Smithiante

Smitianthus is a fairly popular houseplant that you can most likely find on a windowsill or on a table in absolutely any home. However, it is perhaps not in vain that it received such fame and prevalence. In the end, this flower is incredibly beautiful, and given how easy it is to care for it, it is natural that many amateur growers and even beginners are eager to see Smitianta at their window. Of course, the Smitiantan flower has its own requirements for caring for and looking after it, and therefore in this article we invite you to find out little tricks and details that will greatly help you in growing this lovely flower.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

Smitiante: flower description

Smithiante was first bred in America in 1840. Its discoverer was the breeder Matilda Smet, in whose honor, by the way, this flower got its melodic name. The homeland of this pretty flower is South America, but some researchers claim that it grows well in Central America. By the way, Smithianth flowers are a rather small genus, which, of course, will go into the hands of those people who find it very difficult to determine the choice of which variety to give their preference to. In total, it unites only eight plant species, which, compared to some of the more numerous genera, is simply nothing.

Smitiante is a herbaceous plant and therefore not too tall. It has straight stems covered with soft fluff. In length, they do not reach more than seventy centimeters, but sometimes taller specimens are also found.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

The roots of the Smithianth flower are scaly, and the shoots are very straight and grow almost perpendicular to the ground. The leaves, by the way, like the stems, are pubescent and very pleasant to the touch. Moreover, they also look very pretty. Their color can be described as dark burgundy interspersed with green. They grow completely asymmetrically in relation to each other, and their shape is similar to an oval or an inverted egg.

As for the flowers, in their shape they very much resemble ordinary bells, however, compared with them, the buds of Smitanta are much longer and elongated. On peduncles, they are combined into small inflorescences, which contain from two to five flowers. And, of course, their coloring is very interesting. The fact is that it is completely unstable and varies greatly from variety to variety. However, flowers are usually red, orange, pink, or even white.

Speaking about the size of Smithyanta, it is also difficult to come to any average value, since there are species among which there are really huge specimens, as well as those among which only dwarf varieties can be found.

By the way, it is also quite important that this flower has a rather long and pronounced dormant period, the beginning and end of which is simply impossible not to notice. As soon as the bell buds fade, the rest of the flower (exclusively the upper one) also begins to gradually die off, and after a week, nothing remains of a beautiful small bush, except for the root sleeping under the ground.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

Smithian flower: home care

Of course, despite the fact that, compared to many other indoor flowers, the Smithian flower does not put forward the most stringent requirements for its owner, you still need to follow the instructions that we describe below. In the event that you neglect them, the consequences can be completely different. From insufficient splendor and brightness of the buds to the complete and irreversible death of the flower.

Lighting

Like most indoor plants, Smithiante requires bright, but at the same time, fairly diffused light. The fact is that for her, the direct burning rays of the sun, despite the rather dark color of the leaves, are very dangerous, and, being under them for a long time, the flower may well earn itself serious burns.

As for which window sill it is best to plant Smithyanta, it is best to give preference to the east and west orientation. It is there that the light will be bright enough to satisfy the flower's need for sunlight, but at the same time, not so bright as to burn it. If we are talking about the southern orientation of the window, then the flower will be too uncomfortable there. In addition, this will be an unnecessary problem for you, since in especially hot weather the flower will have to be constantly covered with a special film. Well, it's not worth talking about the northern orientation, since there is too little light there, and Smithiant will grow up sluggish and pale there.

Temperature regime

Smithiante is very loyal to the temperature environment in which she grows. Therefore, its requirements can be described quite simply: if you are comfortable in the room, then the flower will be comfortable in the room. Or, more simply, she prefers temperatures between twenty and twenty-five degrees.

However, this applies to the period from mid-spring to mid-autumn. Of course, in winter the temperature should be different, and therefore the ideal mark on the thermometer in winter will be eighteen to twenty degrees Celsius.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

Watering

Here, the methods and standards, as in the previous paragraph, differ, depending on what time of year it is. And, again, as in the last paragraph, for proper watering, you will not have to divide the year into two parts: summer (from mid-April to mid-October) and winter (from mid-October to mid-April, respectively). In the summer half of the year, the plant will require quite regular and abundant watering from you, which means that the topsoil should never be overdried.

On the other hand, too much watering should also be avoided, since moisture stagnation is incredibly dangerous for the roots of the plant, which can begin to rot from it. In order for Smitiante to be as grateful to you as possible, you should use exclusively settled water. In addition, sump watering will be very helpful. Although, the point is, rather, that some sloppy growers, watering a flower through the top, may accidentally wet the leaves, for which they will definitely not thank you, and, in addition, their appearance will deteriorate. As for watering during the dormant period, everything is simple here: it should be restrained: not too abundant and not too frequent, because, do not forget that, instead of a whole bush with leaves and flowers, until spring you only have to take care of behind the root.

Air humidity

Moisture is the factor that is most important and of greatest importance when growing Smitanta. The fact is that this is a tropical plant, and therefore, with a lack of moisture in the air, it begins to react very negatively, twisting its leaves.

However, as you probably guessed, based on the fact that the flower cannot be watered through the top, moisturizing it from a spray bottle is not the best idea. Therefore, in order to maintain a sufficient level of humidity, it is enough to pour a little expanded clay into the pallet for this flower and fill it with water.This fairly straightforward procedure will allow you to forget for a long time that Smitiante is a moisture-demanding plant. The main thing is to moisten expanded clay on time.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

Top dressing Smithianta

Of course, the Smithiant flower needs feeding, however, in fact, it should be far from the most abundant. It is enough to fertilize Smitiant only three times during the summer season. Nevertheless, even for such a rare feeding, you will need a lower fertilizer concentration than what is recommended on the package. Otherwise, you run the risk of overfeeding the plant, which, of course, will not lead to any good consequences.

Breeding Smithyanta

There are several ways to propagate this flower, and each of them is quite effective and easy to implement. However, some of them are objectively better than others, so it's up to you which one to choose.

The first method that, in principle, comes to mind when it comes to the reproduction of any plant is the seed method. It should be carried out from mid-winter to mid-spring. Such dates were chosen so that the sprouts that emerged from the seeds would find the warmest and most favorable season for them.

First of all, you will need to find a container that is suitable for the size, which can accommodate the desired amount of seeds. After that, this container is filled with soil substrate, which must be leveled and must be moistened. Otherwise, the percentage of seed germination will definitely not please you. By the way, there is no need to bury or sprinkle the Smithyanta seeds with earth, since they desperately need sunlight for active growth and development.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

In order to maintain the required level of humidity in the container you have prepared, it should be covered with glass or film, which will create a mini-greenhouse effect. This glass (or film) is removed after about three weeks, since it is then that seedlings will begin to appear, which can burrow into the obstacle. Well, after a month and a half, each seedling is transplanted into its own individual pot and ripens in it.

In addition, within six months of transplanting into your own pot, you may well be able to see the Smithyanta bloom. After flowering, as we have already mentioned, the entire upper part of the flower dies off and grows back in the next season.

As you can see, the seed propagation method is quite simple, especially when compared to seed propagation of other, more whimsical plants. However, Smitiant can be propagated by other methods that you may enjoy much more than this one.

First of all, this is, of course, the cuttings method, which is suitable for almost absolutely every plant. Moreover, unlike seed reproduction, you can start performing this method at almost any moment of active growth of Smitanta.

In order to get a stalk, you need to cut off the apical shoot, which should be five to six centimeters long. To make it easier for the cuttings to root, you can use a glass of water. Also, you may find the soil for synpoli useful, in which the cuttings of Smitiantes develop very willingly. At the same time, it is vital to maintain a sufficiently high level of humidity. It should be around seventy to eighty percent.

The division method is also quite widespread and popular. Perhaps this happens because it is the simplest of all those presented, but, nevertheless, it requires accuracy and precision from the florist who uses it.

In order to carry out the procedure, you will need a sharp knife and the root of the plant itself. After cutting it into several parts, the plots must be placed in the ground with a depth of two to three centimeters.By the way, it is advisable to put three parts of the root in the pot at once, since, despite the fact that this method is the simplest of all, it still cannot boast of a high percentage of germination.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

Diseases and pests Smithyants

In fact, the chances of your Smithiant flower getting sick are not very good. The fact is that this flower grew and evolved in the tropics, thanks to which it developed a rather powerful and formidable immune system. However, Smitiantan can still get sick. But this will happen, most likely, only if you take very bad care of her. For example, quite often in representatives of this genus, various types of rot are observed, resulting from improper watering, or burns, which are the result of too bright and burning sunlight.

However, the same cannot be said at all for insects. They are attracted to Smithyanta and how, so prevention against them is incredibly important. The most common pests that love to feast on Smitiante are ticks and thrips, as well as whiteflies.

However, you can cope with them by resorting to using an ordinary insecticide. But the only way to deal with diseases that arise through the fault of the plant owner is attentiveness.

Leaf burns

First of all, you need to remember about the sun. We have already said that its rays should not be straight, however, believe me, it is better to consolidate the information again than then be perplexed about why burns appear on the leaves of your flower.

However, if you still have not been able to provide your plant with sufficient protection from too bright and therefore dangerous rays, you find that a burn has appeared on the plant, you can still take measures to prevent the occurrence of similar burns in the future. To do this, you just need to move the flower to a more suitable place for it, if for some reason you did not do this right away.

In addition, fresh air will be quite useful in case of foliage burns, and therefore the room in which you rearrange the flower pot is highly recommended to be regularly ventilated, while avoiding drafts.

Another reason for ugly leaves is a lack of minerals, which can be replenished with a complex mineral fertilizer sold in any garden store.

Smitiante: photo of a flower

Brown spots on foliage

That's right, we are still talking about leaves, because because of their sensitivity, they are the first to suffer from florist errors.

Speaking of brown spots, it should be noted that there are several completely different reasons for their appearance. For example, they can appear due to the fact that you water the plant with too cold water. Therefore, as soon as you see specks, make sure that the water you are using for irrigation is at room temperature.

Also, an equally rare cause is the ingress of water on the foliage itself. The advice here is pretty simple and trivial: be careful and don't do this anymore. And it is better to completely abandon watering through the top and pour water into the pan.

Gray bloom on foliage

Fortunately, this problem manifests itself only for one possible reason, which is an excessively high level of humidity in the room. The fact is that a too humid environment is precisely those conditions in which fungi are very fond of developing and capturing plants. In addition, the lack of ventilation in your room will greatly help them in infecting your flower, and therefore we advise you to closely monitor these factors.

Lack of flowering Smithyanta

This problem manifests itself only if there are very gross and serious violations of the rules for caring for a flower, and therefore, if you carefully followed all the points of the instructions we proposed, then you will definitely not come across it.Nevertheless, if you do come across a lack of flowers, you should take into account possible mistakes such as lack of light or water, poor watering or lack of fertilization, and correct them in the next season. Excessive watering of the root during the dormant period may also be a possible cause.

Smitiante: species and varieties

In fact, in this article, we could well describe to you absolutely all types of this plant, since, do not forget, there are only eight of them. Nevertheless, we will not do this, since some species almost completely duplicate each other, and some are simply not interesting. Therefore, we have selected only the best of the best for you, which, we hope, will greatly simplify your task of choosing the desired species.

Smithiantha x hybrida

Smitiante Hybrid: flower photo

This species of Smithyanta has erect, almost perpendicular shoots to the ground. It also has the most velvety and fluffy leaves of all Smitiant species. By the way, these leaves have a very attractive shape: the shape of a heart. As for the flowers, they are even more similar to the most common bells, and their color varies from bright red to no less bright pink. In addition, there are varieties that have an orange and even yellow color, and therefore absolutely everyone will find a flower to their liking.

Perhaps the main advantage of this Smithyanta species is how long and long it blooms. It is difficult to imagine, but flowering lasts for six months: from August to March. Well, and, of course, at the end of flowering, approximately the same long period of dormancy begins.

Also, from the representatives of this species, I would like to single out one particular variety, which is distinguished by its very interesting color: the tube of its bell is red in color, and the petals themselves, located at the tip, are yellowish-orange. In addition, there are interestingly colored veins.

Smithiantha zebrina

Smitiante Zebra: photo of a flower

This species really deserves its place among the best, because, although it is difficult to believe it, it is not only the very first of the open (it has been known since the forties of the nineteenth century), but to this day it is one of the most popular and frequently used. Its stems are also erect, and the height of the bush reaches no more than sixty centimeters. The leaves also have a heart-like shape, and they are located opposite. In addition, they have wavy edges that make them even more lacy and velvety.

The flowers are small and reach a length of no more than four centimeters. Their color is quite constant and does not change from variety to variety, which, however, does not make it less interesting. The bud itself is colored red, but there is a slight orange gradient on it.

The main disadvantage of the zebra Smitanta is its short flowering compared to the previous one. It blooms only during the summer season, but with good care this period can be extended for almost another month.

Smithiantha cinnabarina)

Smitiante Cinnabar red: photo of a flower

This kind, perhaps, can be awarded with two titles at once. He is not only one of the smallest Smithiant, but also has the most unusual and mesmerizing color.

In length, the stems of this species do not grow more than thirty centimeters, for which some, however, love it. However, it is not the size of the representatives of this species that attracts much more, but their color. It is important to clarify that we are not talking about the color of the buds, but about the color of the whole plant as a whole. Its stems, shoots and flower stalks have a very beautiful burgundy hue that looks amazing against the background of green wallpaper.

As for the flowers of such a Smithyanta, they are also red.However, inside they are also painted in a very bright yellow color, which makes them somewhat similar to small lanterns. Also, their distinctive feature, which qualitatively distinguishes them against the background of flowers of all other species, is their multiplicity. One individual can grow up to hundreds of buds, but do not forget that this is a record maximum, and therefore you should not count on it in every season.

Smithiantha multiflora

Smitianta Multiflorum: photo of a flower

Compared to many other types of Smithyanta, this one is the softest and most pleasant to the touch. It grows mainly in Mexico and is a rather rare guest in South America.

The leaves are rather large and are somewhat similar to lush green clouds. By the way, they also differ in that, unlike the leaves of other species, they are far from so dark.

However, the same is fashionable to say about the flowers of this species, since they have a rather unusual cream color for this kind. In length, they reach the standard four centimeters. By the way, don't be fooled by the name of this species. It has significantly fewer flowers than one would imagine if you read it.

However, this species was presented, for the most part, for informational purposes, since it is used mainly to create other hybrids. However, if you are attracted to the delicate creamy shades, you may well be able to shelter such a Smithyanta on your balcony.

Conclusion

Smitiante is a very beautiful plant that deserves its popularity and fame. In addition, caring for him, although it implies small nuances, is quite simple and, we are sure, will be feasible for any amateur florist. However, if you still have any difficulties, do not forget that you can always refer to this article and use our tips and instructions. Well, all we have to do is wish you good luck in growing a flower like Smithiant.

Smitiante: flower video