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Likhnis crown is a medium-sized, but bright flower that has won the hearts of many lovers of ornamental garden plants. Red petals literally burn against the backdrop of gray stems and leaves. No wonder its name in translation from Greek means "light, lamp".
History of appearance
Another name for the flower is leathery adonis. It received its international name back in 1792. It is believed that he appeared on the territory of the Crimea and Transcaucasia. It was brought to Russia from southern Europe.
Among the people, the crown lichnis was called "soapy". Its petals and rhizomes are distinguished by good soapiness, earlier it was often used for washing. The culture has long been grown in North America and in the Old World.
In our country, two varieties have found distribution - crown lychnis and chalcedony
Description and characteristics
Lychnis crown, or Lychnis coronaria, is a perennial from the Clove family, the genus Smolevka. However, in the literature, information is often found that he is a biennial, since on the territory of our country it has been growing for no more than 2 years.
The adonis is a short, dense and lush herb up to 1 m high. It has straight and curved whitish branched stems. Small leaves about 10 cm long, greenish-silvery shade at the basal rosettes have an oblong-lanceolate shape, on the shoots - oval. Stems and leaf plates have a velvety surface. Due to the large number of branched shoots, crown lychnis acquires a decorative appearance.
The flowers are round in shape, 3-4 cm in size, have orange, crimson, pinkish, white and reddish shades. Thanks to breeding work, the color can be varied and even two-colored, varieties are terry. This makes lychnis popular with both amateur gardeners and landscape designers. The flowers have 5 petals, an obovate calyx and a raspberry pink corolla. After blooming, the buds gradually turn inside out and droop downward.
Flowering occurs in early summer and continues until late autumn. In some varieties, the buds bloom later. At the end of the growing season, crown lychnis does not lose its beauty. Separate bright "lights" continue to appear against the background of silvery foliage. When cold weather sets in, flowers wither, their number decreases, but remain as bright as in summer.
Crowned lychnis is a light-loving plant. It needs good lighting, blooms only under the sun. Without it, the culture grows a large number of leaves and shoots. The rest of the adonis is undemanding to growing conditions. It tolerates strong winds, precipitation and temperature changes well.
To extend flowering for several weeks, gardeners are advised to remove dried petals in a timely manner.
Lichnis varieties crown
Thanks to the efforts of breeders, there are many varieties of crown lichen. In personal plots and city flower beds, the following are especially common:
- Angels Blush is a biennial plant up to 60 cm high. Color is the highlight of the variety.Immediately after blooming, the flowers of Lychnis crown acquire a white tint, and then gradually change it to pink.
- Atrosanguinea is a variety of crown lichen growing up to 1 m in height. Differs in beautiful flowering. The petals are painted in a bright red hue, which attracts butterflies, bees and other insects. A feature of the variety is undemanding to temperature and soil composition.
- The mysterious island is a perennial variety of crown lychnis, bred by domestic breeders. In one place it grows up to 5 years. Has small red or crimson flowers. Does not require careful maintenance, tolerates cold snaps well.
- Gartner Wonder launched in Europe. A distinctive feature of the variety is terry flowering. Its petals are located on the tops of the shoots, twisted into tubes, painted in a scarlet shade.
Breeding methods of Lychnis crown
Adonis can be propagated by seeds, as well as by vegetative methods, primarily by cuttings. The methods have their own characteristics and are applied at different periods of time.
Seeds
Lychnis crown is able to reproduce independently, that is, self-seeding. The seeds, falling out, go deeper into the soil and remain in it for the winter. With the onset of spring, young shoots are formed. Florists only need to choose the strongest and healthiest among them and plant them.
If you buy seeds of a certain variety in the store, it is recommended to sow them in open ground in April. They are guided by the air temperature. It should be between +18 and +21 degrees.
Lychnis crown can be sown in the ground when there are night frosts
Seeds are planted in prepared grooves, lightly sprinkled with earth. Cover with foil if necessary. The first shoots appear after 3 weeks. Subsequently, they dive.
Sowing of lichenis crown for seedlings is carried out in late February - early March. They are preliminarily placed in a refrigerator for 30 days for stratification. Then the containers are prepared, filled with light nutritious soil. Seeds are sown, covered with earth and covered. Every day the planting is aired.
Lichnis crown is transferred to open ground with the onset of summer.
Cuttings
Another effective method of propagating a culture is cuttings. It is carried out as follows:
- Choose strong shoots 15-20 cm long. They do this in June.
- On mother plants, the sections are treated with charcoal or garden pitch.
- The cuttings are deepened into the soil.
- Moisturize regularly.
- New plants are moved to a permanent place with the onset of autumn.
Florists resort to cuttings less often than to seed propagation. The latter is considered to be simpler and more efficient.
Planting and caring for Lychnis crown
Cultivation of a culture does not require special efforts and knowledge; even beginners in floriculture can cope with this task. The first thing worth paying attention to is the area for crown lychnis. It should be open, exposed to the sun.
The soil should be light. It is recommended to prepare the soil for the adonis in advance: dig it up, saturate it with sand, humus or superphosphate. Landing is carried out as follows:
- Small holes are made.
- A drainage layer is poured onto the bottom, for example, gravel or small pebbles. Add earth.
- Young plants are placed in the planting pits, added dropwise.
- The soil is compacted, spilled abundantly with water.
Further care mainly consists of watering and fertilizing. Lychnis crown does not require frequent moisturizing. The only exceptions are hot, dry days. The rest of the time, watering is carried out once a week.
Overflows threaten the health of Lychnis crown no less than drought
Top dressing is necessary for the culture to stimulate flowering. It is recommended to apply fertilizers twice a season - before the formation of buds and at the time of active flowering. For the first time, you can feed crown lichnis with a mixture of potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate. These substances are taken in a tablespoon and dissolved in a bucket of water. When the plant is in bloom, superphosphate can be used as fertilizer. The solutions are poured at the root.
Lichnis is prepared for wintering as follows: the soil around is loosened, weeds are removed. The aboveground part of the bushes is completely cut off. Rhizomes tolerate cold well, especially if the winter is snowy. Otherwise, the adonis is covered with spruce branches.
Pests and diseases
The adonis is susceptible to attacks by some insect pests:
- spider mite;
- aphid;
- leaf roll.
At the initial stage of infection, crown lychnis can be treated with soapy water. Subsequently, acaricides and insecticides should be used.
Common diseases of the adonis are root rot, rust, spotting. Fungicides serve as prevention and treatment. In case of serious lesions, diseased specimens are destroyed in order to preserve the rest.
Likhnis crown in landscape design
Leathery adonis can be a decoration of any area. It is actively used by landscape designers. And gardeners love for decorativeness and unpretentiousness. The flower can be planted on alpine slides, flower beds, near water bodies. Plants look good not only as part of compositions, but also as independent plantings.
In the photo, crown lychnis looks great in the vicinity of many cultures, for example, chrysanthemums, asters, carnations, violets, garden varieties of daisies, bells.
Beautiful compositions make up adonis with lobelia and gypsophila
Conclusion
Likhnis koronchaty is a godsend for beginners and experienced florists. Without requiring special attention, he decorates the garden with bright flowers, like many small lights. Velvety, silvery leaves and stems also have a decorative appearance.
