Beloperone: what it looks like, features of the species and rules of care

Beloperone is an unusual plant that is rarely grown at home. At the same time, it has very few disadvantages and many advantages: for example, almost continuous and abundant flowering, decorative leaves, ease of care. Such a flower immediately attracts the eye, because it is very beautiful. After reading this article, you will learn about what this plant looks like, and you will also be able to understand the features of its species and the basic rules of care.

The homeland of Beloperone is Central and South America, subtropics and tropics. This is a shrub or shrub that has many branches. Beloperone has not very thick shoots, which over time lignify near the base. Leaves are ovate or lanceolate, olive or greenish, matte, their length is up to 8 cm.

Such a plant blooms almost without interruption. Duration of flowering is almost a year (it is interrupted only in the coldest periods). Flowers arise in the axils of the leaves. They are usually quite bright: red, yellow. However, there are also pale pink, very light flowers.

Bracts are mistaken by many for petals. Near the base, they are rather pale, and then the tone becomes more intense. The flowers themselves are between the bracts.

The height of the plant, which is looked after at home, can reach 1.2 m. This flower can grow very quickly. Many people confuse beloperone with pachistachis, aphelandra. The latter is very difficult to grow, because such a plant is capricious, it requires a certain microclimate. It is much easier to care for pachistachis than for aphelandra and beloperone.

There are several varieties of beloperone. Consider the most popular types of such flower.

• Beloperone Guttata (drip). Guttata looks like a small shrub, which usually reaches 80 cm in height.This variety originated in Mexico, it is the most common among flower growers. The leaves are pubescent, oval, very neat. The flowers are white, the bracts are light red. This plant needs to be repotted frequently, replacing the soil or increasing the size of the pot. However, it should be borne in mind that it will very badly tolerate a change in position in the room.

• Variegata (variegated). There is another name for this type: variegated. A variegated flower can only be propagated by cuttings. The height of the variegated white perone is about 70 cm, the flowers are white, the bracts are red. This plant is not demanding on the level of humidity in the room.

• Lutea (lutea) - This is a separate type of drip beloperone. It is distinguished by the yellow tinge of the bracts. The structure, shape of leaves, size of the lutea shrub does not differ from the main species. The main leaves are light, greenish.

• Yellow queen - also a separate type of drip beloperone. The bracts of this plant are bright, lemon-colored. The shrub is more elongated, the leaves are quite rich in color. Yellow Queen has a very abundant flowering: it is almost impossible to notice the main leaves.

• Plumbagolistny or leaved leaved. The height of such a bush can reach 1 m. The shoots are tough, grow vertically. This plant originated in Brazil. There are lateral processes on the branches of the leaved white perone.They grow pointed leaves, which are quite smooth and dense. The length of bright red bracts reaches 60 mm.

• Rouge - a plant bred by artificial means. It is a compact shrub with small oval-shaped leaves. The foliage is green, its shade is quite saturated. Stipules are lemon, greenish, relatively small in size. The flowers are red-pink at the edges, cream at the base. All flowers are strewn with light specks. Plants kept at home bloom without interruption.

Beloperone grows very quickly, so such a flower has to be transplanted every year or even more often: in the summer, at the end of the season, and also in the spring. If an adult beloperone grows in a sufficiently large container, it will be enough to transplant every two or three years. The fact that such a procedure is necessary will be evidenced by a certain "signal": the roots visible from the drainage hole.

In order not to transplant very often, you can buy a pot each time much larger than the previous one.

This plant is undemanding to the soil, so it may well be ordinary, universal. The soil should be light and rich in nutrients. Even an inexperienced person can handle a transplant. It is carried out as follows.

• Take a new container and place pebbles, small expanded clay on the bottom. Layer thickness - 30-50 mm. Then pour in the substrate, filling about a third of the pot's volume.
• Remove the white perone from the old container. To make it easier to do this, you can pre-water the plant (about half an hour). It is better to leave the earthen lump intact.
• Take a sharp knife, disinfect it and cut about 10 mm from the roots. Cut the roots on the sides (the cuts should be longitudinal, not very deep), the edges will need to be slightly "fluffed".
• Place the earthen clod in a new container, add more substrate. Then you will need to shake the pot several times and tamp the soil from above with your palm.
• Water the flower and place it in the shade for several days (it should be light). Then you can put it in its original place. Take care of the flower the way you are used to.

It is quite easy to take care of the beloperone, however, certain conditions must be provided for such a plant. He needs consistency, so he will need regular care.

The light should be diffused, but bright enough. To create an optimal microclimate at home, it is recommended not to refuse exposure to sunlight, however, the periods of receiving it should be short.

When winter comes, you will need to take care of the presence of additional light sources in the room. It is recommended to take into account that at twelve o'clock in the afternoon, the beloperone must be protected from the light of the sun: at this time of the day it is usually too bright.

In spring and summer, you will need to take care of creating optimal temperature conditions for the flower. The best temperature at such times of the year is about +20 degrees. In autumn and winter, it will need to be lowered to +16 or even to +12 degrees. It should not be too warm in cold seasons in the room, otherwise the plant may begin to get rid of foliage. Avoid sudden temperature changes, protect the flower from drafts.

The best option for beloperone is ready-made mixtures that provide all the necessary nutrients.If you are preparing the soil with your own hands, stop the choice on a soil mixture of sand, peat, turf, leafy soil (the recommended ratio is 1: 2: 1: 2). Soils should not be alkaline, very acidic.

The flower originated in warm countries, so it will need to provide a sufficient level of humidity. Humidification can be achieved with a spray bottle. You can moisten the flower every day, but it is better to do this no more than once a day. Do not overmoisten the white perone, otherwise a fungus will appear on the foliage and shoots.

In warm seasons, watering should be quite abundant, however, you should not be too zealous. To understand that it's time to water the flower again, it will be possible on the soil: it should dry out a little. Excessively remove excess liquid as soon as possible.

In winter, the plant needs to be watered less often, however, overdrying should be avoided.

Cold water should not be used for watering beloperone: its temperature should be room temperature. If you don't follow this advice, the plant can get sick or even die.

From March to early autumn, the plant will need to be additionally fed. Thanks to top dressing, the flower will begin to bloom more abundantly, it will be beautiful and healthy. In the summer and spring seasons, beloperone should be fed twice a month, at temperatures less than 18 degrees Celsius - monthly.

You can make a suitable product yourself: prepare a high-quality mineral fertilizer, then dissolve it in water for irrigation. This fertilizer can be used to moisten the soil instead of regular water.

Since the beloperone grows quickly, this flower will need to be pruned. You will have to pinch it regularly, remove unnecessary shoots. So the crown will become as aesthetic as possible, besides, new buds will appear from time to time. In early spring, carefully remove some of the most developed shoots of the plant (about half the length). The tops should be pinched when the beloperone is actively blooming.

Beloperone propagates by cuttings (shoots) and seeds (bones). The seeds can be planted for 60 days, and this plant is propagated by cuttings almost all year round.

Seed shoots are best received in February-March. During this period, the sun is already shining quite brightly, but does not burn, so the leaves of young plants will not be damaged.

It is recommended to use a light soil of perlite, turf and leaf soil (proportions - 0.5: 1: 1). The crown can begin to form after transplanting the seedling into ordinary soil.

In this way, whiteperone is propagated by many growers: this process does not require much time and effort. For planting, you can use the shoots left after spring pruning. Typically, a young plant begins to bloom about 6 months after planting.

Cuttings with at least 2 sheets are suitable for propagation. It should be borne in mind that the cuttings should be quite long: from 12 to 15 cm. The trunk should be not lignified. Roots can appear both in the substrate and in the water: this usually takes several weeks.

To grow beloperone from the cuttings, you need to use a mixture of perlite, sand and peat (0.5: 1: 1). In both the first and second cases, it is necessary to disinfect the soil: bake it in the oven or steam it.

Beloperone is characterized by increased resistance to various negative influences, however, sometimes problems still arise. Usually this flower suffers from such pests.

• Aphid... Leaves begin to curl, lose color, and young shoots become crooked. To combat aphids, you can treat the plant with a pyrethrum solution or soapy water. In especially severe cases, you should use "Fosbecid" or "Actellic".

• Whiteflies... They appear on shoots and leaves. To identify these pests, you need to shake the plant: a characteristic swarm will rise from it. Whiteflies can be fought with Decisome or Actellic.

• Red spider mite. Because of this pest, the foliage becomes yellowish. A characteristic silvery cobweb appears on the lower part of the leaf. As a preventive measure, you should periodically rinse the beloperone, using ordinary water for this, and also get rid of dead leaves. "Actellik" helps to get rid of the tick.

During the growing season, brown spots may appear on the flower, the foliage may begin to fade rapidly. This usually means that the plant is not properly looked after: for example, it is somehow watered in a wrong way. At elevated temperatures, poor lighting, the bracts begin to fade. With an excessively tight capacity, a lack of useful elements with beloperone, leaves will fall off.

For an overview of the whiteperone drip, see below.