Lychnis is a beautifully flowering perennial plant in the Carnation family. Distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere from temperate to subarctic zone. The people often call the plant "dawn" or "adonis". It forms thick curtains, abundantly covered with flowers, so lichenis is a welcome guest for any flower bed or garden. The rules for caring for him are not very complicated, a novice grower or a person with little experience in caring for garden plants can master them.
Botanical Description
Lychnis is a rhizome terrestrial plant, it has an upright stalk 40-100 cm high. Several shoots develop from one clump. They rarely have branches. The crust of reddish or gray color is covered with a short, thick pile. Long heart-shaped leaves form a thick basal rosette. The pubescent leaflets with a smooth edge and a pointed end sit on the stem again.
The flowering period falls at the beginning of summer. At the top of the stem, a dense corymbose inflorescence of small tubular flowers blooms. The diameter of the corolla is 1.5-2 cm. At the end of a narrow tube, the petals open wide. They can be painted in scarlet, carmine, lilac, pink or white. Short stamens peek out from the center. Flowering can last up to a month.
After pollination, the fruit ripens - a nut with many small kernels. Each kidney seed is dark brown and has a rough surface. Its diameter is about 2 mm. Seeds retain the ability to germinate up to 4 years.
Popular types of larchis
There are about 30 varieties in the genus Lychnis. Among them are annuals and perennials.
Lychnis is crowned. A perennial plant with branched stems reaches a height of 80-90 cm. Ash-gray shoots are hidden under bright green foliage. In the last decade of May, the first flowers appear. They are collected in dense corymbose inflorescences and painted in raspberry, white or pink. Flowers are preserved until October. Beautiful varieties:
- Angela Blanche - characterized by large raspberry or dark pink inflorescences;
- Mysterious island - the flowers have a pink middle and a white border on the petals.
Lychnis chalcedony. A large variety is able to reach 1 m in height. Erect, slightly branched stems are covered with oval leaves. Shoots and foliage are densely pubescent. Small buds are collected in dense caps that rise above the curtain. The diameter of the corolla with white or red petals does not exceed 1 cm.
Lychnis kukushkin. This variety can grow both along roads and along the banks of water bodies. It is most resistant to waterlogged soils. At the base of the stem is a thick rosette of oval, shortened leaves. Above it there are many shoots 20-90 cm high. The upper part of the stems is branched and decorated with dense pink inflorescences. The diameter of each flower reaches 4 cm. Thin, carved petals are painted pink. They bloom in late May. Decorative varieties:
- Nana - up to 15 cm high;
- Rosea Plena - decorated with terry pink flowers;
- Alba - white inflorescences bloom over the bush.
Lychnis Viskaria. Long, slightly leafy stems are covered with crimson bark. Paniculate inflorescences consist of pink, raspberry or white buds. The first flowers open in May and last until the end of July. The Rosetta variety is popular, it has bright raspberry double flowers.
Lychnis alpine. This compact variety of no more than 20 cm in height takes the form of a spreading shrub. An unpretentious plant forms dense pink inflorescences. Widely used to decorate alpine slides. The decorative variety "Lara" with numerous light pink flowers is popular.
Lychnis Arkwright. Compact shrubs grow 35-40 cm tall. The stems and narrow leaves are painted burgundy. Single flowers or small inflorescences bloom on the tops of the shoots. Orange petals are collected in a symmetrical corolla with a diameter of about 3 cm. Flowering continues from late June to mid-August. The decorative variety "Vesuvius" is distinguished by broad heart-shaped leaves of bright green color and more dense inflorescences.
Lychnis Haage. The herbaceous perennial forms dense thickets 40–45 cm high. Rather large, dark green, heart-shaped leaves are located along the entire height of the stem. Bright orange buds are in racemes. The diameter of each corolla reaches 5 cm. Soft, carved petals are bent perpendicular to the tube. Flowers open from the end of June.
Breeding methods
Lychnis can be propagated in three main ways:
- Sowing seeds. Seeds germinate amicably and quickly. With their help, you can immediately get a large number of plants. Self-seeding is not uncommon. Crops are carried out immediately in open ground. This should be done in late April - May, when the average daily temperature reaches + 18 ... + 20 ° C. Crops are distributed at a depth of 1-1.5 cm. They will germinate in 2-3 weeks. To shoots appeared faster, you can cover the soil with a film. When the seedlings acquire 2-3 leaves, they are dived and planted in a permanent place. Flowering is expected next year.
- Rooting cuttings. In June, young shoots without buds are cut about 20 cm long. They are rooted in loose garden soil. You can prepare a special box or a greenhouse. By September, the cuttings will have strong roots and they can be transplanted to a permanent place.
- Division of the bush. On the maternal plant, basal processes are formed annually. When the bush becomes too thick, it is recommended to divide it into several parts. The procedure is carried out in April-May. The plant is completely dug up and the lateral processes with their own rhizome are separated. Dividers are immediately planted in a new place so that the roots do not dry out.
Care Rules
Care for lexis is not complicated. However, the beauty of the flowers depends on the place chosen.
Lighting. It is best to pick up an open, well-lit area for planting. A slight shadow is allowed. It is in the bright sun that flowering will be long and plentiful.
The soil. Lychnis must be planted on light, well-drained soils. When preparing the site, add a sufficient amount of coarse sand. Before planting, you need to dig the soil and fertilize it. For each m² use:
- compost (up to 10 kg);
- superphosphate (50 g);
- kalimagnesia (40 g).
Watering. Lychnis does not tolerate stagnation of water in the soil, it should be watered only during periods of prolonged drought. It is also useful to spray the bushes from above.
Fertilizer. Lychnis is recommended to be fed for more abundant and longer flowering. On fertile soils, mineral complexes for flowering contribute 2-3 times per season. On depleted soils, top dressing is performed monthly or more often.
Pruning. To prolong the flowering period, it is necessary to remove wilted buds. After pruning, new stalks may form on the shoots. At the end of autumn, the entire terrestrial part of the plant should be completely cut off.
Wintering. Lychnis winters well without shelter. If severe winter is expected, the soil should be sprinkled with fallen leaves or spruce branches. Terry varieties need shelter anyway.
Possible difficulties
Lychnis is quite unpretentious, it is resistant to diseases and parasites. From a regular violation of agricultural technology, the plant may be affected by root rot, rust and leaf spot. In order to protect flowers from diseases, it is necessary to follow the rules of watering and thin out dense thickets. At the first sign of infection, a fungicide treatment is carried out.
The most common pests are leafworm and aphid. They can be treated with insecticides or alternative methods can be used (decoction of tobacco leaves or tops of tomatoes).
Garden use
Charming Lychnis will certainly take root in the flower garden. No wonder its name translates as "lamp". He lights the flowerbed with his flowers. Group plantings of lichens are good in the middle of a green lawn. Some varieties like the proximity of water, so they are suitable for decorating the banks of a pond. The undersized species are spectacular on alpine hills, rockeries and mixborders. The best neighbors for the adonis are bells, primrose, gaylardii, nyvyanik. If you make a mix exclusively of lichnis with different colors, you will also get a beautiful flowerbed.
Lychnis can be grown not only in the garden, but also in a pot. In the summer it is put outside, and in winter the plant will delight the lush greenery indoors.
