Crossandra: grow a flower-fireworks at home without any problems

Crossandra is a curious tropical plant brought to Europe more than 200 years ago, but until the middle of the 20th century it was known only to professionals. When breeders accustomed this beauty to home conditions, her lovers were discovered by amateur gardeners. But in Russia, the bright and long-blooming crossander is still not very popular. However, every year this wonderful plant takes up more and more space on the windowsills and in the hearts of our gardeners. Crossandra has a difficult disposition, but her merits more than compensate for the strength and labor spent on care.

The origin, appearance and features of the content of crossander

It is believed that the first crossandra was brought to Europe back in 1817 along with tea from the island of Ceylon (now it is Sri Lanka). Although in the wild this plant is also common in the African, Asian tropics and in Madagascar. A flowering bush (about 1 meter high) has chosen a moist and hot jungle. There, in spots of sunlight, bright orange and red crossandra blooms inflorescences year-round.

Crossandra blooms without interruptions all year round

And in the cold gloomy climate of the tropican mourned. She could not bear the dry air of the houses and agreed to grow only in greenhouses, where conditions close to natural were created. And only after a century and a half, breeders drew attention to the solar resettlement. In 1950, the Crossa variety Mona Wallhed was developed, suitable for growing at home. Since then, new hybrids of this wonderful plant have appeared. They appreciate it for its long and magnificent flowering, original inflorescences and picturesque foliage. Crossandra was not among the ten most popular plants, she is still a rare guest in our apartments. But deserves more attention from flower growers.

Russian florists noticed and fell in love with the solar crossander

Fiery petals appear on vertical inflorescences with peculiar caps that resemble salutes. For this resemblance, the inhabitants of Sri Lanka gave Crossander the name - the fireworks of flowers.

Crossandra is a fast-growing bush (up to 70 cm tall in the room), straight stems are dressed in greenish or brownish bark. The leaves are large (an average of 8 cm) oval and pointed at the end, with a glossy sheen and sparse villi. The veins are well distinguished, in most varieties the color of the leaf plate is dark green, in some it is mottled. Even without flowers, the crossander looks elegant.

Crossander's flowering is a festive phenomenon comparable to a firework

And when it comes to flowering, she is simply charming. At the ends of the shoots appear high (up to 15 cm) cobs of peduncles, buds open gradually from the lower tier. Flowers most often of different shades of flame in shape resemble an asymmetrical funnel, their petals seem to wilt. There are species with turquoise and purple inflorescences. At home, crossander easily sets fruits. If the flower spike is not removed after withering, after a while you will see how the self-sowing mechanism works. When the fruit, which contains four seeds, ripens, Crossander shoots them. And, having fallen on the soil, it explodes rather noisily. Crossandra blooms from an early age, with good care for about six months, starting in spring. The heyday can be extended for the winter, providing the plant with additional illumination, but it is better to give it a rest.

Crosandra not only blooms lushly, but also with pleasure bears fruit at home

To the question: is crossander easy to grow, you will get different answers. For a sophisticated gardener, this plant is picky and easy to care for. A newcomer, it may be difficult to adapt to the habits of Crossander. Although she does not require anything supernatural, only that, or even less, is what her ancestors are used to. Crossandra wants warmth, high humidity and loves living in close proximity to other, of course, tropical flowers.

Crossandra feels great in a friendly company of the same tropical plants

Varieties and varieties of enchanting plants

About fifty crossandra species were found in the natural environment. The funnel-shaped (or undulate) variety and its hybrid varieties were mainly adapted to room conditions. Far less often, flower growers grow prickly, Nile and Guinean crossander.

1. Nile Crossandra (also called red) was born in Africa. This is a low (60 cm) shrub with slightly pubescent dark green leaves. Flowers with five petals fused at the base of different shades of red: from brick to pink-orange.
2. Prickly crossandra is also an African native. At a low bush it has large (12 cm) leaves, decorated with a silver pattern along the veins. Inflorescences are yellow-orange. On the bracts, small soft spines are clearly visible, thanks to them the variety was named.
3. Crossandra Guinea - a rare plant in home floriculture. This is the smallest variety, its growth is not more than 30 cm. Flowers collected in spikelets at the top, unusual soft purple color.
4. Blue Crossandra (or Blue Ice) is not very dense, compared with other varieties, inflorescences and not so lush flowering. She has light bluish flowers.
5. Crossandra Green Ice is a rare species. It looks like blue, but the flowers have a more intense color, and the shade is turquoise with green.
6. Crossandra funnel - the progenitor of most cultivated varieties of plants. It grows naturally in India and Sri Lanka. In freedom, the bush stretches up to 1 meter. The room variety is usually above 70 cm. The inflorescence is a dense ear, the flowers of fiery shades are funnels (about 3 cm in diameter).

The most famous varieties of funnel crossandra:

1. Mona Wallhed - the oldest variety bred by Swiss breeders, it was he who gave rise to the cultivation of crossander in home floriculture. It is a compact and dense bush with bright foliage and orange-scarlet flowers. But the main thing is that this crossander is more tolerant of the climate of the apartment. Easier refers to dry air and lower temperatures.
2. Orange Marmalade is one of the new varieties. More resistant to changes in conditions of detention and resilient. On a sprawling bush, orange-orange inflorescences are formed.
3. Nile Queen is another crossandra variety that can be called unpretentious. His flowers are terracotta red.
4. Hybrid Fortune - the most popular among gardeners. The bush is small - about 30 cm. And the height of orange-red inflorescences reaches 15 cm, due to this there are more buds, and flowering is longer. In addition, this variety has a long life and good health. It has a more robust root system.
5. Crossandra Tropic is a compact (up to 25 cm) hybrids of different colors, bred by American flower growers. The most famous variety is yellow, Flame with salmon flowers, Splash - with petals of different intensities of yellow-pink color, Red - red with a pinkish tinge. These crossders are grown not only as indoor plants, but also in the open field as annual plants.
6. Variegate (motley) crossander is one of the new products. Its green leaves are covered with an original pattern of white spots and strokes. Flowers of a coral shade.

Varieties and popular varieties in the photo

What does crossandra need? (table)

Cramped but comfortable

Crossandra is a very friendly plant. Florists noticed that she feels better not alone, but in the close company of other flowers. Put next to the crossandra the same lovers of moist air and heat - begonias, crotons, fittonia, ferns, arrowroots, calatheas - and it will be easier for you to take care of the indoor jungle. By spraying some, you moisten others. Without unnecessary efforts, you will provide your pets a tropical microclimate at home.

Also, similar conditions of detention are suitable for the description: //diz-cafe.com/rastenija/pavlinij-cvetok-ili-episciya-kak-obespechit-ej-v-domashnix-usloviyax-dostojnyj-uxod.html

Crossandra will be easier to care for if she is surrounded by other plants with similar habits.

Transplant flower fireworks

Crossandra is not very fond of change. The plant takes a long time to get used to the new pot, can delay with flowering, twist and discard foliage. Therefore, a fiery flower is transplanted, if the roots have braided over the whole earth and peeking from below, growth has slowed due to the fact that the soil is depleted. Then resettle the crossander in the spring. Make transshipment as high as possible while maintaining an earthen lump.

The new crossandra pot should only be slightly larger than the old

The next crossandra pot must be selected 2-3 cm wider in diameter than the previous one. Extensive she does not need. In a large volume of soil, it will grow roots, then the aerial part, and the flowers will appear later or not at all. In a large pot, water will linger, and this is fraught with decay of the root system. The material from which the tank is made is not so important for the crossander. Both plastic and ceramics are suitable for her. And the number and diameter of drainage holes are important. The more of them, the better. Excess water should easily leave the ground.

There must be a drainage layer in the crossandra pot

Prepare cross-soil with porous and moderately fertile, neutral or slightly increased acidity. For example, plant it in universal soil, you can add a little coarse sand or chopped moss. Or try to make the soil mixture according to one of the recipes:

• mix sheet and soddy ground, coarse sand equally, add vermiculite or a bit of broken brick;
• on two parts of leaf and sod land, in half - coarse river sand and humus;
• 2 parts of any soil for indoor plants, 1 each - vermiculite and soil for succulents;
• in two parts of leaf and peat land, add turf land and sand in one part.

For drainage you can take expanded clay, small pebbles, crushed brick (necessarily red).

Crossandra transplant

1. Prepare and steam or calcine the soil mixture, drainage, and pour boiling water over the pot.
2. Put drainage at the bottom, on top of it is part of the soil.
3. Two or three days before the transplant, stop watering the cross-lands to dry the ground, so it will be easier to pull out and keep the earthen lump.
4. Get the crossander from the tank, separating the earth from the walls with a knife or spatula, inspect the roots.
5. Rotten and dry cut. Clean the few extreme processes from the ground.
6. Treat the root system with growth stimulants (Epin, Zircon).
7. Set an earthen lump of crossandra in a new pot, spread loose roots.
8. Carefully fill the gap between the lump and the walls with new soil.
9. Seal it gradually, being careful not to hurt the roots.
10. Water the plant and spray its crown. Humidity helps to settle down faster.
11. Place the transplanted crossander in its usual place.

After the purchase

If you bought a flowering crossandra, wait with the transplant until the inflorescences wither. And then try to replace almost completely the soil. Save only the one that holds tight to the roots. To stimulate flowering, crossander can be treated with special drugs that are not always useful, so it is better to transplant it into fresh soil.

Transplant the blooming crossandra that you brought from the store after the inflorescences have withered

Transplant the crossander bought without flowers in 1-2 weeks. Moving from the store is stress, transplanting too. Let the flower get used to the new home.

Crossandra Care

In the wild, tropical crossandra blooms twelve months of the year and is not depleted. In our climate, its seasonal rhythm has changed. At lower temperatures, less intense lighting, flowering takes more power. Crossandra needs to fully relax in the winter in order to blossom in the spring. Therefore, care for the plant at each time of the year is your own.

Crossander, who is properly looked after by shiny leaves and hats of flowers

Watering and feeding at home

During active development, from spring to late autumn, water the crossander generously. To replenish the forces spent on flowering, she needs a lot of moisture. Moreover, the water should be demineralized (settled, filtered or boiled) and slightly warm. Drying of the soil in the pot during this period has a very negative effect on plant health. Especially in hot weather. As soon as the earth at the roots is dry, the aboveground part will wither. In advanced cases, if Crossander is dehydrated all day, she may die.

You forgot to pour your crossander in the summer heat. And when they remembered, its leaves had already withered and sagged. Resuscitate the plant. Urgently remove the flower in the shade, fill a large container with water and put a pot there, and sprinkle the crown abundantly. After a few hours, Crossander will straighten the leaves again. After that, remove the flower pot from the water, let it drain.

But at the same time, making a swamp from the soil is also not worth it. Stick to the middle ground: keep a balance between waterlogging and drying out.

During the crossing, the crossander needs abundant watering and top dressing.

Closer to winter, begin to reduce watering. Crossandra has faded and goes on an economical mode of life. She no longer needs so much moisture. The cooler the air, the less the plant wants to drink.In winter, it is watered on average once every 10-14 days. However, the frequency can vary, it all depends on the well-being of the Crossander. And it’s better not to add a little water than to pour.

Potassium and phosphorus are useful for flowers, and an excess of nitrogen interferes with the formation of buds.

Crossander in his prime is supported by fertilizers. Top dressing begins in March (if the flower was only transplanted, then 2 months later), it is applied to the watered soil once 7-10 days. Any mineral complexes for indoor flowering plants are suitable. Crossandra lovers note that she perceives well the fertilizers of the Uniflor and Pokon series. But it is not so important which brand, pay attention to the composition, which is always written on the package. For high-quality flowering, the plant needs potassium and phosphorus. In winter, crossander is usually not fed, or limited to once a month.

Flowering time

Well-groomed crossander with pleasure blooms without any tricks. And even in winter, in a warm and bright room, she strives to bloom. Fans note that the plant produces peduncles several times during the season, flowering waves are 2-3 or more. To extend it, it is necessary to completely, to be more exact, a couple of leaves, remove the spikelet after the top has wilted. Then there will be new flowers.

Crossandra willingly blooms if he gets everything he needs

However, occasionally flower growers complain that Crossandra is naughty and does not bloom. Here are the main reasons for this behavior:

• the plant is planted in a too voluminous pot and is busy building roots and greenery;
• the flower did not rest in the winter;
• there is not enough nutrition or a lot of nitrogen in feeding, it contributes to the development of greenery;
• the bush was not cut, it did not form a new shoot that blooms;
• Crossandra is weakened due to improper care or conditions: little light, low humidity, irrigation is not adjusted, etc.

The last to open the buds on the top of the spikelet, after they wither, it is necessary to cut off the entire inflorescence

Analyze what the crossander wants, correct the mistake and wait for the flowering. By the way, variegated varieties are usually more capricious, and older plants bloom worse.

The buds on the variegate crossander - a prize for a skillful and caring grower

Video: trimming a flowering crossandra

Rest period and pruning

Crossandra, living in the wild, has no rest period. But in our latitudes, her habits have changed. In autumn, the plant slows down its development by hibernating. The flower grower must organize the rest correctly: limit watering, stop feeding, lower the temperature of the content, and proportionally reduce air humidity. In winter, spraying can be replaced by wiping the leaves with a damp cloth. But the duration of daylight hours is desirable to maintain. Crossandra will be grateful for additional lighting with LED or phytolamps. If there is no backlight, put the plant on the southern windowsill.

Crossandra can bloom all year without a break, but it is better to give her a rest in winter

After wintering (in February-March) the crossandra bush should be put in order. Spring haircut is carried out before laying the buds, it rejuvenates and heals the plant. Weak, overgrown branches and stems are removed. Healthy shoots cut or pinch about 4-5 cm above a pair of leaves. After such a haircut, the crown will become more magnificent, the tops of the tops, which means there will be more flowers. Cuttings left after pruning can be rooted to get new plants.

Mowing should also be done after flowering, not trimmed spikelets take away strength, but if you want to get seeds, leave them

Care mistakes and their correction: leaves turn black, turn red, lighten, etc. (table)

Crossandra diseases and pests, treatment and preventive measures (table)

Video: Crossandra Care Basics

Breeding

New crossander can be grown from cuttings and seeds. Cuttings are a simpler method and guarantee the receipt of the same plant as the parent. Seeds collected from home-made crossandra do not guarantee that a similar specimen will grow. After all, indoor crosses, as a rule, are hybrids. And only the producer knows what will come of the purchased seeds.

Cuttings

It is most convenient to combine cross-cutting and cuttings. Cut tops are well rooted in spring. But in summer you can also propagate the plant.

1. Cut the apical cuttings 10-12 cm.
   

   It is logical to carry out trimming of the crossandra and reproduction simultaneously

2. Remove the lower leaves, dip the slice into the stimulator (root, epin, zircon).
3. Prepare individual small containers (plastic cups) or a lower-heated greenhouse.
4. Fill containers with a mixture of universal soil with perlite or coarse sand.
   

   For rooting cuttings need a light and not very nutritious soil

5. Deepen the cuttings at an oblique angle in a moistened substrate.
6. Cover the greenhouse with a lid, turn on the heating. Place the glasses under the bags.
   

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7. Put in a bright place. Keep the temperature at least +22 degrees.
8. Ventilate and moisten the seedlings.
   

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9. They take root in 3-4 weeks.
10. When 2-3 new leaves appear, transplant the cuttings into nutrient soil.
    

    If the cuttings took place in early spring, young plants may bloom for the first time in late summer.

Some gardeners say that crossandra cuttings are easily rooted in water, in which activated carbon is added, it protects from rot. If young roots are not allowed to grow very much, up to a maximum of 1 cm, the plant later safely adapts to the ground. However, other crossandra lovers claim that water roots do not form well. Perhaps we are talking about different types of plants. Unpretentious hybrids of new varieties take root better.

From seed

Many flower growers successfully grow flower-fireworks from seeds. At home, if you do not cut the peduncle after withering, you can get the fruits of crossander. Each contains 4 seeds. On sale there are also seeds of varietal hybrids.

1. Soak the seeds for 2 hours in a solution of zircon or another phytostimulator.
   

   Inside each pod there are 4 seeds

2. Prepare the substrate: coconut fiber, cactus soil, vermiculite and charcoal. Drainage - small expanded clay.
3. Pour drainage and substrate into a heated greenhouse or into cups of 50-100 g.
   

   Crossandra seeds are sown in a loose substrate

4. Moisten the substrate, place seeds on it, cover with a layer of 0.5 cm on top.
5. Cover the crops and place in a bright and warm place. In the greenhouse, turn on the heating. For germinating seeds, a temperature of + 22-24 degrees is required.
6. Sprouts will hatch after 2-3 weeks.
   

   Crossandra seeds usually germinate in a couple of weeks

7. Maintain high humidity, but do not flood seedlings.
8. After a month, transplant stronger sprouts into larger pots or glasses.
   

   Picking and transshipment of young plants stimulates root growth

9. A month later, pinch off the tops and make transshipment into pots more voluminous.

Florist reviews

My crossandra is constantly blooming, and growing quite quietly. After the February pruning, it bloomed a month later and has not stopped since then. The window is southeast, the sun through the blinds, watering almost daily, especially when it's hot. I almost do not spray it, I feed it every 10-14 days with fertilizer for flowering plants and every 2 months I have a talker of ash. Absolutely non-whimsical plant))).

Holly//forum.bestflowers.ru/t/krossandra.6816/page-14

I grew orange crossandra for three years - I bought a sprout from my granny. Bloomed almost always, grew very quickly, I pruned it periodically. It was unpretentious - in the summer on the balcony, in winter on an unheated loggia with very rare watering. And this spring, she died, I attacked something like a virus, the leaves began to turn black with spots, then the trunk. I had to throw it out, was not subject to resuscitation. For me it was not a problem plant.

howea//iplants.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=6350

I always root crossander in the water; it gives roots not quickly, but one hundred percent. A glass with cuttings is also placed in a greenhouse, since the crossander has the ability to quickly wither. The roots appear in three to four weeks. After planting in the ground for some time I keep in a greenhouse. Crossander’s water roots adapt very quickly to the soil, literally the next day you can see through the walls of the glass how they grow.

Innochka//ourflo.ru/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=2727&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=80

Seeds ripened in my red crossandra, when I touched them with a fleeting glance, and then an “automatic burst” hit me, they shoot loudly and painfully!

Marina//frauflora.ru/viewtopic.php?f=183&t=1631&sid=11ed9d8c4773ad2534f177102cee36e2&start=60

Dutch plant, bought a little. Over the year she grew up, pleased. The plant is trouble-free, blooms without ceasing, peduncles every year longer, flowering more abundant. You just need to pick off the faded flowers from the spikelet and fertilize it from chlorosis. Well and correctly pinch it.

Djhen//forum.bestflowers.ru/t/krossandra.6816/page-15

My crossandra, she’s feeling fine, stands on a warm windowsill. Interestingly, not so long ago I started to practice lower watering, since I have free time, and so I experienced two such waterings and she woke up and even got lateral buds, of course, maybe I at my own expense and deceive myself, maybe this is the work of the approaching spring. She makes me happy.

cherry//floralworld.ru/forum/index.php/topic,12496.0.html

The flower itself is very beautiful, only moody, it constantly needs moist air, during the day I spray it 2-3 times, we just need to try so that the water does not get on the spikelet. When it bloomed, I cut off all the inflorescences and cut the bushes themselves. First I put the cuttings in water with fertilizer “Rainbow” for 1 day, and then I stuck it in the ground and put it under the hood, I need to pour water into the saucer. Thus, the stalk should be around 1 week. After you can remove the jar, but transplant to a more adult should not yet, you must wait until the first green leaf appears. But then you can plant it in an adult plant. And the more often you pinch, the bush will be more magnificent, but of course you need to look again in which place it is better to pinch and that there are no spikelets. My flower blooms almost constantly, but in general it begins to bloom at the age of several months.

16 orchids//forum.bestflowers.ru/t/krossandra.6816/page-2

My crossandra is already 3 years old, I cut (cut) in February, while there are no buds, top dressing with organics, the pot is cramped, we bloom from April to November ...

MANTRID75//forum.bestflowers.ru/t/krossandra.6816/page-3

I also got a crossandra, I bought a stalk rooted here at a subsidiary in late February and since the beginning of April it makes me happy. All guests are thrilled! Replanted the truth 2 times, growing fast and drinking a lot :)

khamch//www.flowersweb.info/forum/forum1/topic114332/message3848656/#message3848656

Crossandra should not be afraid of leaf fall. She perfectly overgrows with new foliage. When my first leaf fall began, I cut and rooted the cuttings with a fright. As a result, there was a bald frame that I regretted throwing away, so in the summer it pleased me like that, and now it’s falling over again.

bugs//forum.bestflowers.ru/t/krossandra.6816/page-6

Variegate crossandra crossandra pungens variegata is blooming right now. Foliage is something divine! All winter I stood not on the window, but on the table on the whatnot, there wasn’t much light, I would say even a little, but the leaves were still very beautiful variegated, no worse than those when I stood in a bright place. Its growth rate is slow, like many variegated plants.

California gold//www.flowersweb.info/forum/forum1/topic114332/message3848656/#message3848656

Bright as a firework, the crossander deserves more attention from flower growers. Complex, at first glance, caring for this tropical plant in practice is not so difficult. If your collection has lovers of high humidity and heat, Crossandra will become a good neighbor to them. Put such flowers near to simplify leaving, and admire a variety of foliage and inflorescences.