Hamelatsium is a very unusual and beautiful plant. Its branches are covered with narrow foliage, similar to needles. During flowering, a delicate apple color appears on this Christmas tree. Seeing once a blooming chamelacium in the photo, he will certainly want to buy it. To the delight of gardeners, the plant is easy to care for, and it gives a lot of aesthetic pleasure.
Botanical characteristics
Hamelatsium is an evergreen shrub or small tree that belongs to the Myrtle family. Distributed in dry areas in southern Australia. Rhizome is highly branched and goes deep into the soil. On the surface are elastic, branched shoots. Young branches are covered with a grayish-green skin, and on the lignified shoots you can see a light brown, rough bark. Plant height ranges from 0.3-3 m.
On the branches there is sessile needle foliage. The leaf blades are covered with a dense wax skin, which prevents excessive evaporation of moisture. It is for such leaves that the chamelacium is sometimes called a wax myrtle. The length of the leaves is 2.5-4 cm. They have a plain bright green color. On the sheet plate are the smallest glands that secrete essential oils. It is enough to rub them lightly and an intense myrtle smell will spread around. Scientists have proven that the chamelacium flower has bactericidal properties and purifies indoor air.
The flowering period begins in February and can last until June. Along all young shoots, single axil flowers bloom. Each flower 1-2 cm in diameter has 5 rounded white or pink petals. The core is painted darker burgundy or purple. In the center is the only pestle, and on the edges is a corolla of long stamens. The flowers are fixed on short and elastic peduncles; they exude an intense pleasant aroma.
Types of Chamelacium
In the genus of the chamelacium plant, 14 main species and several hybrid varieties are registered. Almost all of them are used in culture, but in flower shops you can find and buy only some of them.
Most common hooked chamelacium. The plant forms a sprawling shrub with an enviable crown. Its height is up to 2 m. Every year, the myrtle chamelacium adds well in growth and easily tolerates molding pruning. Narrow, similar to needles, leaves densely cover young shoots. The trunk and old branches are almost completely exposed. From the beginning of spring, rounded flower stars appear between the leaves. They are located individually or are collected in rare brushes. The color of the flowers depends on the variety, there are white, pink, purple, violet, red and lilac species. In addition to simple colors, there are terry pieces.
Hamelacium Matilda. The shrub is more compact in size and has a thick, impermeable crown. The species tolerates cold snap and even small frosts, so the chamelacium can be grown in open ground in the southern regions. During flowering, many flowers bloom on the branches. Young buds are painted white with a thin scarlet border on the outer edge. As they bloom, the petals are more and more painted in pomegranate or purple hues.
Hamelacium Darwin. The maximum height of the bush is 50 cm. It is often used to form a bonsai. Longer leaves are dark green. Large white or pink buds with a bright yellow or burgundy core appear between the foliage. Flowers open in the form of simple bells and are highly decorative. It is this type that is often used to make bouquets.
Propagation Features
Reproduction of a chamelacium is carried out by a vegetative method. However, this method has low efficiency, so more seedlings should be prepared. It is enough to cut the apical cuttings in spring and root them in water. You can root the cuttings immediately in the soil. To do this, prepare a wet sand-peat mixture and deepen the stem by 1-2 cm. The seedlings are placed in a bright room with an air temperature of +22 ... + 25 ° C. Rooting will occur in 5-6 weeks. The grown plants are very carefully transplanted into separate pots with soil for adult plants.
Transplant Rules
The chamelacium is transplanted only if necessary, not more than once every 3 years. The procedure is planned for spring. There must be drainage holes at the bottom. First, pebbles or broken bricks are poured into the container. A light, slightly acidic substrate can be composed of the following components:
- turf land;
- sheet earth;
- leaf humus;
- sphagnum moss;
- peat;
- vermiculite or coarse sand.
Before transplanting, the plant along with the pot is placed in a bag and kept on a light, cool window sill. The chamelacium is transplanted using an earthen coma. Rhizomes are treated very carefully. After transplanting, myrtle is kept in a greenhouse for several more days, gradually lowering the packet.
Chamelacium Care
A chamelacium at home will need careful care. A flower grower who already has some experience will cope with this beautiful plant. The plant needs intense and long-lasting lighting. South windows are best for him. In winter, it is recommended to use the backlight to provide daylight hours for 12-14 hours.
Summer heat is not a problem for a chamelacium, it is adapted to extreme heat. From September, it is recommended to gradually lower the temperature so that by the end of autumn it will be + 10 ... + 15 ° C. This will contribute to the normal development of the crown and abundant flowering.
From March to August, the chamelacium needs frequent and plentiful irrigation. Only the topsoil can dry out, but excess fluid must leave the pot unhindered. Also empty the pan. If the roots are too dry, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and crumble. With cooling, watering is reduced. Water for irrigation should be soft, you can add a little lemon juice to it.
Wax myrtle prefers dry air. It can be safely placed in a heated room. Too damp rooms on the shoots can develop fungus. Spraying the shoots is also undesirable, this can lead to the development of late blight.
The chamelacium needs moderate nutrition. It is enough to add mineral fertilizer for indoor flowers every month in April-September.
At the end of flowering, the crown is significantly cut. Not only dried buds should be removed, but also part of the branches. As old shoots are gradually exposed, pruning provokes the growth of new branches. Young shoots need to be pinched to increase bushiness. Hamelatsium easily tolerates pruning, this allows you to give the bush any shape. During the flowering period, you can also cut individual branches for making bouquets. Flowers stand in water for a long time and delight with a pleasant aroma.
Essential oils that secrete leaves are a natural insecticide, so parasites do not bother the chamelacium. With excessive dampness and violation of the irrigation regime, rot may develop. To help the plant, it is treated with fungicide.
