Abronia is an elegant herbaceous plant with small flowers, which belongs to the nictaginous. Its homeland is considered the southern part of North America, from where it has successfully spread to other continents. This flower rarely reaches 20 cm in height, although some varieties are able to grow 35 cm from the ground. It is difficult to measure the height, because the stems creep on the ground. The genus includes perennial varieties, but most plants live only one season.
Description and varieties of abrony
Abronia has a superficial root system and saturated greenery with soft foliage. The legs of the inflorescences are perpendicular to the ground and rise above the main plant. The flowers are small, fragrant, have a sweetish aroma. There are varieties with such shades of petals:
- yellow;
- lilac;
- pink;
- blue;
- blue;
- lilac;
- white.
In total there are more than 30 varieties of this small plant, but the most common are:
- abronia umbrella;
- broad-leaved abronia.
In an umbrella variety, inflorescences are collected on a leg in a spherical umbrella. Its diameter reaches 10 cm. Flowering begins in mid-summer and continues until the cold. On one plant, several umbrellas are formed during the season in which seeds ripen. For a year, their number is up to 80 pcs.
In broad-leaved abronia, the size of the inflorescence is somewhat smaller and the flowers of their hosts delight only in July and August. It is popular for its foliage. Bright emerald leaves have a heart shape and a velvety surface. They are larger than other varieties and form a gentle continuous carpet on the ground.
Features of planting and care
Abronia is unpretentious, easily grows and is resistant to pests. It gets along well with other plants in the flowerbed. If winters are not too frosty, seeds can be sown in open ground in autumn, then in early spring the first shoots appear, flowering will begin earlier and the whole season will be very plentiful. In the northern regions, sowing and growing seedlings are carried out in greenhouses in early March. Only in May shoots are planted in the open.
The soil for abronia needs light, well-drained soil with a high sand content. The landing site should be well lit. The plant needs frequent, but not plentiful watering, in case of stagnation of moisture, the roots and the ground part of the plant can rot.
Since most varieties are annuals, the roots do not cover during the cold season, but simply dig up the ground and plant new seedlings in spring.
Growing at home
Due to its unpretentiousness and small size, abronia can be grown indoors. In this case, choose small flower pots, on the bottom of which lay drainage. Earth requires light, neutral acidity with a low nitrogen fertilizer content. You can mix the substrate with river sand.
Seeds or seedlings are placed in the pot; 2-3 shoots can be planted in one container. To provide sufficient light, the pot is placed on the south side, and in the summer it is taken out to the open balcony.
From mid-summer to the end of October, abronia will delight the hosts with continuous flowering. In winter, the flower should be placed in a warm room and reduce watering.
Abronia is used to decorate borders, flower beds and alpine hills. Moreover, you can combine several varieties at once to create a unique color composition.
