The scent of Brunfelsia flowers is mesmerizing and can compete with an expensive perfume. In the light of day, its smell is almost imperceptible, but at night the aroma intensifies and fills the entire space.
This tropical beauty can grow in the darkest corner of the room and delight every night with its unsurpassed aroma. It is strange that this plant does not receive the attention it deserves among flower growers. After all, everyone wants to revive their home with beautiful flowers.
Brunfelsia care at home
Lighting
Very few plants can live in semi-darkness, but what if the room is dark enough? In this case, brunfelsia will come to the rescue. She will gladly sit on the shaded windowsill. A weak sunshine is enough for her. But if the weather is cloudy for a long time, then the plant begins to feel sad. This is expressed in the pallor of the lower leaves and a decrease in the abundance of flowering. It is worth noting that brunfels also grow in a brightly lit place, however, green leaves are at risk of being burned. The ideal solution is diffused light. In such a place, the leaves of the plant will be fleshy and rich, and the flowering will be bright and spectacular.
You should prepare for the high (up to one meter) growth of brunfelsia. The place for her should be spacious. In the summer, she can be moved to the balcony, but so that she does not suffer from the heat. In very hot weather, it will survive, but it will not bloom. The flower needs to be sprayed more, not watered.
Choosing a variety for the home
Finding a night beauty for your home will not be difficult. For home cultivation, breeders have created a single species - small-flowered brunfelsia, the collection of which has only several varieties that are similar to each other. They all require the same care rules.
The tropical visitor is the owner of large flowers of bright purple hues. The flowering period lasts from early spring to autumn. Brunfelsia blooms in a conveyor way - one flower falls off and another takes its place, each of which lives only one or two days. During flowering, the plant is very decorative and looks like an evergreen cloud covered with large lilac flowers exuding a divine scent.
Features of Brunfelsia care
Do not forget that this is a tropical flower, and therefore the conditions of detention should be appropriate - with humid air and moderate temperatures (12-15 degrees). In order for the plant to feel comfortable, it must be regularly sprayed and given access to fresh air.
Brunfelsia is a big fan of water, so irrigation is carried out systematically. And to frequent feeding from mineral fertilizers (once every one or two weeks) it responds with lush persistent flowering.
At the end of the flowering period, brunfelsia needs pruning and formation of a bush. After such procedures, the shoots are renewed, and very soon the plant will resemble a fluffy neat green ball. Subject to all the rules and recommendations, the flower will delight with abundant flowering twice a season.
After pruning, it is recommended to send brunfelsia to rest, which should last 2-3 months. In this case, the temperature should be slightly above 10 degrees.
Reproduction of brunfelsia
There are several ways to propagate a plant:
- Cutting method. This is a long process and the beginning of root formation can occur months later.
- By dividing the bush. When transplanting, the basal processes are separated and planted separately, as an independent plant.
- Reproduction by seeds. Quite a troublesome task. First you need to make artificial pollination, then collect the ripe seeds, sow them in the spring and wait for the shoots, which will appear in a month. If the result is positive, young bushes will delight with flowering in the same winter.
Diseases and pests
The scabbard sucks out the plant juices. Symptoms: Faded leaves, flowers and fruits dry slowly and fall off. It is almost impossible to remove the parasite manually; it is better to treat with insecticides.
Spider mite. Symptoms: formation of cobwebs on the stems at the base of the leaf, the leaves wither and fall off. You can help the flower by treating it with soapy water and rinsing it under the shower. With a tick-borne attack during flowering, spraying should be abandoned, but if the lesion is extensive, then 1-2 ml of actelik, diluted in a liter of water, should be treated.
Aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, snails and slugs attack Brunfelsia when grown in the garden. They fight parasites with appropriate drugs purchased in specialized places.
Caution! It should be remembered that the plant is quite poisonous, and when caring for it, precautions should be taken using protective equipment.
