Levisia (Lewisia) is a miniature perennial plant from the Montiev family. In nature, this low succulent lives only on the North American continent, adorning high-mountain rocky slopes with its appearance. The pace of development of the Levisia is subordinated to the external conditions of their homeland. Depending on the level of humidity, these flowers can completely disappear from view for a while, plunging into a dormant period, and then recover again and delight the eye.
Most of these plants begin to grow in spring, and after flowering, at the end of summer, they shed their leaves. Some varieties, however, begin to grow in the fall. Flowering in this case occurs earlier. There are also evergreen levisia, which do not shed leaves at all.
Due to its spectacular and abundant flowering, this plant is not lost in the garden, even with its small size. Levisia can be found in rock gardens and rockeries, in areas with difficult terrain, as well as in ordinary flower beds and even in pots.
Description of levisia
Despite the small size of the aboveground part - no more than 30 cm in height - the roots of Levisia are very well developed. They firmly cling to the ground and germinate to great depths. In this case, small nodules are formed on the roots.
The compact beauty is thermophilic and quite demanding on growing conditions. The soil in which it grows should not be too dry or wet. Both are bad for the health of the flower.
The beginning of flowering of most levisia falls on the end of spring. It lasts until the end of September. At this time, the bush is covered with many bright flowers, but even without them, it does not lose its decorative effect due to its beautiful rich green leaves. They make up a root rosette no more than 40 cm in diameter. The foliage is very elastic and has a slightly elongated shape. The leaves are smooth to the touch. There are both deciduous and evergreen varieties and types of these flowers. The latter are more capricious and require a solid winter shelter.
With the onset of the flowering period, a vertical peduncle grows from the outlet up to 20 cm long. On top of it there are several flowers at once, large enough for a small bush (up to 5 cm in diameter). The petals have an uneven edge and are slightly pointed at the top. The palette of shades is wide enough: flowers can be pink, red, orange, yellow or lilac. They often have an uneven, complex color. The core is most often yellow in color, there is a pistil and several long noticeable stamens. After wilting of each flower, a round fruit up to 4 mm in diameter, filled with small seeds, forms in its place.
How to plant and transplant Levisia
Landing
The Levisia flower is grown as a perennial and can winter in the garden. Bushes are able to grow without transplants for over 10 years. You can also grow the plant in containers. In this case, it should spend the winter warm, and in the spring it must be taken out into the garden or on the veranda.
The site chosen for planting should be well lit by the sun for at least several hours. Levisia can be planted on slopes, in crevices, as well as next to large stones. This is not only due to the fact that in nature the plant lives in rocky areas. A boulder or any other impressive "neighbor" will create the necessary small shadow for Levisia and will not allow the ground next to it to overheat. To do this, before planting, you should study the lighting features of the selected corner.
If Levisia grows in a pot, it is placed on the west or east window: at noon, diffused lighting is more suitable for the flower. At the same time, you should not choose a container that is too bulky for a plant. In large containers, it will begin to build up its green mass and may not bloom. The pot must have several holes in the bottom, as well as a thick layer of drainage.
Transfer
It is recommended to transplant levizia only if the selected corner is not at all suitable for the plant. It does not like travel.
Potted Levisia is transplanted if it has outgrown its pot. You can do this in late autumn, when the container with the flower is removed for wintering, or you can wait until spring. It is necessary to move the flower along with the soil ball, using a pot slightly larger than the previous one.
Outdoor Levisia Care
Levisia does not differ in unpretentiousness, but if all the requirements are met, an elegant and lush bush will turn out from it. Levisia loves sunny places, but does not tolerate the heat and even freezes in development on too hot days. For her, it is worth picking up corners lit only in the morning or evening.
Watering mode
Watering should be regular, but not plentiful. Due to the fact that the roots of the flower go deep into the ground, it is able to calmly survive a short period of drought, but it absolutely does not tolerate waterlogging and stagnation of water at the roots.
It is necessary to water the Levisia bushes at the root, trying not to wet its leaves and flowers. To protect the plant during heavy and prolonged rainfall, it can be covered with a transparent cover.
If Levisia grows in a pot, it is watered so that the ground constantly remains slightly damp, but still has time to dry out. If the flower has stopped growing from the heat, instead of watering it can be sprayed a little.
The soil
A slightly elevated or sloping area will be the optimal planting place for growing Levisia in the open field. Plants will not survive in lowlands, where water stands for a long time.
Before planting Levisia, a deep hole should be prepared for it. It must have a solid drainage layer. Its thickness can be up to half a meter. The plant prefers acidic soil. You can make a mixture for growing it yourself by mixing peat with humus, sand, mullein and crushed stone.
During planting, the root area can be covered with fine gravel or pebbles so that the stem and roots of the plant are not waterlogged. Mulching will help protect the flower.
Fertilizers
Levisia is rarely fed, it will be enough twice a summer. At the same time, it is better to use organic fertilizers for feeding, for example, a weak infusion of mullein, but you can also use mineral fertilizing.
Too much fertilizer will not affect the abundance of flowering, but it can knock down the internal regime of the plant.
Pruning
It is not recommended to touch the flowering bush, but after the peduncles are completely dry, they can be carefully cut off so as not to damage the plant.
Wintering period
Evergreen levisia require more care during preparation for cold weather. Even flower varieties suitable for growing in the middle lane must be carefully covered for the winter.The bushes are insulated by covering them with fallen leaves or straw. So that the spring thaw does not lead to rotting of the roots, in March you can cover the bushes with cans or other transparent containers.
Deciduous varieties of Levisia can overwinter even without special training. Potted plants that have spent the whole summer in the garden are transferred to a cool, but well-lit room before the onset of frost.
Diseases and pests
Pests
In the garden, Levisia can suffer from attack by slugs or aphids. Slugs that encroach on fancy flowers can be hand-picked or made with homemade traps. To save the bushes from aphids, the foliage can be rinsed with soapy water or garlic infusion. If these methods do not work, you can use an insecticide.
Diseases
The main cause of levizia disease is the development of gray rot. The appearance of the disease can be judged by the grayish-brown spots on the foliage. If the lesion is small, the spotted leaves are cut off, and the bush itself is treated with a fungicide. In case of complete infection, the plant will have to be dug up and burned in order to avoid disease in neighboring bushes.
Breeding methods for levisia
Growing from seeds
Due to the fact that the seeds of levizia very quickly lose their germination, only freshly harvested planting material is suitable for reproduction. Seeds can be sown in open ground before winter. The procedure is carried out in late autumn. Sowing is carried out in dug up soil, after which, for safety, the seeds are covered with a layer of peat or compost.
Seedlings may appear at the end of March. If the plants have been sown too densely, they should be cut down. After that, during the year, the seedlings are no longer transplanted, moving them to a permanent place only for the next spring.
You can try to grow a flower through seedlings. To do this, a month before spring sowing, the seeds are removed to the refrigerator. Another way of stratification is to sow seeds in small containers, cover with glass and tidy them up for a month in a cold place. With the emergence of sprouts, the containers are returned to the heat. The first shoots may appear in a couple of weeks. After the appearance of two true leaves, the seedlings can be dived.
The seedlings obtained in this way are taken out into the garden only after the final establishment of warm weather. But levizia obtained from seeds will bloom only for 2-3 years of cultivation.
Propagation by cuttings
In adult Levisia bushes, lateral rosettes of leaves are formed, devoid of their own root. For reproduction in the spring, they can be cut with a sharp knife, being careful not to touch the main bush. The resulting cuttings are dried by sprinkling the cut with charcoal. Sometimes they are treated with a fungicide and root stimulant shortly before planting, and then planted in a small container with poor soil.
The container with the cuttings is kept in a cool place until they start to take root. When the seedlings grow up and gain strength, they can be moved to a permanent place. It is not recommended to fertilize them during the rooting period.
Types of levisia with photos and descriptions
In nature, there are about 20 species of these plants. Thanks to the labor of breeders who have dealt with this flower, a wide variety of garden hybrids have been obtained. It is they who can most often be found in areas in the middle lane. Such levizias are slightly less demanding in care, but at the same time they are distinguished by a wide range of colors. They should be selected not only for the beauty of the flowers, but also for the most suitable growing conditions.
Levisia cotyledon (lewisia cotyledon), or blunt-leaved
The most popular species, often used for breeding. The height of such a levisia reaches 30 cm. It is considered evergreen. The length of the leaves in the rosette can reach 15 cm; they have a serrated and slightly wavy edge with a reddish border.
The flowering period begins at the very end of spring, high flower stalks with a large number of buds are formed on the bushes.In one season, the number of peduncles on one plant can reach 15 pieces. The buds on them do not open simultaneously, but gradually, no more than 4 at a time. Most often, Levisia of this type have a pink color, but there are varieties with a darker or variegated color of petals. The size of each flower is about 2.5 cm in diameter.
When hybrid varieties are grown by seed, the mother color can mutate and therefore the color can vary.
Levisia Constellation
Hybrid obtained on the basis of blunt-leaved levizia. The petals of this variety are orange-pink in color and have a light border.
Due to their decorative qualities, such hybrids are considered one of the most famous in horticulture. Most of the hybrid Levisia blooms from May to September.
Dwarf levisia (Lewisia pygmaea)
An even more compact variety that is often used to decorate alpine slides. The flower is notable for its unpretentiousness. This deciduous perennial is less hassle than its counterparts. The flowering of the plant begins a little earlier - in April or May. On the peduncles there are 7 flowers up to 3 cm in diameter, forming an umbrella inflorescence. Smooth color transitions add decorativeness to them: from the end of the petal to its base, it can change from pink to white. Peduncles can droop or even lie down.
The leaves of dwarf levisia are narrow and up to 10 cm long. They appear in late spring and outwardly resemble small onion arrows. After flowering, the foliage dries up, completely hiding the plant from sight, but you should not worry about the safety of the flower - in the same autumn, after precipitation, the rosette begins to grow again.
The flower reproduces well by self-sowing and is even capable of turning into a garden weed.
Levisia nevadensis (Lewisia nevadensis)
North American view. It prefers to grow on wet sand that dries up in summer. The root rosette is composed of long, thick and slightly curved leaves. The plant quickly and easily spreads with the help of offspring, "children", and also gives self-seeding, but it does not differ in great frost resistance.
The flowering period lasts all summer, but flowers only open on clear days. Peduncles are short, petals are white and shaded with lemon-yellow stamens.
Levisia short-peel (Lewisia brachycalyx)
A deciduous species found naturally in the southwest of the North American continent. It is distinguished by short oval leaves up to 10 cm long, slightly pointed upwards and having a bluish bloom. The peduncles are short, the flowers are small and have a delicate white-pink color. Depending on external conditions, the features of the color may differ, but at the same time maintain the general palette. The core color is beige or white.
Flowering lasts from early spring to June, with flowers opening any day, not just in the sun. The dormant period lasts from flowering to full maturation of the seeds. The bush goes into growth in the autumn, after the end of the rainy season.
Lewisia rediviva
A fairly rare variety. The height of the bush reaches only 5 cm. Its peduncles are almost invisible; small pink or white flowers less than 1 cm in diameter are located singly on them. Admire the tiny Levisia in all its glory only on sunny days.
Lewisia tweedyi
The second name of this variety, "flowering cabbage", is associated with its wide, fleshy, bright green foliage. In nature, this species lives in gorges and prefers not sunny, but slightly shady places. Grows up to 15 cm in height. Its flowers are located on high peduncles up to 20 cm long. The size of each flower is about 5 cm, their color varies from deep pink to yellow-orange or red. Closer to the edge, the color of the petals is slightly blurred, which adds to their decorative effect.
For the winter, such levisia is recommended to be moved into containers and transferred to greenhouses for wintering.Wet winter weather can damage the plant.
