Red exotic flowers. Cyclamen home or alpine violet

It seems that her imagination is inexhaustible. How incredible and outlandish plants, exotic flowers does not grow in the world. It remains only to be amazed and admired. Takka, or this one unusual flower also called Whiskers of a cat, Black lily, Bat, perennial. If you look closely at the flower, then these names seem to justify themselves. Flowers meet different shades: white, pink, beige, and also closer to black.

Takka is grown in greenhouses. At home, the plant is difficult to grow, as it requires special conditions of humidity and nutrient medium. In nature, it can grow up to 3 meters high. It is found on the coasts, in the tropics, rarely in the savannas. Locals use Takka flowers for magic, and the flower itself and leaves are added to food. The stems are used for fishing tackle.

We adore delicate orchids that attract and enchant with their magnificent flowers. Have you seen such an orchid, reminiscent of a monkey face. Such a flower is called the Monkey Orchid, or scientifically Dracula simia. This curiosity grows in Colombia, Peru and on the mountain slopes of Ecuador. Breeders and collectors believe that such an orchid is fragrant with ripe oranges. Here it is!

One more unusual plant, which at first glance seems just an incredible joke of nature. Looking at him, involuntarily. This flower is called Psychotria sublime, or simply by the people - Whore Sponges. Although, of course, now they want to have such sponges a large number of women, pumping them with Botox.) But let's not get distracted. These plants of tropical forests, Central and South America, belong to the genus of the Rubiaceae family. Found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador. With its unusual appearance, this flower attracts a large number of butterflies, insects and hummingbirds, which at the same time pollinate them. That's how they pouted their lips!)

Gidnora, you see what an awesome look of this flower. This insectivorous flower grows in the deserts of South Africa. But in spite of unusual view and bad smell, its fruits are considered among Africans the most delicious fruit. Madagascarians eat them both raw and fried. It is also known that the inhabitants of Africa use Hydnora rhizomes to treat heart diseases.

The giant water lily, or Victoria Amazonian, reaches a diameter of 2 to 2.5 meters. It grows in the rivers of the Amazon, Bolivia and Brazil. Named after Queen Victoria. Huge water lily leaves are bent up and are very similar to pans that do not sink. Even after heavy rains, they do not fill with water, as all the water seeps through like a sieve. Such leaves can withstand up to 50 kilograms of weight. Local residents transport their home belongings and small children from coast to coast. The water lily flower itself is also unusual. AT closed it is covered with thorns and resembles a chestnut. It is magically beautiful when opened, it resembles a beautiful lily. Each night, the petals change color, from soft pink to dark purple. It is a pity that its flowering is so short, only 2-3 days. Basically, the flower is under water.

Flower-banksia Protea / Protea / grows in Africa and Australia. Flowers of various shades, depending on the species. There are about 70 species. The origin was received from the name of the Greek deity, the many-sided Proteus.

Osteospermum Octeospermum. Nasinga Purple. These evergreen shrubs and subshrubs grow in South Africa. In the literature they are called African, Cape daisy. Currently, many varieties and colors have been bred.

Etlingera elatior (red) - Etlingera sublime (red), grows in Malaysia. This unusual and majestic flower is also called the Philippine wax flower, Flame lily, Porcelain rose.

http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/korobeinikoff-anatoly/tags/%D1%86%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8B/view/303276?page=0

Clitoria (Clitoria), or moth peas, or pigeon wings, or shameful flower. Once, thanks to Carl Linnaeus, this delicate flower, the legume families began to be called Clitoria. And indeed, we will not deny that in its form this flower resembles the intimate place of every woman. This is ornamental plant adorns many gardens and rooms in countries temperate climate. Highly delicate flower, does not tolerate cooling and does not survive at temperatures below + 10 degrees C.

Exotic flowers are plants that grow in vivo in countries with warm climates. In the harsh climate of a European winter or middle lane Russia, they have no chance to survive in open field. Therefore, all of them, without exception, can grow only at home, in greenhouses and when creating special, close to natural climatic conditions. Plants from remote regions of the world, especially exotic ones such as South America, Africa or Australia, often reach gigantic proportions in nature. The flowers of some of them are very original and can be grown in pots as they like warmth. The conditions prevailing in our apartments suit them. Especially if the humidity rises slightly.
Not all exotic lovers can provide home conditions for growing. Many, choosing tropical exotic plants for their home, are focused primarily on their size, decorativeness and value. And only after they buy them, they ask questions about the maintenance and care of them.

There are two groups of exotic plants:

• blooming potted plants with repeated profuse flowering
• and plants from decorative leaves and fruits.

How to grow exotic plants at home

Like any other plant, exotic species need good and proper care. For every lover of exotic flora there is always suitable plant: Easy to grow to demanding. That is why it is very important before buying a flower, it is desirable to learn as much as possible about it.

The first condition is humidity.

All tropical and exotic plants are the same in one thing: they need conditions as close as possible to their own. natural environment where high humidity and constant heat prevail.

It is easy to provide heat, but how to achieve the required humidity?

Frequent spraying of plants is not an option. In winter indoors central heating air humidity decreases sharply, which is negative factor both for humans and animals, and for exotic plants. Therefore, you need to monitor the humidity of the air. Buy a moisture meter.

To provide humidity that is comfortable for humans and plants, it is not always enough to place a fountain in the room.

most efficient and practical way is the use of special electronic humidifiers.

Exotic flowers need extra lighting

Exotic species need proper lighting in order to thrive, as their home light intensity is equally high throughout the year, and the duration of daylight is more than 12 hours. That's why they need additional lighting in winter.

The natural conditions that exist in the homeland of plants dictate the rules for growing exotics. For example, plants from tropical rainforests need high humidity and do not have a rest period.

Plants from areas with variable humidity have a dormant period. Therefore, in winter they are not so intensively watered and not fed. Subtropical plants prefer only a slight decrease in temperature in winter, they also easily tolerate direct sunlight. Caring for these plants is not difficult.

Exotic flowers in pots

It is impossible to give all the names and photos of exotic flowers suitable for growing at home in one article. There are many types of such plants. We confine ourselves to describing the most spectacular and easiest to grow.

Datura

Datura The plant comes from South America. It has wonderful, large, funnel-shaped flowers, which are additionally characterized by an extremely pleasant smell. You can enjoy Datura flowers even several times during one season. The leaves of this plant also have decorative value. They are large and dark green in color. Datura has many requirements, both in terms of soil and care. It will grow best in soil rich in humus and nutrients. Plant roots require air, so the pot needs a drainage layer in the form of gravel. Young plants should be transplanted several times, in large and large pots and don't forget to fertilize. A flower needs a soul, especially in hot weather.

Medinilla

Medinilla is gorgeous Medinilla magnifica) comes from the Philippines. In nature, it is an epiphyte, overgrown with tree branches in the tropical forests of the islands of Luzon and Mindoro. At home, this potted plant with ornamental leaves and exotic flowers has long, elegantly hanging inflorescences with pink flowers. This Philippine beauty reaches a height of 1 m with a racemose inflorescence up to 60 cm long.

Medinille need a lot of light, especially during flowering. However, the light must scatter, as direct sunlight can cause leaf burns. It is best placed at the back of a south-facing room or next to an east- or west-facing window.
Medinilla needs a lot of space, it does not tolerate touch, movement and rapid temperature changes - this can lead to dropping flower buds and flowers. Its shoots and buds are fragile, so they need support (such as bamboo stakes).

The substrate for growing medinila should be fertile, humus and permeable. It should be watered with moderately soft water, fertilized and transplanted every few years.

Inhabitant of Brazil and Argentina. This is a climber growing in local forests. Passiflora is the heroine of many beautiful legends. It is sometimes called the passion flower and the flower of the Passion of the Lord. It can be grown at home and in the winter garden, and in the summer - on the balcony. He likes light, spray and warmth. By purchasing this exotic potted flower it is worth choosing a sample with several kidneys.

Royal Protea (Protea cynaroide), also called "Prometheus flower" or "silvery". When grown in a room, the protea reaches several tens of centimeters in height. Its biggest decoration is powerful, star-shaped inflorescences with a diameter of 20-30 cm. Their color may be different - but most often red, green or delicate pink. Protea leaves have characteristic silvery hairs.

Contrary to its appearance, does not cause big problems in home cultivation. The flower likes sunny positions with large quantity scattered light. She prefers acidic substrates, not very nutritious. It can grow on a balcony or terrace, but in autumn it is recommended to move it to a cool room (10-15 ° C). Proteas love summer high temperatures, slight frosts are allowed in winter (down to -5 ° C).

Protea seeds are the easiest to buy online. The optimal date for sowing seeds is autumn and winter. Seeds before sowing are recommended to be kept in water for several hours. They germinate in 4-12 weeks (preferably on sand and peat substrate). Young individuals are sensitive to water deficiency, older ones tolerate overdrying. Water must be soft. Feeding is not required.

orchids

Orchid is considered one of the most beautiful flowers in nature. Fortunately, we can safely breed this species at home and enjoy beautiful specimens every season. The substrate for the orchid must be pre-sprinkled with a layer of bark, while room temperature must be at least 18 degrees. Orchid is not capricious plant requiring constant contact with the sun. The flower also develops well in the shade. The minimum air humidity for this species is 60%. In dry apartments, electric humidifiers can help regulate the humidity levels in the home.

The most popular orchids to grow indoors are Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium and Cattleya.

Takka - black orchid

Tacca (lat. Tacca) grows naturally in dense jungle South-East Asia and West Africa. More than 10 species of this exotic plant have been described. All these are perennials growing up to 30-100 cm in height. decorative types, such as Tacca chantrieri or Tacca integrifolia produce vertical rhizomes.
Tacca flowers have an extremely interesting appearance. Depending on the species, they can be green, brown or purple. individual flowers grouped to create a large inflorescence (about 30 cm long), surrounded by two pairs of dark purple and adorned with drops of filamentous "whiskers". The inflorescence is located on the upper part, the length of which is from 30 to 60 cm.
Takka blooms in late summer and autumn. One plant can produce several inflorescences.

Takka is a thermophilic plant, minimum temperature its cultivation is 13-15 degrees Celsius. The flower also requires high humidity. He likes diffused light, so it should not be installed in very sunny places. Takka should be watered abundantly, but the roots should not be flooded. In the summer should be sprayed regularly.
During the growing season, fertilize monthly using liquid fertilizer. Every few years, the plant needs to be replanted, removing old and decaying fragments of rhizomes. The growing medium should be permeable, high in humus, slightly acidic. Takka is propagated using fragments of rhizomes obtained in the spring (cutting points must be covered with charcoal). Each fragment must have one eye. Rhizome sections are planted in a mixture of sand and peat.

exotic leafy plants

Caladium is a plant native to the tropical jungles of South America. The plants are grown for their ornamental leaves. Leaves in various shades white, pink, red, green with more brightly colored streaks. The shape of the leaves has the shape of an arrow, the leaves reach a length of up to 40 centimeters, a diameter of up to 12 cm. At the end of summer, the stems and leaves gradually die, and the plant goes into a dormant state. Caladium - a plant with decorative leaves for winter garden, bright windows, but without intense sun. The ideal place to grow is a warm place with high humidity.

The place for growing two-color caladium should be very bright, but the sun is useful only in the morning and evening. The place should be quite warm and humid, and in winter we lower the temperature to about 14-16ºC. Watering intensively from spring to autumn, do not allow the substrate to dry out. During growth, fertilizing potted plants is recommended. In February, shortly after the rest period, we separate the tubers and plant them in the new soil. During this period, it is important to ensure high humidity and temperature not lower than 23ºC. After the release of the first leaves, we move the plant to a much cooler place. The flower is propagated by sowing seeds or by dividing tubers, always at high humidity.

Exotic fruiting plants

One of the most interesting exotic plants grown in pots is Garnet(pomegranate, Latin Punica granatum). This species comes mainly from the southern regions of Europe, therefore, in our climate, its year-round cultivation in the ground is impossible. However, pomegranate can be successfully grown in apartments where, after providing right conditions it will bloom and bear fruit in abundance.

In nature, pomegranates reach a height of 3-4 m and have the shape of a loose bush. When cultivated in a container, they are not so big, but grow quite intensively, so it is better to choose a variety dwarf varieties- for example, "Nana", growing up to 1.5-2 m in height, which has a more compact shape.
Although the pomegranate tolerates pruning very well, when pruning an adult plant, care must be taken, because flowers and fruits are formed mainly on annual shoots, so with excessive pruning, we can completely deflower pomegranates in a given season.

Pomegranate in suitable conditions blooms already in the second or even the first year of cultivation, releasing numerous, extremely decorative coral-orange flowers.

Growing citrus fruits at home

In the room you can grow different kinds citrus fruits, including

• regular lemon ( Citrus lemon),
• lemon lime ( C. lemon var. ponderosa),
• oranges: Chinese ( C. sinensis), bitter ( C. aurantium), miniature ( C. mitis),
• tangerines ( C. reticulata),
• tangerine( C. x tangelo).

Citrus must be provided best conditions for development, otherwise they are capricious. They prefer a lot of light, but diffused. Direct sunlight can be harmful (in pots indoors). It is worth moving the plants to a balcony or garden in summer (then they can withstand more solar terms). Plants should be provided with a fertile but well permeable substrate. It can be a mixture of universal soil for potted plants with sand (in a ratio of 3: 1) and the addition of expanded clay or perlite. Citrus fruits should be pruned to stimulate the plants. Don't let the soil dry out in the pot or the plants will shed their leaves quickly. Pests are also a problem in cultivation: citrus fruits are often attacked by aphids and spider mites.

Pineapple - an exotic fruit from a flower pot

Ananas comosus) is not a palm tree, not a large shrub, as is sometimes thought. This is a "prickly" perennial, reaching a height of 1.5 m. Interestingly, pineapple can also be grown at home. AT favorable conditions the plant can even produce fruits. Seedlings can be grown from purchased fruit. The rosette of leaves should be separated along with a 1-2 cm piece of flesh. The pulp should then be carefully removed to expose the root. Its basis should be “treated” with a rooting preparation. Ready seedlings are placed in a mixture of wet peat and sand. The plant stands during the first weeks under cover. transparent material. It is later grown in a similar manner to other bromeliad species. Water can be poured directly into the rosette of leaves. A properly cultivated pineapple can flower and bear fruit in 2-3 years.

(Averrhoa carambola) is a tree that grows in Malaysia and Indonesia. It produces characteristic, star-shaped fruit. yellow color. This flower has attractive, hairy leaves. It happens that at home it blooms and bears fruit (4-5 years after planting). Seeds should be sown in a mixture of wet peat and sand with a transparent material (to increase air humidity and reduce the risk of seedlings being destroyed by drafts). Carambola germinates quickly - a week after sowing. The pot is best placed in a semi-shaded area.

We talked about a small part of exotic flowers and plants. But if you are not afraid of difficulties and love to take care of plants, be sure to get yourself an exotic at home and it will delight and surprise you every day.

Every gardener wants his greenhouse to be unique. It is not so difficult to do this, exotic flowers can add grace, which, by their appearance, will remind you of distant countries. Of course, growing exotics on your site is not so easy, but with proper care it is quite real. If everything works out for you, then you will not regret the time spent for a second.

Cannes Flowers

Cannes are considered a relative of such a plant as ginger, because it was not in vain that the Indians used its tubers for food. And here for gardeners, this plant is attractive first of all, their beautiful large flowers, which are somewhat reminiscent of gladioli. Pleasing to the eye with flowers

Cannes can from spring to the first frost, after which it can be brought home, where it will continue to bloom its buds right up until winter. If you do not want to grow it at home, then the tubers can be dug up and transferred to a warm place where they will wait until next spring.

Petunias

This beautiful the flower came to us from America and initially it did not represent any decorative value. However, over time, the beauty of the petunia was nevertheless considered and began to be used in the design of gardens. This flower is very unpretentious and can bloom from spring to late autumn.

Currently scientists have brought a huge number of decorative petunias variety of colors and shapes. The most popular varieties are:

• Bush
• floribunda
• Ampel
• Calibrachoa
• Cascading

exotic flowers

orchids

Very capricious, but truly the most beautiful flower- orchid. In warm countries, they grow on trees, and garlands of flowers hang from their long shoots.

Exist a huge variety of orchids, only in South America there are more than 8000 of them. All of them have various forms and colors, but no matter how they differ from each other, they all have approximately the same structure - 3 sepals, 3 petals, one of which, the lower one, differs from the other two in shape, and sometimes even in color. This petal is still very often referred to as a lip.

The seeds of this flower can only germinate with the help of fungi that are obtained from the mother plant. Most often, during transportation, these mushrooms die and the seeds cannot germinate. That is why orchids are so expensive, because it takes a lot of time and effort for a plant to bloom.

Orchids were first used in greenhouses about 100 years ago. In those days, they were transported from the jungle, so their cost was simply unimaginable. However, as soon as the first flower was delivered, he immediately became fashionable. This was the beginning of the hunt for this precious plant, because even without fear of dying in the jungle, the daredevils went in search of the most beautiful of flowers.

If you are not afraid of difficulties, then an orchid can be a wonderful decoration not only for your garden, but also for your home, because it feels great at home. For this, the following varieties are suitable:

• Phalaenopsis. This type is the most popular for home growing, they are not as whimsical as the rest and bloom for a long time.
• Dendrobium. This species prefers a cooler place, with good conditions will bloom for a month.
• Cattleya. The same orchid, on the contrary, prefers warmth, but not heat. Its feature can be noted flowers that reach 20 cm in diameter.

The photo above shows a Phalaenopsis orchid.

callas

This flower has many fans among professionals and amateurs and this is not surprising. For their cultivation does not require any special conditions or skills, you only need a desire and then everything will work out.

callas were brought to us from South America, and if under natural conditions they bloom in winter, then in our climate they feel great in summer, delighting the eye with beautiful inflorescences. Calla lilies are the most common in nature. white color, and here are the species derived in decorative purposes, may already be pink, red, yellow or even black.

In order for the callas to also bloom next year, you need to prepare them in advance for wintering. For this in September bushes need to be dug and carefully clean the tubers from the ground. Everything must be done very carefully so as not to damage anything, since callas have very fragile roots. The leaves must be left for 2 weeks so that the tubers receive maximum nutrients and after the time has elapsed they can be removed. They must be stored at a temperature not exceeding 15 degrees.

Amorphophallus giant

Compared to other exotic flowers, this one is simply huge, its peduncle can reach a height of 3 meters. blooming, the flower shows the underside of the red or purple , and in the middle there is a huge cob-inflorescence, which, despite its beauty, has a not very pleasant smell. Such beauty can be observed within 2 weeks, after which one leaf will stick out of the ground.

However, due to its size and shape from a distance it looks like a tree with a very lush crown. For one season, this leaf will live by accumulating nutrients so that next year such a exotic flower. The photo shows how impressive the dimensions of the amorphophallus are.

Rafflesia

This is a very rare exotic a flower that can be found in the Asian jungle. Before even approaching it, you can feel it, because rafflesia exudes the aroma of rotting meat.

This is exotic plant has an impressive size and can reach 1 meter in diameter. Red fleshy the flower attracts flies with its smell which pollinate it. Flowering lasts about 3 days, after which it begins to grow large berry. When it is ripe, wild animals will trample it and spread the seeds throughout the forest.