Durant: how to grow a "heavenly flower"

Duranta is not often found in collections of flower growers, and in vain. An attractive bush with flowers in a sky blue or lavender hue is not picky about growing when grown at home, it will decorate any interior and give the joy of contemplation to the owners. In addition, a number of varieties have been developed by breeders that differ in coloration of both flowers and leaves.

Durant evergreen shrub: origin and appearance

The Verbena family has a charming plant with spectacular inflorescences painted in shades of blue, blue, purple and violet. Due to its coloring, it is popularly called the "heavenly flower". This is a durant, whose homeland is the South American continent. It also grows in Mexico, some species are found in India. The name of the plant was given by the famous naturalist Karl Linney in honor of Castor Durante, an outstanding doctor and botanist who lived in Italy in the 16th century.

All members of the genus are shrubs with erect and highly branched shoots that are covered by a thin crust of light brown color. Under natural conditions, the shrub grows to an impressive size, the shoots of the Durant reach 4 m in length. Ribbed, tetrahedral stems with spikes give the Durant a distinctive look. The leaves are opposite on short petioles. Their glossy surface is painted in a light green hue. The length of the leaf blades is from 3 to 7 cm, and the width is 1.5-3 cm.

Durant flowers are collected in large drooping inflorescences and painted in shades of blue, blue and purple.

Tubular flowers appearing in early summer are collected at the ends of shoots in large inflorescences-brushes. The size of each is about 20 cm. The flowers are painted in a variety of tones of white, blue, lavender, blue and purple. Durants have very expressive fruits, berries of a slightly elongated shape and yellow-orange color, for which the plant received another nickname - the "golden drop".

The leaves and fruits of the durant are poisonous, they can cause poisoning. When caring for a flower, care must be taken: wear gloves when pruning and wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap after working with the plant. In a house where there are children, it is not recommended to grow a durant, since beautiful flowers and attractive fruits can be harmful.

Yellow-orange berries of Durant are attractive but poisonous.

The shrub is undemanding to care for, but in order to achieve abundant flowering of the tropical beauty durant, special conditions must be provided. If this is not done, flowering may not occur.

Durant Plume, Lorentz, variegate and other species

Botanists described about 20 plant species, but only some of them are grown at home. The most common species are durant erect (Plume) and pilchatolifolia (Lorentz).

• Durant Plumier (erect). A spectacular plant, reaching a height of 2.5 m. The leaf blades have an oblong oval shape with characteristic points at the tips, which is why the plant is called "indoor birch". Blooms profusely, buds are painted in blue or purple. The fruits are yellow, slightly elongated berries.
• Durant Lorenz (pilchatolistnaya). A distinctive feature of the species is the shape of the leaves. They are oval in shape with a rounded apex; characteristic teeth are located at the edges of the plate. Fragrant flowers are painted white. The berries are orange.

Based on the species, breeders have created several hybrids that are distinguished by more lush and prolonged flowering, coloring of leaves and buds. Among them, one can distinguish varieties:

• Tricolor and Variegata (with variegated leaves);
• Green and Gold (with golden green leaves);
• White Cayenne Vanilla Bush (with vanilla-smelling flowers);
• Geisha Girl (with purple buds decorated with white trim).

Photo gallery: various durant - from white to dark blue

Table: how to care for a durant at home

Durant care is mainly focused on observing the temperature regime and maintaining the necessary humidity. Also, the plant may require additional lighting.

Planting and transplanting "room birch"

Duranta is a fast-growing shrub, and over a year the growth can reach 50-100 cm. Species such as creeping duranta or varigata grow especially quickly. Because of this feature, the plant needs an annual transplant, in which you should pick up a larger pot, make up a nutrient substrate, and also trim the roots a bit to restrain the rapid development of the bush. After the purchase, the durant needs to be transplanted in a week. The plant first needs to acclimatize in your home.

Choose a capacity for landing

The pot for planting durants should be roomy, because during the growing season, the shrub grows to an impressive size.

Make up the substrate

The soil for growing shrubs should be water and breathable, light and loose, but at the same time quite nutritious. Durant is suitable substrate composed of:

• 2 parts of sheet land;
• 1 part peat;
• 1 part humus;
• 1 part coarse river sand.

If you do not have the opportunity to select all the necessary components, then a ready-made universal soil mixture is quite suitable.

Transplant stages: description and photo

The shrub quickly grows vegetative mass, which is why it needs frequent transplantation, while young specimens are transplanted annually, and adults - as needed. To restrain growth, during the procedure, you can reduce the volume of the root system, partially removing thin roots. Transplanting large adult bushes is rather problematic, in this case it is enough to renew the topsoil in a container with a durant.

Transplanting a shrub, do the following:

1. At the bottom of the pot, drainage is necessary to aerate the roots and prevent moisture stagnation.
   

   Durant does not tolerate stagnation of water, therefore, it is necessary to drain the soil in the pot

2. A layer of loose soil is poured into the drainage, about a third of the capacity.
3. An earthen clod in an old pot with a durant moisturize.
   

   The tank is filled with soil for a third of the value

4. The container is turned over and the plant is carefully removed, holding it by the stem.
5. The old earth is shaken off from the roots and the roots are washed under a stream of warm water.
6. The plant is set in the middle of the pot, the roots are straightened and the voids are covered with a substrate, tamping it lightly.
   

   Planting and transplanting is best done in the spring before the flowering period begins.
7. The soil is moistened and a flower is placed in a bright place, shading the durant from direct sunlight for several days after the procedure.

Durant Care Nuances

Blue durant is considered an unpretentious ornamental plant, but when cultivating and propagating the flower at home, the florist should pay attention to some points.

Adequate watering and "tasty" top dressing

Watering durants at any time of the year should be plentiful. In no case should you allow overdrying, as well as overmoistening of the bush. It is necessary to ensure that the substrate in the pot is slightly moist, but not wet. The durant is watered only with settled water at room temperature.

In the spring-summer period, a durant is fed twice a month with a ready-made complex fertilizer for flowering indoor plants. For this purpose, water-soluble preparations Fertika Lux or Etisso are recommended. The concentration of the solution is done in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations specified in the instructions, and the nutrient liquid is added after watering. If in the winter, the durant is kept in a cool room and without additional illumination, then top dressing is stopped for this time. And with an artificial increase in daylight and keeping warm, the flower continues to be fertilized, but the concentration of funds is reduced by 2 times.

The durant responds very well to organic fertilizing. The fertilizer application technique is simple: in the container with the plant, the top layer of the earth is removed and humus is placed closer to the container walls, then the removed soil is again filled and moistened.

Trimming and shaping a bush

Durant grows rapidly, and over a year its shoots are greatly extended. To restrain growth, experienced flower growers recommend a strong pruning before starting the growing season. This will not only limit the crown of the plant, but will also make the bush lush. Cut the branches in early spring, shortening them by a third.

Note that the inflorescences of the plant are formed at the ends of the branches, and constant pinching, although it will increase the splendor of the crown, can delay the beginning of flowering.

Duranta, grown in the form of a tree, looks very impressive

Since the durant responds well to cropping, experiment with its shape as you like. Durant at home can look like a standard tree, and like a sprawling shrub, and a lush, small bush, and like an ampule plant and even a bonsai.

Growing durants on the stem is a common way to make the bush look attractive. To do this, choose the strongest shoot of the plant, and the rest are removed under the root. All side branches are also pruned, leaving a few on the crown. All remaining pinch, stimulating tillering. A support is installed near the branch and a plant is tied to it. Periodically, all root shoots and shoots growing on the stem are removed.

Flowering and dormant period

Durant begins to bloom in early June, and this period lasts until the fall. In order for the buds to appear again and again, it is necessary to cut off the faded inflorescences and prevent the plant from tying the fruits, this takes away too many forces.

In order for the buds to appear again, it is necessary to remove the faded inflorescences and not allow the plant to bear fruit

Durant has no obvious period of rest. If the shrub is kept in winter at room temperature, then it needs to be provided with additional light and continue feeding, reducing the concentration of fertilizers by 2 times. At a low temperature, feeding is stopped, and hydration is reduced. The plant does not tolerate a decrease in temperature, at +13 ^aboutWith it perishes.

Table: Effects of Improper Plant Care

Table: Durant Diseases and Pests

Photo gallery: diseases and pests often affecting the durant

Breeding durants

Experienced flower growers at home prefer to propagate the durant by cuttings. Also, the plant is able to reproduce with the help of seeds.

Cuttings

1. The plant is propagated by apical cuttings. They are separated from the mother liquor, the lower edge is cut at an angle.
2. They are kept in a solution of growth stimulant Kornevin or Epin for 30-60 minutes and planted in a wet mixture of peat and sand.
3. Successful root formation requires high humidity and lower heating to 25 ° C, therefore, the cuttings are covered with a transparent plastic or glass cover and put on the heating battery, placing a book or a piece of polystyrene under the container with planting material to avoid overheating.
4. An improvised greenhouse is ventilated and condensate accumulated on its walls is removed.
5. Plantings periodically moisturize.
6. When the cuttings take root (usually it takes 3-4 weeks), they remove the greenhouse and continue to take care of new plants as adult specimens.
7. A plant obtained from cuttings blooms in the second year.

Cuttings durant very quickly root in a loose substrate

Growing new specimens from seeds

You can propagate shrubs and seeds. They are soaked before sowing for 12-24 hours in warm water with the addition of the drug:

• Epin;
• Zircon;
• Hetrauxin, etc.

Planting material is deepened into the substrate by about 0.5 cm. It is grown in a mini-greenhouse in a sunny place at a temperature of about 25 ° C. Seedlings appear unfriendly within 1-2 months.

Durant seeds can be obtained independently from the berries of the plant

Florist reviews

This charming shrub conquers at first sight. Pale green leaves with a carved scalloped edge. Strongly branched crown, symmetrically located branches on the trunk and on skeletal branches. Build Durant is a pleasure, you can bush, you can tree. It transfers the trim quite calmly. It blooms on a new growth, shoots of the current year. Thin arrows are thrown at the very ends, completely humbled by blue flowers, very similar to pansies, only smaller in diameter.

Irina Kiek//forum-flower.ru/showthread.php?t=1007

This plant is familiar from childhood, before it was called unpretentiously "home birch". It could be found in every pharmacy or post office (where else can you take large plants). Now, in my opinion, this forgotten plant is not often found. For a long time I could not identify him from the directories, but just in case I got hold of a shoot and for 3 years I conscientiously grew it on a stem. And recently I decided to conduct an audit on the windows and give not the most favorite plants. Gave it. And yesterday I found out the name, description, etc. It turns out that what a beauty, and even blooms with blue flowers! It’s necessary to drag anything unseen into the house, but you can’t see it under your nose! From the series "Amazing - near."

LEDI-M//forum.homecitrus.ru/topic/5011-duranta/

I have been growing a durant for 3 years. In the spring, you have to heavily trim the elongated branches. It stood on the southeast windowsill and on the northwest, in the summer it was carried out to fresh air. Did not bloom even once: ((Maybe it doesn’t need to be pruned for flowering ... Or maybe it should reach a certain age ... I don’t understand.

Rhea//forum.homecitrus.ru/topic/5011-duranta/

Duranta - an exotic plant with graceful inflorescences of a blue-blue scale - wins the hearts of flower growers. In just one season, the bush is able to stretch to a considerable size, in addition, it blooms continuously for six months. Caring for a plant is uncomplicated, and subject to appropriate lighting, humidity and temperature conditions, the "heavenly flower" will certainly delight the hosts with its flowering. However, caution should be exercised: leaves and berries of the durant are poisonous.