Brighamia (Brighamia) belongs to the Bellflower family. Popularly, this succulent is called the Hawaiian palm, volcano palm. Scientists have established that brigamia has existed on the planet for at least a million years. But in the homes of amateur flower growers, the plant began to appear quite recently and few people know how to properly care for it.
The Hawaiian Islands are considered the birthplace of the brigamia. It can be found on steep volcanic slopes. During such a long period of time by human standards, the brigamy changed its appearance more than once. So, the length of the flowers gradually increased until it reached 15 cm. Insects with long proboscis could pollinate such a plant. But when people began to populate the Hawaiian Islands, the irreversible result of their economic activity led to the complete disappearance of such species of insects. Many plant species were threatened with extinction, including brigamia, which practically ceased to propagate by seeds due to the lack of a natural pollination process. About 20 years ago, this plant species was on the verge of almost complete extinction. But the situation was turned in a positive direction thanks to the efforts of scientists at the Hawaiian National Park. They began to rescue many species of endangered animals and plants. Among them was the brigamy.
Scientists had to be far from just fighting for brigamy. The flowers had to be pollinated by hand, and since the plant is located on volcanic slopes, the scientists climbed to a height of more than 1 km above sea level. Thanks to the courage of specialists, we can observe this beautiful flower to this day.
The famous Dutch company "Plant Planet" is famous for its flower greenhouses. The rarest species of plants are grown and propagated in them, and those that are on the verge of extinction are saved. It was here that the seeds of the brigamia were delivered. And then experts began to breed special species of this plant that can grow and bloom at home.
Description of the plant
Brigamia is an amazing plant in structure. Its stem is thick and fleshy, and its tissues are capable of storing large amounts of water to feed the plant. It is thanks to the stem that the brigamia can survive long droughts. The leaves are collected in a rosette at the very top of the trunk. They are light green in color, smooth to the touch, shiny, covered with a thin layer of waxy coating. The length of the leaves is about 30 cm, they are similar in shape to cabbage. A characteristic feature of this plant is the periodic yellowing and dying off of the lower leaves. In the place where the leaf falls, you can see the release of white juice, similar to milk.
The height of the brigamia in natural conditions reaches about 3 m. In greenhouse or indoor conditions, the maximum plant height is 1 m. The young brigamia has a smooth green trunk. Over time, it coarsens and becomes covered with a scar-like pattern. Flowers are collected in inflorescences of 3-8 pieces. Their color is light yellow, 5 petals.
Each flower is on a long stem of gray-green color. The scent of flowers is often compared to the scent of vanilla. Brigamia pleases with its flowering in September-October.
Home care for brigamia
The peculiarities of caring for brigamia are not known to every amateur florist. This plant is still quite rare in houses and apartments. Therefore, before buying a brigamia, it is important to study the requirements for watering the plant, the level of illumination, reproduction, and feeding.
Location and lighting
Brigamia feels best in winter on the south side of an apartment or house, in a sunlit room. But it is important to remember that the winter sun is more gentle than the summer sun, so you need to gradually accustom the brigamy to the hot summer rays. Otherwise, there is a risk of causing burns to the plant trunk. If you leave the plant in direct sunlight, then be prepared for the fact that it will lose all the leaves.
The ideal place for brigamia in the summer would be a garden, balcony or terrace with diffused sunlight. During the hot season, brigamia feels better in the garden outdoors than on the balcony. With the onset of September, the brigamy is brought into the room. During this period, you can wait for its flowering, which will last until November inclusive.
Temperature
The birthplace of the brigami is the Hawaiian Islands, therefore the plant belongs to the heat-loving species. In the summer and autumn-spring periods, the optimum temperature for keeping brigamia is about 25-27 degrees. In winter, it should not be lower than 15 degrees, otherwise the plant may die from hypothermia of the root system.
Air humidity
Brigamia does not tolerate dry air. The optimum moisture content for normal plant growth and development is about 75%. Therefore, it is important to spray the leaves with soft water from a spray bottle on a daily basis.
Watering
Thanks to the trunk, which accumulates moisture reserves, brigamia can easily survive several days without watering. The maximum period is 42 days. The soil between waterings must completely dry to the very bottom of the pot, otherwise the root system of the plant will rot. Water for irrigation brigamia should be 3-4 degrees above room temperature.
The soil
The soil should be neutral to weak acidity. You can use a substrate for cactus, mixing it with sand in a 1: 1 ratio. Do not forget to put a layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot to avoid stagnant water.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Top dressing for the brigamia is required. The plant responds well to cactus fertilizers. Brigamy is fed no more than once a month in the spring-summer period.
Transfer
Experts recommend replanting a young plant once a year, and an adult plant once every 2-3 years. For planting, choose a shallow pot with a good drainage layer about 4 cm thick.
Breeding brigamia
Brigamia can be propagated with seeds and cuttings. The seeds are formed after pollination of the flowers. And cuttings can be obtained, for example, if the top of the stem was damaged, then a new shoot can grow at the site of damage. The cut off stalk must be planted in a previously prepared greenhouse, consisting of dry sand and covering material. From above, the scion of the daily is sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle, and the greenhouse is ventilated.
Diseases and pests
The most malicious pest for brigamia is considered spider mite... Less commonly, she may be affected aphids or whitefly. If a pest is noticed on the brigamia, then the plant should be treated with an insecticide solution as soon as possible.
Difficulties in leaving
- It is important to remember that from the moment the buds appear, as well as during the entire flowering period, the brigamy cannot be moved from one place to another. Otherwise, the plant will drop all buds and flowers.
- Since the flowering period falls on the autumn period with a short daylight hours, the brigade needs to provide additional lighting for at least 12 hours a day.
- Excessive moisture in the substrate, drafts, lack of light lead to the loss of all leaves by brigamia. You shouldn't worry about this. It is necessary to adjust the conditions for the plant and find out where the mistake was made. Then the brigamia will grow a new green mass of leaves and will delight with its flowering.
Types and varieties of brigamia
There are two most common types of brigamia: Brigamia Rocky and Brigamia Insignis... Their distinctive features are immediately invisible to a novice florist. In brigamia rocky, the trunk tapers at the top, and the flowers are yellow. Brigamia insignis has white or white-yellow flowers. But this is a conditional division of brigamia by type.
Sometimes on the same plant you can find flowers of both yellow and white. So it is with the number of petals on a flower: their standard number is five, but you can often find flowers of six or even seven petals. On a pollinated flower, the fruit ripens in the form of a two-chambered seed capsule about 2 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. When the capsule ripens, it cracks along special grooves and the seeds spill out. The seeds are about 1 mm long and oval in shape. Both types of plants can be distinguished by the surface of the seeds. So in the brigamia insignis it is rough, with tubercles, and in the brigamia rocky it is smooth.
