Description of the distinctive features of clerodendrum, care and reproduction, difficulties in cultivating indoors, ways to overcome them, curious facts, types. Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum) belongs to the genus of plants that are part of the large family Lamiaceae. Among the "relatives" of this representative of the flora, there are many spicy herbs such as basil, mint, oregano, thyme and rosemary. A little earlier, clerodendrum was attributed to the Verbenov family, but after carrying out phytogenetic studies in the 90s of the last century, confirmation of the erroneousness of such a classification was obtained. In this regard, the former name "wolkameria" is no longer used. Most often, this type of plant can be found in the tropical regions of Africa, in the South and Southeast of Asia, and some varieties have found a place for themselves to grow on the lands of the American and Australian continents. But in the south of Russia and Ukraine, you can see this attractive clerodendrum. This genus has up to 400 varieties, and it has been known in culture several centuries ago, but it has become popular as a house plant relatively recently.
The current name of this wonderful representative of the flora consists of a fusion of two Greek words: "kleros" and "dendron", which means "fate, fate" and "tree", respectively. That is, clerodendrum can often be represented as the "Tree of Destiny" or "The Tree of Happiness", since the ancient Greeks used this plant in religious rituals, which were performed in honor of the goddess Aphrodite, as well as for medicinal purposes. Among the people, you can hear other names for this tree - innocent love, a crying heart, a bloody cross or a fluttering butterfly.
Often, clerodendrum is a shrub or liana, with shoots that can be either smooth or pubescent, the stems sometimes take a tetrahedral cross-section. Shoots growing from the bottom usually lignify over time. The leaves are bright green, simple with a heart-shaped base and a pointed tip. The edge of the sheet can be either solid or serrated. The surface is rough, as if "quilted". The length of the leaf reaches 20-30 cm. Their arrangement on the branches is opposite or whorled.
Flowers are collected in racemose or corymbose inflorescences, their location is final. The flowers are moth-shaped (in the form of a butterfly), but there are also contours of a rose or an unusual bouquet. There is a delicate aroma of jasmine, violet, vanilla or citrus - it depends on the variety. Due to the elongated filaments growing inside, the flowers resemble butterflies with long whiskers.
Agrotechnics in the cultivation of clerodendrum, care
- Lighting and temperature for growing. When caring for the "tree of fate", the illumination level should be increased at any time of the year; for this, the pot is placed on a southeast or southwestern window. The temperature is preferable moderate in spring and summer in the range of 20-25 degrees, and in winter it is reduced to 15 degrees.
- Air humidity for this inhabitant of the tropics, it is of paramount importance, therefore, frequent spraying of the deciduous mass is required, but during flowering it is not worthwhile for drops of moisture to fall on the petals. In the spring-summer period, this procedure is repeated daily, and with the arrival of autumn, only once every 2-3 weeks.
- Watering. From the beginning of the growing season to the end of flowering, watering should be regular and abundant, but the soil should not be allowed to become waterlogged or sour. Moistening is carried out after the soil in the pot on top dries out. Watered only with soft water with a temperature of 25-27 degrees. With the arrival of autumn, when the plant begins to prepare for the dormant period, the moisture gradually begins to decrease, in the winter months the watering of the soil should be minimal - only once every 2-3 weeks.
- Pruning performed at the end of winter or at the very beginning of March, and you can give the plant both a bush and a standard form. Dry and weak shoots and branches that thicken are cut off completely at the base, the rest of the shoots is about a third of its length.
- Fertilizers. All fertilizing is carried out from the beginning of spring to the end of summer, while there are flowers on the "tree of fate". Since the plant pleases her only with beautiful flowers, but also with glossy dense saturated dark green foliage, to maintain such qualities, complexes of mineral-organic preparations should be used, for example, the "Emerald" remedy. They also use preparations for flowering indoor plants (like "Agricola" and "Pocon", you can use "Mister Color"). The dosage is taken as recommended by the manufacturers.
- Transfer clerodendrum and selection of the substrate. In order for the plant to please with its flowering, then from time to time it needs to replace the soil with a more fertile one. A young "tree of destiny" will require an annual change of the pot and substrate, and over time, such procedures become less and less frequent, only once every 2-3 years. Each next pot should only be increased by 2–3 cm in diameter. At the bottom of the new container, a layer of expanded clay or pebbles is laid, you can take broken brick or clay shards.
But there is no general opinion about the time of transplantation, since there is evidence that, having first pruned in early spring, and then changing the pot and substrate, the clerodendrum may not have time to recover and set more buds, so they say that the transplant is carried out at the very beginning of autumn when the plant has bloomed.
The substrate for planting clerodendrum should be sufficiently loose and nutritious, and also have moderate acidity with a pH of 5, 6-6, 5. You can also purchase any universal composition and lighten it with perlite or sand. The soil mixture is compiled independently from leaf and sod soil, peat and coarse sand, in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.
Reproduction of clerodendrum at home
You can get a new plant of the "tree of happiness" by sowing seeds or by cuttings.
Seed should be sown in late winter or early spring. The substrate is prepared from turf soil, peat and sand, it is placed in a container and seeds are poured on top. Then the container is placed in a mini-greenhouse. It is important to regularly ventilate and moisten the soil. Seeds germinate for 1, 5–2 months. Only when two pairs of true leaves are formed on new seedlings, do they pick in separate containers.
In the spring, apical cuttings are cut from an adult specimen, and then they are placed in a vessel with water, where the branches will release root processes. Place the cut cuttings under a glass vessel or wrap them in plastic wrap. If the length of the roots has already reached 1 cm, then the cuttings are planted in pots with a similar substrate, as during germination and seeds. When the young plant develops enough and releases new leaves and shoots, then transfer to a pot with a large diameter. With each container change, the tops are pinched to stimulate branching.
Pests and diseases of clerodendrum, methods of dealing with them
If the conditions for keeping clerodendrum are violated, then it can be affected by pests, among which are spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, aphids and whiteflies. If signs of their presence appear, then an urgent treatment with insecticidal preparations is required.
When flowers do not appear on the "tree of fate" for a long time, it means that the conditions for "wintering" were created incorrectly for the plant. As soon as the next flowering process comes to an end, it is required to gradually reduce the frequency of watering, as well as gradually reduce the heat indicators in the room, they should not exceed 15 degrees. So clerodendrum is kept up to 1, 5–2 months for the plant to gain strength. As soon as the "innocent love" has new shoots, then a transplant is carried out with the selection of more nutritious soil and the pot with a bush is moved to a permanent place of growth, starting to water and feed in a normal mode.
Also, the reason for the lack of flowers may be insufficient lighting or that the plant was recently transplanted. With a lack of light, the buds may fall off. If the foliage turns yellow at the clerodendrum in spring and summer, then this is a sign of insufficient moisture in the soil, or this happens with chlorosis, then it is necessary to feed with iron-containing agents. The leaves of the “tree of fate” may fall off if the room has a low humidity level. When brown spot appears on the leaf plates, it means that the bush has been exposed to cold or drafts.
Facts to note about the Clerodendrum flower
In some countries, there is a belief that having a clerodendrum in the house, girls and women will soon find their happiness.
Types of cleroderdrum
- Clerodendrum thomsoniae is a favorite variety of these plants. It has a liana-like form of growth with woody shoots, the leaves have a tendency to fall off. The surface of the stems is smooth and dense. The leaf plates are dark green in color and large in size. The veins are clearly visible on the surface of the leaf, the edge is solid. In shape, the leaf is oblong-ovate with a pointed tip and grows to a length of 12 cm. On the upper side of the leaf plate, there is an irregular spotting of more or less light shades. During flowering, flowers of swollen contours of a white color are formed, differing in a corolla of a red hue. From the buds, loose racemose inflorescences are collected, originating in the leaf sinuses. The flowering process lasts from May to the end of June days.
- Clerodendrum splendens has a bushy form of growth and climbing stems. They have almost rounded outlines of leaf plates, reaching 8 cm in length and up to 6 cm in width. At the base, the leaf takes the shape of a heart, and the top has a pointed edge, the edge is wavy. In flowers, petals are cast in scarlet-red color, the buds are collected in racemose or corymbose inflorescences of small size. The flowering of this variety is almost year-round.
- Clerodendrum philippinum a rather rare variety in home floriculture, but it pleases owners very much with a strong pleasant aroma of jasmine and vanilla, which becomes more intense in the evening hours. Flowering is observed already in the second year of life of this plant. The formed flowers have pinkish-white petals, from which inflorescences are collected, which can measure 20 cm in diameter. The flowers have pink-like outlines and, when fully opened, their diameter is equal to 2-3 cm. They look quite decorative against the background of dark emerald leaves.
- Clerodendrum ugandense is a liana-like plant with a very high growth rate. The shoots can reach two meters in length. Leaf plates of a dark green color, their shape is broad-lanceolate. Loose inflorescences are collected from the buds, located at the ends of the stems. The inflorescence contains a small amount of flowers. In the corolla there are blue filamentous stamens, which are very reminiscent of the outlines of moths or butterflies with long antennae. In the bud, the petals located on top and on the sides are shaded with a blue color scheme, the lower one is barely noticeable and its color is lilac-blue or violet. Florists, at the request of this variety, can give a bush or tree-like shape.
- Fragrant Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum fragrans) is a shrub plant, which with its branches reaches up to 2 meters, the foliage never drops. On the pubescent shoots there are leaf plates of broadly ovate outlines, with deep serration along the edge. The leaves also have pubescence and they reach 20 cm in length. The flowers can have either a simple or a double corolla shape, the color of the petals is white with a pink tint on the outside. There is a delicate violet aroma and a citrus scent. From flowers, corymbose inflorescences with a diameter of up to 8 cm are collected, crowning the shoots.
- Clerodendrum wallichii can be found under the name of Clerodendrum Prospero, but among the people it bears the name of "Nodding Jasmine", "Tears of Cleopatra", "Bride's Veil" or "Bridal Veils". The plant received all these names due to its abundant flowering, when multiple snow-white buds appear on a compact bush, turning into flowers with an elegant shape. Inflorescences are collected from flowers in the form of bunches. Elongated stamens grow in the corolla of flowers. Due to its small size, the pot with this clerodendrum will fit even on the narrowest windowsill. The bush has four-sided shoots, on which lanceolate leaf plates grow, painted in a dark emerald color. Leaves are 5–8 cm long, with wavy edges. This variety is the most difficult to grow, it needs high humidity and special daylight hours.
- Clerodendrum speciosum may also bear the name of Clerodendrum the fairest. An evergreen shrub, the shoots have a tetrahedral cross-section, and they can stretch up to a height of 3 m. The leaf plate with a shiny surface, large in size, is attached to the branches with petioles with a dull reddish color. There is a covering of hairs. Opening flowers with purple petals, corolla - dark red. Apical panicle inflorescences are collected from the buds. Blooms from June to September.
- Clerodendrum trichotomum can be found under the name of Clerodendrum three-forked. It has large size and large leaf plates, shoots tend to lignify over time. The resulting flowers adorn with bright pink petals with a pointed tip, the corolla core is blue.
- Clerodendrum inerme may be referred to in the literature as Clerodendrum spinyless. Forms many small flowers of a whitish color, with elongated filaments. The form of this plant is shrubby, the leaf plates are dense, their surface is glossy, the shape is oval with a pointed tip at the top.
- Clerodendrum quadriloculare. The plant has unusual outlines of bracts and buds. The bracts have long leaves, painted in lilac color, with snow-white buds at the ends. This plant resembles a bright fireworks display. The leaf plates are large, their surface is glossy, with a purple tone on the back. There are variegated forms (variegative).
- Clerodendrum paniculatum inflorescence shape, very similar to the outline of a Chinese pagoda. The color of the flowers is bright orange. Against the background of dark green foliage, the buds look very elegant. The leaves have heart-shaped contours.
More secrets of the care and cultivation of clerodendrum in the plot below:
