Useful information

Summer adonis, blooming until autumn

From a distance, the delicate greenery of this plant can resemble a cosmea (double-feathered space). But the small flowers up close look a bit like poppies - red, with a dark spot on each petal. For this it is often called "Coal on Fire". Lush greenery is not very densely covered with flowers, they seem to be buried in greenery. This interesting plant is summer adonis.

Many people know the mighty adonis vernalis - an early flowering plant with golden flowers and feathery foliage. which is one of the first to bloom in the garden. But not everyone knows that among the 32 species of the genus Adonis of the buttercup family, there are also annual species. One of them is called summer adonis. This is a plant of the Russian flora, characterized by a one-year development cycle and red flowers. Blooms, unlike spring adonis, all summer.

Summer Adonis (Adonis aestivalis) Spark

Summer adonis, or summer adonis (Adonis aestivalis) grows in nature from the south of Western Siberia through Central Asia, the Caucasus, Crimea, southern Ukraine to Western Europe and North Africa. Avoids deserts and high mountains (above 2000 m), more often found among bushes, in meadows, in steppes, roadsides.

This is an annual herb 3-60, less often - 100 cm tall. Stems are erect, simple or branched, furrowed, without pubescence. Leaves are alternate, sessile, double-triple-pinnately dissected into thin linear segments. The flowers are located singly on the tops of the stems, have a corolla of bright red-purple color up to 3.5 cm in diameter, with a dark purple-black spot at the base of the petal, with numerous stamens and pistils (30-40 pcs.). There is a form with orange petals with a dark spot. For its color it acquired the common name "Coal on Fire", and in English-speaking countries - "Pheasant's eye". Sepals pressed to petals, broadly obovate. Fruits - nuts, have a characteristic nose sticking up.

Flowering in nature (for example, in the Caucasus) is spring, in May-June, after which the plant dies off as an ephemeroid. In central Russia, it decorates gardens throughout the summer - from June to autumn.

In our garden centers you can find seeds of several varieties of spring red adonis:

  • Twinkle - up to 50 cm tall, petals without black spots;
  • Ember on fire - up to 50 cm in height;
  • Cherubino - up to 30 cm tall, with flowers 2-3 cm in diameter;
  • Little Red Riding Hood

Reproduction

Summer Adonis (Adonis aestivalis) Spark

Propagate adonis summer by sowing seeds. The seeds are far from 100% germinating, so you need to take more seeds. Sowing is best done in open ground before winter - this is how the seeds undergo natural cold stratification.

You can sow this plant in early spring, in late April - early May. It is advisable to subject the seeds to cold stratification at + 5 ° C for several months before spring sowing. Sow directly to a permanent place in open ground or in a greenhouse. Seedlings appear spontaneously, within 2 weeks or more.

Seedling development is slow at first. If necessary, they are thinned out according to the 25x30 cm scheme, after which they are shaded, and a week later they are fed with complex mineral fertilizer.

Growing

Summer adonis grows on any well-drained and not too poor soils - loam, sandy loam. It is desirable to provide soil acidity close to neutral or slightly alkaline. Loves the sun, although under favorable weather conditions it will bloom in partial shade.

It needs weeding only for the first time, since later it forms a dense cover of greenery.

In dry periods, it needs watering. Top dressing is carried out not only at the initial stages of development, but also during the budding period.

 

Usage

This long-flowering plant is ideal for flower gardens, especially those that need to be filled with lush greenery. Low varieties give original borders, and high ones hide unsightly places well. It is a good idea to plant this plant between shrubs that bloom in spring.

Summer adonis (Adonis aestivalis) Spark in the fields of NK-Russian vegetable garden

On the western and eastern slopes of rocky hills, the plant goes well with primroses, arabis, seaside lobularia.

Cut flowers stand well in cut, bouquets attract with tender foliage and bright flowers.

In addition to decorative properties, medicinal are also inherent in summer adonis. In Europe, it is a pharmacopoeial plant. However, all parts of the plant are poisonous and ingestion can cause not only nausea and stomach pains, but also more serious consequences - convulsions, confusion. Therefore, you should be careful with him and not engage in self-preparation and use of medicinal drugs.

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