Boltonia

Seeing on the street a plant that looks like a chamomile, most people do not even think that they actually met Boltonia on their way. This plant belongs to the Aster family, its official name is "Boltonia asteroides", which means Astrovid Boltonia.

Boltonia: flower description

Boltonia: photo of a flower

Boltonia is a herbaceous perennial plant with a creeping root system. It is for this reason that you need to carefully monitor the growth area of ​​the plant if you use it for decorative purposes in your garden area. Since, if this process is not controlled, then from a cute ornamental plant, boltonia will turn into a weed that will be quite difficult to remove. The plant takes a large amount of water and nutrients from the ground. Therefore, after this, the plant must be allowed to rest in the soil and soaked in fertilizers. Otherwise, the level of fertility of such a piece of land is practically zero.

Boltonia astrovidny can grow up to 1.5-2 meters in height, but most often you can find a plant with a height of 70-100 cm. The leaves have an oblong plate with a pointed top and base. Inflorescences are of the basket type. The petals of the inflorescences are rigid, shaped like leaf plates, the same oval or ovoid elongated. The color palette of inflorescences is diverse - white, pink, lilac and their numerous derivatives. The stem of the plant is simple, branched, with small grooves along its entire length.

Boltonia blooms from mid-summer to mid-autumn. In the winter, the aboveground part of the plant dies. Experienced gardeners recommend planting botonia of different colors on one flower bed, this gives a varied, iridescent color to the flower bed.

Boltonia attracts gardeners with its unpretentiousness. This is an absolutely independent plant that takes root well both in well-kept garden plots and in untreated wild soil. The plant has excellent indicators of frost resistance, therefore it does not require shelter for the winter period. And thanks to the structure of the root system, it is not afraid of either heat or heavy rainfall.

Boltonia: landing

Boltonia: photo of a flower

Boltonia astrovidnaya loves sunny places with fertile, loose soil. The acidity level of the soil is not important for the plant, but the excess of nitrogen in the soil will have an effect on the abundant growth of the vegetative mass.

The only thing worth paying attention to when choosing a place for planting boltonia is waterlogged soil. Since Boltonia, like most other plants, does not like wetlands, as well as those places where water often stagnates for a long time.

Boltonia astrovid: care

Boltonia astrovidna grows quite actively, therefore, in order for the plant to grow upwards and not spread along the ground, already 10-14 days after planting the seeds in the ground, it is necessary to make a support for the plant, to which the plant will be tied up in the future, if necessary. The appearance of the soil under the plant will tell you about the need for watering. With the onset of autumn, it is necessary to cut off the aerial part of the plant, leaving only 3-4 cm from the stem on the surface. Do not wait until the aboveground part of the plant dies from frost on its own, as this can affect the root system of the plant, which will receive substances from the dying stem.

Reproduction of astrovid boltonia

Boltonia astrovid: flower photo

Boltonia is propagated most often by dividing the bush into several parts. The first time the bush should be divided should be in the fourth year of the plant's life, this is considered the most optimal time.Otherwise, the plant begins to thicken, which has a detrimental effect on its further development and flowering. In the future, this procedure must be repeated once every 3 years.

It is necessary to transplant and divide the bush in early spring, until the plant has passed into a period of active growth. If you start this procedure at any other time, then there is a high probability that the plant will begin to lag behind in development or not take root at all.

Transplant advice is standard. When digging out of the ground, you need to be as careful as possible so as not to severely damage the root system of the plant. The new planting site must be watered abundantly with water. The only recommendation is the desired treatment of the separation site with wood ash and leave the divided bush in the sun for 15-20 minutes.

Astrovid bologna can also be propagated by seeds, which are recommended to be planted in the ground not in spring, but in autumn. Such a planting will allow the young plant to rejoice faster already in the middle of spring and see the first inflorescences the next summer. When planting seeds in spring, they will certainly sprout, but a young bush will be able to bloom only next year.

Plant varieties

Boltonia has many varieties, but in Russia the most common varieties are Snowbank, Pink Beauty, Lutora.

• Variety "Snowbank" grows up to two meters in height. It has a straight stem, covered with small leaves, mostly dark green in color. The variety begins flowering in the fall, the inflorescences are small, white in color with a yellow heart. The variety of such astrovid boltonia is frost-resistant, resistant to most diseases. Not demanding to care for, but will appreciate a sunny place with fertile, preferably drained, land.
• Variety "Pink Beauty" has a light pink color of inflorescences.
• A variety of astrovid boltonia "Lotura" has a stem up to 1 meter high, which branches towards the top. The leaves on the stem can vary in color from standard green to dark brown. The inflorescences are blue-white and bloom from mid-summer to mid-autumn.