Arisaema stands out among other indoor plants. Its distinguishing feature is its unusual appearance. Some florists compare its flowers to a cobra ready to attack, others compare it to a minister of a Catholic church with a hood over his head.
Description
Arizema belongs to the herbaceous plants of the aroid family. This herb is evergreen, with a pronounced dormant period. The main distinguishing feature of the aroids is the inflorescence, which consists of small flowers collected in unsightly cobs. The stem of the plant goes deep into the soil; at its end there is a globular tuber with well branched roots.
Arisema has no more than four leaves, usually one or two. Their shape transforms as they grow. They can be oval, diamond-shaped or elliptical. The size of the leaves varies. As a rule, there is one large leaf and, occasionally, it is supplemented by several small ones. The veins on the leaf plate are pronounced and form a complex pattern.
The inflorescence is single, it appears at the same time as the leaf, or a little earlier. The pedicel is elongated, resembling a false stem. The shade of the flower can be any monochromatic. The shape is a bowl extending upward. The main decorative element is the covering of the inflorescence. It is drooping, slightly compressed, with distinctly noticeable light stripes, and has a sharp tip. The arizema flower has practically no odor.
The light stripes on the inside of the coverlet are designed to attract insects and prolong the pollination process. It is a kind of trap.
After the inflorescence fades, red (in some species yellow) fruits appear. They are small, obovoid shaped. Inside the berries are globular seeds.
Popular species
The genus Arizem includes more than 100 species. Their main habitat is Africa and Asia. Only a small part of them can grow in the middle belt of Russia as a garden or room plant. Such species of arisemes include:
- Japanese (Serratum) is a water-loving plant that has a flower stalk up to 50 cm in height. The flower is unsightly – gray with dark spots. Flowering begins in the first weeks of June, and at the end of the summer the above-ground part of the plant completely dies off;
- Amurense (Amurense) – prefers a shaded area, well protected from sunlight. Always has two leaves. The flower is cream-colored, with a pale green coverlet. Flowering lasts about two weeks and occurs in the last days of May;
- Powerful (Robustum) – Characterized by its impressive leaf size and unsightly inflorescence. It is used exclusively for medicinal purposes, as it is not decorative;
- White-flowered (Candidissimum) is the most famous species used in room and garden floriculture. The inflorescence is up to 10-15 cm in height. The main decoration is a coverlet of a delicate pink shade. Leaves appear after the flower dies off;
- Griffitha (Griffithii) is a dicotyledonous variety. The female flower has a spectacular appearance: it has a purple veil with an elegant pattern of veins, with a pointed tail at the end. The cob itself is a rich chocolate color.
Planting and care
All species of Arisema are wild-growing, so they need to recreate an environment close to nature to grow in the room. It likes abundant watering, a shady place and a mandatory dormant period during the winter months.
Replanting and choice of soil
The tuber can be transplanted exclusively in winter, before the first sprouts appear. The recommended frequency of the procedure is once every 2-3 years. The soil should be loose and have good drainage. The best choice is a mixture of equal parts of loam and sand. There are no special requirements for the acidity of the plant.
Important:
There should be a large amount of organic matter in the soil, such as decaying leaves.
Lighting conditions
The plant does not like bright sun, it can grow both in full shade and in penumbra. Increased lighting is necessary only for the spring period during the awakening of the tuber and the emergence of the first sprouts. Simultaneously with sunlight, it is worth increasing the amount of watering.
Temperature regime
An important rule of keeping arisema is to lower the temperature in winter during dormancy. At this time, the temperature range should be within +10…+15 degrees. At other times, normal room temperature (about +18 … +23) will do. The plant poorly tolerates heat and heat.
Humidity
Arisema does not need spraying or additional humidification. Moisture trapped inside the inflorescence can lead to rotting.
Watering
During the whole vegetative period (from April to October), the arizema should be watered frequently and abundantly. Do not allow moisture to stagnate in the pan, this rots the tuber and fungal diseases appear. During the winter months, stop watering and keep the tuber dry.
Fertilizing
Depending on the period:
- In spring, summer and first half of fall: once every two weeks;
- No need for nutrition in winter.
For fertilizing, it is worth choosing ready-made complexes for indoor flowering plants. Alternate the use of mineral and organic compositions.
Pruning
The plant has only 1-2 leaves, so it does not need shaping. The fully withered leaves, which appear and die off during the awakening period of the tuber in the spring, should be removed. Once the vegetative period is over and the above-ground part dries out, it should also be removed.
Attention:
Only completely dried shoots can be cut, dying shoots continue to feed the tuber and must not be removed early.
Propagation
Like all tuberous plants, arisema can be propagated in two ways:
- By seeds. This method is justified when it is necessary to obtain a large number of young seedlings. Ripened seeds should be collected in autumn and put away for storage until the next summer. The optimal time of planting is the end of August. Plant the seeds in a bed and cover them with fallen leaves. As they germinate, seedlings should be thinned;
- vegetatively. This method allows you to quickly get a young, flowering plant. The tubers can be separated from the mother plant in the fall or spring. They should be planted in a separate pot, the time of planting – late autumn.
Arizema grown from seeds blooms in 4-5 years from the time of planting, from tubers – in the second year.
Possible problems
The plant is most susceptible to fungal diseases:
- Rust. In this case, the leaves and inflorescences gradually turn yellow and die off, rusty spots of irregular shape are noticeable on them. The disease can be overcome with fungicidal preparations. If the damage has affected the entire plant, it must be removed completely;
- Fusarium. This disease is formed as a result of excessive soil moisture and stagnant moisture in the pot. A rot appears on the base of the stem and on the bed of the flower stalk. To combat fusariosis, fungicides are also used.
Warning.
If a rust-stricken plant has been removed, a new arisema should not be planted in the same soil again. The fungus spores remain in the soil and the young plant will also become diseased.
Arizema is a spectacular and unusual flower. It is grown in both room and garden conditions. The rules of maintenance coincide with the recommendations for the care of other tuberous plants: resting period, penumbra, abundant watering during the growing season.
