Incarville pleases with bright delicate flowers that can diversify the usual garden design. This representative of the Bignoniev family is also called garden gloxinia. It is widely distributed in Central Asia, China and Tibet.
Botanical characteristics
The small genus has 14 species of one-, two- and perennial species of this herbaceous, sometimes semi-shrub plant. Erect stems (single or branched) can grow up to 1.2 m high. A large leafy rosette is formed at the base, painted in dark green tones. The shape of the sheet plates varies greatly depending on the type. There are specimens with large rounded or heart-shaped leaves on a long stalk or cirrus, resembling a fern.
The tuber root has an elongated shape, sometimes with small fleshy branches. It reminds the structure of carrots.
Tubular flowers consist of five fused and bent outward petals. Flowers are white, yellow, red, pink and purple. The diameter of one flower reaches 60 mm. Flowers are collected in several pieces on one peduncle in the form of a brush or panicle. Flowering occurs from June to the end of July, depending on the region from 20 to 45 days.
Types of Incarville
Most varieties of this plant are common in the wild and are little cultivated. Among gardeners, the following varieties are best known:
- Dense or large Incarvillea (Incarvillea compacta). Perennial up to 30 cm tall. A plant with large, slightly pubescent foliage. The shape of the basal rosettes is feathery with a heart-shaped central part. Twisted buds appear on the tops of shoots with the beginning of May and gradually open with purple or pale pink gramophones up to 6 cm in diameter. The petals are fused, yellow at the base. By August, the seeds ripen.
- Incarville Delaware. A medium-sized perennial up to 60 cm tall with long pointed leaves, the length of which is 20 cm. Petals are painted in various shades of pink from raspberry to light. The core of the flower is yellow, tubular. The inflorescence consists of 3-4 buds in the form of a panicle. This variety does not tolerate frost.
- Incarville White (Snowtop). It is very similar to the previous one, but differs in snow-white inflorescences.
- Incarvillea Mayra (Incarvillea mairei). Low winter hardy perennial. With a slightly dissected form of foliage and large pink flowers. The foliage is dark, the basal rosette has long strong stalks. The plant is very compact. There are whitish spots on the yellow tubular rim of flowers.
- Incarville Chinese. Widely distributed in Asia. It has thin carved leaves of light color and delicate flowers on long peduncles. More often than others there are copies with cream-yellow flowers. The first inflorescences appear with the beginning of summer and, as they wither, young buds appear. The flowering period continues until frost.
- Olga Incarvillea (Incarvillea olgae) or pink. It features a high stem up to 1.5 m in height and small pink inflorescences. The diameter of a single flower does not exceed 2 cm. Cirrus-dissected foliage covers only the base of the stems, the rest of the plant is bare, sometimes numb.
- Chinese Incarville White Swan. The result of the work of breeders, which will delight many gardeners. Abundantly flowering bushy plant up to 50 cm tall and up to 20 cm wide. Fern-shaped foliage is attached to the stems at the base, and their top is decorated with an inflorescence of 3-4 cream gramophones. The diameter of the flower is 4-5 cm.
Breeding
Garden gloxinia is readily propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush require some skill, therefore they are suitable for more experienced gardeners. Moreover, seed propagation can create your own varieties with a unique color.
Seeds for future planting are harvested in advance, slightly immature, to prevent their loss and self-sowing. After drying, they are stored in an airtight bag until the beginning of March. Before sowing, cold stratification is carried out for 2-3 weeks. Sown in a large small box on a fertile neutral substrate, which is pre-moistened. Seeds are deepened by 5-10 mm and gently crushed with earth.
Not very friendly shoots appear at the end of the first week after sowing, if the temperature in the room is + 18 ... + 20 ° С. When it is reduced by only 5 degrees, the seeds will sprout a week later. With the advent of two true leaves, the plant is dived into separate pots. In early July, stronger seedlings are sent to the garden to a permanent place. The distance between them should be at least 30 cm. In warm regions, crops can be sown immediately in open ground. Do it from the end of April to June.
For vegetative propagation in June, the stem with a small portion of the root is separated from the main plant. In order for the root system to form better, the petiole is placed in a stimulating solution (root or heteroauxin). The shoot is dripped in a pot and covered with a jar to avoid drying out of the soil. After 15-20 days, the first independent roots appear. But this year, all the forces of the plant are directed to the development of the tuber. A beautiful leaf rosette and flowers form from the second year.
Plant care
Incarvilles need sandy loamy fertile soil with good drainage properties. The best places to grow are sunny areas of the garden. Watering is needed not very plentiful, but frequent so that the soil does not dry out. Excessive stagnation of water is also harmful, because of it, the roots can rot, and the plant will die. May be affected by mealybug, spider mite and aphids. For prevention, you can sprinkle ash on the ground or use insecticides. Regular weeding and drying out the soil also helps.
For active growth and flowering during planting and 2 more times per season, complex mineral top dressing is carried out. However, an excess of mineral fertilizers reduces the winter hardiness of the plant, so one of the fertilizing should be replaced with organic, for example, mullein.
A plant overwinters with shelter only in a warm climate with slight frost. To protect the roots, the soil is mulched with sawdust or peat, and also covered with spruce branches. In the Northern regions will have to resort to more radical methods. For the winter, the tubers are dug up and stored in a warm place. In the spring, when green leaves appear, the tubers are returned to the garden.
In one place in the garden of the Incarville, it grows up to 5 years, after which it grows old. You can rejuvenate it by digging, dividing tubers and planting in a new habitat.
Using
Bright inflorescences of various heights are suitable for designing the territory near garden paths and hedges, as well as on rocky areas. It goes well with violets, irises and Iberis. You can create a whole flower bed from various types of incarville, picking up specimens with different colors of the petals and the structure of the leaves. Bright flowers on long stems can be used for bouquets, but they do not differ in durability.
