Beauty from the tropics - Afelandra, home care for a capricious flower

Does Afelander need a period of rest, what should be her care at home? I bought a small bush at a sale, it had only a couple of leaves, and even those were stained. She transplanted him, treated him a little. And over the summer, the unfortunate plant has turned into a gorgeous rosette with new beautiful leaves. It stood on my summer veranda, now I need to bring it into the house, because it is not heated, so I'm thinking where to put it. What kind of lighting does the flower need and does it have features in relation to wintering?

It is grown mainly for the sake of a spectacular decorative appearance thanks to the shiny large leaves, painted with light stripes. And also - to see the original flowering, which can last a long time. This is a tropical guest in our Afelandra homes, and home care has some special features. And they are connected, first of all, with the nature of the plant that lives in natural conditions in the American tropics. It is moderately light and very humid there, so a similar microclimate must be created for her in the room. And then the decorative bush will delight every year with its flowering and painted foliage.

Characteristic features of the plant

A representative of the acanthus family, Afelandra grows as a bush and can reach a height of up to 2 m.But this is at home, and as a pot culture, its height usually does not exceed 70 cm.It has beautiful and large leaves with a waxy coating, painted with white or creamy streaks. And the inflorescences resemble spikelets and can be yellow, orange or reddish.

As a houseplant, only two varieties of Afelandra are grown:

1. Protruding (aka Afelandra scuarossa) with yellow inflorescences. The species is distinguished by longer flowering - from late spring to mid-autumn.
2. Orange (aka golden) with orange-red spikelets. This plant does not bloom for long, in early autumn. But on the other hand, he always sets the fruits that are used for seed breeding flower.

Even with the best care, the maximum duration that Afelandra can live is two cycles (years). It grows rapidly, which means that it quickly loses its curvaceous shape, the bush will become bare. To preserve the plant, it is cut in the spring. It is possible every year, but it is possible in the third year of life.

Afelandra - home care and maintenance requirements

The flower retains the dark green sheen of the leaf plates and the contrasting color of their veins only if it has enough light. Lighting should be good, but diffused, the best option is an east window. It is impossible to allow direct rays to hit the bush - they will leave spots on the leaves.

All types of Afelandra are thermophilic, but they cannot stand the heat. The maximum temperature in the room should not exceed 25 ° C heat. For the winter, it is advisable to send the bush to a cool place so that it can rest and prepare for the next flowering. At the same time, it is important not to allow a decrease below plus 15 ° C, otherwise the bush will die.

Afelandra care consists of the following procedures:

1. Watering often, but in small portions. The soil should not dry out, but it should not be poured, so as not to rot the roots.
2. Regular spraying - the flower needs high humidity.
3. Top dressing during the growth period until the end of flowering with mineral complexes.
4. Transplant every spring into fresh soil, while the pot should not be too large.
5. Formation of a bush by pinching the tops of the shoots. Then they will give side branches, and you get a lush curtain.

After the afelandra has bloomed, cut the watering and take the pot out to a cool room. And in the spring, the shoots are greatly shortened so that the bush is rejuvenated. Or the tops are cut and rooted.

How to keep afelandro at home