The bizarre shape of the flower, bright color, exotic origin - all these are the characteristics of calceolaria. This is precisely why Russian flower growers fell in love with her so much.
With the help of an unusual flower you can diversify and decorate your interior, enjoying the exquisite bloom. Beginning flower growers will be interested in learning about planting calceolaria, caring for it, watching photos of varieties and recommendations for growing on video.
Calceolaria (lat. Calceolaria) belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae, to the genus Calceolariaceae. Calceolaria is translated from Latin as “little shoe,” which fully corresponds to the appearance of the original inflorescence. Calceolaria is popularly called “slipper” or “slipper”.
The Calceolaria flower is native to Central and South America. There are about 400 species in nature. The plant can be represented by grass, subshrubs, shrubs. In Russia it is often grown as an annual or biennial, although in its homeland it is a perennial plant.
Most often, representatives grow up to 35 cm in height, but there are also species that grow up to half a meter. The leaves are green, whorled or opposite, oblong, elongated in shape with a slightly grooved edge. Can reach 10 cm in length. The back side of the leaf is covered with villi.
Flowers rise above the leafy crown. They consist of two lips. The upper lip is small, and the lower lip is large and convex, spherical in shape. This arrangement resembles a “shoe”. There are 2-3 stamens in the middle.
The diameter of the flowers depends on the specific species and variety. On average, it ranges from 2 to 7 cm. Flowers can be collected in one large or several smaller racemose inflorescences.
The color palette is represented by yellow, red, orange, white, brown shades. Petals can be plain or with darker spots, dots, and strokes.
During the flowering period, up to 50 flowers can appear on one bush. Flowering lasts up to 5 weeks. Afterwards, boxes appear - fruits. They are oblong in shape and contain a large number of seeds.
The root system consists of adventitious roots, without identifying the main root (fibrous root system). Stems are thin, erect or lodging.
Calceolaria is an exotic plant that comes in a variety of species and varieties. The most popular are decorative species with unusual inflorescences.
Gardeners-decorators successfully use calceolaria to create indoors and garden plots.
The most popular types and varieties:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Wrinkled - Calceolaria rugosa | In nature it grows as a perennial, in indoor conditions as a biennial. The shoot can reach one and a half meters in height. The leaves are lanceolate-shaped, collected in a basal rosette. During the flowering period, the deciduous crown is decorated with many orange-yellow flowers, which reach 2.5 cm in diameter. The flowers are collected in fluffy inflorescences. |
| Variety Gold bukett – “Golden Bouquet” | A small bush up to 0.35 m. Large, rich yellow flowers forming large inflorescences. |
| Hybrid Sunset | Miniature representative up to 0.2 m in height. Large loose inflorescences of a red-yellow hue. Frost-resistant plant (down to -5°C). |
| Variety Triomphe de Versailles | The height of the stems is 0.3-0.5 m. The flowers are small. |
| Mexican - Calceolaria mexicana | Found naturally in Mexico. It reaches a height of 0.2-0.5 m. Flowers are up to 5 cm in diameter. Yellow inflorescences abundantly cover the entire plant. |
| Purple - Calceolaria purpurea Graham | The plant is common in Chile. The height of the shoots is 0.3-0.5 m. The leaves are pointed, oblong in shape with a corrugated edge. The green leaf is covered with villi. The inflorescences are loose, with a purple-violet color with small inclusions. |
| Hybrid - Calceolaria herbeohybrida | Herbaceous shrub with wide, grassy, soft green leaves. Large buds with plain or spotted petals. |
| Crenate flower variety - Calceolaria crenatiflora | The height of the stems is up to 0.5 m. The leaf blade is oval in shape. Color: white, yellow, orange, red. Plain or interspersed. |
| Variety "Dainty mix" | Bush up to 0.4 m tall. Round, densely pubescent, soft green leaves. The color of the buds varies from yellow to scarlet. |
| Variety "Aida" | A small bush shaped like a ball. Velvety red buds of medium size. |
| Hybrid "Golden Rain" | A shrub with abundantly arranged small buds, a rich yellow hue. |
| Variety "Dervish" | Miniature bush with orange-brown inflorescences. Color with splashes. |
| Variety "Dainty" | Dwarf plant up to 0.15 m in height. Large, pubescent green foliage. Scarlet buds. |
| Calceolaria multiflora | The plant with the largest flowers. Velvet petals of carmine color with yellow stamens. |
| Calceolaria tenella | Height up to 0.2 m. Leaves are round in shape. The flowers are yellow-golden with red dots. |
| Darwin's (S. darvmii) | Miniature plant up to 0.15 m. Lemon-yellow buds with brown spots. |
Calceolaria in the photo:
There are two ways to grow a “slipper”:
A plant grown from seeds is more decorative and blooms abundantly. You can sow seeds at any time of the year. The desired flowering date can be a guideline. On average, 6-8 months pass from the moment of sowing to the moment of flowering.
Seeds must be purchased at the store. They are very small and brown in color.
It is necessary to select a container for germination and soil in advance. The container should be wide and shallow, up to 10 cm. Soil can be purchased at a specialized store for indoor flowering plants or prepared independently.
Options for suitable soil compositions:
Before planting, any soil composition should be calcined in the oven for sterilization. Then place the substrate in a container and moisten it generously. Spread the seeds over the surface of the ground, but do not cover them with soil (IMPORTANT!). Cover the container with film, glass, and a lid.
Growing calceolaria from seeds in the photo:
Place the box with seeds in a shaded place with a temperature between 16-19°C. It is necessary to monitor the soil moisture (moisten only with a spray), not allowing the soil to dry out.
Regularly remove accumulated condensation and ventilate the soil. In 10-14 days the first shoots will appear. After a month, the sprouts should be pruned, planting them at a distance of 5-8 cm.
After two months, transplant into separate pots Ø 10 cm. After transplanting, pinch and leave 2-3 pairs of leaves. When a rosette is formed, the strengthened sprouts are transplanted to a permanent place.
This method is considered more labor-intensive. Propagation by cuttings promises a success rate of 50%. But the new “slipper” will no longer bloom so profusely.
After flowering, it is necessary to prepare planting material - cuttings. After pruning, it is better to treat the stems with Kornevin to stimulate growth.
Place the container with cuttings in a bright room with a temperature no higher than 19°C. Aerate the soil regularly and water moderately. Direct sunlight can harm rooting.
Transplant the rooted cuttings into a permanent pot with drainage and nutritious soil (to obtain lush bushes, plant several cuttings in one pot).
After planting, calceolaria sprouts are cared for as if they were an adult plant.
Caring for calceolaria is simple. The main thing is not to forget to devote time to the plant and it will certainly delight you with abundant and bright flowering.
Growing and caring for calceolaria, video:
The “house slipper” absolutely does not like direct sunlight and high temperatures. The ideal place for a flower is window sills located in the east, west or north.
The optimal temperature for good growth and abundant appearance of buds is considered to be 14-16°C. In winter – 10-12°С. In summer, the “slipper” can be planted in open ground in a shady place protected from the wind.
The plant loves high humidity. Therefore, it is better to place the flower pot in a tray with expanded clay and constantly fill it with water. You cannot spray the “slipper” with water - this will only lead to rotting and the appearance of diseases.
Should be moderate. The soil should not be allowed to dry out. During the period when buds appear, it is necessary to increase the amount of watering, and after flowering stops, reduce it. Use settled, soft water.
Regular feeding with mineral fertilizers is necessary. The first feeding should begin 10-14 days after planting. During the period before and during flowering, fertilize with liquid mineral fertilizers once every 14 days. After the flowers fall and during the dormant period, fertilizers are not needed.
If roots peek out from the drainage holes, this indicates that the bush needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. Place drainage material – expanded clay, crushed stone – at the bottom of the container.
Add some of the new nutrient soil with pH = 5.5. Transfer the plant with a lump of earth into a new pot (carefully so as not to damage the roots). Fill all the voids with new soil. Water the plant generously. After some time, drain the excess liquid from the pan.
After flowering, it is best to throw away the plant, since the second year is less decorative, its flowers and leaves are smaller. But still, it can be preserved for a second flowering by hibernating it.
During this period, it is necessary to cut off all shoots, cover with film and send the pot to a dark, cool place, periodically moistening the soil. In the spring, move the pot to a lighted place, water and fertilize. Root the new shoots that appear.
If correct and correct care is carried out, then pests and diseases of calceolaria are not terrible.
Preventative measures to prevent pests:
The “house slipper” is most susceptible to gray rot. It occurs as a result of excessive soil moisture, low temperatures and excess nitrogen fertilizers.
For salvation you need:
There are plants whose appearance is similar to birds, fruits, and inanimate objects. This is often reflected in the name of the culture. This, for example, happened with the bright yellow calceolaria, whose name is translated from Latin as “slipper.” Fluffy and airy, like inflatable balloons, the shape of the bags really resembles the wooden shoes from the illustrations to Andersen’s fairy tales.
The plant has become popular both in the design of a garden plot - it is especially often used to create a border or in the composition of an alpine slide - and in the design of a balcony or as a room decoration.
It is believed that calceolaria has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The plant also charges with positive energy, attracting love, which is not surprising: the cheerful palette of yellow, orange, red and white shades of the shoes sets only positive emotions. Dark touches and specks create a whimsical pattern and add to the playful look of the lively footwear collection.
There are several types of flower, differing mainly in the size of the plant and the color of the inflorescences.
Here are some of them:
It is curious that varieties with tiger-colored shoes are much more capricious than their monochromatic relatives.
Thus, when bicolor speckled species are moved to unfavorable conditions, for example, a warm room, they lose their original colors and produce monochromatic inflorescences.
If the flower is planned to be placed indoors, then the ideal place would be window sills facing north.
Calceolaria loves cool temperatures, moderate light and drafts. In a hot and stuffy room, the buds and flowers of the plant fall off. The bush develops poorly in dry air.
In the garden, flowers are planted in an area protected from direct sunlight and with sufficient air circulation. Therefore, bushes are usually placed in an ensemble with other crops that protect fragile shoes from rays.
One of the popular types of calceolaria for open ground is the wrinkled type of culture.
For 150 years, this type of plant has been grown in flower beds by flower lovers. Thus, in England, at the court of the legendary Queen Victoria, yellow speckled shoes, very reminiscent in appearance of a lush orchid, earned fame as favorites. Flowers were bred mainly from cuttings, preserving them in winter gardens and greenhouses during the cold season.
The era of favorites quickly ended. They were replaced by varieties of marigolds that have large inflorescences and a yellow color similar to calceolaria. Alas, capricious slippers are inferior both in ease of care and in breeding: marigolds are easily and quickly propagated by seeds.
Watering has no seasonal characteristics:
Perennial slipper species are rarely replanted. Feed with mineral fertilizers monthly.
When flowering has ended, the bush is cut off and the root is replanted:
So, calceolaria cannot be called an unpretentious crop. Constant care and compliance with many conditions are required for the plant to bloom well.
Most Calceolaria species are annuals. Thus, after flowering, which usually lasts from spring to autumn, the flower dies. But you can try to extend the life cycle of a pretty bush.
To do this, immediately after the calceolaria has bloomed, you should:
However, in the second season, calceolaria loses part of its decorative effect, as the plant weakens, and, therefore, flowering decreases and the stems elongate.
Although, enthusiastic flower growers have come up with a way out here: fresh shoots are cut off, and cuttings made from them are replanted.
The substrate for rooting is chosen to be light, containing:
This way, although not completely, it is possible to restore the level of flowering due to the young root system of the bush. It is much easier and more effective to breed calceolaria using seeds, although the process will take about six months.
Propagation by seeds:
Obviously, the easiest way to get spectacular shoes is to buy an already flowering plant in a specialty store. This applies primarily to annual flower species.
Capricious plants, as often happens with plants, are susceptible to many diseases and have little resistance to harmful insects and beetles. Let's list the most common ones.
White rot comes first:
Dark spots appear in the lower part of the stem and on the roots, ingrained into the plant tissue.
Of the insects that appear on shoes, the most common are various types of scale insects.
A plant sensitivity test is first carried out on one leaf.
Of the stronger and more effective drugs, Actellik or Fosbecid are used. If you are not afraid of the difficulties of breeding and caring for calceolaria, then welcome to the club of lovers of unusual and elegant plants. Having acquired the necessary skills, caring for a flower will become a pleasant activity that will generously pay off in amazing shoes, spectacularly, on a windowsill or garden bed.
More information can be found in the video.
Calceolaria is a herbaceous plant from the Calceolariaceae family. Its homeland is the coastal zones of Central and South America. Domestic gardeners grow calceolaria as a houseplant. It is famous for its abundant flowering and unusual bud shape. Two-lipped flowers resemble a handbag or shoe; among flower growers, instead of the complex biological name, there is a simpler one - “slippers”. The flowering is so abundant and beautiful that plants are often given as a gift instead of a bouquet for the holiday.
Calceolaria is a perennial that is grown as an annual or biennial plant in temperate climates. The height of the shoots is 10-50 cm. The root system has a fibrous structure. Soft branched shoots are located above the ground. Erect or lodging stems and foliage are covered with thick pile.
The petiolate leaves are lanceolate or oval in shape and have wavy edges and a corrugated surface. The length of the leaf is 5-10 cm. Most of the soft, pleasant-to-touch leaves are concentrated near the ground.
Flowering begins approximately 5 months after planting and lasts up to 5 weeks. This feature allows you to predict the appearance of flowers for a specific celebration or date. Up to 50 buds can bloom on one plant. They are collected on one inflorescence or on several smaller ones. The inflorescence has a racemose shape. The flowers have an unusual structure. The two-lipped corolla has a large puffy lip at the bottom, and a much smaller, spherical lip at the top. The flower diameter ranges from 25 to 60 mm. The color can be yellow-orange, red, brown. Often there are white or pink spots on the surface of the petals. In the center there are 2-3 stamens and the ovary.
After pollination, the fruit ripens - a dry, oblong-shaped seed capsule. Inside there are many small dusty brown seeds.
Almost 300 species have been recorded in the genus Calceolaria. However, in cultivation most often it is not species, but varietal plants with decorative flowers that are grown. They are more resistant to growing indoors and are characterized by long and abundant flowering.
In nature, the herbaceous perennial grows up to 25-50 cm in height. The flexible, branched stem is covered with a reddish-brown skin. Small lanceolate leaves are collected at the base into a basal rosette. They have an oval shape. Dense inflorescences consist of yellow buds 1.5-2 cm in diameter. Popular varieties:
The plant is highly branched and produces several small inflorescences with golden-yellow double-lipped flowers. The diameter of one corolla reaches 5 cm.
The flower consists of a dense, bright green rosette of leaves covered with thick hair. A loose racemose inflorescence rises above them. Each small flower has an elongated lower lip with red-purple streaks.
The species includes many hybrids and varieties with very decorative inflorescences. Light green leaves are most often oval in shape. The dense inflorescence may vary in size. Sometimes several flower stalks grow on one plant at once. The main tone of the petals can be yellow or orange. Shapeless pink, white, red or brown spots, dots and streaks stand out on the surface. Particularly popular is the tiger calceolaria, which, however, is considered the most capricious.
Most often, calceolaria is propagated by seeds. They can be purchased at the store or obtained from your own plant. From the seeds of one plant, depending on the conditions of detention, short or tall specimens can grow. Fresh seeds germinate very well. You can sow calceolaria at any time of the year, focusing on the expected flowering date.
Sowing is done in shallow containers with light peat soil. You can add a small amount of sand and chalk to the soil. The ground is carefully leveled, sprayed with a spray bottle and the seeds are distributed on the surface. The container must be covered with film or glass and placed in a bright room with an air temperature of +18…+20°C.
Shoots appear in 5-7 days. When 2-4 true leaves appear on the tiny seedlings, the first picking is carried out (plants are about 1.5 weeks old). After 1.5 months, the plants are planted again in separate pots or plastic cups. Each picking significantly accelerates growth; the development of seedlings occurs much faster than in non-picked samples. After another 1.5-2 months, the grown calceolaria are planted in pots with a diameter of up to 11 cm and grown as adult plants.
After the flowering period ends, many lateral shoots form on the bush. A cutting 5-7 cm long can be cut and rooted. Rooting is done in loose peat soil. High humidity must be maintained. To do this, use a film or a plastic cap. The process takes 2-3 weeks, after which the seedlings can be distributed into separate pots and the cover removed.
For planting calceolaria, pots with a volume of 0.8-1.2 liters are used. The pot must have drainage holes; a thick layer of expanded clay, clay shards or brick chips is poured onto its bottom. The soil for planting should be very light and airy. It is best to use fluffy peat with the addition of leaf soil, sand, fern roots and leaf humus. To prevent the development of root rot, add wood ash or crushed activated carbon.
Planting is done by transshipment, so as not to damage the thin roots. It is not recommended to bury the root collar. The soil is carefully compacted and watered with purified water.
Indoor calceolaria flowers at home require special care. He will reward you for your reverent attitude with abundant flowering and a delicate aroma.
Lighting. Lighting for calceolaria should be bright, but diffused. Direct sunlight can cause burns and unsightly spots on the leaves. The duration of daylight, even in winter, should not be less than 8 hours. If necessary, use backlighting. Western or eastern window sills are better suited for growing. In summer, flowers can be taken out into the fresh air under a canopy.
Temperature. Calceolaria loves cool conditions. The optimal temperature for it is +18…+23°C. It is advisable to ensure daily temperature fluctuations, lowering it at night to +15…+17°C. The higher the air temperature, the higher the humidity should be. During the dormant period, it is necessary to ensure colder conditions, lowering the maximum temperature to +14...+17°C.
Humidity. High air humidity is a determining factor for calceolaria. Seedlings and young plants are grown under a hood. Plants are sprayed and placed near trays with water and wet expanded clay. For spraying, use a fine spray bottle and thoroughly purified water. Otherwise, unsightly limescale spots will appear on the leaves. Also, the accumulation of drops on the foliage leads to their deterioration.
Watering. Water the calceolaria often, but with small portions of water. The soil should always be slightly moist, but not wet. The recommended water temperature for irrigation is 25-28°C. The liquid must be thoroughly cleaned of chlorine and lime impurities. All excess water from the pan must be removed immediately.
Fertilizers. During the period of active growth and vegetation, calceolaria needs regular feeding. They begin to be introduced 2 weeks after transplantation. Twice or three times a month the soil is watered with a solution of mineral fertilizer. At the end of flowering, feeding is stopped.
Crown formation. From an early age, calceolaria needs pruning. It is recommended to remove the lateral shoots so that the plant becomes stronger and the dense inflorescences consist of large buds. A growing flower may lean to the sides. You can grow calceolaria in flower pots as an hanging plant. To make the bush more stable, use special circular supports. After flowering is completed, the shoots are partially cut off, leaving up to 20 cm of shoots.
Calceolaria is sensitive to fungal diseases. If the soil is over-moistened, root rot or powdery mildew may appear. Plants noticeably slow down in growth, leaves turn yellow and fall off. To prevent such phenomena, it is necessary to strictly adhere to agricultural practices.
Calceolaria do not like dry and hot air. In this case, their shoots will become bare and stretched, and the leaves will begin to dry out from the edges and turn yellow. The flower is characterized by rapid aging. After only 2 years, decorative varieties are completely outgrown and require replacement.
Calceolaria is part of the Calceolariaceae family. Previously, the plant was part of the genus Nornicaceae. Recent studies have revealed that not only does it not belong to their genus, but it itself became the progenitor of many plants from the order Lamiaceae.
The plant is native to the Central and Southern regions of America. The flower grows up to 45-50 cm in height. The leaves are medium in size (about 10 cm), elongated, with veins and a pubescent inner side. The leaves are a rich green hue. If you translate the name “Calceolaria” from Latin into Russian, you get “slipper”. It received this name because of the similarity of the shape of the flower with a shoe or money bag.
Flowering occurs from early March to July. Up to 50-60 flower ovaries appear on one plant at once. The plant gained its popularity thanks to its unusual dicotyledonous flowers (large spherical and small, barely noticeable). They are potbellied and look like wooden clogs. Calceolaria is an ornamental plant. At home they are grown as annual or biennial flowers.
The genus Calceolariaceae includes more than 270 species. The most popular of them:
Place the flower in places where there is dim diffused light
The flower is quite whimsical and requires special attention. Strong and low lighting, dryness and waterlogging, high and low temperatures are contraindicated. When living in an apartment, especially in the summer, caring for the plant requires taking certain measures.
The plant loves dim, diffused light. Direct sunlight is destructive without proper watering. The flower should be fenced off from bright light with paper or transparent fabric.
In summer there will be enough light on the windowsill. It is better if it is the east or west side of the house. A shady place without drafts, for example, on a balcony, is also suitable. Before flowering and throughout the flowering period, the plant needs to be in the shade. Calceolaria overwinters indoors. To ensure that the plant receives enough light in late autumn and winter, lamps are used.
The flower is also capricious about the surrounding temperature - it should not be higher than 15-17°C. An increase to 20-25°C will not kill, but can lead to rapid aging, insect infestation and disease. In the cold season, the optimal temperature for calceolaria will be in the range of 9-15°C. In hot and dry air, the flower may shed its leaves and buds.
The flower loves high air humidity, but the plant cannot be sprayed.
It is necessary to maintain high air humidity around the calceolaria. Therefore, the air around the plant is sprayed with soft, settled water from a fine spray bottle. It is undesirable for drops to get on the leaves (especially on their fluffy back part). The pot is placed on a tray or bowl with porous large material (expanded clay or gravel). The bowl should be filled halfway with water. This is enough to moisturize the flower.
Calceolaria loves not only high air humidity, but also regular moistening of the substrate. Watering is done only with settled water. The water temperature should be room temperature or slightly hotter, but should not exceed the threshold of 30°C. Before watering, you can place the water in direct sunlight.
During the flowering period, the frequency of watering is slightly more frequent (about once a week) than during the dormant period. It is necessary to monitor the water from the pan - it should not stagnate and rot. After flowering stops, reduce the frequency of watering by half and moisten the soil as the top layer dries. When new shoots begin to emerge, frequent watering should be resumed.
Almost any soil is suitable for calceolaria; the plant is unpretentious to the composition of the soil
Soil composition is not important for Calceolaria because the plant was originally wild. Substrate compositions:
You can add to any composition:
The plant must be fertilized every 10-12 days. Liquid mineral fertilizers, which are quickly absorbed into the soil, are more suitable for this. You should start feeding the flower 14 days after transplantation.
Calceolaria does not need fertilizer throughout the fall and winter. If you regularly feed it during this period, all the leaves and flower ovaries may turn yellow and fall off (due to an excess of minerals in the soil and roots).
Calceolaria is an annual plant grown in pots and flowerpots. To transplant a purchased plant into a home pot, you need to add a layer of drainage into it and transfer the root part there along with a lump of earth. The finished flower is sprinkled on top with a special substrate, purchased in a store or made with your own hands.
Calceolaria flower seeds
The flower is planted with seeds. The plant is sown in the ground in March or June. The soil for planting can be a mixture of sand and peat soil (1:7). Sprinkling with soil is not necessary because the seeds are very small (dust-like). The soil is moistened by pollination with warm water from a spray bottle. Polyethylene or glass is laid on top to ensure a greenhouse effect. It is necessary to periodically ventilate the planted seeds to avoid rotting. The pot should be in a dark place.
The first sprouts of shoots begin 15-20 days after sowing. The plant is immediately picked up. The seedlings are transplanted into special pots 7 and then 9 cm long. The first transplant is at the age of 6 weeks, the second at 14 weeks. Pinching is done before the second flower transplant. Only 3-4 pairs remain from the bottom of the trunk (for the appearance of lateral branches).
During germination, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 20°C. After the first shoots appear - 12-15°C. Flower buds begin to set after eight months of growth.
Subshrubs can be propagated by cuttings. They are selected from cuttings from the side shoots of an adult plant. The time to trim branches to form cuttings is February, March and August. It takes about a month for shoots to take root in a new place. For greater bushiness, you can plant several cuttings in one pot.
When grown as an annual plant, after flowering it is thrown out and new ones are sown. The maximum lifespan of the plant is two years (two flowerings). After flowering ends, all shoots should be cut off, leaving 15-20 cm. Then the pot is placed in a cool place for the plant to rest.
When new shoots appear, the calceolaria is moved back to a well-lit place (but not in direct sunlight). After all the manipulations carried out, flower buds begin to emerge and the plant begins to bloom. The second flowering occurs a couple of months earlier and is no longer as abundant, large and beautiful as the first time. The branches are stretched more strongly, and aesthetics are noticeably lost.
The calceolaria plant belongs to the Norichinaceae family, despite the fact that representatives of science from England classify this subspecies as a separate family of plants. The genus includes about 400 varieties of the plant, which is widespread on the South American continent and in central America.
The flower is given a name that means shoe. The genus includes herbaceous, semi-shrub and shrubby plants. They also include perennials, annuals and biennials.
At home, the calceolaria flower can grow as an indoor flower, as it assumes cultivation as a herbaceous plant.
The most common plant species are hybrid calceolaria and rugose calceolaria. The calceolaria flower can reach a height of up to half a meter. Calceolaria leaves can be up to 10 cm long and are of the lanceolate, corrugated type. The color of the leaves is lush green, and fluff can be seen on the lower part of the plate. You can grow calceolaria from seeds in specially created conditions, as well as in a room.
The plant is famous for its main advantage, thanks to which it has become so famous - its flowers. Visually, they have a shape similar to a clog-type shoe. The flowers have a very juicy color of a catchy yellow hue, but can also be bright orange, white, and red. You can find flowers of a single color tone, or with all kinds of inclusions.
The shape of the flower looks very interesting. It is very reminiscent of lips: one of them is full, slightly swollen and rounded, and the second is smaller in size and almost invisible. When growing the plant at home, the indoor calceolaria flower begins to bloom in the spring (April-May). Flowering lasts from several days to five weeks. One plant in a given period can produce about 50 open flowers, each of which will have a size from 3 to 6-7 cm.
When thinking about how to care for this plant, the most problematic is the issue of ensuring maximum comfortable growing conditions.
Caring for the calceolaria flower becomes even more difficult due to the fact that the plant categorically does not welcome hot weather and dry air. If we talk about an apartment that is not equipped with air conditioning or another air humidification system, in the summer the plant will suffer greatly from heat and drought.
Calceolaria at home responds positively to growing in the partial shade zone, and when choosing a location, you should choose a north, east or north-west window. The plant should be cared for at a temperature of no more than 15-17 degrees. The air must be humidified, so we advise you to place pots with calceolaria as follows: place the pot or other container with the flower on a tray with a cushion of damp pebbles.
Watering the plant should be done with standing water with such regularity that the soil does not have time to dry completely.
At the end of the flowering period, you need to water the plant less and less, slowly reducing watering to the bare minimum. To prevent the indoor flower from withering away from dry air, the container with calceolaria should be placed in a spacious pot, and a peat pad should be placed in the space between the sides of the container and the vase. Carefully ensure that the peat is constantly saturated with moisture.
Caring for this plant involves supplying it with additional food using soluble mineral-containing fertilizers. The frequency of the procedure is at least twice a month. Care in the form of fertilizing should begin after several weeks have passed from the day the calceolaria is planted and until it blooms.
Care in the autumn and winter months is different in that the plant does not need to be fertilized. At the end of flowering, it needs to be trimmed, then moved for a month or a little more in a place protected from light and in a damp place. All that remains is to moisten the soil in the container with the plant from time to time.
As soon as the calceolaria begins to grow another shoot, it is imperative to increase the regularity of moistening the plant and slowly increase the portions of water. In the future, the calceolaria should be put back in its original place and care should be started again in the form of mineral supplements.
Everyone should know this: if a plant has overwintered, it begins to go through the flowering period a full 2 months earlier than the chancellaria grown from seeds this year. At the same time, the decorative properties of last year’s plant are strikingly lower than those of a newly planted or purchased one. It is for this reason that masters of floristry and floriculture strongly advise adherents of this plant to annually purchase or independently grow new stationery.
Very often a controversial question arises on the topic: how to replant a purchased plant? After all, it is planted in a technical pot, and you want to see it in its own - beautiful and decorative.
Solving this problem is not difficult:
In order for the plant to adequately accept care and not experience discomfort, leaf and turf types of soil should be included in the mixture, adding peat soil and regular sand.
Aphids at magnification
To combat aphids, you can try the most effective method - mechanical, that is, simply collect them and destroy them. If the damage to the plant is total, it is still worth giving preference to chemical treatment of calceolaria. A chemical widely used by flower growers - actellik - will definitely help you with this. It is very effective against both aggressive aphid attacks and whitefly attacks.
If the damage to the plant is fatal and the initial treatment does not produce results, additional spraying should be carried out after several days. But keep in mind that the frequency of such approaches is strictly limited: you should not process the plant more than four times at the same interval.
The plant does not attract many diseases, but it is worth caring for carefully. The only known dangerous disease for it is gray rot. Its development takes place at a time when the plant has been constantly consuming too much for a long time, and the temperature regime has been reduced.
Growing calceolaria requires strict adherence to established care rules. Otherwise, adverse consequences for the plant cannot be avoided. It is also worth monitoring the concentration of nitrogen contained in fertilizers. Even a slight excess can significantly weaken the plant. Rotting areas of calceolaria should be removed immediately using a sharp knife. After this, the plant should be well sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Oxychome, topaz, cuproscat and any other product containing copper are also suitable.
You may not know, but this plant can be grown from seeds. You just need to purchase them at a retail outlet or prepare the mixture yourself. You will need sand and peat in a ratio of 1 to 7. Then add ground chalk (in a very small amount) or dolomite flour. Calculate in a ratio of 10 g per 500 g of mixture.
Growing calceolaria from seeds is not difficult. The seeds of the plant are widely available commercially. They can be found at any specialized retail outlet, but it’s even easier to order them on the Internet.
