Hypoestes is an evergreen plant belonging to the Acanthus family. Scientists consider the rainforests of the island of Madagascar and the territory of South Africa to be the birthplace of hypoesthesia.
The flower cup of the hypoestes is always covered with a bract, from which it got its name (a combination of two Greek words literally translates as "under" and "house").
Hypoestes grows both as shrubs and herbaceous plants. Its size is small, but abundant flowering. The leaves are ovoid in shape, opposite each other, both smooth and rough at the edges, green in color. The high decorativeness of this plant is associated with its beautiful leaves: specks of various colors are scattered on a green background - from white to red.
Hypoesthesia care at home
Location and lighting
At any time of the year, hypoesthesia needs good lighting. The plant should be shaded out of direct sunlight. In winter and autumn, short daylight hours do not allow the plant to receive the required amount of lighting, therefore it is important to use additional fluorescent lamps or phytolamps. With a low level of illumination, the leaves of hypoesthesia will lose their decorative effect - spots will disappear from them.
Temperature
Hypoestes does not tolerate fluctuations in ambient temperature, as well as drafts. In spring and summer, the optimum room temperature should vary from 22 to 25 degrees, in winter it should be at least 17 degrees.
Air humidity
Rainforests, as the birthplace of hypoesthesia, have caused hypoesthesia to constantly need air with high levels of humidity. It is important to regularly spray the leaves with warm, settled water. For additional moisture, the pot with the plant is placed in a pallet with wet expanded clay or moss, while the bottom of the slide should not touch moisture, otherwise root decay may occur.
Watering
Hypoestes is watered abundantly in spring and summer and often as the topsoil dries up. The earth ball should not completely dry out, otherwise the plant will shed its leaves. Starting in autumn, watering is gradually reduced and it is reduced to a minimum in winter - it is watered only when a couple of days have passed since the top layer of the substrate dries out.
The soil
The optimal soil composition for growing hypoesthesia: leafy soil, humus, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1, with a pH of 5-6. A good drainage layer must be placed on the bottom of the pot.
Top dressing and fertilizers
In order to keep the bright color of the leaves all the time, hypoesthesia is regularly fed with fertilizers with a high potassium content from spring to autumn. The frequency of top dressing is once a month.
Transfer
Hypoestes needs an annual transplant in the spring. The plant is considered old after about 2-3 years, so at about this frequency it is important to renew the shrub with new young shoots.
Pruning
The plant can be given a neat decorative look by pinching the shoots. By pinching the shoots, they begin to branch better.
Reproduction of hypoesthesia
Hypoestes can be propagated both by cuttings-shoots and by seeds. Seeds are planted in the ground in March, cover the container with a transparent bag or glass and leave in this state at a temperature of about 13-18 degrees. The greenhouse is periodically ventilated and moistened with an earthen lump. The first shoots appear quite quickly, and after 3-4 months it will be possible to form the basis for a future adult plant from the seedlings.
It is possible to propagate hypoestes by cuttings all year round. At least 2-3 nodes should remain on one cutting when cut. The cutting takes root both in water and directly in a previously prepared substrate at a temperature of 22-24 degrees.
Diseases and pests
Pests rarely infect the leaves of hypoesthesia, but it can lose its leaves from an excess of moisture in the soil, dry air, sudden temperature changes, and drafts. If there is a lack of light, then the leaves will lose their decorative effect, and the shoots will become thin.
Popular types of hypoesthesia
Hypoestes blood red - evergreen shrub no more than 0.5 m high. The width of the leaves is about 3-4 cm, the length is 5-8 cm. The shape is ovoid, the leaf itself is dark green, the spots on it are red. It blooms with small flowers, collected in a corolla inflorescence.
Leaf grate hypoestes - evergreen dwarf shrub, similar in appearance to red hypoesthesia. The leaves are soft to the touch, purple-red in color. It blooms with single flowers of a lavender shade.
