Alsobia is a very compact and beautiful plant with velvety leaves and snow-white flowers. This guest from Mexico and Brazil has not yet spread too much in our latitudes. Having once seen this unpretentious, bewitching plant, many dream of acquiring it. Hanging stems will look great in flower pots or potted compositions, in warm regions you can decorate part of the lawn with alcobia.
Description and characteristic
Alsobia is a groundcover, creeping perennial with soft reddish stems. Belongs to the Gesneriev family and prefers shady South American forests. In a short time it is able to form a continuous flowering carpet. It quickly grows shoots, with the help of which it spreads over the adjacent territory. Under natural conditions, the length of the mustache can reach 2 m.
Alsobia is a herbaceous perennial plant with oval green leaves. There are varieties with light and dark green shoots. Dark veins and a large number of short villi are noticeable on the upper part of the leaf plate. On the stem at a distance of 5-15 cm from each other, compact rosettes of leaves with a diameter of up to 15 cm are formed.
Single alsobia flowers are tubular with a fringed edge. Coloring is most often snow-white or with red spots. The length of the tube ranges from 3-6 cm, the open whisk in diameter is 2-5 cm.
Types of Alsobia
In the genus of alsobia, only a few species are distinguished, each of which is suitable for cultivation in culture.
Alsobia Carnation (dianthiflora). This compact variety is most widespread. It is distinguished by short shoots and small foliage. The length of terry and slightly serrated leaves is 2-3 cm. Rosettes of leaves have a rounded shape and are only 4-6 cm in diameter. The stems are thin, but dense, have a brownish tint. Snow-white flowers are formed in large numbers, but the flowering of each lasts only a few days. The edges of the petals are carved, with delicate fringe.
Alsobia punctate (punctate). A herbaceous perennial with a stronger, often straight stem. Outlets form at a great distance. The whiskers are flexible and hang freely. Flat, oval leaves have a pointed edge and several notches. The leaf plate is dark green with dense whitish pubescence. The diameter of the rosettes is 8-10 cm. Creamy or greenish flowers are located on short pedicels in the axils of the leaves. They have a serrated fringed edge and are abundantly covered with red-purple dots.
To diversify the genus, breeders have bred several hybrid varieties that are very popular among gardeners:
Alsobia cygnet It has enlarged light green foliage, which is collected in rosettes with a diameter of 10 cm. Large flowers have fringed petals with a diameter of about 3 cm. The color of the petals is white, red dots are visible at the base of the tube.
Alsobia San Miguel differs from the previous variety in large flowers and foliage. The hue of the leaves is bright green. On snow-white flowers there are bright raspberry dots.
Alsobia Chiapas forms a compact bush with light green leaves of a muted shade. Leaflets are oval, pointed, slightly pubescent. On large creamy white or lemon colors, purple dots are visible.
Alsobia variegate has lemon or whitish stripes along the edge of the leaf. Sometimes strips appear on the central vein of leaves. The mottled color becomes brighter in good light and may fade due to lack of light.
Reproduction and transplantation
Alsobia is propagated by seed and vegetative methods. You can buy alsobia seeds in special stores, but they germinate quite hard and require a lot of effort. It is much easier to grow a new plant by layering or rooting apical cuttings. A young outlet can be cut off and immediately dug into the ground or dug, without cutting off from the mother plant. Roots are formed in a few days or a week. In order for the rooting process of alsobia cuttings to go faster, greenhouse conditions are organized for him with the help of glass or film. After 1.5-2 weeks, the greenhouse is removed and the independent plant is transplanted to a permanent place.
Alsobia needs to be transplanted periodically. Do this every 2-3 years as the rhizome grows. The optimal substrate for planting is a mixture of sand, perlite, moss-sphagnum, vermiculite. It is better to choose wide and flat pots, as the root system is superficial. A drainage layer is necessarily laid at the bottom, which ensures the outflow of excess fluid so that the roots do not rot.
Plant care
Home care for alsobia does not require much effort. It is enough to choose the optimal habitat for this plant, and it will delight the owners with pleasant greenery and elegant flowers. The plant prefers a large amount of ambient light for 12 hours daily. It is better to put it on the windowsill from the west or east. It is possible to suspend a cache-pot in the center of the room. On the south window, it will be necessary to provide a shadow so as not to burn the leaves.
The optimum temperature for alsobia growth is the interval + 18 ... +25 ° C. When the temperature drops to +16 ° C and below, development stops and the plant may die. Drafts and spikes are also undesirable.
Alsobia needs uniform, moderate watering. The soil should not dry completely, but water stagnation should not be allowed. You can pour water into the pan and leave for 15-20 minutes, then remove excess. Dry air is not a problem for the plant; it does not need additional spraying.
As a top dressing twice a month, you can make a complex mineral fertilizer for flowering indoor plants. It is important not to exceed the dosage. If no disease is observed, it is enough to add half a dose of fertilizer. In the resting period, feeding is stopped.
Alsobia tolerates pruning well. This procedure is even recommended for the formation of a beautiful bush. With the help of pruning, pinching and weaving of shoots, elegant garlands are formed. Then alsobia in the photo and in real life will look more noble.
Possible difficulties
Alsobia is almost not worried about parasites and diseases. In rare cases, a spider mite, aphid, scutellum or nematode may appear. At the first sign of parasites, chemical treatment must be carried out and the affected shoots removed. After 1-2 weeks, the treatment is repeated.
The appearance of dark spots on the leaves may indicate excessive watering and water drops falling on the leaf plates. Withering or drying of the edges of the foliage indicates a lack of moisture and sunburn.
Using
Alsobia looks great in hanging planters and ampel compositions. She can decorate a balcony or terrace. In the cold season, containers with plants are brought into a heated room. Hanging blooming garlands look very gentle and elegant. You can make compositions with brighter colors.
