All about the Jacobinia flower

Beautiful Jacobinia can be a decoration for any home garden. This plant is both decorative-deciduous and flowering, besides, it is distinguished by its unpretentious care. You can even recommend this variety to novice growers.

Jacobinia, also known as Justice, is a member of the Acanthus family. Some species of this flower are grown as indoor plants, others are cultivated in greenhouses, and some continue to grow in tropical forests. Jacobinia is a herbaceous plant that takes the form of an evergreen shrub or subshrub. At home, it stretches in height by no more than 50-150 centimeters and, being compact, fits organically into any interior.

Flexible shoots of an evergreen perennial are covered with rounded leaf blades of a dark green color. The surface of the latter is slightly wrinkled due to large veins. White, pink, orange or red "tubes" of flowers gather in spikelets or panicles, and the shoots become lignified over time.

Although not all varieties of Jacobinia are adapted to indoor conditions, a florist who wants to get to know this culture better will still have plenty to choose from.

Low-flowered Jacobinia forms a small bush, not exceeding 30-50 centimeters in height. Its well-branching shoots are often covered with leathery oval leaves with sharp edges. The dark green plates are 7 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide. Single tubular flowers have a red-pink base and yellow edges. The shrub blooms profusely.

Jacobinia nodosa is very unpretentious. Its small flowers are pale pink. The growth of the bush, as a rule, does not exceed 55-57 centimeters, and the leaves have a classic oval shape.

Orange inflorescences are found in Jacobinia spicata.

Meat-red jacobinia is also called flesh-colored. Height ranges from 60 to 150 centimeters. Since the shoots practically do not branch, the shrub resembles a cylinder a bit. The length of the leaves reaches 19-20 centimeters. They have uneven edges and two types of color: dark green on top and emerald below. Reddish inflorescences grow in length up to 10-15 centimeters.

Jacobinia rosea is often referred to as Paul's Jacobinia. The shoots of a tall shrub can reach 1.5 meters. Large shiny leaves have a dark green tint and are 15 to 20 centimeters long. The apical inflorescences, consisting of tubular flowers, are colored bright pink.

Variegated Jacobin is often called variegated Jacobin - one that has mutated variegated cells devoid of chlorophyll, which adds aesthetics to the appearance of the plant. The surface of the leaf blades of such a plant is covered with white specks.

Jacobinia vascular, aka Adatoda, is distinguished by its large dimensions and flexible branching shoots up to 1 meter long. Shiny emerald-colored leaf blades have an oval shape. Large buds consist of milky petals covered with a mesh of blood vessels.

Jacobinia yellow Is a lush shrub whose shoots grow up to 1 meter in length. On the stems there is a large number of matte plates of a beautiful emerald color, and golden buds are combined into spikelets.

Jacobinia Brandege is characterized by the formation of a dense, medium-sized shrub with meter-long stems. The matte surface of the oval leaf blades is painted in a bright green hue.

At home, Jacobinia needs enough lighting, so it is optimal to plant it on the east or west window. In late autumn, the plant lacks natural light, so on cloudy days it will need to be illuminated with a phytolamp for at least 3 hours. In the summer, Jacobinia should be periodically taken out onto the balcony. From mid-autumn to spring, she should rest at a temperature of + 12 ... 16 degrees, and the rest of the time - be at + 20 ... 25 degrees. The plant loves moisture, and will have to be watered quite often. A settled liquid at room temperature is suitable for this purpose.

You will have to focus on the top layer of the soil: as soon as it dries up by 0.5-1 centimeter, you can add water. On average, this happens about once every 3 days. In winter, the flower is irrigated every 10 days or even 2 weeks. You should focus on the ambient temperature: the lower it is, the less moisture is required for the plant. In the room where Jacobinia lives, it is recommended to maintain a humidity level of 60-70%. For this, the leaves of the shrub are regularly sprayed, and the pot itself is set on a dish with pebbles, where water is regularly poured. In the summer, spraying is advised both in the afternoon and in the evening, and in winter, a procedure carried out every 2 days is enough. The leaves of the plant are cleaned of dust with a damp cloth.

For the first two years of life, the Jacobinium is transplanted every 12 months, and then every 2 or even 3 years. The soil for a flower should be rich in nutrients and loose, so it makes sense to dilute even a universal soil with sand or vermiculite. A mixture of turf, leafy soil, peat and sand, taken in equal proportions, is also suitable. Holes are cut at the bottom of the container into which the Jacobinia is planted, and drainage material is poured, forming a layer 5 centimeters thick. The plant needs a pot that is fairly deep and wide, capable of accommodating the growing root system. It should be mentioned that in the summer, Jacobinia is allowed to be planted in open ground, for example, near the porch, where there is protection from drafts.

For feeding an indoor flower, compositions for pelargonium and surfinia, as well as complexes for flowering plants, are suitable. It is necessary to use solutions of weak concentration from spring to autumn every 3-4 weeks. Jacobinia pruning is organized in early spring. Its essence lies in shortening the branches by 10-12 centimeters so that only 2-3 internodes remain. This action stimulates flowering.

It is customary to propagate Jacobinia in two ways. The first requires the use of seeds, which at the beginning of spring are spread over the surface of a light, lightly watered mixture of peat and sand. The container is tightened with a film or covered with glass, after which it is removed to a well-lit place that warms up to + 20 ... 25 degrees. When 2-3 full-fledged leaves are formed on the seedlings, they can be planted in constant containers. Reproduction of Jacobinia and cuttings is possible. Fragments from 7 to 10 centimeters long are cut from the tops of the branches with a sterilized instrument at an angle of 45 degrees. By the way, even those pieces that are left after trimming will do.It is important that at least 2 internodes are present on each of them, and the cut is made just below the leaf node. All leaves, except for the top pair, are removed from the cutting.

The cut is processed with a powder that stimulates the growth of the root system, after which the blanks are rooted in a light substrate that allows water to pass through well. Alternatively, it can be a mixture of soil and perlite, taken in equal proportions. The structure is necessarily covered with a transparent bag, which will have to be removed periodically. A month later, roots will form on the cuttings, and if the Jacobinia itself is already actively developing by that time, then it will be possible to transplant to a permanent habitat.

Jacobinia has good immunity, and therefore most of its problems are usually associated with improper care. So, leaf blades begin to wither or even fall off if the watering regime is not suitable for the plant. The culture can react negatively to both waterlogging and overdried soil. If only the lower leaves fall off the shrub, then the problem is probably the effect of cold air. In this case, the Jacobin must be immediately removed from the draft, rearranged to another place.

Difficulties with flowering in a culture arise in the event of a lack of lighting. The flower requires a bright, but diffused light, so it is worth placing the pot on an eastern or southern fire, not forgetting about protection from intense midday rays. Rotting Jacobinia is provoked by the ingress of liquid directly onto the flower, or by the lack of ventilation. During spraying, it is necessary to control that both buds and inflorescences are protected from water.

In summer, it is a good idea to expose the plant to fresh air. Blanching of leaf blades is the result of a lack of nutrients in the soil, and brown spots on their surface are a manifestation of sunburn. Finally, the tips of the leaves of the plant curl when the Jacobinia is kept in the cold, or is constantly exposed to the cold wind.

A crop grown at home can be a target for an attack by a red spider mite or whitefly. In these cases, it is best to use insecticides. Due to excessive moisture, the plant runs the risk of contracting a fungus - for example, black or gray rot, and sometimes mealybugs also appear in the soil.