Sheflera comes from the tropics, the flower belongs to the Aralia family. This family includes more than 600 species of evergreens, which in natural conditions grow up to 2.5 m in height.
Sheflera's room is not high, it has "leather" leaves of a very bizarre shape, for which the growers fell in love with her. In an adult plant, as it grows, the trunk becomes bare, and the leaves grow only at the top. Splendor and decorativeness is achieved by planting several plants in one flower pot.
Nature's idea
The plant blooms only in natural tropical conditions with large large flowers, usually of a burgundy-red color. As the bud opens, the flower turns pale, leaving monochrome only in the center.
From a distance, the chef can be mistaken for a huge chamomile, their petals are so similar, but, looking closely, you will be amazed at how intricately nature has arranged the inflorescence. From the core, along the petals, a mass of thin white stalks stretches, which seem to curl at the tips. The pistil itself is smooth, five to six opening stamens grow from it, which, as a rule, are pale in color. Sometimes it seems that the stamens are larger than the petals, but this is just an optical illusion, because at the tips of each there is a large bag with ripening seeds.
The cheflera flower has almost no legs, it seems to rest on the leaves.
The home flower captivates with the beauty of its leaves, their bizarre shape and color. Sheflera is a hardy and very unpretentious plant; it can be grown without much effort, following very simple rules.
Care and breeding
Comfortable temperature conditions for chefs in summer up to 22 ° C, in winter - at least 14 ° C. Higher temperatures negatively affect plant growth. Shefler with green leaves can be placed in a shaded place, and with variegated leaves on a window facing south, but nevertheless shaded with a light curtain. For all types of plants, direct sunlight is contraindicated.
The soil for the plant is prepared from a mixture of sod and leafy soil, humus and clean sand. It is allowed to use purchased soil for palm trees. Sheflera is a very moisture-loving plant, so the soil must be moist. Additional moisture is created by spraying the leaves with water. After spraying, wipe the leaves with a napkin. In winter, make watering less intense.
The plant is fed during the active growing season every ten days. For feeding, use both organic complex fertilizers and mineral fertilizers.
Since the chefler does not bloom at home, it means that there are no seeds either. Reproduction is carried out by cuttings. To do this, cut the stalk obliquely with a sharp knife, and the cut is treated with a growth stimulator. I plant it in soil prepared from equal parts of clean sand and peat. The planted stalk is best covered with a glass jar to create a greenhouse effect. Ambient temperature up to 22 ° C.
The cuttings are transplanted into a container with a reinforced drainage system. To make the chefler more decorative in the future, up to four cuttings are planted in a flower pot. As adults, the plants will unite their crowns, which will create a picturesque composition. Young plants are transplanted annually. Large plants are transplanted as needed.
