The tenacious creeping (in Latin "Ajuga Reptans") is a grassy type flower. Also, such names are inherent in it as: Ayuga, sackcloth, Dubrovka, Dubnica. Ayuga survivor is common in the northern hemisphere in the temperate climate zone. A tenacious plant is resistant to adverse conditions and is used for medical purposes. What kind of culture is discussed below.
What is this plant: a description of the culture
The tenacious, or ayuga, is part of the family Iasnatkovye. Grass tenacious evergreen, deciduous or semi-evergreen. There are both perennial and annual species. The bush grows from 0.05 to 0.5 m. The arrangement of leaves is opposite.
What does it look like
Flowers are purple, yellow, purple or bluish. In all groups, species do not require special conditions for growing. Gardeners mainly use decorative foliage and ground cover species. In landscape design, it is planted in rockeries, mixborders.
The homeland of the survivor flower is Asia Minor, North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, the Far East, and Eastern Siberia.
Beneficial features
The leaves of the plant in question are used for culinary purposes. All its aerial components are used in recipes of traditional medicine for medicinal purposes, as they have a healing, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic effect.
What species grow in nature
In the natural environment of growth of about 70 species of tenacity.
Geneva
The tenacity Geneva, or shaggy, reaches a height of 50 cm. The upper leaves have an elongated or ovate shape, the lower leaves are town-toothed. The flowers are blue or pink. Inflorescences are collected in whorls of 2-5 pcs. The stems of this species do not grow. Flowering occurs in April-July.
Most often found in the European part of Russia, in Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and the Caucasus. The most popular variety of this species is the Helena Geneva survivor. This is a perennial that grows to a height of 50 cm.
What does a Geneva survivor look like?
Chios
Chios survivors are common in the Caucasus, Iran, and the Mediterranean. The species mainly grows on rocky terrain, roadsides, embankments. In height, it can stretch no more than 20 cm. The shoots are erect. They are covered with white villi. The leaves below have a scapular shape, and the top is tridentate. The flowers are in the form of a false spike and are located at the ends of the shoots. They are yellow.
For your information! Gruel from shoots promotes faster healing of wounds.
What does a chios survivor look like?
Pyramidal
The pyramidal view began its existence in Europe. It can grow in rocky areas and among bush plants. In length reaches up to 25 cm. Leaf plates are similar to an oval. They have a long pile. Flowers grow up to 10 cm. They can be white, pink or purple. There are several varieties of this type:
- Lunar Landing. These flowers are yellow. Variety bred by botanist F. Riotto;
- Crispa. On the bush, the leaves are large and compressed. They have a greenish color. Blue petals;
- little thing Metallica Crisp. The bush grows to a maximum of 5 cm. Small green leaves with a tint of metal.
Shaggy
Height up to 50 cm. Lilac flowers. The species is common in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
East
The eastern species grows up to 10-20 cm. Leaves in the form of a wedge. Flowers of blue tone. Bract leaves have a blue tint.
Laxman
The height of the bush is 0.2-0.5 m. On the shoots there are dropped leaves. Whole-leafed leaves are large and silver in color. The flowers are small. They are light pink and light yellow.
Laxman's View
Sphenoid
It grows only up to 6 cm. The leaves have a green-gray tint and jagged ends. Looks like bumps. Yellow flowers.
Turkistan
It grows in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. A small number of branches is the main feature of this species. Shoots are thick. On them are leaves in the form of an ellipse. Leaves are brown. The flowers are purple. The plant has healing properties.
For your information!Other species include: willow, southern, spaced. They are used in traditional medicine.
The most popular varieties
The most diverse varieties are derived from creeping tenacity.
Burgundy Gloe
The tenacious Burgundy Gloe is an evergreen and perennial plant. It grows in height from 10 to 25 cm. The leaves are wide. In Moscow, flowering time lasts from April to November. The flowers are purple-violet. They have burgundy and green spots, as well as a white edge.
Black skellop
The tenacious Black Skallop has dark purple leaf plates. Notches are visible from the edges. Blue flowers.
Arctic Snow
It grows in any areas where there is no sunlight. The leaves are scapular dark green. They grow to a length of 10 cm. They also have a smear in the middle. In length, this species grows to 5-10 cm.
Chocolite Chip
This flower has the smallest leaves, only 3-4 cm. They are painted in the color of chocolate. Flowers fit tightly together.
Multicolor
Tenderness Multicolor has leaves of different colors. They can be cherry-purple with various spots of cream, pink, orange. The spots are uneven. Flowers have a blue color. They are small in size. The height of the plant is 10-15 cm. The leaves are large and shiny.
Atropurpurea
The tenacious Atropurpurea grows up to 15 cm. The leaves are brown with a purple and reddish color.
For your information! This species has no shoots.
Little Atropurpurea
Mahogany
The height of the bush is 10-15 cm. The leaves have a rounded shape. They are reddish-purple and black-burgundy. Blue flowers.
Features of home care
Growing and caring in an apartment is different than for plants that grow in open ground. Therefore, below we will describe in more detail how to plant and care for the survivability of a creeping house.
Watering
Before new leaves appear on the seedlings, watering is carried out so that the soil does not have time to dry out. When the plant begins to grow in length, watering is minimized. It is watered only when the earth is completely dry.
Spraying
The plant in question is very unpretentious in care, therefore, additional spraying is not required.
Humidity
This plant is preferable to grow in moderate humidity. With excess moisture, it can become sick.
Priming
In order for the survivor to take root, it is necessary to use loose and moist soil. Most suitable is loose fertile soil, which passes air well. The best option is to mix soddy soil, sand, peat, humus.
Important! Before planting a flower, loosening additives, as well as drainage and organic dressing, are mixed with heavy soil.
Top dressing
Wood ash is the most suitable top dressing. Organic fertilizers are also suitable for ayuga. The more they contribute, the better. Compost and peat are used. Dry top dressing is poured both under the root, and it is diluted in water to irrigate the leaves.
With a certain frequency make mineral fertilizers. For this, complex phosphorus-potash species are used. In addition, wood ash is used.
When and how it blooms
The flowering period starts from the end of April and lasts until July. Inflorescences are spike-shaped. Two-lipped flowers. They are collected in whorls of 6-8 pcs. There are blue, purple, blue, pink and white.
Vegetative propagation
Popular methods of propagation of survivors - vegetatively and by seed. The seed method can only be used for the first time. Then the vegetative method is applied. Reproduction is carried out in spring or autumn in September.
Important! Varietal crops that are harvested from seeds can be very different from the parent plant.
The vegetative method requires the following steps:
- Separate overgrown outlets from the mother bush.
- Sockets to put in the right place. Even if they have only one root, then the likelihood of rooting is still there.
Watering is not necessary immediately, only after the planted flower begins to gain strength and grow.
Seed planting
Seeds for planting are best purchased at a garden store. Their germination is high. Seeds are sown in the open ground in the spring. The soil should be well warmed up. Landing in autumn is also possible.
The plant will develop better in a shaded place. However, in the sunny area, it will also grow well. Most often it is planted under a tree, since Ayuga will not pick up a lot of nutrients.
The most suitable for this flower are fertile loams and garden soils. Before sowing seeds into the soil, fertilize with organic, superphosphate or complex mineral fertilizer.
Note! The transplant is carried out in spring or autumn. The plant is dug up and planted in a new previously prepared place.
Diseases and Pests
Many dangerous diseases and pests that can destroy a flower overnight can strike a tenacious creature.
Fungal rot
It occurs when the humidity of the earth and air is too high. Because of the fungus, the plant and its roots begin to rot. The flower stops developing, does not delight in flowering and does not let out children. Yellowing and falling of leaves occurs. Due to root rot, a gray coating appears on the roots, as well as brown spots. What to do in the fight against this disease:
- diseased parts are removed with a sharp tool. Charcoal is poured onto cut places;
- healthy parts and other plants are treated with fungicides.
What does fungal rot look like
Snails and slugs
These are the only pests that spoil Ayuga. Insects do not attack her, since she has a unique composition. The leaves contain a substance that prevents the development of larvae. The appearance of slugs and snails is associated with excessive moisture. As control agents, special chemical preparations are used, which can be bought at any store for gardeners. From folk remedies, crushed bitter pepper is used. A mustard solution is also used, with which the plant is sprayed. To prevent pests from moving around the site, crushed eggshells are used. It is sprinkled on leaf plates.
Snail - Ayuga Pest
Tenderness is an unpretentious flower. It can grow anywhere: in the shade and in the sun. However, with excessive moisture, slugs and diseases can appear on it. In this case, the flower must be saved, otherwise it can die in a matter of days.
