Stonecrop (sedum) - perennial flowering succulent from the family Crassulaceae. The homeland of the plant is the dry slopes and meadows of America, Africa and Eurasia. It is used to decorate a site or premises, as well as for medicinal purposes. The Latin name translates as "pacify", which is associated with the ability of drugs to reduce pain. The Russian name comes from the word "cleanse", since taking a decoction helps cleanse the intestines. In addition to these names, such as "rabbit cabbage", "violin" and "fever grass" are known.
Plant description
Stonecrop flower - a short grassy succulent with a long or biennial life cycle. All varieties can be divided into tropical thermophilic, which in our latitudes are grown as indoor plants, and winter-hardy, ground cover. Because of the branched stems, the stonecrop forms a shrub or shrub.
On dense shoots sit fleshy, leafless oval or ovoid leaflets. They can be completely flat (disk-shaped) or swollen, like small cylinders. Leaves are opposite or whorls. Their color is green, grayish or pink. The color of the leaves depends not only on the species and variety, but also on the growing conditions - in bright sunshine or in the shade, under the influence of wind, depending on the composition of the soil. Foliage of even one species may be green or covered with reddish stains.
In summer or autumn, stonecrops bloom in dense umbrella inflorescences, consisting of small-sized stellate bisexual flowers. Coloring of flowers is white, yellow, blue, red. Bent petals grow together into a narrow tube, from the center of which a bundle of long thin stamens and a column of ovary peeps. Flowers exude a pleasant aroma that attracts beneficial insects. Stonecrops are good honey plants.
Species diversity
The kind of stonecrop is very large. About 600 plant species are registered in it. In culture, for decorative purposes, only a few of the most beautiful plants are used.
Stonecrop is prominent. The inhabitant of East Asia grows to a height of 50 cm. He grows a tuberous rhizome and has erect, bare stems. Oval leaves without stalks grow on the shoots. They are painted in bluish-green color and concave in the center. The edges of the leaves are serrated or wavy. In summer, umbellate inflorescences bloom up to 15 cm in diameter. They consist of small (up to 1 cm), star-shaped flowers of lilac-pink color.
Stonecrop is large, it is ordinary and medicinal. Perennial 25-30 cm tall has an erect thick stalk with flat, sitting leaves. The edges of the oval leaves are serrated. Plants bloom in the second half of July very abundantly. They are considered an excellent honey plant. The top of the stem is decorated with a dense corymbose inflorescence, consisting of many small stars with long stamens. Varieties:
- Matron - erect stems up to 60 cm high are covered with large blue-green foliage with a reddening edge, they bloom in light pink lush inflorescences;
- Linda Windsor - maroon stems with dark red foliage end with ruby ​​hemispherical inflorescences.
Stonecrop purple. A succulent perennial with a height of 20-60 cm has erect, uniformly leafy stems and a tuberous rhizome. Flat fleshy leaves grow again. Their length is 3-10 cm. In June-September, small saturated pink umbrellas open.
Stonecrop is white. Fleshy lodging stems up to 20 cm long are covered with cylindrical green leaves, which in the fall become pinkish or purple. Already at the end of spring, loose inflorescences bloom on bare peduncles 12-15 cm long with white stars.
Stonecrop is caustic. Thick branched stems up to 10 cm in height are covered with regular flat oval-shaped leaves with serrated edges. Sheet length does not exceed 6 mm. On shortened flower stalks, loose inflorescences bloom with sessile buds of a golden yellow hue. Flowering occurs in May-June.
Stonecrop is false. The winter-hardy plant has a long creeping rhizome and creeping stems. The fleshy, dark green leaves of an ovoid form grow opposite. They have jagged or jagged edges. Inflorescence in the form of a thick umbrella combines purple or pink flowers.
Scum of Morgan. The Mexican species grows shoots up to 1 m long; they spread along the ground, forming a dense carpet. Numerous round or oval leaflets grow 1.5-2 cm in length and 5 mm in thickness. They are painted in a light green color. Each peduncle ends with a dense umbrella of 10-15 buds of pink or red.
Stonecrop Kamchatka. herbaceous perennial with creeping rhizome grows 30-40 cm in height. The rising stems are covered with oval leaves with smooth teeth along the edge. In summer, orange flowers bloom.
Stonecrop of Evers. Branched reddish stems form a compact bush 30 cm high. They are covered with opposite heart-shaped leaves with a flat structure 2-5 cm wide. The edges of the leaves have a pink border. The same pink stars with pointed petals appear by the end of summer. They are collected in large inflorescences that cover the bush with a solid hat.
Stonecrop bent. Garden variety with lodging shoots covered with awl-like bluish-green leaves. In spring, dense golden yellow inflorescences bloom on bare peduncles up to 30 cm long.
Breeding methods
Stonecrops breed quite simply. For this, gardeners are available in the following ways:
- Sowing seeds. Freshly harvested seeds in autumn or early spring are sown in prepared containers with sand and peat soil. Small seeds are distributed evenly on the surface, and sprinkled with a thin layer of wet sand on top. The container is covered with film or glass. To undergo stratification, the pots for 2 weeks are transferred to a room with a temperature of 0 ... + 5 ° C. The soil is regularly moistened and condensate is removed. Then the container is returned to a warm room (+ 18 ... + 20 ° C) and shoots appear after 15-30 days. They grow so massively that the whole earth is covered with a green carpet. From this moment, shelter is not necessary. Seedlings with 2 leaves gently dive. They are kept in bright, diffused light and at room temperature. On warm days, seedlings are taken outside for hardening.
- Cuttings. Stonecrop stems root easily when in contact with the ground. As cuttings use processes of any size and even individual leaves. Cuttings are weathered for several hours, and why they are planted in garden soil with a lot of sand. And only slightly pressed into the ground. Cuttings are watered occasionally. After a few weeks, they will take root and begin to grow.
- Division of the bush. A large overgrown plant is propagated by dividing the rhizome. In the spring they dig it out, carefully release it from the ground and cut it into pieces. Each should have several sprouts and buds. Places of cuts are treated with fungicide and dried, and then planted in fresh soil.
Outdoor planting and care
In the garden, stonecrops pick up a well-lit place. In partial shade they can grow, but bloom worse. You should not plant stonecrops under deciduous plants, so that in the fall they are not covered with leaves.
Landing is carried out at the end of May, when stable warm weather is established. The site is dug up, if necessary, humus and compost are introduced. They dig shallow holes in rows with a distance of 20 cm. Any, even poor soils, rocky embankments and sandstones are suitable for the plant. Decorative varieties need a more fertile soil. After planting, abundant watering is required. Flowering is expected from 2-3 years of life.
Leaving involves regular weeding, as the plants suffer from the dominance of weeds. The exception is the caustic sap, which is able to independently cope with weeds.
The fleshy leaves accumulate enough fluid to survive a short-term drought. On hot days, in the absence of precipitation, stonecrops must be watered. Water should not stagnate in the soil for a long time, as the plants will suffer from fungal infections.
Regular fertilizer is not necessary for stonecrops. Most species do without feeding. Decorative varieties are fertilized twice (in April and August-September). Enough half a serving of universal mineral nutrition.
Plants are regularly sheared. Also, wilted inflorescences and old, bare shoots should be removed. Over time, stonecrops degenerate and age, so every 5 years they are rejuvenated.
Frost-resistant garden plants in late autumn, after severe cooling, cut almost to the ground. Leaves are 3-4 cm high. They are sprinkled with fresh soil. In the spring, new processes will appear from the roots.
The stonecrop is usually resistant to plant diseases. Only with prolonged flooding of the soil can fungal infections develop. Their symptoms are darkened, soft leaves with a putrid odor. Damaged areas must be removed to a healthy tissue and treated with a fungicide.
Insects quite rarely settle on plants. Most often these are aphids, thrips, weevils and caterpillars. Insecticides and acaricides will help get rid of pests.
Cleaning the room cleaning
At home, stonecrop can grow no worse than in a garden. For heat-loving tropical varieties, this is the only way to survive the frosty winter. Pots choose small and wide. The soil is made up of:
- turf land;
- pretty leaves;
- peat;
- river sand.
At the bottom lay out drainage material. The soil should be moderately wet or dry. Immediately after planting, they try not to disturb the plant and keep it in shade. A few days later it is exposed to the sun.
In summer, the room is regularly ventilated. You can expose the pots to fresh air.
Watering should be moderate throughout the year, so that the earthen lump will dry out by a third.
If the flower has not been transplanted for a long time and the soil is impoverished, a weak solution of mineral or organic fertilizing is poured into the soil every month.
Medicinal properties
There are many substances useful for humans in stonecrops:
- alkaloids;
- vitamins;
- tannins;
- glycosides;
- slime;
- flavonoids;
- saponins;
- coumarins.
As a medicinal raw material, the terrestrial part of the plant is used. It is cut during the flowering period. Decoctions, water and alcohol tinctures, as well as extracts are prepared from raw materials.
The drugs have tonic, healing, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, stimulating, analgesic and laxative effects. They are used internally and externally for scurvy, constipation, malaria, burns, gout, atherosclerosis, nervous disorders and other diseases.
You can strengthen your own health with the help of all types of stonecrop, but caustic stonecrop is used with great care. Treatment for pregnant and lactating women, children, and also people suffering from hypertension and nervous excitability is completely contraindicated.
