Peresia is an amazing plant, which, despite the presence of leaves, belongs to the Cactus family. She is the ancestor of many prickly succulents, but she herself did not get rid of the foliage. Peresius cactus lives in South America and in the photo is a decorative, flowering shrub. Few growers will resist the opportunity to buy Peresia and will be absolutely right. This unpretentious plant will become a real decoration of the house.
Plant description
Pereskia is an evergreen perennial in the form of a branched bush. Her rhizome is quite massive. Erect stems are gradually lignified and covered with shiny, brown-red bark. Peresia can grow up to 10 m in height, the annual growth of shoots is about 20 cm. On the branches are hard, long spines and alternate, petiolate or sessile leaves.
The ovoid or oval leaf plate has a solid edge and a pointed end. Leaflets fold a little along the central vein, they are painted in bright green color. The surface of the leaves is covered with a dense shiny skin that protects them from excessive evaporation of moisture. The length of the sheet is 1.5-5 cm.
During flowering (summer or autumn), many axillary flowers form at the ends of young shoots. Unlike other cacti, the peregium flower does not have a tube. It consists of 8 wide-open lanceolate petals and is more reminiscent of rose hips. In the center of the bud is a lush core of many yellow stamens. The flowers exude an intense citrus scent.
After flowering at the peresia, juicy berries of a round or conical shape ripen. The fruits are inedible! The skin of the fetus is shiny, beige or yellow. Inside the berry there are several black seeds of medium or large size.
Types of Pereskia
In the genus Pereskia, there are 17 species. Under natural conditions, they all grow quite large, but when grown indoors they are compact, very beautiful bushes. The most popular among gardeners is pereskiya prickly. The plant forms a tall, sprawling bush. The stems are highly branched and covered with short, hooked spines. The length of the short-leaved leaves is 9 cm, and the width is 4 cm. The foliage is quite hard, bright green. The plant blooms in large (up to 5 cm), yellow or creamy pink flowers, which have a strong aroma. The fruit with an orange-yellow skin resembles a gooseberry berry with a diameter of up to 2 cm.
Pereskia Godseff. The plant has thinner stems, covered with bunches of long black spines. Oval leaves with a pointed edge are attached to the stem by very short petioles. Leaf length reaches 6 cm. The leaf plate is painted in light green color with a greener central part. On the reverse side of the leaf, pinkish or violet shades predominate. Small flowers are white or cream.
Pereskia orange. The plant has a tall, lightly branched shoot with large leaves. A relief pattern of veins is visible on the leaves. Orange-red large flowers resemble poppy heads with a diameter of 5-6 cm. Fruits the plant with yellow berries in the form of small cones that exude a rich pineapple aroma.
Pereskia Grandiflora. The plant forms a tall shrub, covered with bright green large foliage. When the temperature drops to + 10 ° C, this species discards most of the foliage. Large pink flowers form capitate inflorescences at the ends of branches.
Pereskia Weber. The plant forms compact bushes suitable for creating bonsai. The plant is characterized by abundant flowering, which occurs in April-August. Small snow-white flowers densely cover young shoots.
Growing
Peresia is easily propagated by seeds and rooting of cuttings. For propagation by seeds, boxes with a sand-peat mixture are prepared. Sowing is best done in early spring. Seeds are buried in the soil by 0.5-1 cm, watered and covered with a film. Soil temperature should not fall below + 20 ... + 22 ° C. After 2-3 weeks, the first shoots appear. The shelter above them is removed, with the appearance of 4 real leaves, seedlings can be transplanted without diving into separate pots.
For rooting cuttings, stronger, but not lignified branches are used. The procedure is carried out in spring or early summer. Cuttings are cut with a sharp blade. Each should have at least 1-2 nodes. Immediately after cutting, the cuttings are rooted in a moist mixture of peat with perlite and covered with a film. The optimum air temperature during rooting is + 25 ... + 28 ° C. After 2-3 weeks, roots appear on the cuttings, and they are able to grow without shelter. Seedlings are very carefully transplanted into separate pots so as not to damage the fragile roots.
Care Features
In the greenhouse or at home, care for the penny is not too complicated. This photophilous plant prefers southern window sills. In the summer heat, it is worth creating a small shadow for the cactus or moving it from the windowsill into the depths of the room. Airing will also help protect foliage from sunburn. Pereskia is not afraid of drafts, so it can be carried out for the summer on the balcony or in the garden. Additionally, rain protection is required.
The optimum air temperature for an adult plant is + 22 ... + 24 ° C. On hot days you need to ventilate the room more often. From mid-autumn, the temperature is gradually lowered to + 12 ... + 16 ° C, providing a pereskia dormant period. It is important to remember that cooling below + 10 ° C is fatal.
From May to September, peresk is watered quite often. Drying of the topsoil is allowed. In this case, all excess water should freely leave the pot. Stagnant liquid in the pan is also not desirable, as it promotes the growth of the fungus. As air temperature decreases, watering is less common. If peresia begins to strongly drop leaves, this may indicate insufficient watering.
Pereskia is resistant to dry air, but infrequent spraying or a warm shower will not harm it. For irrigation use soft, purified water.
In the period of flowering and active vegetation, the peregium flower needs additional nutrition. It is recommended to use compositions for cacti. Monthly watering is combined with the introduction of half a portion of fertilizer. It should be controlled so that the nitrogen components are minimized, otherwise the roots may rot.
Peresia has a fairly powerful root system, so you will have to transplant it often. The procedure is carried out in spring or summer by transshipment of an earthen coma. Pots should be deep with a sufficient layer of drainage. For planting, use a mixture of:
- sheet land;
- clay-turf land;
- humus leaf;
- sand.
Pereskia has good immunity. It can only suffer from root rot with improper watering and excessive humidity. Reducing the frequency of watering and moving to a drier environment will help protect the plant from death. It is also recommended to use antifungal drugs.
Sometimes pereskia is attacked by mealybugs, thrips and spider mites. Insecticide treatment will help get rid of pests quickly.
