Useful information

Callistemon: room care

Callistemon

The era of the conquest of Europe by callistemons began with callistemon lemon (Callistemon citrinus), which was taken by Joseph Banks in 1789 to the Kew Botanical Gardens. Under natural conditions, this species grows in Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and southern Queensland, usually in wet and swampy places. The scientific name of the species comes from Latin citrinus - lemon, the aroma of which is felt when the leaves are rubbed. It is the most widely cultivated species both in Australia and in other countries where it is sometimes sold under the name callistemon lanceolate (Callistemon lanceolatus).

Callistemon lemon is a shrub or small tree 2-4 m in height with a crown width of 2-3 m. The bark is rough, light brown. The leaves are narrow, leathery, spear-shaped. The bright red flowers consist mainly of long, shiny stamens arranged around the stem and forming a brush-like inflorescence. It blooms in early spring. Pollinated by insects, birds, small bats mammals. In the greenhouses of the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Komarov observed cases when sparrows "imitated" exotic birds, extracting sweet callistemon nectar.

This species has produced many varieties, sometimes when crossed with other species. Most of them came about by accident. Mauve Mist has purple flowers, Burgundy is characterized by purple-red, undersized White Anzac is white, Endeavor is red, Reeves Pink is pink.

The unusual appearance, unpretentiousness and invaluable healing properties of callistemon lemon have made it a popular indoor and container plant. Plants come to our flower market, formed in the form of a dense bush or a standard tree. Seeds of the original species are available for sale, varieties to preserve their characteristics are propagated only by vegetative methods.

Callistemon

Callistemon has high phytoncidal properties, like other members of the myrtle family. A touch or movement causes the leaves to release essential oils that have a bactericidal effect. But even the mere presence of callistemon in a room will improve air quality and reduce the risk of colds. The essential oil isolated from the leaves of callistemon lemon contains a total of 24 active ingredients, of which 1,8-cineole (61.2%) and alpha-pinene (13.4%) have the highest content.

Equally common in culture callistemon rod-shaped(Callistemon viminalis), it is distinguished by the drooping shape of the branches, which explains the name of the species (Latin viminalis indicates long, flexible branches). In nature, this tree is up to 7 m tall. The most popular variety is Captain Cook, which is often grown as a pot plant. It is a rounded shrub 1.5-2 m in diameter with drooping branches and narrow leaves, decorated in spring with a mass of red brushes.

Amateur flower growers also have callistemon hard (Callistemon rigidus) - a very ornamental dense upright tree with narrow rigid leaves, in nature it grows up to 2-3 meters. In spring and summer, it is covered with many raspberry inflorescences. Suitable for curly haircuts. Varieties with drooping shoots and with darker and more abundant inflorescences have been bred.

The seeds of these and other types of callistemons are commercially available, and you can look for cuttings of your favorite type or variety from amateur flower growers. These lovely exotic plants are easy to grow in your home.

Lighting... The main requirement of callistemon is to provide good light - it is a more light-loving plant than many other indoor flowers. Callistemons should only be placed on a sunny windowsill. In summer, it can be taken out into the open air at temperatures not lower than + 7 ° C.

Watering... Callistemon requires regular watering, does not like the drying out of the substrate. You should also avoid stagnation of water in the sump. It is advisable to take soft water for irrigation. Not very picky about air humidity, but in very dry conditions it can be affected by spider mites.

Callistemon

Priming... It does not have any special requirements for the composition of the soil; it prefers slightly acidic moist substrates with good drainage. The optimum will be a soil consisting of peat, sand, sod land (2: 1: 1).

Top dressing Produced from spring to autumn with universal complex fertilizers with a low phosphorus content.

Transfer... The plant blooms more actively in a cramped pot, so transplants should be carried out in the spring after filling the entire volume with roots, once every 1-2 years. When the plant grows to a large size, you can limit its growth by partially replacing the soil in an old pot.

Pruning callistemon is necessary, since after flowering, not quite decorative pineal formations from capsules with seeds are formed on the branches. It should be done immediately after flowering to keep the plant small and encourage branching. Late pruning can rob the plant of subsequent flowering. The shoots remaining after pruning can be put on cuttings or used for medicinal purposes - a decoction from the leaves is used externally for skin problems.

In winter Callistemon should be given a cool and very bright place with a temperature of + 10 + 15 ° C, watering should be slightly reduced, keeping the soil always slightly moist. The best place would be a warmed, frost-free balcony or a cool greenhouse, where other members of the myrtle family (myrtle, melaleuca, psidium, syzygium, tryptomina, leptoospermum, chamelacium, metrosideros) will also winter well.

Breeds easily both by seeds and semi-lignified cuttings. For the preservation of the variety, one should resort to vegetative propagation by cuttings. Only the original species can be grown from seeds. Seeds are sown on the surface of moist soil with a shallow embedment; to preserve the moisture of the substrate, a transparent plastic bag is put on top. Seeds germinate in warm light for 30 days. Pre-sowing treatment is not required.

The grafting technology is described in detail in the article. Cutting indoor plants at home.

Pests... At home, it can be affected by spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects.

About pest control - in the article Houseplant pests and control measures.

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