Amaryllis family. The birthplace of spreckelia is mountainous areas of Mexico and Guatemala. In nature there is a species - Sprekelia the most beautiful Sprekelia formosissima. Photo by Maja Dumat
The bulb is 5 cm in diameter. The leaves are linear, about 50 cm long, appear in spring simultaneously with a peduncle bearing 1, rarely 2 flowers. The flowers are zygomorphic, large, 8-10 cm long, almost two-lipped, bright red tones. The perianth tube is very short; 3 segments erect, with the apex bent back and scaly outgrowths in the pharynx, 3 segments bent down. Stamens collected in a tuft surround the pistil. The fruit is a box bearing numerous flattened seeds surrounded by a narrow wing .
In the homeland, sprekelia (sprekelia) is widespread in gardens, in Europe it has been grown since the 16th century. in greenhouses for cutting.
Varieties:
- 'Karwinskii '- crimson flowers with white edging;
- 'Orient Red '- red flowers with white stripes;
- 'Peru '- flowers of dark red color;
Синонимы: Amaryllis formosa (Salisb.), Amaryllis formosissima (L.), Amaryllis karwinskii (Zucc.), Sprekelia clintiae (Traub), Sprekelia glauca (Lindl.), Sprekelia heisteri (Trew ex Kunth), Sprekelia formosissima ((L.) Herb.), Sprekelia karwinskii((Zucc.) M.Roem.), Sprekelia ringens (C.Morren), Sprekelia stenopetala (Lem.), Hippeastrum formosissimum (L.) Loudon.
Authors: Elena Talantova, Irina Migalkina
Caring for Spreckelia
Temperature: During the growing season, 25-27 ° C is optimal. During the rest period, after the loss of leaves, spreckelia is kept at 12-13 ° C, at least 10 ° C (in dryness). Since a transplant will still be required in the spring, at the end of flowering, the onions need to be dug out, shaken off the ground with a brush and put in wooden boxes in dry peat, you can use clay pots for storage.
Lighting: Bright sunny place, with shading in late spring and summer from direct sun. Sprekelia will grow well on the eastern and western windowsills. In the north it is too dark for flowering, in the south it is hot, but you can put a pot near the south window, the shade of the tulle curtain is enough.
Watering: Quite abundant during the growing season, but after the obligatory drying of the upper part of the soil. The soil may remain slightly moist in the back of the pot, but avoid excessive damp - the bulbs can easily rot.
Fertilizer: Once every two weeks with complex mineral fertilizer for flowering indoor plants, diluted in the concentration recommended by the manufacturer.
Air humidity: Periodic humidification from a spray bottle if air humidity is below 40%. If the air humidity is above 50%, spraying is not required.
Transplant: Annually, it is advisable to use clay pots, high, but of small diameter. When planting spreckelia, it is impossible to completely bury the bulbs, the upper part should be above the surface. The soil is the 1 part of the sod, the 1 part of the loose sheet earth, the 1 part of the humus, the 2 part of the small gravel (very coarse river sand, with a particle size of 3-4 mm). Drainage at the bottom of the pot is at least 3 cm.
Reproduction: Daughter bulbs that separate when transplanted in spring. Can be propagated by seeds.
