Pseuderanthemum is a shrub or herb that belongs to the Acanthaceae family. The place where this plant grows is in the tropical zones of both hemispheres of the Earth.
Pseudorantemum is a branched upright shrub with very beautiful and decorative foliage. Leaves can be elliptical, narrow-lanceolate or obovate in shape. The leaf blade does not exceed 10-15 cm in length, it is soft and fragile to the touch. Although the appearance is not so fragile, glossy leaves appear waxy, wrinkled, bulging and bulging in places. The shades of the leaves can be completely different: green and dark green, almost black with purple, violet and other blotches. Inflorescences in most cases are apical, in rare cases axillary with pinkish, white or purple flowers. The ideal place to grow these plants is the florarium.
Caring for pseudo-erantemum at home
Location and lighting
The pseudorantemum loves bright light, but it is very important that it be diffused. In winter, bright lighting is especially necessary, therefore it is recommended to additionally illuminate the flower with fluorescent lamps.
East and west windows are the best place for growing a pseudo-erantemum, although southern ones are perfect, but it is worth remembering that in this case you will need to shade the plant from the direct rays of the sun. With a lack of light, the spots on the leaves disappear, and with an excess of light, the leaves turn bright red, and the pseudo-erantemum itself no longer develops.
Temperature
In summer, a comfortable temperature for pseudo-erantemum is 23-25 degrees. In autumn and winter, it should be at least 20 degrees. Pseudo-erantemums are bad for temperature changes in the room and drafts.
Air humidity
The pseudo-erantemum flower loves high humidity in the room, so it needs to be sprayed with water at any time of the year. In winter, the air in the apartment becomes dry due to heating, therefore, during this period, the plant needs increased moisture. To increase the humidity, you can also wipe the leaves with water, and put wet moss, expanded clay or pebbles on the pallet.
Watering
Watering should be plentiful every time the topsoil dries up. This happens very quickly, since water evaporates quite intensively through the leaves of the pseudo-erantemum. If you dry out the earthen lump, the leaves will begin to fall off, but it is also not worth “filling” the plant, since the root system may begin to rot.
Top dressing and fertilizers
In spring and summer, complex fertilizers with a high potassium content must be applied to the soil with pseudo-erantemum every month to ensure a beautiful color of the leaves. In autumn and winter, you do not need to fertilize the plant.
Transfer
The growth of the plant is very fast, so the pseudo-erantemum needs to be transplanted annually, and the pot is doubled in volume each time. The root system also grows quickly, so it must be shortened with each transplant.
Light neutral or slightly acidic soil can serve as a substrate. It is imperative to put drainage at the bottom of the pot. Do not use too tight pots, otherwise the plant will begin to shed its leaves.
Pruning
In order for the appearance of the pseudo-erantemum to be effective, it is necessary to regularly pinch and cut the branches. This is due to the fact that when it grows, the lower leaves begin to fall off and the trunks become bare. It is recommended to achieve by pinching and cutting more branching of the trunks. In lateral shoots, growth is carried out only at the top, therefore, to obtain a beautiful shape in the plant, it is recommended to press them to the ground with a flexible cord, tying the ends of the cord around the pot.
Reproduction of the pseudo-erantemum
Reproduction of pseudo-erantemum is carried out at the expense of herbaceous or semi-lignified cuttings. You can root cuttings in a substrate or water. In the first option, the cuttings are planted in a substrate whose temperature is 25 degrees and above. In order for them to take root better, hormonal growth stimulants can be used. Cover the cuttings with glass or a glass jar and do not open until the cuttings have taken root. In the second option, the cuttings are placed in water, the temperature of which is from 26 to 28 degrees.
Diseases and pests
Over-watering will lead to root rot. Dry air leads to the appearance of spider mites. Poor care can cause mealybugs, scale insects, or whiteflies to appear.
Growing difficulties
- Leaves fall off - most likely this indicates drying out of the roots.
- Dry leaf tips and brown spots - dry air or excess lighting.
- Yellowing and leaf fall - excess moisture in the soil or lack of it in the air.
- Leaves turn yellow - too low humidity, excessive waterlogging of the soil.
Popular types
- Pseudorantemum dark purple (Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum). This shrub can be 1.2 m high. Its leaves are large, oval and whole-edged (5-9 cm wide and 8-14 cm long) have short petioles. The pink-reddish leaves have green or yellow spots. And on the white inflorescences - purple specks.
- Pseudorantemum reticulated (Pseuderanthemum reticulatum). This shrub reaches 0.5-1 m in height. The leaves are oblong, pointed, reaching a length of 13-16 cm. They are wavy, green, with many golden or yellowish stripes. The petioles of the leaves are short, the pedicels of the white flowers, too, and the corolla pharynx is reddish. Flowers can be up to 3-4 cm in diameter.
- Pseudorantemum notched (Pseuderanthemum sinuatum). It is a herbaceous plant up to 0.5 m high. The leaves are notched, narrow-lanceolate, 2 cm wide, 13-16 cm long. The outer side of the leaves is olive-greenish, and the lower side is reddish. The white flowers have red-purple specks.
