Cordilina - Cordyline

Cordilina is a plant that belongs to the Agave or Dracene family. The plant contains about 20 species, which are slightly different from each other. In the wild, this plant can be seen in tropical and subtropical climates in almost all regions.

Cordilina description

Externally, cordilina is a small tree or shrub. The roots are large in diameter and white in color, which becomes noticeable when cut.

The leaves here have a different shape depending on the specific type of plant. They can be lanceolate, in the form of a sword, and also in the form of a ruler. The color of the leaves is usually red, sometimes they have a purple hue. Indoor cordilina has a low height, about one and a half meters. As the bush matures, the lower leaves of this plant wither and then fall off, so the adult cordilina resembles a palm tree.

It is the unusual beautiful leaves of this plant that are of decorative value for flower lovers.

Cordilina care

Cordilina, like all indoor plants, requires a large amount of direct sunlight, which must be necessarily diffused. The best place for growing a bush will be a window located on the Western or Eastern part of the room. If this is not possible, and a large amount of light falls on the plant, it is necessary to artificially shade it. Depending on the type of plant, it is necessary to choose the illumination. So if the variety is dark-leaved, then it must be placed in a less bright room.

The air temperature in the room where cordilina is grown should be about 23 - 24 degrees. If you grow subtropical species of cordilina, then in winter it is necessary to reduce the temperature to 8-10 degrees. When growing tropical species of cordilina, the required temperature is about 19 degrees, as well as the complete absence of drafts.

Watering is carried out when the soil surface is completely dry in a container with a plant. In the cold season, cordilina is watered with less frequency. It is only important to make sure that all the soil around the root system does not dry out. But also do not moisten the soil too much. This rule especially applies to those plants that are kept at a fairly low temperature in winter. Water for irrigation should be soft, previously settled. Also, if heating devices work in the room, it is impossible to place a cordilina next to them. And certain species must be sprayed from a spray bottle. Especially tropical species of cordilina need spraying. Thus, spraying should be done daily during the entire summer period. The water must also be soft and previously settled. If you spray cordilina very often, it can cause rotting of growth points.

Like any plant in spring and summer, as well as in autumn, cordilina must be fed. The optimal regimen will be once a week. Mineral complex compositions are perfect for fertilization. In winter, you can feed it less often, about once a month.

A young cordilina bush needs replanting annually. If the plant is adult, then it must be replanted every three years. This is done when the root system is already becoming large, and the flower is cramped in the previous pot. It is necessary to choose a larger capacity and carefully transplant the plant, waiting for the spring period. Before replanting the plant, it is necessary to lay out a good drainage layer, collect a special weakly acidic soil, the composition of which will be: sand, garden soil and peat. Some growers grow cardilina hydroponically.

Cordilina reproduction

Cordilina is propagated using seeds. The seed method is especially suitable for garden plants, because if varietal cordilins are propagated by seeds, then they will lose their decorative characteristics from adult plants. The optimal time for sowing is the beginning of spring. For sowing, a mixture is used, which also consists of turf and sand. Seedlings will appear at different times: some of them will germinate in a month, and some only in three months.

Also, cordilina is propagated using cuttings. To do this, cut a stalk on which there will be at least one leaf node. You can use the tops of the plant for reproduction, or the stems without leaves. But at the same time, the stalk with which you want to propagate the plant must be semi-lignified. The cutting must be placed in wet sand or soil, which will consist of peat, humus and sand. Further, as it takes root, the soil is constantly watered or moistened with a spray bottle, and the temperature in the room should be at least 25 degrees. Subject to all the rules, the cutting will take root in a month and will be ready for planting in a new separate pot. The container is preliminarily filled with a mixture consisting of humus, turf, peat and sand. All other further transplants should be carried out using the transshipment method, keeping the maximum amount of the previous soil.

You can propagate this plant by dividing the bush, or rather its rhizomes. To do this, cut off all the root processes of the delenka, and then place it in soil similar in composition to the soil for cuttings. After the appearance of new root shoots, it is necessary to transplant the finished plant, while preparing a special mixture for planting an adult plant.

Diseases and pests

Like any plant, cordilina is susceptible to disease and pests. The appearance of dark spots on the leaves of the plant indicates a lack of moisture, so the plant must be watered. If the leaves began to fall off and die prematurely, then the plant is maturing, as mentioned above, and this is a normal physiological process.

If you water the plant very abundantly, then stagnation of moisture in the root system may occur and the bush may begin to rot. If this has already happened, then it is necessary to cut off the very top of the bush, and use it for propagation by cuttings.

Spots on the leaves speak not only of a lack of moisture, but also of burns that have appeared as a result of exposure to scorching sunlight. At an inappropriate room temperature, the leaves of the cordilina begin to curl. If you notice brown spots on the tips of the leaves of cordilina or the leaves have turned brown around the edges, then the air in the room is too dry.

Of the popular pests, plants are isolated spider mites, scale insects, whiteflies and mealybugs.

Cordilina: varieties

Cordilin Banks. This plant can reach 3 meters in height, while having a small trunk diameter. The leaves are large here, distinguished by long petioles, which can even be 30 cm. The shape of the leaves is lanceolate. They have a pointed tip, and are also elongated and are 1.5 m in length, the width of the leaves will be 8 cm. The shade of the leaf plates is green, and the leaf is gray on the reverse side. Flowers gather in a panicle, have white petals. This plant requires cool indoor conditions to grow.

Apical cordilina. This plant is also called bush cordilina or bush dracaena. The stem of this culture has a small diameter, and if it is a bush, there may be more than one stem. The leaves are lanceolate and reach 50 cm in length. They are no more than 10 cm wide. This species is characterized by bright veins on the leaf plate. The color of the leaves is green or variegated. The petioles reach a length of 15 cm.

Cordilina is red.It is also called dracaena red. It is a very tall plant that can grow up to 4 m in height. Has one stem. The leaves are ordinary here, have a leathery structure and a lanceolate shape. The length of the leaves is about 50 cm, and the width is no more than 5 cm, with characteristic pronounced veins. The leaf petioles are about 15 cm long. The flowers are collected in a panicle and have a pale lilac hue.

Cordilina undivided. She is also called Dracaena the Undivided. This plant forms a tree that can reach 12 m in height. The trunk has a solid woody structure, so it does not bend. The size of the leaf plates is quite large, about 1.5 m. The width of the leaves is not more than 15 cm, and the leaves themselves resemble a belt. On the surface, the leaves have a matte green tint, on the reverse side of the leaf - bluish. The shade of flowers here is white, and the inflorescence itself is drooping.

Straight cordiline. The height of this plant reaches 3 m. The trunk is also thin, the leaves have a leathery surface and an uneven edge. The shade of the leaves is bright green. The shape is elongated, with a characteristic sharpening at the tip. The length of the leaf plate is not more than 50 cm. The width of the leaves is about 3 cm. The flowers form panicles that have a pale shade.

Cordilina South. Or dracaena South. This is a beautiful exotic tree that can reach 12 m in height. The trunk is thin, at the base it expands, has a very dense structure, so it does not bend. The leaf plates resemble a sharp sword, have a leathery structure. The central vein of the leaf has a white tint, and the flowers have a pronounced aroma.

Conclusion

Cordilina is an unusual beautiful exotic plant that can decorate any site or greenhouse. When growing cordilina, it is necessary to observe important rules and features of care, focusing on climatic conditions.