Eucharis, Amazon lily: description, types, cultivation

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The article presents Eucharis - Amazonian lily: description, reproduction, cultivation, protection, popular species.

Eucharis, Amazonian lily: description

The Amazonian lily or eucharis is the most beautiful snow-white houseplant that looks like a daffodil flower. This houseplant, due to its great decorative characteristics, will decorate absolutely any interior during the flowering period. This flower is considered a rather unpretentious bulbous flower. However, do not forget about high-quality care and favorable conditions, otherwise the Amazonian lily will not bloom, which can definitely upset you.

From the ancient Greek language, eucharis is translated as "the most beautiful", this is associated with the beautiful foliage and flowers of this plant. This plant belongs to the amaryllis family growing from a bulb. There are also eucharis hybrids due to their ability to interbreed with each other. In general, the plant has more than 20 species. The Amazon lily is often found at the foot of the Andes Mountains, from the Colombian side, and in the Amazon River basin, since Eucharis is ideal in humid forests. That is why eucharis received such a name - the Amazonian lily. In the 19th century, the Amazonian lily was introduced to Europe, where it quickly gained popularity among gardeners. And today eucharis is grown all over the continent.

The Amazonian lily is an evergreen with oval-shaped foliage. The leaves are dark green, very wide, which can reach 15 centimeters. When blooming, eucharis has beautiful, rather large, white buds, with a pleasant aroma. Their petiole is long, up to 45-65 centimeters high. Up to 6 buds are formed on one petiole, although there are cases of more.

This plant usually blooms 3 times a year, under favorable conditions and quality care. But you need to know that this flower is quite picky about growing conditions. The plant can grow in both diffused light and shade. For good flower growth, control the temperature regime, in winter it is from +15 to +17 degrees, and in summer it is from +17 to +22 degrees. During the growing season, the plant is watered 2 times a week constantly, plus fertilizing is done once every two weeks with fertilizer with a low nitrogen content, the rest of the time, watering is carried out when the soil dries. Eucharis requires a lot of air humidity, so it will be good if you regularly do additional hydration of the foliage. This plant has a rest period, which means that after flowering, the flower needs about 6 weeks of rest. Eucharis reproduces by the seed method, or with the help of daughter children. A transplant is carried out every 4 years. There are several unpleasant moments when growing this plant, these are the tendency to infection with gray rot and red burns, as well as attacks by insects such as thrips, scale insects, aphids and spider mites.

As mentioned above, this lily is considered a bulbous plant. Her bulbs are in the shape of a ball and about 6 centimeters in diameter. One plant grows up to about 7 dark green wide leaves with elongated thick petioles and lanceolate. One leaf is up to 20 centimeters wide and about 55 centimeters long. The plant begins to bloom at the end of summer, or at the beginning of autumn, with the growth of peduncles about 80 centimeters long.The blossoming flowers are very fragrant and look like daffodils, large in size and white, flowers are collected in umbrellas, on average 4-10 pieces. The flowers of this plant have a yellow or green crown and the fruit, which is a leathery box with three chambers.

Eucharis, Amazonian lily: photo, flowering and reproduction

Eucharis reproduces vegetatively, due to which this flower rarely grows alone. But in order for the Amazonian lily to have great decorativeness, it is necessary to provide it with competent and high-quality care. The Amazonian lily grows from bulbs with a diameter of 30-60 millimeters. The Amazonian lily blooms from August to September, although there are times when the flower blooms at other times, it all depends on the conditions in which the Amazonian lily grows.

As it grows, eucharis can produce a large number of processes that develop. The time comes to transplant the plant, and then the florist is faced with a choice whether to leave the shoots with the plant, or to transplant them. Experienced growers are advised to leave the shoots. And then, during transplantation, the roots and bulbs remain in an earthen coma, this is considered the most gentle way. But the shoots can be planted. Then they are carefully separated from the plant and transplanted into a separate prepared container. In this case, you need to protect the plant vigorously: avoid drafts, make sure that the lighting is quite bright, but diffused. The transplanted plants are not watered for two weeks and are left dormant.

Amazon lily: care, basic rules for growing

Growing this plant is very simple and effortless, because eucharis is quite unpretentious. The main thing is to know that the flower requires a lot of space. To achieve high decorativeness, it is necessary to fulfill a number of requirements for the cultivation and care of eucharis. Start by choosing a container. Eucharis feels great in tight spaces, so choose a small container. If the capacity is large, then plant several bulbs at once, in addition, this increases the decorative qualities of the flower.

Not an unimportant moment for growing this flower is the right choice of the place of growth. The Amazon lily loves light (although it can grow in any light), but so that burns on the leaves do not appear, the sun's rays need to be diffused. The ideal place for her is the window sills facing west or east. In summer, the plant can be taken out to an open balcony or veranda, but watch out for the darkening of the leaves of this lily. Do not forget that this is a heat-loving plant, and when it gets cold, be sure to bring the flower into the room. Eucharis cannot stand the coolness. Be sure to rest the Amazonian lily twice a year, for this you need to transfer the eucharis to a dark place. The rest period begins when the buds of the eucharis begin to fade. After falling off, the Amazonian lily begins to accumulate strength. The plant will gain strength and can bloom after rest.

- Temperature regime and watering

The air temperature must be maintained at least +17 degrees in summer, and at least +12 degrees in winter. Avoid sudden temperature changes and through winds, because it is from this that flowering becomes scarce, and the flowers themselves become smaller. During the growing season, spray with settled warm water, but do not allow moisture to get on the buds, otherwise they will become spotty, which will noticeably worsen the appearance of the plant. In principle, it is necessary to moisturize the flower constantly, both in summer and in winter, when the humidity decreases due to working heating appliances. Give the plant a warm shower sometimes, and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.

It so happens that the leaves of the Amazonian lily turn yellow and die, this is a sign of improper care, for example, excessive watering, or vice versa, with a lack of moisture, as well as with sudden temperature changes. You need to water the lily in moderation, with soft water, which has been previously settled for several days. Although there are exceptions to the plant's watering schedule - this is a dormant period. During this period, the plant does not need frequent watering. This period lasts about a month. The top layer of the soil at this time should remain dry, only the bottom layer remains moist. At this time, the amount of water for irrigation should be minimal, and the watering itself should be rare.

- Top dressing

Let's talk about the fertilizing that this plant needs, although often fertilization is not necessary. This lily especially needs feeding during the growing season. Then this procedure is carried out once every two weeks. At the same time, choose complex organic and mineral compositions, as these dressings contribute to the formation of healthy and large buds, and also give strength to the flower. Top dressing is stopped when the plant stops blooming, for about 4 weeks, after which you can resume top dressing. Experienced growers recommend using special fertilizers with a low nitrogen content.

- Lily transplant

When a sufficiently large number of processes grow in the container, then this is an occasion to transplant. But remember, the transplant should not be carried out more often than once every 3 years, always after flowering, since the flower does not tolerate the transplant well. If the usual conditions are violated, the Amazonian lily can get sick and die, therefore it is very important to preserve the integrity of the earthen coma in which the flower grew. Eucharis is usually transplanted in mid-spring. To avoid stagnant moisture, a new growing container should have drainage holes, and, accordingly, a drainage layer (from about 20 millimeters). The drainage is covered with loose soil with high air permeability, as well as a neutral composition. Do not deeply deepen the bulb during transplantation (about 40-50 millimeters), just place it in a container and cover it with soil. The soil should be fertile, which includes leafy, soddy and fibrous peat soil, rotted manure (preferably cow) and sand. The plant pots are wide, but not very deep. When transplanting, daughter bulbs should not be separated from the mother, and, accordingly, plant them separately, since they will not give color for a long time.

- Care after flowering

The main difference between eucharis is that it does not have a pronounced rest period and does not shed its leaves. Although he definitely needs to rest before the next flowering. Therefore, after the flowering period, remove all wilted flowers, stop fertilizing the soil and reduce the amount of watering. Let the bush rest for about 6 weeks in a cooler, darker place for a while. Keep an eye on the plant, and when young offspring begin to appear on the euharius, start increasing the frequency of watering.

- Reproduction

The Amazon lily is propagated in two ways: through seeds and using babies, which happens most often. The difference between this flower and other plants is that the mother bulb is separated from the bush in such a way that there are 3-5 bulbs in one division. This will allow you to get less damage to the root system, and the delenks themselves will most painlessly undergo such a transplant, they will begin to grow much faster and give daughter bulbs. It is often possible to see the flowering of delenoks in the same year that the transplant was performed.
Growing a flower by seed is quite laborious and takes a huge amount of time, besides, you will see the first flowering with such a transplant only five years after germination.

Diseases and pests

- Diseases

A common disease affecting this plant is gray rot.This disease occurs if there is high humidity and sufficiently cool air. At the first manifestations of infection with a disease, urgently reduce the frequency of watering the plant and treat the flower with special solutions used to combat this disease, for example, Bordeaux liquid or Topaz, but only at the initial stage of infection. Areas of the plant that are already severely affected by the disease must be removed and the removal sites must be treated with a special contact agent containing copper. It can be copper sulfate or oxykh.

- Pests

This flower is quite hardy and resistant to pests, but occasionally it is attacked by thrips, scale insects or spider mites. The reason for this can be, in most cases, improper care. To combat insects, systemic insecticides are used, which are sold in any specialty store, in large quantities. Although it is a well-known fact that it is better to prevent the onset of an ailment than to fight it later. Therefore, provide proper and proper care of the plant to avoid the appearance of these harmful insects.

If you do not take proper care of this flower, then other problems with the plant may arise.

Consider them:

- Yellowing of the leaves. If you notice that 3-4 leaves have turned yellow on your plant, then do not be alarmed, this is a normal process, but if yellowing occurs in large quantities, and even more, dark spots appear on the surface of the leaf, then you need to urgently take action saving your plant. Massive yellowing of the foliage is a sign that the flower is very lacking in moisture, the plant has hypothermia, or a stagnant liquid has appeared in the soil.

- The plant does not bloom. As mentioned earlier, eucharis blooms up to 3 times a year, but only if proper and high-quality care is carried out. Although there are times when the Amazonian and with proper care does not want to bloom. And then it is very important to understand why this is happening and what needs to be done to change it. Perhaps the most common reason is that several bulbs should be included in the cut at once, so that it blooms faster. After all, if you plant one bulb in a pot, then until several daughter children are formed, it will not bloom, in time it takes about 5 years. Another reason for the lack of flowering is a sharp temperature drop and strong drafts. To change this and avoid it in the future, you just need to start and continue high-quality and timely care of the plant.

To force the eucharis to give color, it is necessary to place the plant in a cool and dark place for the winter, and also sharply reduce the amount of watering. They also stop applying top dressing to the soil. The result of such actions will be active growth and flowering.

- Flying leaves. If your plant has not only turned yellow leaves, but also began to fall off, die off, then you should urgently get the plant out of the container and look at its roots, perhaps the flower has rotted. In this case, cut off any damaged areas and treat the damaged areas with charcoal powder. Next, the plant is planted in a new soil. For the first time after this, keep the plant in a warm place, out of direct sunlight, and regular and moderate watering should also be present. In another case, if you did not find rot on the roots, then the reason for the foliage to fall is improper care.

Popular types

Consider the most interesting, beautiful and popular types of this lily:

— Eucharis white.

Colombia is considered the birthplace of this flower. The bulb has a diameter of about 50 millimeters and is shaped like an egg. The leaves are wide, elliptical and pointed at the top, with a narrow base. The length of one sheet reaches 40 centimeters, and the width is 15 centimeters. The peduncle is greenish-brown.On the peduncle of this plant, an umbrella of about 7-10 flowers with a white color and a wonderful smell arises. The plant blooms in March.

— Eucharis large-flowered.

This beautiful view also came to us from the Colombian Andes. A bulb of this type has a diameter of about 30-60 millimeters. The leaves of the plant are long and wide, lanceolate. The peduncle has a length of about 60-80 centimeters. The plant grows white flowers with a wonderful aroma, with a diameter of about 11-13 centimeters and collected in inflorescences of 3-6 pieces. The plant usually blooms in May, August and winter.

— Eucharis Mastersa.

Like the previous euharius, this species is native to Colombia. The bulbs of this species are very similar to the bulbs of the Euharius white in size and shape. The leaves are wide, oval, and rounded at the base. The leaves are on small stalks in length. Leaves grow up to about 25 centimeters long and about 15 centimeters wide. On the peduncle of this species, two inflorescences are usually formed in the form of an umbrella, and the peduncle itself is rounded in cross section. The plant blooms in mid-spring.

— Eucharis toothless.

The native land of this plant is the forests of Colombia. The bulb is oval. The leaves have a triangular-oblong shape, about 11 centimeters wide and up to 22 centimeters long, and also long petioles. The peduncle of this species is narrow, umbellate inflorescences appear on it, which consist of 5-8 flowers, with a white color.

— Eucharis Sandera.

Unlike previous species, this eucharis species is native to South America. The bulbs are shaped like an egg. The leaves are wide and oval, heart-shaped. At the base, the leaves are 30 centimeters long and 17 centimeters wide. The foliage is on long, about 15 centimeters, petioles. The peduncle is round, an umbrella-shaped inflorescence appears on it, which consists of about 3 white flowers. Although there is also a multi-colored form, it has an inflorescence of about 6 small flowers. The plant usually blooms from February to April. This species is grown on a large scale.

Eucharis, Amazonian lily