The leaves of this plant are so tough that you can scrawl your name on them - hence the popular name - Signature Tree. They are fleshy and are also known for their filtering properties, freeing the air from toxins.
There is one more unusual quality - only representatives of the Clusiaceae family, to which the pink clusion belongs, are able to absorb carbon dioxide at night. Plants usually breathe oxygen at night.
This is a wonderful ornamental deciduous plant; in indoor conditions it practically does not bloom. Its leaves are widely spaced on horizontal shoots, large, leathery, thick, olive green.
The plant requires little maintenance. Loves good light, but shade-tolerant, and can be located by the window. You only need to be attentive to watering and air humidity. Plants under the age of 1 year require special care, later they become low-maintenance, cope with a short-term lack of moisture and require rare transplants.
Detailed description - per page Clusia.
Priming for a clusion it should be rich in organic matter, loose, well-permeable. It is composed of the following components: turf land: leaf land: sand (2: 2: 1). Acidity - slightly acidic or neutral.
From ready-made mixtures, you can use a universal primer or a primer for decorative deciduous indoor plants, mixed with a small amount of substrate for terrestrial orchids.
Transfer produced by the transshipment method, without destroying the earthen coma. The clusia suffers a complete replacement of soil painfully. Young plants are transferred annually, adults once every few years, into pots of usual proportions.
- Soils and soil mixtures for indoor plants
- Transplanting indoor plants
Lighting... Clusia needs good lighting. The light should be bright but diffused. It is grown on the windowsills of the eastern and western directions. In the south they are shaded from direct sunlight. In the autumn-winter period, natural light is not enough for the plant; it must be supplemented with a phytolamp. This plant is a neutral day, the photoperiod should be 12 hours a day.
Temperature... The optimum temperature for the clusion in the spring-summer period is + 25 ° С, in the autumn-winter period - + 16 ... + 20 ° С. The plant loves fresh air, but is afraid of cold drafts. The minimum permissible temperature for a plant is + 10 ° С, the maximum is + 29 ° С.
With sharp temperature fluctuations, leaf dropping is possible. The leaves of the clusia live for 2-3 years, and as a result, a purchased plant that quickly grows a crown in a greenhouse can experience massive leaf fall during their natural change.
Watering for the clusion, it should be regular and moderate, as the substrate dries up, not only in the upper layer, but also a little inside. However, the soil is not completely overdried. The plant is able to withstand short periods of drought, but it is better to avoid this in the first year of life. The most active watering will be required for young plants, it is reduced with age. Waterlogging of the soil must not be allowed, because This leads to the development of root rot.
It is better to water in the morning, not cold water, because it can shock the plant and stun growth.
Read more in the article Watering rules for indoor plants.
Air humidity... Clusia is a plant that requires high humidity. To create a humid atmosphere, place the pot on a pallet with wet expanded clay and apply spraying or use a household air humidifier. This is especially important if the temperature of the content exceeds + 25 ° C. However, you should not spray too often, this leads to the appearance of mold on the leaves.
Top dressing make often. During the period of active growth, a complex organo-mineral fertilizer for decorative leafy plants with microelements is used every 2 weeks in a half dose.In winter, if there is a backlight, they are fed once a month, without a backlight, fertilizers are applied occasionally.
Read more in the article Top dressing of indoor plants.
Dormant period in the clusion it is weakly expressed. From October to February, the plant is watered in a smaller volume, the temperature of the content is reduced to + 20 ° C, and is fed less often. With a warm content at + 25 ° C, additional lighting is organized for 12 hours a day, in this case, the care conditions are almost the same as in summer, with the exception of more rare dressings.
Formation... This plant is usually quite compact in shape and can grow to a height of one meter. Growing pretty fast. Clusia lends itself well to formation. Formation is possible once a year, at the beginning of spring.
Read more in the article Methods for the formation of indoor plants.
Bloom. Clusia pink has beautiful funnel-shaped flowers in delicate shades of cream and white, with soft pink accents that last long on the plant. However, flowering in indoor conditions is extremely rare, in especially warm and humid conditions.
Toxicity... The sap of the plant causes severe irritation of the stomach and intestines, vomiting and diarrhea when ingested. Work the plant with gloves. Keep it away from children and pets.
Pests. Clusia is not very susceptible to pests. Mealybug and scale insects are possible.
Read more in the article Houseplant pests and control measures.
Reproduction of the clusion
Clusia reproduces quite hard. Reproduction by air layers or by apical cuttings is possible.
The cuttings are rooted in a greenhouse at a temperature of + 25 ° C, providing illumination with a phytolamp. Rooting is slow, approximately 3-4 weeks.
Read more in the article Cutting indoor plants at home.
Photo by Rita Brilliantova and from the GreenInfo.ru forum
