Pisonia is an ornamental, lush plant that belongs to the Niktaginovy family. Its homeland is the islands of New Zealand and Australia, also found in Mauritius. In our country, it is grown as a houseplant, forming delicate, sprawling bushes. Florists are happy to note that caring for a pison is not at all complicated, and a charming look leaves no one indifferent.
Botanical characteristics
The pisonia flower is an evergreen perennial. The plant has a powerful rhizome and high ground shoots. Shoots strongly branch from the base and quickly lignify, covered with a dark brown rough bark. The height of an adult indoor plant can reach 2 m and a width of 1 m. In the natural environment there are specimens up to 6 m high. The annual growth is small, usually it is about 4-5 cm.
Leaves are located almost along the entire length of the stem. They have a very short stalk or do without it at all. Leaflets of ovoid or oval shape narrowed to the edge. The edges of the leaves are slightly wavy. The leaf length can reach 25 cm, and the width is 10 cm. Relief veins are clearly visible on the surface of the foliage. The vegetation is bright green; variegated varieties with white longitudinal stripes or spots are also found.
The period of flowering of pisonia falls on June-July. On young branches, loose paniculate inflorescences of many white tubular flowers appear. The flowers are quite small, so they do not attract as much attention as beautiful leaves. At the end of flowering, small fruits in the form of small pods with seeds can be tied. It is noteworthy that some types of pisonia have sticky fruits. They are able to stick not only insects, but even small birds. For this feature, pisonia in the homeland is called a bird-plant.
In the genus of pisonia, 50 species are registered. All of them are quite tall. To grow a bush indoors, you need to use a floor tub and regularly prune.
Most often found in culture pisonia umbrella. It is a tree-like shrub up to 5 m high with large oblong leaves. The leaves are collected in a few whorls on young shoots. The sheet is 20-25 cm long and 5-10 cm wide. The sheet has a smooth surface with embossed veins and slightly wavy edges.
Florists prefer to grow a decorative variety of this variety - pisonia variegata. Its size does not exceed 1 m in height, and the leaves are characterized by colorful colors. Stripes or streaks are rarely present on leaves. A spotty, marbled pattern is more common. On young light green leaves are white spots. Over time, white changes to cream and yellow.
Pisonia is large It is a sprawling tree up to 20 m high. A smooth chocolate-colored bark covers the trunk and branches. On the young shoots are rosettes of broadly oval leaves. Thin, paper-like leaf plates are 7-25 cm long. The inflorescences are quite thick, they consist of wide-open white-pink flowers. The length of the cylindrical pods is 1.5-2.5 cm.
Breeding pisonia
Reproduction of pisonia occurs by seed and vegetative methods. However, seed reproduction is possible only in the natural environment. Indoor pisonia is effectively propagated by rooting cuttings. Cuttings are cut from the apical branches or from the central part of the crown. The former are distinguished by better decorative properties, and the latter are easier to adapt and take root.
Sections with 2-3 internodes are planted in a moist sand-peat mixture and covered with a film. Effective rooting requires increased air humidity and heat (+ 21 ... +22 ° C). The rooting process takes about 3 weeks. With the advent of young leaves, seedlings can be carefully transplanted into separate pots. Now they are grown as adult plants, and they quickly grow crown.
Care Features
Pisonia in the care is quite unpretentious, it easily adapts to the environment. It is difficult to destroy the plant, but to preserve beauty, you will have to follow several rules for caring for it at home.
Pisonia needs a long daylight and diffused light. It is optimal to place it in a room with eastern or western windows. Shading from direct sunlight is recommended at noon, otherwise burns will appear on the leaves. With a lack of light, variegated specimens lose their marble color.
The optimum air temperature for pisonia is + 18 ... +20 ° C. In hot summer, you will have to air the room more often, removing the plant from the air stream. He does not need to provide a rest period, but in the winter cooling is permissible up to + 16 ... +18 ° C. In summer, you can take out pots on the terrace or in the garden, it is important to choose a quiet place without drafts.
Watering the pisonia should be done often, but in small portions. Too wet land can cause root rot. Drying is usually given only by the upper layer of the earth. With a lack of moisture, the leaves immediately wilt and may fall.
Pisonia normally exists at any humidity. Infrequent spraying or washing under a warm shower is allowed. Dust not only spoils the aesthetic appearance of the plant, but also interferes with the breathing process. After washing, water should not accumulate in the soil.
In order for pisonia to develop normally, it needs to be fertilized from April to October. Special dressings for ornamental, variegated plants are added to water twice a month. Dosage is calculated according to the instructions.
The root system of pisonia grows rapidly and requires a lot of space, so it is transplanted once every 1-3 years. For planting, choose a deep and wide pot, 5-7 cm larger than the previous one. For small trees, floor tubs or boxes are useful. The bottom of the tank is lined with a thick layer of expanded clay, pebbles or broken brick. A lump of earth with roots is placed over the drainage and the free space is filled with new soil.
For planting pisonia, you can use universal garden soil with a neutral or slightly acid reaction. You can make your own soil mixture of the following components:
- sheet earth;
- turf land;
- peat;
- deciduous humus;
- river sand.
Possible difficulties
With improper care, pisonia can suffer from root rot. It is necessary to transfer the plant to a drier room and reduce watering. The soil is treated with a fungicide solution. Sometimes signs of powdery mildew appear on the leaves and shoots. Cope with it will help treatment with foundationazole.
Juicy, tender leaves of pisonia love spider mites, scale insects, thrips and mealybug. At the first signs of infection, it is necessary to treat the vegetation with an effective insecticide (kalbofos, actellic). The treatment is repeated after a week to prevent re-infection.
