Erantis (Eranthis), or spring plant - a perennial plant from the Buttercup family. There are only 7 types of this flower. The plant grows mainly in Asia and southern Europe. The word erantis is translated from Greek as "spring flower".
Description of the plant erantis
Erantis is a flowering herb. The roots are thickened and tuberous. Leaves are basal, finger-separate, appear at a time when the plant is blooming or is already finishing its flowering. The flowers are single, located on peduncles up to 25 cm long. The flowers open in the daytime, at night and in bad weather they are closed, thereby protecting the pistil and stamen from excess moisture. There is a whorl under the flower, which consists of a large number of deeply dissected large stem leaves. Flowering continues for 20-25 days, after which the reliable part of the plant gradually dies off. The fruit is a flat accrete leaflet, the seeds are oblong-ovoid and brown-olive in color.
Growing erantis from seeds
You can plant spring seeds in autumn and spring. In autumn, the seeds are planted as soon as they are harvested. In the spring, it is necessary to plant only those seeds that have been stratified. To do this, it is necessary in winter for two months to keep the seeds in wet sand and in the lower compartment of the refrigerator, occasionally spraying the surface. During the autumn planting, such a procedure is not needed, since during the winter cold weather the seeds in the soil will undergo natural stratification.
Erantis well tolerate both the sun and partial shade. Lowlands are best avoided, otherwise the plant may freeze under ice in winter. The soil is slightly alkaline, loose and moist. When planting, it is necessary to deepen the seeds of erantis by at least 5 cm. Seedlings will appear in the next season, but the first leaves will quickly wither. This is considered normal, since in the first year all the forces of the plant are focused on creating small nodules, which will give full-fledged leaves in the next season. In the second decade of August, the seedlings need to be transplanted to a permanent place. The distance between plants should be at least 6-8 cm. After 2 years, the plant should already please with its flowering. If the planting of tubers was postponed to springtime, then they need to be stored in moist peat. This plant reproduces perfectly with the help of self-seeding.
Planting erantis in open ground
Erantis can be propagated with the help of tubers only when the flower gets stronger and its rhizome develops well. This happens in about 2-3 years. When flowering ends, but the leaves have not yet begun to die off, it is necessary to dig out the rhizome with tubers, dig up and carefully separate the daughter tubers, as well as the rhizome itself. Places of cuts must be processed with crushed coal. Then plant immediately in open ground at a minimum distance of 10 cm from each other. The depth of the holes should be about 5 cm. Plant 3 tubers in one hole at once. Before planting in the pits, you need to pour water and let it fit, then pour a small amount of humus, and wood ash.After planting, the soil around the plants must be covered with peat.
Outdoor care for erantis
Erantis does not need a large amount of moisture, since in the hot summer time the plant already begins to prepare for the dormant period. If during planting organic and mineral fertilizers were applied, then the plant will not need to re-fertilize. The only thing to do regularly throughout the season is to remove weeds and loosen the soil at least once a week.
Erantis does not need a transplant for the first 5-6 years. In the sixth year, the plant is dug up, separated and planted. It must be remembered that the spring plant is a poisonous plant; it must be planted in places where it will be inaccessible to children and animals.
After flowering, the ground parts of the plant gradually wither and die off - you do not need to remove them. Erantis is a fairly frost-resistant plant, therefore it winters well without special shelter.
Diseases and pests
Since erantis is a poisonous plant, neither harmful insects nor various rodents risk attacking it. If you do not follow the rules of watering and keep the soil in a waterlogged state, then the roots of the plant can suffer from gray mold. You can easily get rid of this problem, it is enough to eliminate errors in watering and no longer allow waterlogging of the soil and stagnant moisture.
Types and varieties of erantis
In the garden, only a few species of erantis are grown from all existing ones.
Erantis winter (Eranthis hyemalis), winter spring, or winter spring - grows naturally on mountain slopes and in forests under deciduous trees. The roots with tubers are underground, the leaves grow from the root, the peduncles without leaves grow up to 20 cm in height. The flowers consist of 6 yellow petals. This species begins to bloom at the end of winter. They bloom even before all the snow has melted. With the onset of summer, the aboveground part of the plant dies off and a dormant period begins. This species is very hardy. Popular varieties:
- Noel Hey Res is a double-flowered variety.
- Orange Glow is a variety from Copenhagen.
- Pauline is a British variety.
Erantis Siberian (Eranthis sibirica) - a plant of small size. The newspaper part dies off very quickly after flowering. Stems are low, straight. One leaf is separate-finger-shaped. Flowers are white. Flowering begins in the second half of May and lasts almost until the end of June.
Eranthis cilicica - Grows no more than 10 cm in height. The leaves are reddish-purple, deeply dissected. The flowers are large, yellow. Blooms in early spring. This species is moderately hardy.
Erantis long-legged (Eranthis longistipitata) - the homeland of this species is Central Asia. Slightly smaller in size than winter spring, but outwardly very similar. Grows to about 25 cm in height. The flowers are yellow. Flowering begins in the first half of May.
Eranthis tubergenii - a hybrid of winter spring and Cilician. The tubers are larger and so are the bracts. It blooms longer than other species as it does not produce seeds and does not need pollination. Popular varieties of the species:
- Guinea Gold - grows up to 10 cm. Flowers are dark yellow. Bracts of a greenish tint with a bronze tint.
- Glory - leaves are pale green, and the flowers are large and bright yellow.
Eranthis stellata - grows up to 20 cm. Perennial. Has 3 basal leaves, leafless stem. The flowers are white on top and bluish-purple below. Prefers deep shadow. Flowering begins in April.
Erantis pinnatifida - this species is Japanese. The flowers are white with blue-violet stamens. Suitable for growing in greenhouses.
Erantis looks great in landscape design, makes it more original and interesting, one of the first to decorate the garden in spring. Correctly selected varieties allow you to create a unique flower arrangement.It is not difficult to take care of the plant, it is enough to plant it correctly, and then you do not need to make any special efforts. The plant reproduces itself and is very easy to care for.
