The beautiful aichrizon is known to many gardeners as the "tree of love", having received such a nickname for the unusual shape of the leaves, which outwardly resemble rounded hearts. The plant has a branched shape with a lush crown, which blooms once a year - in summer. Depending on the species, you can admire both red and golden blossoms. However, in order for the tree to grow well and be healthy, you need to know about the basic care of Aichrizon at home.
Types and varieties of the "tree of love"
When choosing aichrizon for your small greenhouse, you should know that the plant has several species. Here are the most popular ones:
- Aichrizon homemade is the most common variety of shrubs, reaching up to 30 cm in height. The crown diameter is about the same. The plant is characterized by small, dense foliage, with a shallow edge and rich green color. This species is popular due to its flowering - you can admire peduncles up to 20 cm in height.
- Sinuous is a small-sized representative of the group, which grows up to 15–20 cm in height. Such a shrub is characterized by rhomboid leaves with an edge, as well as yellow stellate inflorescences. The plant can bloom for up to 4-6 months in a row.
- Aichrizon sedum-leaved is a larger shrub with a beautiful spreading crown. Branches of this variety are highly branched, with dense rosettes up to 12 cm in diameter. Also, this type of tree has no edge on the foliage, they are completely smooth and have brown spots. Flowering reaches 8 cm and is distinguished by a rich yellow color, delighting the owners in the spring.
- Spot - a tree up to 40 cm high, which is characterized by densely pubescent green-brown shoots and diamond-shaped foliage. The rosettes are dense and have a carved border. Such a shrub produces small loose yellow inflorescences.
- Aichrizon loose is also a very common type of shrub, which is large in size and has a square crown up to 40 cm.The leaves are dense, diamond-shaped, slightly pubescent and are located closer to the end of the petioles. Produces large yellow inflorescences.
Aichrizon is an excellent decorative tree for a home greenhouse
Reproduction at home
Aichrizon lends itself well to reproduction, basically the process takes place through stems or cuttings. To do this, it is necessary to dry the planting material in a darkened room and plant it in the soil. The potted soil is unusual. The composition contains moist sand and vermiculite. You can also use deciduous or sod land. All components are brought in in a 1: 1 ratio. Further planting takes place after the roots appear, they must be transplanted into a larger pot and aichrizon grown at a temperature of 16 ° C-18 ° C.
Reproduction is carried out less often by means of seeds. As a rule, they are immediately placed in the soil, which also consists of river sand and deciduous soil. The plant can only be watered by spraying.
Important! Before the first sprouts appear, the pots must be wrapped in plastic wrap.
After stable, healthy shoots have formed, it is necessary to plant young shrubs in small pots, continuing to care for plants in case of propagation by shoots.
Aichrizon easily tolerates reproduction and is unpretentious at a new landing site
Growing difficulties
Novice flower growers often face problems when breeding aichrizone. It is not always possible to solve them without some experience, so we will give the most common difficulties below:
- Strong fall of foliage. This phenomenon is not uncommon and there can be many reasons for the appearance. For example, you have too waterlogged an earthen ball, kept the plant in intense sunlight, or overdried the soil in a pot. If foliage falls at the end of autumn, then this indicates an increase in indoor temperature. Take aichrizone to a cool place, where it will be no more than 8 ° C-10 ° C. Also, do not be afraid if leaf fall occurs at the end of flowering - this is normal.
- In conditions of "warm" wintering, the stems of aichrizon, as a rule, become bare and stretch along, forming an irregular skeleton. If this happens to your plant, then the only thing you can do is root the tops, rejuvenating the tree. Pinching of the apical bud is also allowed along with pruning of the central stem.
- Aichrizon is resistant to diseases. The same goes for pests. However, the plant is susceptible to the negative effects of rot, so do not "fill" the pot.
Aichrizon can be sick due to improper care
Aichrizon care
Maintain optimal air temperature. During the spring-summer period, the plant should be kept at 20 ° C - 25 ° C. If it is stuffy in your home, then try to provide the aichrizone with an influx of fresh air or take the pot out into the garden, sheltering it from rain and wind. The tree should overwinter at a temperature of 8-10 ° C.
Watch out for lighting - aichrizon needs diffused, but bright light. Try to close it from direct sunlight, as this will create discomfort for the plant, up to the appearance of burns. The best option is to place the pot on the windowsill on the west side. If the windows face south, shade the place where the plant stands with a white sheet of A4 paper or a curtain.
Important! In order for the crown of aichrizon to be thick and regular in shape, it is necessary to periodically turn the pot with the opposite side to the light.
There are no special requirements regarding air humidity, so the tree can be treated as usual as for any ornamental plant.
Be careful with watering aichrizon. This plant needs moderate soil moisture, which is indicated by the turgor of the foliage. Avoid rotting, so inspect the outlets every week. If they are springy, it means that the tree has enough moisture, and if lethargy appears, it is necessary to water it. Increase the water volume in summer and spring compared to winter.
To stimulate the growth of new leaves, you need to take a warm shower twice a month. You will need to take the Aichrizone pot to the bathroom and spray generously with 30 ° C water. Then leave the plant in the same place until the drops are completely dry so that it does not get burned in the sun. And only then return to your place. During the dormant period, it is not recommended to water aichrizon at all.
Aichrizon is unpretentious in care, but needs constant attention
Transfer
Caring for a plant at home involves an annual transplant in the spring. Coming out of hibernation, the rhizomes of aikhrizon tightly braid the soil in the pot and it needs to be changed. Choose shallow containers as the root system of these plants is shallow. The composition of the soil should be as follows:
- sheet land - 1 part;
- river sand - 1 part;
- sod - 2 parts;
- humus - 1 part.
Transplanting must be done every year so that the tree has a beautiful crown.
Top dressing and flowering trees
Complex formulations with a low nitrogen content are suitable for fertilizing aichrizon, otherwise the plant will not bloom. Fertilization is carried out in the spring - autumn period, or from the moment of flowering to its completion, once every 2 weeks.
Growing aichrizon at home, flowering usually occurs at the age of 2-3 years in the spring and can last up to 6 months, depending on the type of plant. If at this age the tree does not bloom, the conditions of its maintenance should be changed: transplant it into a smaller pot, put it in a cool, dark place and provide occasional watering.
Important! During flowering, aichrizon loses up to 80% of its foliage, and the rosettes themselves die off. This is normal and not a warning sign of tree disease. After pruning, the plant will quickly regain its green mass.
Blooming aichrizon will decorate your home with amazing colors
Pruning and disease
The love tree can be grown with a shrub or a trunk. In order for the crown of aichrizon to be thick and beautiful, it is necessary to regularly pinch the tops of the shoots, as well as remove the crooked shoots. If, due to the heat, the skeleton was bent, you can cut off the ugly shoots and re-root healthy cuttings.
As a rule, Aichrizone is not very attractive to pests and is not affected by them. However, he is susceptible to diseases caused by improper care. For example, decay of an earthen coma due to high humidity, abundant watering leads to leaf fall and weakening.
Video: how to properly care for aichrizon
As you can see, growing aichrizon at home is a rather hassle-free activity, but as a result you will get an amazingly beautiful tree. With proper care, the plant will delight its owners with amazing flowering for 4-6 months in a row, while only a few simple rules must be followed.
A relative of the well-known money tree aichrizon is a plant belonging to the Tolstyanka family. This is a short succulent bush, reaching a height of 30 cm and a diameter of about 25 cm, with highly branching stems that practically do not lignify.
The second name of aikhrizona is very romantic and beautiful - the people called the plant the tree of love. This is due to the fact that its plump and covered with a light white fluff leaves in shape resemble small green hearts. They are collected in a kind of sockets.
The birthplace of Aichrizona is Madeira Island, located in the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes the love tree is found in the Canary Islands or the Azores, in Portugal. Now it is grown by many indoor plant lovers.
Popular types of love tree (aichrizona) and photos
The genus Aichrizon has about 15 different plant species. They differ from each other in the shape of the leaves, size, and the intensity of the edge. The main types of aichrizon that are grown by flower growers are as follows:
- sedum-leaved;
- home;
- winding;
- loose or open;
- point.
- a semi-shrub with short (no more than 15 mm) and wide leaves resembling a club in shape, growing closely to each other and forming rosettes up to 6 cm in diameter. Their color is yellowish-green or green. Sometimes reddish streaks can be seen on the leaves, which secrete a special sticky substance that covers the surface of the leaf. Shoots are straight. Aichrizon sedum-leaved blooms with yellow flowers, collected in racemose inflorescences. The flowering period is up to 2 months. Plant height - up to 40 cm. In winter, it tends to shed its leaves.
Photo. Aichrizon
- a modest shrub up to 30 cm high and with the same diameter. This is a hybrid obtained by crossing point and winding aichrizons. The leaves are club-shaped, small, up to 2 cm long and up to 1 cm wide, collected in neat rosettes and covered with white hairs. Their color is deep green. The flowers are yellow with a bright aroma. Home aichrizon can bloom for a very long time: this period sometimes reaches 6 months.
- a compact shrub with a shoot height of up to 30 cm. Light green leaves in the form of rhomboids, thick, with a white edge, collected in rosettes. The size of one leaf blade is approximately 1 * 1.5 cm. The petiole is very short - this is a distinctive feature of the winding aichrizon. The flowering period begins in spring and sometimes lasts up to 6 months.
- a shrub that visually resembles a cube in shape. Height up to 40 cm. Leaves in the form of diamonds, planted on a long petiole, have a white edge, collected in rosettes. The size of the leaf blade is 1 * 3 cm. Loose aichrizon blooms with yellow flowers for about 6 months, starting in spring. A characteristic feature of this plant is the shedding of leaves after the end of the flowering period.
- a compact plant up to 40 cm high. Shoots are brown-green with a white edge. This is a distinctive feature of the point aichrizon: the hairs on the stems grow much denser than those on the leaves. The leaf blades are diamond-shaped, slightly pubescent, planted on long petioles and collected in rosettes.
A place in the house for a flower aichrizon
Position the aichrizon flower so that direct sunlight does not fall on it
A place in the house for aikhrizon is chosen where there are no heating appliances and household appliances nearby, but at the same time there is good illumination. The light should be diffused - direct sunlight is detrimental to the plant. It will be great if you manage to settle the aichrizon on the west or east window. If the plant is to stand on the windowsill on the south side, then it is important to provide it with shading, otherwise sunburn of the foliage cannot be avoided. A light shadow can be created using tulle or gauze.
The air temperature in the room should be between 20-25 degrees in spring and summer, and in winter the flower feels quite comfortable at only 10 degrees Celsius. If the room gets hotter, then the plant will begin to lose leaves.
Aichrizone care at home
Aichrizon is not a capricious plant and takes root well even in apartments where there are unfavorable growing conditions. It's easy enough to look after him.
Watering and moisture for the flower
Since aichrizon is a succulent, it does not need abundant watering. The leaves will help to determine that the plant needs water: if the leaf blades are elastic, dense, then you do not need to water the aichrizon. In winter, watering should be very rare. But in no case should aichrizon be watered abundantly - the roots of the plant can rot! It is best if he receives water often, but little by little.
Air humidity is far from being a decisive environmental factor affecting a plant. Aichrizon feels great in a room with dry air. Sometimes the plant can be bathed under a warm shower, except during the wintering period.
Aichrizon soil and plant food
The soil for Aichrizon should not be heavy or rough
Since the roots of Aichrizon are small and weak, it should not be planted in heavy, coarse soil or in a tall pot - this is fraught with rotting of the root system. The best soil for this plant is prepared as follows: 1 part of peat land is mixed with 1 part of turf, 1 part of coarse sand and 1 part of expanded clay or gravel. The mixture is poured into clay pots with a diameter of no more than 12 cm; good drainage material must be placed on the bottom. Aichrizon will also be delighted with such an additive as pieces of birch charcoal.
In order for the plant to be lush and bush well, in the spring-summer time it will have to be fertilized often - about once every 2 weeks, complex fertilizing with an insignificant nitrogen content is introduced into the soil. It is not required to feed the plant in winter.
Pruning
It is necessary for the formation of a beautiful rounded crown. You should gently pinch the top of the young shoots, old and weak ones are simply removed. In spring, too long shoots are necessarily pruned. Also, after flowering, it is necessary to cut off the peduncles that have become obsolete.
Flower transplant
The procedure is carried out in the spring, if necessary. It is important here to evaluate how the roots have filled the planter. After transplanting, the plant is watered in small portions. Also, a transplant is necessary if you have just purchased aichrizon - it is better to replace the store soil.
Aichrizon begins to bloom from the age of two
Aichrizons bloom at the age of about 2-3 years. The flowering period begins in spring and, depending on the species, can last up to six months. Sometimes, even after reaching the required age, the plant refuses to bloom - this means that the necessary conditions have not been met. In order for aichrizon to please you with its flowers, you need to transplant it into a small pot, moderate watering, and the bush should overwinter in a cool room.
Aichrizon reproduces well enough at home. New plants can be obtained from seeds or grown from cuttings.
To grow aichrizon from seeds from sand and leafy earth in a ratio of 1: 2, prepare a soil into which the seed is poured. A container with future flowers is placed in a bright place and covered with foil or glass. It is very important to ventilate and spray the soil periodically. Young plants appear about 14 days after sowing.
The easiest way to propagate aichrizon is by cuttings
When young aichrizons grow up, they are dived, while the "mother" soil is replaced in the box: mix sand, light soil and leafy soil in a ratio of 0.5: 0.5: 1. Then, when the plants get stronger, they are seated in separate pots with a diameter of about 7 cm and placed in a room with an air temperature of up to 18 degrees.
It is even easier to propagate aichrizon by cuttings. The cut shoot, a couple of hours after detachment from the mother plant, is instilled into a mixture of vermiculite and sand or ready-made soil for succulents. Rooting occurs very quickly, after which the bushes are transplanted into pots up to 7 cm in diameter.
The cut off shoot can be put into water before the roots are formed, but there is a risk that the branch will start to rot.
Since the seeds of aichrizon quickly lose their germination, cuttings are the best option for propagating this plant.
Diseases, pests and plant care during this period
Aichrizon is a plant with strong immunity. With proper care, diseases are not afraid of him, and pests most often bypass him. In some cases, spider mites, nematodes, mealybugs can attack aichrizon. With excessive watering, the plant is susceptible to rot development.
Florists may be faced with the fact that leaves begin to fall off the aichrizon. This is most often observed in the autumn, when the plant is preparing for wintering. If the leaves begin to fall off in summer, then the flower is most likely exposed to direct sunlight - it should be shaded. Drying of the soil or excessive watering can also cause leaf fall.
During the flowering period, aichrizon often loses most of the leaves - you should not be afraid of this.
Signs and beliefs
Aichrizon is considered a tree of happiness. It will be good if, before entering a new house, the family acquires such a plant and takes care of it. Indeed, if you believe the signs, where aichrizon grows, harmony, happiness and love reign. It is believed that the flower absorbs all negative energy, cleanses the aura and protects the house from troubles and hardships. It is interesting that only residents of Russia associate this plant with love.
