Achimenes is a flowering plant from the Gesneriaceae family, which is currently gaining more and more popularity in the hearts of flower growers. And it is no coincidence! Not all indoor plants can boast such a high decorative effect – after all, achimenez is strewn with flowers from May to October!
Description of achimenes
Another undoubted advantage of this plant is a wide range of colors: hybrid varieties of achimenes are represented by almost all shades of the rainbow – red, yellow, purple, blue, orange, yellow and white flowers. The very shape of the flower is also very diverse – there are small-flowered and large-flowered varieties, with carved and smooth edges of the petals. Terry varieties deserve special attention, which look just great!
Ahimenes can be both bush and ampelous. There are also cascading forms. This will allow you to pick up plants, both for decorating window sills and for walls, as well as facades of verandas and balconies closed from the wind. The leaves of the plant are slightly pubescent, with carved denticles, which are similar in shape to nettles from afar. This gave him the popular nickname “nettle”.
Ahimenez flower in the photo
Ahimenez refers to plants with a pronounced dormant period. And this is another definite plus! With the end of the growing season, all the leaves dry up and the plant can not be looked after until the very spring, even watering is not required. Another name for this indoor flower – “friendly family” was also formed not by chance. The main method of propagation of achimenes is by rhizomes. These are modified thickened rhizomes that form every season. The plant overwinters in the form of rhizomes, which sprout in March-April and can be planted in pots and pots. Having planted one rhizome in the spring, you can already find a whole “pile” of rhizomes there in the fall, when the plant is going to rest. Next year they can be planted all together or separately, giving rise to new plants.
You can also propagate this houseplant by cuttings that are rooted in water or immediately in the ground. The stalk is able to simultaneously form rhizomes and bloom little by little, however, full flowering should still be expected only for the next season, counting from the planting of the stalk.
Achimenez breeding has been around for a long time, but at present, it is experiencing a real flowering, thanks to the originator Serge Saliba from Romania. Over the past few years, he has created many wonderful new varieties that have captured the hearts of flower growers!