The bulbous flower, belonging to the Amarilis family, originally from the jungle of Central and South America, is called eucharis. That was the name of the companion Kallipso, daughter of Atlanta in Greek mythology. The second popular name is Amazonian Lily (Eucharis Amazonica).
Appearance of eucharis
The plant consists of a bulb with a diameter of 2-7 cm, from which grows several broad (up to 20 cm) and long (up to 55 cm) lanceolate leaves of a saturated green color. The surface is slightly shiny, and the edge is slightly curved. Each bulb can carry no more than four leaves at a time. Total height - up to 80 cm.
Flowering eucharis
Most species and varieties bloom from August to September, but with good care a second time in February-March. The flower in appearance is very similar to a daffodil. The bulb expels a long (up to 80 cm) peduncle. At its end, from 3 to 10 large white flowers with a diameter of 10-12 cm can be collected in the common inflorescence. The sizes and shade of stamens (from green to yellow) differ in different varieties. The aroma is very pleasant - jasmine-lemon. After blooming, each corolla lasts up to 10 days. When pollinating from flowers, boxes with seeds are obtained.
Note! The juice of the plant is poisonous, but mild. Causes skin irritation. If you eat the onion whole, then there will be an indigestion.
Types and varieties of indoor eucharis: a description of the popular
Among the most popular varieties in Russia:
Eucharis is large-flowered
The foliage of this variety is dark green, elongated-oval with sharp tips. Corollas reach 12 cm in diameter on a peduncle up to 80 cm long. Each umbrella has 3-8 buds with snow-white petals. The aroma is very persistent. Flowering occurs twice a year: in December, as well as in May or August.
Eucharis grandiflora
Eucharis Sandera
Expels a long peduncle with an umbrella of 2-3 buds. Each corolla is connected to a peduncle with a long (up to 5 cm) tube bent down. This gives the inflorescence a drooping look. Stamens are combined with each other in a narrow yellow border that looks like a small crown.
Eucharis sandera
Leaves up to 30 cm long and up to 17 cm wide dark green with a smooth shiny surface and pronounced veins. At the base of the leaf is heart-shaped, and the stalk reaches 10-15 cm in height.
Eucharis Masters
An egg-shaped bulb up to 5 cm in diameter is typical for it. The foliage is elongated and pointed at the ends. Each leaf is up to 25 cm long and up to 15 cm wide. There are only 1-2 flowers in the inflorescence. Usually blooms in March.
Eucharis mastersii
Eucharis gearless
For its ovoid bulbs, four leaves are typical 25 cm long and up to 10 cm wide with elongated petioles grooved in shape. The surface is glossy with noticeable longitudinal veins. In an umbrella inflorescence of 6-8 flowers with short (up to 1.5 cm long) white petals, bent up. Stamens divided by a lanceolate form. The corolla resembles a lily with a short (up to 3 cm) green tube connecting it with a common peduncle.
Eucharis subedentata
Planting and transplanting plants after purchase
Together with the plant in the store, you should immediately purchase a suitable pot for transplanting and soil. The soil requires loose and nutritious. Peat, a little sand are added to it, and a drainage layer is mandatory at the bottom (expanded clay is suitable, or even better, a coconut shell). If on sale there is a substrate for bulbs or begonias, then you can safely buy it for eucharis.
The pot should be low but wide. As the bulb grows, it gives a lot of strong roots and a lush crown. In the light capacity of a room lily with wide leaves it will be uncomfortable. It is best to buy a spacious pot made of ceramic.
Planting Amazonian Lily without Leaves
In order to successfully transplant a bulb completely devoid of leaves, observe the following rules:
- before planting, the remains of the leaves are cut at a height of 1 cm above the neck of the bulb;
- the bulbs are buried in the ground, leaving the tip on the surface;
- the diameter of the pot for one bulb should be 2-3 cm larger than its diameter;
- the soil is added to the pot, mixed in half with sand;
- the first three weeks are watered sparingly, only after the soil has dried.
Note! Young leaves should grow within 40 days.
Planting Amazonian Lily with Leaves
Step by Step Method:
- Bulbs are buried in the soil by 5-6 cm.
- The pot is chosen high, but not wide with expanded clay at the bottom and large holes for draining excess water after irrigation.
- The first three weeks are watered gently, waiting for the soil to completely dry.
Group landing in a common container
Eucharis: home care
Bright sunlight for eucharis is destructive. He likes partial shade. The pot should not be placed on the south windows, it is better indoors on a well-lit place or on the western or eastern windowsill. In the summer, it is quite possible to take it to the balcony or the garden, leaving it under a canopy from the sun and rain.
Temperature and ventilation
Draft is extremely fatal to eucharis, its leaves will fade. Moreover, not only cold streams of air, but also warm ones can do much harm to it. In a natural habitat in the depths of the jungle, it is never in the wind. With a draft, the leaves turn yellow and fall, as with hypothermia. The optimum temperature of the content depends on the season. The plant periodically needs a pronounced dormant period. In the active period, the optimum temperature is above 23 ° C (up to 28 ° C). A critical minimum of 18 ° C. Sudden jumps in temperature lead to the fading of buds.
In winter, the eucharis flower is kept at a temperature of 14-15 ° C, but it is quite possible to limit it to 16-18 ° C. Even such a small drop for him is a signal to rest.
Note! To make eucharis bloom, the temperature is sharply raised to a mark above 23 ° C.
How to water eucharis
The flower is not very sensitive to air humidity. He needs spraying leaves and dusting only during the heating season. Usually watered every 3 days. If you need to spray, then make sure that drops of water do not fall on the buds. Proper watering is through the pan.
Fertilizing and fertilizer composition
The optimal frequency of fertilizing the soil is once every 2 weeks. Suitable and organic compounds and minerals. In the flowering season, it is worth feeding potash fertilizers, avoiding nitrogen.
Important! The rest period lasts 1.5 months, at this time they do not feed.
Trimming and shaping eucharis
The leaves of indoor flower eucharis grows extremely slowly. The loss of each is very painful for the bulb. Therefore, pruning is very simple, because it consists only in removing wilted and faded peduncles. All wet sections must be wiped with powdered activated carbon powder.
Pests and diseases affecting the Amazonian Lily
Diseases appear only with improper care - flooding the plant or hypothermia. In very dry air with a lack of watering, it can dry out. Common pests: spider mites, scale insects and thrips. They are treated with insecticides against them, leaves are washed, if necessary, they are transplanted into new land.
Common mistakes in caring for eucharis
During dormancy, watering should be minimized. At this time, water is not poured, as usual, into the sump, but the soil is sprayed from the spray bottle very carefully. It is also important to take the pot into the shade from the sun and lower the temperature by a few degrees.
If the foliage has lost its elasticity, then watering the situation may not fix it. The cause is a draft and hypothermia. In this case, it is worth removing the sluggish leaves, and creating the ideal conditions for the bulb to be restored: put in a warm place, feed, monitor the absence of drafts.
Why do eucharis turn yellow and die
Leaves can curl and fade not only from drafts, but also due to damage to the roots. Yellowing and drying is a natural process when it touches the outer leaves, but not all at the same time. The reasons may be different:
- too abundant or weak watering;
- too cold (temperature 10 ° C and below);
- burns from sunshine.
Yellowed Eucharis Leaf
The damaged plant is removed from the pot, washed, dried. Damage is treated with ash and planted again in a pot, filling it with fresh nutrient soil.
Why eucharis does not bloom at home and how to make an arrow shoot
The reasons for the increase in green mass and the absence of peduncles can be as follows:
- Incorrect landing. Capacity selected too wide. The closer the bulb in the pot, the sooner it will eject the peduncle;
- too sharp jump in temperature in the room. At the same time, flower arrows are formed weak, and the bulb can even rot;
- there is no rest period. Its optimal duration is 1.5 months. At this time, they stop feeding, and watering is moderate. The soil should always be half dry.
Features of the reproduction of eucharis
In nature, Amazonian lily propagates vegetatively, since the bulb gets numerous children every year. Its seeds are planted extremely rarely.
Reproduction of eucharis by children
Using a daughter bulb, you can see the first flowering after 1.5 years. Separate it from the mother carefully so as not to damage. It is better not to plant crushed bulbs at all, since the probability of their survival is minimal.
Bulbs of eucharis
High-quality children need to be planted individually in small pots, filling them with ordinary soil. The substrate should consist of sheet land, peat and sand. At the bottom, it is recommended to add a little rotted manure. The tops of the bulbs are left above the surface of the soil. If the baby has a leaf, then it is buried by 5-8 cm. If everything went well, then the first leaf should appear after 4-6 weeks.
Eucharis: seed propagation
With seed propagation, the first buds will appear only in the fifth year of the flower's life. You can buy seeds in the store, but they are rarely sold. They are obtained from their lily by pollination: with a soft brush, place the pollen on the pestle and wait until the seed boxes ripen. It usually takes about 30 days.
For your information! The seed itself is a mini onion. In favorable conditions, it quickly begins to grow and germinate. After ripening, the seeds are dark brown, flat with a tiny tubercle in the center.
Sowing is carried out in containers with a depth of 5 cm, filled with a mixture of fertile soil and sand with the addition of peat. Deepen 1-2 mm no more. Watered only with a spray gun. The greenhouse effect does not need to be created. The container is placed on the window, creating a light shade for it.
Seedlings after 2-3 months are transplanted into larger pots. Suitable containers with a diameter of 12 cm and a height of about 9 cm. In such a tiny capacity, the bulbs will spend the next 1.5 years, after which they are again transplanted into a slightly larger pot.
In amateur floriculture, eucharis is able to bring its owner many pleasant moments, and it is not difficult to take care of it. Its fragrant flowers create a festive atmosphere in the house. Having picked varieties with different flowering periods, you can admire beautiful white flowers almost all year round.
