Large-sized Tradescantia or rheo flower - home care for an unpretentious bush

What kind of lighting is needed for a rheo flower, does home care for it generally have any peculiarities? A neighbor transplanted her old bush and gave me a scion. I don't know if I did the right thing, but I immediately put it in a small pot. Delenochka quickly took root and has already given young leaves. Only in the summer I noticed that they somehow brightened, as if they had burned out. Could this be due to the plant being on the south window?

The most popular among flower growers are unpretentious plants, and even if they look beautiful, this is an additional and very pleasant bonus. One of these is a reo, which is easy to care for at home. The flower does not need any special conditions, it feels quite comfortable in the room. And for the summer, green-purple bushes can even be planted in a flower bed. Only then you must definitely take them to the house for the winter.

Among flower growers reo is called tradescantia and this is also correct. In general, this is a kind of Tradescantia, but already with the prefix "multi-colored" or "covered". It is distinguished from the usual Tradescantia by the structure of the bush and the size of the leaves. If the first shoots are mostly long and there are many of them, and the leaves are small, then the rheo has one stem, with large long foliage.

Reo - home care and maintenance requirements

The flower belongs to the Commeline family and is known for its original coloring. Succulent, elongated leaves on the back are almost always purple. The upper part of the sheet plate can be plain green or with a striped pattern. The stem of the bush is one, thick and fleshy, and leaves grow from it in different directions, so the shape of the bush will always be new. The maximum rheo height does not exceed 40 cm, but this is for very old specimens. Young flowers are more compact.

In addition, reo also blooms with the same small white flowers as tradescantia. Only in him they are hidden in rather large bracts, also purple. Two (less often three) bracts are folded in the shape of a boat, for which the rheo is also called the "boat of Moses". Interestingly, flowering is not tied to a specific period, and can occur both in summer and winter.

How much light and what temperature does the reo need

So that the rich purple color does not disappear, and the bush itself also blooms, it needs good lighting. But it is advisable to protect it from direct rays so that there are no burns. At the same time, the flower may well grow on the shaded north window. Only then will it begin to stretch, and the violet color will fade.

But rheo is not picky about the temperature, the main thing is that it does not fall below 10-13 ° C heat. The bush can survive a short-term drop to plus 5 ° C, so it is often planted in balcony containers.

How to care for a room stereo

Having provided the flower with lighting, there will be only:

• water it as the soil dries out, but in small portions (a little is better, but often than a lot and rarely);
• give mineral dressing in spring and summer;
• transplant into light soil every year, rheo loves it (for large bushes, it is enough to update the top layer);
• often spray, arranging a bush that loves high humidity, shower procedures (however, he is not afraid of dry air).

Rheo propagates by cuttings and dividing the bush, which are best done in the spring, during transplantation.

Indoor flower rheo - reproduction and care tips