Sparaxis is a perennial plant from South Africa, capable of filling the garden with a bright riot of colors already in early summer. Each flower combines several contrasting shades, like a small rainbow.
Botanical characteristics
The genus sparaxis belongs to the iris family. This deciduous plant has a corm root system. Fleshy elastic stems up to 1 m high at the apex carry a spike-shaped inflorescence. In a temperate climate, it rarely reaches gigantic proportions, rises above the ground by only 15-20 cm. Lanceolate leaves are very elongated and resemble dense ribbons. The foliage is dark green, sinewy, pubescent.
In May-June, bright flowers bloom. They have a contrasting core of yellow, purple, burgundy and other colors and bright petals. There are plants with pink, red, white, purple, burgundy and other shades of petals. Some varieties, in addition to plain color, have a pattern of darker branched veins. Depending on the type of flower, it has a fully open or funnel-shaped shape.
The average diameter of flowers with six petals is 5 cm. In the core there are 3 weakly twisted stamens and one pestle. His tube protrudes significantly above the flower.
Popular varieties
The genus of sparaxis is not very diverse, scientists distinguish only 6 varieties and about 20 plant varieties. In our country, only some of them are cultivated, which is due to the demanding climate.
Sparaxis tricolorHe is a tricolor (tricolor). The stems and xiphoid leaves reach a height of 40-50 cm. Red, purple, yellow or white flowers form in the inflorescence. Their core is bright, differs in tone from the main color of the petals. A dark ring of brown or black color is visible between the core and the edges of the petals. For this feature, the species got its name, because on each flower there are three different colors at once. The transitions between them are clear, not smoothed. Based on this species, the following varieties are derived:
- lord of fire - scarlet petals with a black middle;
- grandiflora - a tall variety with dark green foliage and bright inflorescences of white, purple, lilac, yellow, has a strong aroma;
- undersized mixture - on sturdy stems up to 15 cm high, red, yellow and white flowers flaunt;
- bilbifer - high inflorescences are decorated with snow-white or yellow flowers;
- striped - The petals of bright orange color seem to shimmer with flames and contrast with the yellow middle;
- elegant - a miniature plant, 10-15 cm tall, is decorated with yellow and orange flowers.
Sparaxis Superba differs in small growth. An adult flower reaches 25-35 cm. In a spike-shaped inflorescence, there are 5-7 buds in the form of stars. The size of the opened bud does not exceed 5 cm. White, orange, purple and yellow petals contrast with a yellow or black core.
How to grow sparaxis from seeds?
Sparaxis is a demanding plant enough to grow it will require experience in gardening and dexterity. Seedlings are pre-grown in deep baskets with light fertile soil. The plant prefers a warm and humid climate, so the crops are kept in a greenhouse or conditions close to it.
Seeds are placed in the soil to a depth of 5-10 mm and covered with a film until the first seedlings appear. Young plants are thinned out immediately to get a distance of at least 2 cm. Seedlings are regularly watered and kept in a lighted place. When reaching a height of about 6-8 cm, seedlings can be transplanted into the open ground. The plant is very sensitive to cold, so it is important that the danger of frost is passed.
In a constant place between the flowers should be a distance of 15 cm (when growing under a slice) or 45 cm (when decorating the garden). In the first year after sowing, flowering is usually not expected, the plant takes root and grows green mass.
Planting bulbs of sparaxis
In the fall, after flowering is complete, the bulbs grow and can be divided into several pieces. To do this, they dig out and carefully disassemble, so as not to damage the roots. Corms are stored until spring in a room with an air temperature of about + 9 ° C. So that they remain viable, they are surrounded with sawdust, but provide an air flow. So the plant retains germination up to 3 years.
Before planting in the ground, the bulbs together with the sawdust are transferred to a warm room, where the temperature is + 25 ° C. Planting can be done in pots or immediately in open ground. To do this, prepare a light substrate with good drainage. Loams with added sand and organic fertilizers are preferred. In the garden you need to choose a well-lit and protected from cold wind gusts place.
In a temperate climate, bulbs are planted in open ground no earlier than March. In autumn, you can plant in the garden in the southern regions. Bulbs are deepened into the soil by 10 cm with a distance of 15 cm between the seedlings. Autumn plantings bloom in early May and retain flowers until mid-July. With spring plantings, flowering begins in mid-summer.
Care Features
Sparaxis is a gentle thermophilic plant that does not tolerate frost. Therefore, in a temperate climate, bulbs are dug in the fall and stored dry on sawdust or peat until spring. In the warm season they are again planted in the ground.
The plant is very fond of regular watering, but without stagnation of water, otherwise the roots can simply rot. In strong heat, ground shoots should be sprayed with warm water, but this should be done early in the morning or in the light of the setting sun so that water droplets do not provoke a burn.
For the formation of more flowers, a cool and rainy spring is needed. You can create the appropriate conditions using regular watering.
Fading inflorescences and foliage are removed, then new shoots form in their place. Each month, plants are fertilized with mineral fertilizers in a volume of up to 20 g per bucket of water.
In August or September, when the flowers faded, the plant begins a dormant period. It dumps foliage and completely disappears from the surface of the earth. It is important not to forget that tubers remain in the ground and not damage them when weeding or digging.
Growing sparaxis as a houseplant is quite difficult. He needs to provide good lighting and high humidity, while the air in the winter in the apartments is often dry. The conditions of a winter garden or greenhouse are ideal, where the plant will delight the owners with abundant flowering for several years.
Outlandish garden decoration
In order for sparaxis to fully reveal its decorative properties, it is necessary to plant it in large dense massifs. Single flowers can get lost in the garden, but thick multi-colored plantings allow you to create an interesting composition exclusively from sparaxis.
It is important to remember that by the end of summer it will completely fade and you will need to fill the void with other plants. Well perceives the neighborhood of thyme, phlox, tigridia, stonecrop. It successfully combines with lawn grass and groundcover green plants. In this case, the effect of a natural lawn is created.
Compact varieties are suitable for planting in pots to decorate a terrace or balcony. Bright flowers are also planted in rock gardens or decorated with evergreen shrubs and dwarf trees.
