Growing amazing gloriosa at home

Gloriosa is an ornamental exotic plant that grows naturally in the warm climates of South Africa and Asia. It belongs to the Melantia family, the order of lily flowers, and its second name is the flower of glory. Young plants look unremarkable on store shelves, but with proper care and maintenance, they turn into bright flowers with long, spectacular shoots. However, in order for the gloriosa plant to thrive in temperate and even cold climates, it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with all its requirements in advance.

Gloriosa - what is this plant?

Gloriosa is a perennial plant. It is not very popular with gardeners, therefore it has a small number of varieties. Basically, they hit the shelves in the form in which they grow in nature, in tropical forests. The breeders did not make any efforts and did not make their own adjustments, so everyone has the opportunity to grow a real jungle liana on the windowsill.

Gloriasis can be recognized by several signs:

• stems are straight, light green, can reach 1-2 m in length;
• rhizome - tuber;
• the leaves are elongated lanceolate;
• antennae are located at the ends of the shoots, with which the plant can attach to the support;
• flowers are bright, large, solitary, attached to long stalks;
• in an unfavorable period, the above-ground part of the plant may dry out, and with warming, vegetative processes are restored.

In the photo, gloriosa looks bright and spectacular, but it is better to admire its flowering from afar, and when working with it, you should follow the safety rules. The fact is that the plant is poisonous to animals and humans. It contains the alkaloid colchicine, its concentration is especially high in tubers and seeds. For an adult, it is enough to eat 6 mg of the substance for a lethal outcome. After working with gloriasis, it is strictly forbidden to touch the mouth and other mucous membranes.

Despite the fact that in nature gloriosa can reach 2 m in height, it is grown in pots at home. It is not suitable for planting in open ground, since even minor seasonal temperature fluctuations will be destructive.

Growing at home

Gloriasis will look spectacular with proper home care. The main thing to consider is that the plant is accustomed to the hot tropical climate and abundant watering during the rainy season, so it cannot tolerate frost. There are several ways to propagate a flower, but the easiest way is to buy a young plant from a store.

When growing gloriosa at home, there is a way to plant it outdoors. In summer, when the air temperature is stable at 25-27 degrees, it can be placed outside, and with the first cold snaps, it can be removed to the house or greenhouse along with the rhizome and earthen lump.

It is recommended to move the plant in a pot - this reduces the likelihood of damage to the roots.

Gloriosa breeding methods

In the photo of gloriasis when caring at home, it may differ. This plant can grow large or give small straight shoots. If there is already one such flower on the windowsill, it can be propagated in two ways. In nature, after a period of flowering, seeds are formed at the tops of the shoots.They crumble into the ground, take root, and the next year they get small shoots.

Tuber propagation

The easiest way to propagate gloriosa is with rhizomes. It belongs to tuberous plants, and when dividing the tuber, each of the parts forms full-fledged long shoots. Reproduction is carried out in the spring, when the flower is transplanted into a new container. The procedure is simple:

• the rhizome is removed from the ground and carefully cut with a knife into several equal parts;
• the place of the cut should be processed with crushed charcoal;
• each tuber is planted in a separate pot and sprinkled with earth a few centimeters;
• watering can be started only when the first sprout appears, and before that, you can warm up the plant by placing it on a warm surface.

When transplanting gloriosa in spring, you can see that the old rhizome has formed new small tubers. They just need to be carefully separated and transplanted into a new pot. After a while, they turn into full-fledged individual plants.

Seed propagation

The method of growing gloriosa from seeds is longer. It grows for a long time, and although the shoots appear quickly, the first flowering period will not come earlier than 3-4 years after planting. However, if it is not possible to get tubers from an adult healthy plant, a full-fledged vine can also be grown from seeds.

For propagation by seeds, it is necessary to pollinate the plant. Gloriosa is a self-pollinating flower, and the procedure can be done at home:

• pollen with a brush is transferred to the flowers of the same plant;
• after flowering seeds will be tied;
• they must be collected and planted in fertile soil;
• before the sprouts take root, cover them with glass and air them periodically. maintaining a temperature of at least 20 degrees.

When small leaves appear on the seedlings, the plants can be transplanted into separate pots and an irrigation system can be established. Under conditions of proper care, gloriosa grows rapidly, but at home its height rarely exceeds 50-60 cm. Large plants can be grown if they are taken outside in the summer. In the third year, the first bright flowers will appear.

Care advice

Indoor gloriosa is a plant that requires special care. It is adapted to the hot tropical climate with irregular but abundant watering. The flower grows well in fertile soil. It is worth adding humus to the purchased mixture, compost, peat and sand. Fertilizers are periodically reintroduced - the procedure is convenient to carry out in the spring, when the plant is transplanted into a larger pot.

There are several recommendations on how to grow large and healthy gloriosa, as well as wait for flowering faster:

• place the flower pot on the well-lit side, and gradually adapt it to the sun before taking it outside in the summer;
• the period of active growth occurs at the end of spring and the beginning of summer - at this time the flower needs abundant watering with water at room temperature;
• in the fall, vital processes slow down, it is worth reducing watering and moving the pot to a less illuminated place;
• gloriosa prefers to grow in conditions of high air humidity, so you can additionally spray the leaves from a spray gun.

Gloriosa needs additional support, but it does not twine around it, like many other plants, but is fastened with tendrils that are located at the end of the shoots. The branches should be tied up so that they do not fall and are not damaged by their own weight.

How to choose a gloriosa pot?

The flower's rhizome is not too large, so a small but deep pot will do. At its bottom, there must be holes for the outflow of excess moisture and for ventilation of the roots. In addition, it is imperative to place a drainage layer before adding soil. For this purpose, purchased expanded clay drainage or small pebbles are suitable.A high support is placed in the center of the pot - the plant will adhere to it with special antennae, since its shoots are long and not strong enough.

Varieties and varieties of gloriosa

In nature, there are no more than 10 varieties of gloriosa. For home cultivation, 3 main varieties are most often offered. They grow in different regions, but they do well at home in pots.

Gloriosa luxurious

Gloriosa luxurious is the variety that is most commonly found naturally. It grows in the tropics, preferring a humid climate, and can rise 1.5 km above sea level. This is a large flower - its shoots reach 2 m in length, but they are not strong enough and must be attached to the support. The flowers are large. individual petals grow up to 8 cm. Outside they are pink, inside their color changes from yellow (closer to the core) to bright red at the ends. The second name of the variety is magnificent gloriosa.

Gloriosa simple

This variety is widespread in the tropics of Africa. Its shoots grow up to 1.5 m, the leaves are characteristic of the gloriosa species. The flowers are medium-sized, the petals reach 3-5 cm, at the base their width is about 3 cm. They have a yellow-green color with a transition to red, straight, practically not bent inward.

Gloriosa Rothschild

Gloriosa Rothschild is another variety of this plant that is suitable for growing at home. Unlike other varieties, it has branched shoots, each of which must be attached to a support. The petals are quite large, each can reach up to 10 cm in length. They are red, covered with purple spots, slightly curved outward at the ends.

Gloriosa is one of the few exotic plants that can be grown at home. It is not very whimsical in care and maintenance, it is enough to maintain an optimal temperature regime and regularly moisten the soil. Different varieties of gloriosa are perennial plants, and the first flowers appear only a few years after the seeds are planted in the ground. However, when performing all work and contact with a flower, it is worth observing safety rules and using protective gloves. It is also worth limiting the access of pets to it - the green mass and tubers contain a strong poison.