Pachistachis is a lush evergreen shrub of the Acanthus family. In nature, it is found in Mexico, Australia and East India. This perennial plant is known for its large beautiful leaves and unusual, feather-like inflorescences. From the Greek language, the name can be translated as "thick spike". Florists call it “golden shrimp”, “candle”, “lollipop”. Most often, pachistachis is cultivated as a houseplant. Many flower growers are afraid to start living in the tropics because of the difficulty in care. However, the pachistachis will not need so much attention to grow and bloom.
Plant description
Pachistachis is a perennial evergreen plant with herbaceous or lignified shoots. They branch strongly, forming a lush, almost spherical bush. In the natural environment, the height of the vegetation reaches 2.5 m. Thin, but very strong shoots grow vertically, they are covered with smooth green bark.
Large opposite leaves on short petioles are located along the entire length of the stems. Their length is 10-20 cm. The oval or diamond-shaped sheet plate is mottled with a relief sinewy pattern and painted in dark green. The surface of the sheet is shiny and the edges are solid or jagged.
In March-April, small spike-shaped inflorescences about 10 cm long appear at the ends of the processes. They consist of bright, scaly bracts that fit tightly together. The scales are colored yellow or orange. In turn, large white, pink or scarlet flowers with soft petals about 5 cm long bloom from them. Flowering begins from the lower buds and gradually rises. Flowers fade in 1-2 weeks. But then the spike persists for a long time, so the flowering period lasts until October. In total, 15-20 such inflorescences can bloom on a bush per season.
Types of Pachistachis
The genus of plants is not very numerous, only 12 species are registered in it. In culture (even in botanical gardens), only 2-3 main varieties are found, the rest of the plants can be seen only in the wild.
Pachistachis yellow. A shrub with a height of 90-120 cm is characterized by erect, highly branched shoots. The stems are covered with dark green bark, and gradually lignify in the lower part. Oval sessile foliage grows opposite, crosswise. Both edges are very elongated and narrowed. A dark green shiny sheet plate grows 15–20 cm long and 4–6 cm wide. Its surface is covered with embossed veins. In March-September, large erect ears 10-15 cm long bloom. They are covered with golden bracts, from which white or creamy two-lipped flowers alternately appear. They consist of linear bent petals and a small number of filiform stamens of light green color.
Pachistachis red. He is also called the "Cardinal Guardsman" for the resemblance of an inflorescence with a red feather on his hat. The plant forms a large, sprawling bush almost 2 m high. Strongly elongated oval leaves on short petioles grow on the shoots. Their length in nature can be 40 cm. Leaflets are painted in dark green and sometimes covered with burgundy stains. Dense ears of corn with dark green scales bloom in mid-spring. Red tubular flowers unfold from under them. The corolla consists of 4 petals of a belt-shaped form. The bottom three are bent down, and the fourth, like a sail, hangs over them. Long filamentous stamens with large yellow anthers peep out from the center.
Pachistachis spikelet. The plant is rarely found in homes, as it requires more thorough care. It forms a lush bush up to 1 m high. Dark green oval leaves up to 25 cm long are curved in an arc along the central vein. In spring, narrow long inflorescences appear, covered with green, nondescript scales. In this case, the variety blooms more abundantly, dissolving several flowers of bright red color with orange-yellow large anthers at once.
Breeding methods
Propagation of pachistachis at home is carried out by the method of cuttings. Apical and medium non-lignified stem cuttings are suitable for this. They are cut in the spring. Each stalk must have 1-2 pairs of leaves. They take root in warm, well-purified water. Plants are kept under a hood at a temperature of + 22 ... + 25 ° C.
Every day you need to ventilate and spray the plants. After about 10-15 days, small roots will appear. Now the cuttings are planted in separate pots with a diameter of about 12 cm with soil for adult plants. You can plant 2-3 seedlings together to get a lush bush. When young sprouts appear, pinch their ends for better branching. At the beginning of next spring, transshipment is carried out in larger pots.
Home Care
Pachistachis in care is not too capricious, but it will not let you forget about yourself, otherwise the flower grower will not see a beautiful flowering and lush bush.
Lighting. The plant needs bright diffused light. In summer, it must be shaded from the midday rays, and in the morning and evening it can be exposed to the sun. In the warm season, plants are taken to fresh air, but very carefully protected from drafts and precipitation. In winter, flowers are rearranged on a southern window or use lights.
Temperature. Pachistahis loves moderately warm surroundings. A suitable summer temperature for it is + 21 ... + 25 ° C. On hotter days, you need to ventilate the room more often and spray the bushes. In November-March, the temperature is lowered to + 16 ... + 19 ° C. Cooling below + 14 ° C leads to stunting and death of the plant. With sharp fluctuations and drafts, pachistachis can lose some of the leaves.
Humidity. The plant needs high humidity (60% or more). To do this, they spray it, bathe in the shower and put it near pallets with water or wet pebbles. During the flowering period, water should not fall on the inflorescences.
Watering. Pachistachis can not be left unattended for the duration of the vacation, as more than 2-3 days without watering the plant can not stand it. Irrigate it regularly and abundantly so that the soil does not dry out. For the prevention of fungal diseases, accumulated water is poured from the pan. The irrigation fluid must be well cleaned and settled. With cooling, watering is reduced.
Fertilizer. In March-October, twice a month, pachistachis is fed with mineral complexes for flowering plants. Carefully diluted top dressing is applied to the soil at some distance from the stems so that burns do not appear.
Transfer. Every 1-2 years, plants are recommended to be replanted. The pot is picked up slightly more than the previous one and a part of the old earth is removed to prevent its acidification. A thick layer of pebble, gravel or expanded clay is poured at the bottom of the tank. The soil for planting is composed of clay-soddy soil, peat, sand, deciduous humus and leaf soil. After transplantation, pachistachis should be well watered.
Pruning. Pachistachis grows slowly, but regular pruning of the shoots will benefit him. This is necessary because it is small bushes that bloom more abundantly and often. In spring, the stems are cut, removing up to 12 cm of shoots. The tops on all processes pinch, because it is at the ends of the branches that inflorescences are formed.
Rejuvenation. Gradually, the stems below become very bare and the bush loses its decorativeness. The old plant is replaced by young cuttings. You can cut the stems, leaving only small stumps near the ground. Then sleeping kidneys will wake up on them.
Possible difficulties
Pachistachis is resistant to plant diseases and most pests. Insects attack bushes that stand on the street. Another risk factor is high temperature and dry air. Most often, mealybugs, scale insects and spider mites settle on the leaves. They are eliminated by bathing the plants under a plentiful hot (up to 45 ° C) shower and spraying with an insecticide. Large insects are harvested by hand.
With its appearance, pachistachis can signal errors in care:
- green lower leaves fall - the plant was exposed to draft;
- the ends of the leaves curl and dry - the air is too dry;
- the stems are stretched and exposed - there is not enough lighting, especially when the winter is warm;
- faded leaves and brown spots - too bright light, sunburn.
Use of Pachistachis
Lush, long-blooming pachistachis bushes are suitable for landscaping residential and public buildings. They are planted in small pots and large flowerpots. In summer, these flowers can decorate balconies and verandas. Rooted cuttings in the middle of April are taken out for hardening on the street, and in May they are planted in open ground. In the southern regions, the plant feels great in the garden throughout the year. It is used to create bright flower beds, decorate a border or a low hedge. In the middle zone of Russia in the fall, plants will die from the cold if they are not dug up and brought into the room.
