Koleria - fluffy inflorescences

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Koleria is a perennial herb. Growing it is quite simple, but for some reason it is not among the common among flower lovers. Despite the fact that the bloom period of the color is long and beautiful.

Koleria (lat. Kohléria) - a genus of herbaceous plants of the Gesneriaceae family (Gesneriaceae) with soft opposite pubescent leaves; decorative indoor plants. Their homeland is the tropical regions of America.

About 65 species of plants of the Gesnerius family belong to the genus Koleria (Kohleria Regel). Distributed from Mexico to Central America, in Colombia, on the island of Trinidad.

The name of the genus comes from the name of the professor of natural sciences from Zurich Michael Kohler, who lived in the XIX century.

Representatives of the genus are perennial herbaceous plants or shrubs with scaly tuberous rhizomes.

The leaves are opposite, ovate-oblong, on the edge of the town, 12-15 cm long, up to 8 cm wide, with a densely fleecy surface. In different species, they can be either dark green with reddish veins, or olive green with a light central vein, shiny or ribbed, with a thick white or reddish pile. The color of leaves in hybrids can be either silver or bronze.

Kolerii bloom very profusely. Flowers are single or 2-3 in the axillary peduncle. Bell-shaped corollas with a tube up to 5 cm, slightly swollen from below, tapering to the pharynx. Some flowers resemble thimbles. A wide-open pharynx has five obtuse lobes covered with numerous strokes, specks, and dots. The color of flowers in natural species is diverse: pink with a white pharynx in a thick dark pink speck, orange-red with a yellow pharynx with dark red spots; chestnut brown with white dots and a white pharynx with a pink pattern, etc.

Koleriy suitable for warm rooms, like the Achimenes. In the culture, many hybrids were obtained as a result of interspecific crosses, mainly K. bogotensis, K. digitaliflora, K. amabilis and some other species; these hybrids are known by their respective names. Hybrids add cherry, fuchsia, golden, amethyst, green shades and even “tiger” coloring to the color of flowers. In culture, standard, compact and miniature forms are known.

Containing colors is slightly easier than many other gesneriaceae., they are less exacting to humidity and air temperature. The usual conditions in a residential apartment will suit them.

Growing Features

Temperature

Coleria prefers moderate temperature. In the summer of 20-25 degrees C. If the plant stops flowering, i.e. enters a dormant period, it is better to lower the temperature to 15 - 17 degrees C. When choosing a place for the color scheme, one must take into account that she does not like drafts.

Lighting

Koleria is a photophilous plant. She needs a well-lit place, but in summer it should not be hot and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. During dormancy, if the colia has not dropped leaves, it also needs to provide good lighting.

Watering

In the period of growth and flowering, i.e. from spring to autumn, watering the color should be done in moderation. Waterlogging should not be allowed, but drying out is also undesirable. In winter, watering needs to be further reduced. If the aerial part of the plant has died out during the winter, the soil with the rhizome must also be periodically moistened slightly so that the rhizome does not dry out.

Air humidity

Koleriya can grow in dry air, but more like a humid microclimate. However, its velvety leaves cannot tolerate drops of water falling on them. Therefore, to create high humidity, it is necessary to spray not the plant itself, but the air around it, and also put the container with the color in a tray with wet moss or expanded clay. For watering and spraying, it is better to use soft warm water.

Breeding

It is possible to propagate a koleriya in different ways, by dividing the rhizome, apical cuttings, and seeds. The simplest ones are rhizome division and rooting of cuttings. Reproduction without problems takes place at any time of the year, but faster and more actively - in the spring. Cut cuttings are placed in water and after rooting are planted in shallow pots. The cut off parts of the rhizome are carefully placed in the ground to a depth of about 2 cm and watered, not allowing the soil to dry out.

Transfer

For transplantation, wide and shallow containers are used. Be sure to provide drainage. It is recommended to carry out a transplant every day; the colony grows greatly during the year.

Fertilizer

Fertilize the colony during the period of active flowering, from April to August with special fertilizers for flowering plants. Top dressing is done once a week. During dormancy, fertilizing the plant is not required.

Diseases and Pests

Koleria - unpretentious plant, pest infectious. However, aphids and spider mites may appear on leaves and shoots, while leaves and shoots begin to dry and deform. With excessive soil moisture, rot may appear.

It should also be remembered that the colia is a delicate plant, with mechanical grazing of the leaves and when water gets on them, spots appear on them, the leaves begin to dry and fall, the appearance of the plant deteriorates.

Care

Plants with a pronounced dormant period. It blooms in summer and autumn. In summer, they are kept in a warm, bright room with high humidity, regularly fed with full mineral or organic fertilizers, watered evenly, the temperature is 18-22 degrees. Adequate amount of light is needed, but slight shading from direct sunlight. Spraying is not recommended, since drops of water leave ugly spots on pubescent leaves. In autumn, after flowering, watering is reduced. In winter, with the onset of the dormant period, the aboveground part of the plant dies. Rhizomes left in the ground are stored in a cool, dry place at a temperature of about 12-14 ° C. In the spring they are transplanted into a mixture of leaf and turf land, peat and sand (2: 1: 0.5: 0.5) in bowls or small pots with good drainage.

Propagated in spring by seeds obtained by artificial pollination, rhizomes and cuttings. Small seeds are sown without falling asleep in a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1). Shoots dive twice - planted more freely, then the grown seedlings are planted one by one in small pots. Cuttings are rooted in sand or a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1).

Kinds

Digitalis colouria - Kohleria digitaliflora.

A large herbaceous plant with straight shoots up to 80 cm long and laden with underground scaly rhizomes. The leaves are opposite, ovate-oblong, 12-15 cm long, 7-8 cm wide, light green. The corolla is bell-shaped with a tube 3-5 cm long, inflated from below, narrower to the pharynx, and with a wide open limb with 5 blunt lobes, yellowish-green on top, and the upper two dark crimson. The whole plant is densely pubescent with spaced white hairs.

Colera pleasant- Kohleria amabilis.

It differs from the previous species in lower growth, wide, ovate leaves, silver-green, brownish-purple along the veins, and smaller (tube length 2 cm) bright pink flowers with raspberry rape on the limb.

Koleria fluffy - Kohleria eriantha.

A species close in size to the digitalis colouria. It is characterized by dark green velvety leaves with a reddish pubescence along the edge and bottom along the veins and orange-red flowers up to 5 cm long, with yellow dots on the lower lobes of the limb.