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Recently, an interesting flower appeared in the apartments and office premises. His scientific name is Zamiokulkas, and people know him as a dollar tree. The plant was first discovered in the tropical forests of Africa.
It refers to succulents, which accumulate moisture in their roots, stems and inside the leaf plate. A distant relative is a money tree with the same properties. What is the beauty of this tropical flower? Are there any secrets to caring for the plant? The answers to these questions will help to love the African guest in the cool latitudes.
A look at the flower from the side
Dollar tree is a neat bush with original leaves, which are covered with a thin layer of wax coating and consist of 8 or 12 separately growing feathers. Each specimen has a fleshy structure, in which moisture accumulates in the case of dry periods. Similarly, it retains water and a tuberous rhizome. It is often called a natural moisture reservoir for a rainy day.
Dollar tree can grow up to a meter height, and decorate any home interior. Unlike the money tree (red), it periodically blooms with an unusual inflorescence. When you look at the flower from the side, it seems that among the fleshy leaves there appeared a corn cob of yellow or cream color. In fact, this standing bud consists of many miniature flowers that shine brightly in the daylight of the sun.Usually the inflorescence is hidden under a light green veil, so it can not be immediately noticed. In the photo, a dollar tree can be clearly seen during its flowering period.
Since the plant originated from the tropics, it is quite rare to see its buds on the territory of Europe. Nevertheless, the flower is appreciated for its pretty foliage.
The plant was first described in 1828 by the famous collector of tropical flora K. Loddijes. He called it - Caladium Zamiyelistny. After 28 years, Henry Schott, an Austrian biologist, introduced him to the list of tropical plants as Zamioquelkas Loddges. Only in 1908 the director of the botanical garden in Berlin immortalized his modern name. Despite this, many fans of indoor plants know the flower under the name of a dollar tree.
Since the plant blooms very rarely, its main advantage is the leaves. It grows up to 100 cm and above, when creating suitable conditions. How to achieve this result by caring for a flower? It turns out that this is not difficult. The main thing is to follow simple advice.
Since Zamiokulkas is considered to be a poisonous plant, transplantation or trimming is performed with gloves. Otherwise, getting juice on the exposed skin leads to unpleasant burns, which have to be treated for a long time.
Simple methods of flower care
Some believe that, having planted such a plant in the house, you can achieve wealth and eternal prosperity. But do all the rich and "successful" people grow Zamiokulkas? Much depends on the person himself and the circumstances he faces. Nevertheless, people want to believe in fables and nothing can be done about it. Let us return to the flower.
Practice shows that home care for a dollar tree includes fairly simple rules:
- To the flower successfully took root in the new territory, it is not worth it to transplant immediately after the purchase. It takes time for adaptation - at least 2 weeks.
- Zamiokulkas feels great next to the window sill, if it does not get direct rays of the sun.
- In winter, the plant is best placed in a bright room, where there is a lot of air and light.
- With the advent of spring, the dollar tree is gradually accustomed to the bright rays of the sun.
As you can see the first steps of acquaintance with the plant are not at all complicated, but very important. Although the flower is unpretentious, the lighting and temperature regime are the main conditions for its development. Therefore, the best option for him is a window sill, the window of which faces the south side. Thanks to this position, sunlight will unobstructedly affect the fleshy leaves of the plant.
Sometimes the apartment is located in the house so that all the windows face north. It does not matter, Zamiokulkas will not die, although his appearance will be slightly dull.
To ensure a decent care for the dollar tree, an appropriate temperature regime is required. Since the plant came from hot countries, high temperatures are not dangerous for him. Even if on the street + 35 ° C, the plant feels excellent. In the cold period, one should not allow the thermometer to fall below + 18 ° C. This can lead to serious problems caused by diseases.
When growing a dollar tree, it is important to consider the size of the pot and the type of soil. An obligatory condition for the tank is the presence of holes on the bottom so that excessive moisture can freely escape outward.
Soil must meet the following conditions:
- softness;
- looseness;
- airtightness.
Due to these properties, the root system will receive a sufficient amount of oxygen and moisture. In addition, the soil must be thoroughly primed from the beginning. To do this, you can mix together these components:
- peat;
- sifted sand;
- sod or leafy soil.
To make the earth as loose as possible use claydite, which is mixed with prepared soil.
To actively develop a young seedling, a quarter of the container into which the plant is planted should be filled with drainage.
Caring for a dollar tree in domestic circumstances means regular feeding. It is best to conduct it during the warm season. You can start in March and until mid-October. Ideal top dressing can serve as usual humus or ready-made fertilizers for succulents, which are sold in flower shops. It is better to feed the flower once every 14 days. In winter, the plant does not need fertilizers. Watering can also be stopped. Once a month, you should "swim" the plants. Wash each leaf thoroughly with clean water.
Sometimes Zamiokulkas freezes and it seems that his growth stopped. In fact, it needs more moisture. But do not pour it. It's enough just to observe the upper layer of the soil to notice signs of drying out. Replenish the supply of moisture is only necessary as needed.
With proper watering, the soil is moistened throughout the depth of the pot. On a pallet and the surface of the earth, there should be no puddles.
Unpleasant phenomena - what to do?
A blooming dollar tree is a wonderful element of a home interior, even if it does not have buds. Fleshy leaves, filled with moisture, attract the eye and delight the heart. The flower is unpretentious and sufficiently hardy to unfavorable conditions. But still he is not immune from diseases, the main reason of which is inept care of the plant.
Often, the dollar tree turns yellow, which causes alarm to his fans. Fortunately, this phenomenon is not always caused by the disease. As the flower grows very slowly, the old leaves first turn yellow, and then die off.In their place, new ones appear, which indicates a normal development of Zamiokulkas. If this does not happen, the reason can be in the following factors:
- insufficient watering;
- draft;
- sharp temperature drop;
- appearance of pests.
In this case it is desirable to take measures and eliminate the main problem of the suffering of the flower. And then a magnificent dollar tree can become a business card at home, where love and kindness flourish.
