Acanthus family. The genus has about 170 species. Homeland - tropics of South and North America.
At home, the most common Afelandra is the protruding Aphelandra squarrosa - a fast-growing shrub with erect stems. Leaves are whole, oblong, narrowed at the end, large 25-30 cm in length. The surface of the leaf is smooth, with pronounced venation, dark green in color and silver-green veins. Inflorescences are apical ears, flowers are orange or yellow, two-lipped, with a long narrow tube, 15-25 cm long, bracts are brightly colored. The fruit is a box.
This houseplant is appreciated for its large beautiful leaves, and lush flowering in autumn, when most other houseplants have already faded. Flowering in large yellow or golden flowers can last almost two months. However, this is a very difficult culture for indoor cultivation, as it requires special care and attention. Afelandra belongs to large-leaved and fast-growing plants.
CARE TIPS
Temperature: Afelandra is heat-loving, so it is kept at a normal room temperature of about 22-23 ° C, which does not drop below 15 ° C in winter. At the same time, he loves fresh air, grows poorly in crowded groups - he is easily exposed to fungal infections. Therefore, it is more suitable for greenhouses, where there is a lot of space and light.
Lighting: Bright lighting is necessary for the afelandra, primarily in winter. From spring to late autumn, they are shaded by direct sunlight. The main problem in apartments is the lack of light. Even one lamp of additional lighting is not enough for good lighting of a large bush.
Watering: From spring to autumn watering plentiful, in winter a little less. Watered again when the ground dries in the top half of the pot. Complete drying of the ground is not allowed. Water is used only soft (rain, melt or boiled) and warm.
Fertilizer: Since the afelandra consumes nutrients quickly, it is regularly fed every two weeks. Special fertilizer for flowering indoor plants. Feeding is carried out throughout the year, subject to good lighting in winter - once a month.
Humidity: Afelandra loves very humid air, so it is sprayed several times a day or placed on a tray of water. But sometimes this does not help and the only way out is to put the plant on a wide tray with water or place an air humidifier next to it.
Transplantation: The soil should be very loose, air and moisture permeable. The soil is the 4 part of the leaf, the 1 part of the sod, the 1 part of the peat land and the 1 part of the sand, the 1 part of the vermiculite. Transplanted every spring in March - April. If necessary, if the plant has grown strongly, it can be transplanted in the middle of summer into a larger pot.
Reproduction: Seeds that are sown in February or March, in a mixture of peat land and sand. The area with crops is covered with a film and put in a warm place where the soil temperature will be about 24-25 ° C. The ground is periodically moistened from the spray gun, the film is removed for airing. Seedlings appear within 2-4 weeks. When the seedlings grow up, they are planted in pots with a diameter of about 10 cm. Seedlings grow quite quickly and subsequently they can be transferred again (while maintaining a root coma) into large pots. Young plants can bloom in the same year.
Afelandra also propagates in whole leaf at a temperature of 23-24 ° C and apical cuttings. The leaf is cut with a heel (a piece of stem), and cuttings from non-flowering shoots. Both the leaf and the stalk are rooted traditionally in the soil, not in the water. It is planted in loose leaf earth in half with vermiculite. It is better to sterilize the earth in the oven. Moisten the finished soil, treat the handle with root or heteroauxin, stick it into the ground and cover with a cap made of a plastic bottle for 5-6 liters (cut off the bottom, remove the lid).
