Mesembriantemum

The plant Mesembryanthemum is a succulent from the Aizov family. It is a South African flower with an annual or biennial development cycle, although some varieties are perennials. The name of the mesembriantemum has Greek roots and means "midday flower". This is due to the fact that most plant species reveal their flowers only on clear days. Folk variants - "sunflower" and "midday" also reflect this feature. Interestingly, other species were later discovered, whose flowers, on the contrary, open only at night.

The genus includes over 50 different species, but only a few of them are found in gardening. Mesembriantemum cultivars can be used in ordinary flower beds, as container plants, as well as for decorating rockeries and rock gardens. Sometimes mesembryanthemums are confused with their related dorotheanthuses and both names are used synonymously. Shoots of some species are considered edible.

Description of the mesembryanthemum

The genus Mesembriantemum includes herbaceous species with creeping or creeping stems, as well as medium-sized dwarf shrubs. Their straight shoots branch considerably. Fleshy foliage is round or fusiform. It is painted in shades of green. The arrangement of the leaves on the shoot is different. To the bottom of the stem, they are placed opposite each other, and at the top - alternately. The surface of the leaves is covered with shiny villi and special cells - idioblasts, resembling tiny dewdrops or lenses. Another name of the mesembryanthemum is connected with this - ice or crystal grass. In such formations, the plant stores juice.

The flowers of the plants resemble daisies. They can be located alone or form racemose inflorescences in the leaf axils. The color of the flowers is very diverse: it includes shades of white, red, pink and yellow and can combine several tones at once. The bright flowers of the mesembryanthemum stand out significantly in the flower beds, despite the miniature size of the bushes. The flowering period lasts all summer, ending only by October. After flowering, capsules with numerous small seeds are formed. They are able to remain viable for about 2 years. You can grow such flowers both in the garden and at home.

Brief rules for growing mesembryanthemum

The table shows brief rules for growing mesembryanthemum in the open field.

Growing mesembryanthemum from seeds

Sowing seeds

In the southern regions, mesembryanthemum seeds can be sown directly into the ground, but in more northern regions, the seedling method is usually used. This sowing is started in early April. It is important that the seedlings receive enough light, so they may not have enough light at an earlier date. In this case, the seedlings may become more fragile, and their growth rate will noticeably decrease.

For growing mesembryanthemum from seeds, a light soil is used, including sand, peat and half of the garden soil. The finished substrate is pre-disinfected by calcining in the oven or spilling with a manganese solution. Soil preparation procedures should be carried out about a couple of weeks before sowing. The treated substrate is leveled and tidied up in a warm place. During this period, microorganisms necessary for plants should form in it.

When sowing, small flower seeds are not buried, but only distributed on the surface of moist soil, slightly pressing them into it. From above, the container is covered with foil or glass and placed in a bright and cool (about 15-16 degrees) corner. The first shoots are shown in about a week. After that, the seedlings should be moved to an even cooler (about 10-12 degrees) place. Mass seedlings should appear within a month.

Growing seedlings

Seedlings of mesembryanthemum develop rather slowly and are unable to withstand root rot. To get healthy seedlings, it is especially important to follow the rules for watering them. The soil in the container with the seedlings should always remain slightly damp, but the greenhouse will often have to be ventilated. In order not to wash out the soil with regular watering, you should use a sprayer.

When the sprouts get stronger and form 1-2 pairs of true leaves, they dive into their own pots filled with soil of the same composition. You can place several seedlings per pot. The mesembriantemum does not need feeding at the seedling stage.

Planting a mesembryanthemum in open ground

When to plant

Planting the mesembryanthemum in open ground is carried out when all return frosts have passed. The bushes are transplanted into the warmed-up ground in late spring or early summer.

Mesembryanthemums prefer sunny areas exposed to light throughout the day. It is important that the area with flowers is ventilated, but protected from drafts. The optimal location of the flower bed will be the southern part of the garden. For bushes, you will need sandy or rocky soil that is not too rich in nutrients. Before planting, sand can be added to the ground, as well as expanded clay, which creates the drainage necessary for plants. Constant soil moisture can lead to decay of the bushes, so they should not be combined with moisture-loving species. The corner where the mesembryanthemums grow can be additionally covered with small stones that will prevent the foliage from decaying.

If in May the seeds were sown directly into open ground, they should be thinned out after emergence. The weakest sprouts are removed or carefully planted on another bed, keeping a distance of about 15-20 cm between them.

Landing features

Planting seedlings of mesembryanthemum is carried out according to the general rules. On the flower bed, holes are made according to the size of the root system of the bushes, taking into account the earthen coma.A distance of about 20 cm is maintained between the holes. If the variety has particularly long shoots, the distance can be slightly increased. After moving the seedlings to a new place, the voids in the holes are filled with loose soil that conducts moisture well. After transplanting, mesembryanthemums are watered and lightly rammed near the bushes.

If the garden mesembriantemum will be grown in a pots or container, you should not choose an overly large container - for flowering, the roots of the plant must have time to master it. To create a more elegant composition, you can plant several bushes in one container.

Mesembriantemum care

Watering

Due to the fact that the mesembriantemum painfully tolerates waterlogging, watering is carried out only if necessary. They are usually carried out during periods of drought, when the lack of moisture will become especially noticeable. In rainy summers, flowers can suffer from heavy rainfall. They can be protected from showers with a film that will not allow the earth to oversaturate with water. If the flowers have been placed in containers, they are watered when most of the soil coma is dry.

Top dressing

Mesembryanthemum can be fed about once every 2-3 weeks. To do this, use complex formulations suitable for succulents.

Pruning

Mesembryanthemums do not need pruning - their creeping shoots gradually form a continuous carpet, making the flower beds even more decorative. In containers, such plants are usually ampelous. Taking proper care of your flowers will extend bud formation until mid-autumn.

Mesembriantemum after flowering

Autumn care

In the fall, you can collect seeds from the bushes. To do this, wait until the seed pods are completely dry, collect them, and then place them in warm water. When the capsules open, the seeds are taken out of them, washed and dried, and then tidied up for storage.

Wintering

In the middle lane, mesembryanthemums will not be able to winter, but plantings can be kept until next year. In the fall, the bushes are removed from the ground, transplanted into pots, and then tidied up for storage in a cool (about 10-12 degrees) corner. Watering is practically not required for the plants. In the spring, when the bushes begin to grow, they are cuttings. Rooting requires diffused lighting and moderate watering. The cuttings are placed in moist sandy soil and are not watered for several days, giving them the opportunity to adapt to a new place. If fresh leaves appear on the seedlings, it means that they have successfully taken root. After the final establishment of warm weather, such plants can be planted in the beds.

Diseases and pests of the mesembryanthemum

Diseases

A healthy mesembriantemum is excellent at resisting pests and diseases, but bushes can be weakened by unsuitable weather for them. Excessive moisture or excessive watering can lead to the development of root rot. This disease is considered almost incurable, but if you notice it at an early stage, you can try to save the bushes. To do this, they cut off all the affected parts, and the rest is treated with a fungicide solution.

Shrubs planted in shade can have flowering problems. Sometimes they may not bloom at all - for this, the mesembriantemums require a lot of light. Lack of lighting makes the bushes frail and painful. An excessively poor soil is also capable of affecting the appearance of the plantings, but you should not oversaturate the soil with nutrients.

Pests

The conditions favored by the mesembriantemum - heat and dryness - make it an attractive target for spider mites. If pests appear on the bushes in a dry summer, an appropriate acaricide must be used. Sometimes slugs can attack the plants, they are removed from the bushes by hand or using traps.

Types and varieties of mesembriantemum with photos and names

Of the whole variety of mesembriantemums in gardening, only a few types are usually used:

Crystal mesembryanthemum (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum)

This species is also known as "crystal grass".Mesembryanthemum crystallinum lives in the South African deserts. This sprawling perennial reaches a height of only 15 cm. Its numerous stems are covered with small fleshy leaves that have an oval shape. The leaves are greenish, but in the heat the foliage becomes red or pink. Due to the abundance of droplets sparkling in the sun on the leaves, this species looks unusual and attractive. The edges of the leaf blades are slightly wavy. In shape, the flowers of this species resemble daisies with graceful petals. Among the main varieties:

• Harlequin - the variety is distinguished by two-colored petals of orange-pink color.
• Sparkles - the foliage of this variety has a white-yellow color, flowers are multi-colored. Their size reaches 4.5 cm.
• Limpopo - a variety mixture of mesembriantemums with flowers of various colors.

Mesembryanthemum gramineus

Or mesembriantemum tricolor. Forms branchy bushes up to 12 cm high. Mesembryanthemum gramineus has reddish shoots and linear foliage up to 5 cm long. The surface of the leaf plates is pubescent. The flowers have a bright pink color, and their heart is painted in a dark color. The size of the flowers is about 3.5 cm.

Mesembryanthemum bellidiformis

Or hairy-flowered mesembriantemum. An annual species that forms branched shoots up to 10 cm tall. The foliage of Mesembryanthemum bellidiformis reaches 7.5 cm in length. There are papillae on the back of the fleshy leaves. The flowers are up to 4 cm across. Their coloration includes tones of pink and purple, purple and red, as well as yellow and orange. Flowers can only open on sunny days. It is this type that is most often used to decorate gardens.

Mesembryanthemum cloudy (Mesembryanthemum nubigenum)

Although in horticulture this species serves as a ground cover plant, in nature it takes the form of a semi-shrub. Mesembryanthemum nubigenum forms rather tall stems - from 60 cm to 1 m in height. Foliage can be oval or linear. As the temperature decreases, its green color changes to bronze. This species is more cold-resistant, but its flowering period is relatively short. At this time, flowers about 3.5 cm in size are formed on the bushes, having graceful petals of golden, orange, red or even purple color.

Mesembryanthemum occulatus

A notable feature of this species is the interesting color of the flowers. Mesembryanthemum occulatus forms flowers with bright yellow petals, but the center of the flower, as well as its pistil with stamens, are red. The bushes are low - up to 10 cm in size.The length of the foliage reaches 4.5 cm.