the arrowroot leaves are decorated with bizarre designs. This is what gives it a special appeal.
Interesting! The tropical plant is called the "praying flower" due to the ability of the leaves to respond to light and darkness. Because of this feature, it is considered a charm of the hearth.
Varieties
Among the dozens of known arrowroot species, only some of them are grown in indoor, greenhouse conditions.
Tricolor ("tricolor")
The most popular type of herb for indoor floriculture. A compact bush up to 25-30 cm high with oval leaf plates 12-15 cm long. The outer side of the crown is colored light green and decorated with reddish veins, curly spots of dark tones.
The inner surface of the leaves is characterized by pink veins against a bright crimson background. The buds of this variety, collected in small inflorescences, have a pale lilac color.
Bicolor
The highly decorative flower differs from other types of arrowroot in that it does not form tubers in the roots. Large leaves (up to 15 cm) on short petioles have an oval shape and wavy edges. The bright green background of the crown is decorated with dark spots. The underside of the leaf blades is edged with reddish hairs.
Kerhoven
A spectacular herb at home reaches a height of 20-25 cm. Its crown is decorated with oblong oval leaves (13-15 cm) and nondescript white flowers. The bright green background of the crown is decorated with a pattern of white stripes and dark spots. The underside of the leaf plates is painted in two tones: red and blue, smoothly merging into each other.
Due to the peculiarity of the "praying grass" to lower and raise the leaves at different times of the day, it seems as if the crown not only "moves", but also changes color.
Care
A tropical flower prefers bright diffused lighting, but the decorative effect of the plant suffers under the influence of direct sunlight. The best place for him is the windowsill on the east, west side. Lack of light also negatively affects: the leaves decrease in size and look faded.
The air temperature in the off-season should be kept within 20-22 ° С. In summer, this indicator is allowed to increase to +26 ° С, and in winter it should not fall below 14-16 ° С above zero. Arrowroot does not like sudden changes in temperature and cold drafts.
At home, it is difficult to create the necessary moisture for the plant. Therefore, the leaves are periodically sprayed with lukewarm water. To create a comfortable environment for the arrowroot, you can place the pot near the aquarium or place it in a tray with damp moss.
The flower loves moisture, especially during the hot season. But it reacts negatively to excess water - the roots begin to rot. During the growing season, the plant is fed twice a month with complex mineral fertilizers.
Not many indoor flower lovers take the risk of growing exotic plants. Proper and caring care will be an invaluable experience and dispel all doubts.
Do you have Maranta at home?
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
Read about watering grapes in the summer in the following article:Watering grapes in summer is the key to a good harvest in autumn