The plant Ophiopogon, or lily of the valley, is a member of the Liliaceae family. The flower's habitat is the territory of Southeast Asia.
Description of ophiopogon
Ophiopogon is a small evergreen herb with a thickened root system. Has fibrous roots. Leaves grow straight from the root. They are linear, thin and bunched. The plant itself has a dense leaf mass. It blooms in the form of a long inflorescence in the form of a spikelet brush. The flowers grow on rather low stalks. Each spikelet has 3-8 flowers. Fruit-berry of an unusual deep blue color.
In the garden, ophiopogon is used for growing as a curb plant. The flower cannot withstand low temperatures, so in winter it is grown only in greenhouses, greenhouses or conservatories.
Home care ofiopogon
Location and lighting
Ophiopogon is unpretentious in lighting and can grow in bright sunlight or in the shade. Can grow away from the window in the back of the room.
Temperature
In spring and summer, ophiopogon should grow in a room with an air temperature of 20-25 degrees, in winter - from 5 to 10 degrees.
Air humidity
The plant responds well to spraying with standing water at room temperature, especially in dry winter time.
Watering
The soil should not be too wet, but you should not allow the water to stagnate in the pot either. In summer, water is plentiful, in winter, watering is reduced to almost a minimum. The substrate should not dry out completely.
The soil
For the substrate, a mixture of turf and leaf soil, as well as sand in equal proportions, is suitable. The soil should be well water and air permeable.
Top dressing and fertilizers
In spring and summer, feeding is carried out 1-2 times a month with mineral organic fertilizers. During the dormant period in winter and autumn, fertilization is stopped.
Transfer
A young plant needs to be replanted every spring, an adult - no more than once every 3-4 years.
Reproduction of ophiopogon
Ophiopogon reproduces by dividing an adult bush into parts that have several processes and their own root system. Reproduction is best done in the spring. The bushes are divided into parts and seated in separate pots. The soil should be fertile and rich in minerals and trace elements.
Also, the plant can be grown from seeds. To do this, they are sown in the spring in a previously prepared container with loose soil and greenhouse conditions are created - high air temperature and good illumination.
Diseases and pests
Ophiopogon refers to an unpretentious plant, therefore, its defeat by pests or diseases is practically not observed. But in natural conditions, this plant can be chosen by snails or slugs, and the root system can be affected by rot.
Types and varieties of ofiopogon with photos and names
Ophiopogon jaburan
It is a rhizome herbaceous perennial plant with a height of about 80 cm.The leaves are collected in the form of a dense rosette, narrow, smooth, about 80 cm long, about 1 cm wide. The inflorescence is located on a peduncle no more than 80 cm high. The flowers are collected in a raceme about 15 cm in length. Small flowers of a delicate purple or white color, similar in structure to a lily of the valley. The fruit also has an attractive appearance - round, deep blue color with a purple tint. This species is represented by many subspecies, differing from each other in the color of the leaves (the presence of narrow white stripes or a yellow border).
Japanese ophiopogon (Ophiopogon japonicus)
It is a rhizome perennial plant, a representative of herbaceous plants. The leaves are narrow, smooth, hard to the touch. The peduncle is not longer than the leaves. The inflorescence is no more than 8 cm in length, collects flowers of pink or purple shades. At the end of flowering, a round blue, close to black berry ripens on the plant.
Ophiopogon planiscapus
Rhizome plant, bushy perennial. The leaves are deep, dark in color, close to black, rather wide, about 35 cm in length. It blooms in the form of brushes. The flowers are large, shaped like bells of white or pink shades. This species is characterized by increased formation of blue-black fruit-berries. The shape of the berries is closer to spherical.
