home Other

Photo of limonium: planting, growing, caring for the plant. Limonium: planting, growing and care Limonium cultivation

If you come across a flower with a thick and bright cap of delicate inflorescences, similar to a floating cloud on top of green foliage, then you can say with confidence that this is limonium, which many gardeners dream of with lust.

This colorful beauty has a very original appearance, unlike the other flowers in the flowerbed. Only in recent years has the plant gained enormous popularity among flower growers, and before that only the most experienced specialists knew about it.

We must pay tribute to this amazing plant, since it also has a very flexible character; there are no special complaints or vagaries when growing. Most varieties of kermek are perennials and there is no need to replant the plantings annually.

It should also be noted that limonium, for the most part, is frost-resistant and can easily withstand the winter inconveniences of mid-latitudes.

Kermek owes its unusual name to Turkic roots. But this unusually beautiful plant has many different names. One of them is limonium. This name is Greek and has nothing to do with lemons. Translated from ancient Greek, this word means meadow.

In our country you can also hear the name statice, and in other countries kermek is called “sea lavender” or “swamp rosemary”.

Varieties of limonium have long settled over vast territories: North America, Australia, Africa, Europe. They can even grow on saline seashores. And some species are found even in areas with very harsh climatic conditions, in Altai and Siberia.

Some species growing in steppe and desert areas form tumbleweeds, dispersing seeds to survive and expand their habitat.

The handsome Kermek also has a lot of useful properties, known since ancient times. It produces multi-colored natural dyes used to dye leather and yarn for carpets. Limonium roots contain tannin, which is used in tanning.

Its healing properties are also known. It is used to heal wounds and as a means to stop bleeding. But the most important advantage of kermek is the decoration of gardens.

The genus is quite numerous, numbering more than three hundred species.

Limonium belongs to the lead family. Grows as a herbaceous or shrub plant. There are perennials and biennial species. In its natural habitat it can grow up to two meters in height.

Kermek's roots reach a meter in length, so the plant has adapted to survive in arid areas with a lack of water, extracting it at great depths.

The leaf blades are lanceolate and collected in a rosette around the root, or long and saber-shaped.

The color of the leaf blades is green, less often grayish-green. The stems have a pubescent edge and are somewhat branched at the top. The flowers are shaped like bells. They are small in size, collected in spikelets, which then form panicles or corymbose inflorescences.

In mid-latitudes, limonium begins to bloom from July until the onset of frost. In warmer climates, kermek blooms much earlier.

The colors of the inflorescences are very diverse. You can find white, different shades of purple, pink, purple, green, yellow. Many species are grown not only as an ornamental plant, but also as an excellent honey plant.

Types and varieties

Kermeks, as ornamental crops, are divided into perennials and annuals.

Perennial:

Broad-leaved or flat-leaved - Limonium platyphyllum

It received this name because of its wide, leathery leaves of a rich, green color. This is a herbaceous, pubescent plant, medium tall, reaching 60-70 centimeters in height.

The flower stalks that grow from the center of the rosette do not have leaves. Small, lilac-violet flowers, on branched shoots, are presented in the form of corymbose inflorescences.

It begins to bloom in July and continues until mid-September. During flowering, flat-leaved kermek presents a colorful sight. It looks like a large ball woven from thin lace, up to half a meter in diameter.

Kermek broadleaf, having come from the wild, has remained virtually unchanged in home gardens. In its natural environment it grows in steppe conditions. Although no one specifically bred them, this species is so frost-resistant and just as decorative that it remains one of the most popular.

Growing naturally in steppe and arid areas, limonium broadleaf requires the same conditions in the garden. Sunny and open places are best suited for it.

Gmelina - Limonium gmelinii

This species is most often used as a medicinal plant. As a decorative flower, Gmelin's kermek is less common than the flat-leaved one. This flower reaches half a meter in height, has a widely branched stem and bluish-green leaves collected in a basal rosette.

The flower stalks are not as lush as those of its broadleaf relative, but are collected in dense, lilac-colored clusters, with a large number of small flowers.

In nature, it lives on salty soils on seashores. Its natural habitat is the steppe regions of Siberia, Mongolia and Northern China. In colder areas, the plant requires shelter from the winter cold, and with the arrival of spring, shading from bright sunlight.

Common - Limonium vulgare

This perennial has large basal leaves and very small purple flowers in the panicles of the inflorescences. It reaches half a meter in height.

The stems of this species are straight and bare, the roots are taproots, reaching up to one meter in length. The leaf plates have an oval shape, assembled in a rosette.

Tatar

Kermek Tatarian grows in the southern part of European Russia, the Caucasus and Ukraine, as well as in Bulgaria. It has wide leaf blades with a leathery structure. This is a low plant, up to 40 centimeters high. In the steppes it grows like tumbleweed.

This species is unpretentious, can grow well on dry and rocky soils, and adapts to both chalky and acidic soils.

When flowering, it forms a very lush spherical bush. It blooms in June, with spreading peduncles and small white flowers.

This kermek is an ideal decoration for a sunny alpine slide and is often used as a dried flower.

Caspian - Limonium caspium

It is a heat-loving species and grows in salt marshes. Grows up to 70 centimeters in height. Peduncles have tiny and highly branched shoots that resemble leaves.

The flowers are small, pale purple. It is not suitable for growing in open ground in the middle zone; it does not tolerate winter temperature drops.

In the southern regions it is often grown as a dried flower because it does not lose color after drying.

Annuals:

Kermek Notched

Notched or dark blue limonium - Limonium sinuatum

In mid-latitude conditions, this perennial plant is grown as an annual. Grows up to 60-80 centimeters in height. It has light green leaf blades located in a rosette at the root.

The shoots are erect, with inflorescences at the ends, in the form of dense shields, consisting of small flowers collected in spikelets. Their colors are very diverse: white, yellow, pink, purple.

The presence of maximum light is mandatory when growing. The slightest lack of light will negatively affect the quality of flowers and the duration of flowering in general.

Kermek Perez – Limonium perezii

This rare exotic, originally from the Canary Islands, has large and very beautiful caps of inflorescences and dense oval-shaped leaves.

Coloring - various shades of blue-violet palette. But it needs a hot and long summer to flower; it is easier to grow in the southern regions.

Growing and care

When growing Kermek, the main condition will be to find a bright, sunny place for planting. This is perhaps the main condition for growing. Without enough light, its stems will begin to stretch and thin, and flowers will not be able to form at all.

But the composition of the soil for limonium does not matter much. But it is better not to plant it on too heavy clay soils. The best option would be to choose loose soil with good drainage, to which sand has been added.

In dry weather, kermek is watered moderately; this steppe plant calmly tolerates a lack of moisture. But if the leaves are dehydrated and wither, then watering is still necessary.

Feeding is also simple. Complex fertilizers are applied only once, during planting; Kermek does not require more. But if limonium is grown to obtain a lush bouquet, then fertilizing is done twice a month, and the soil around the bush is also mulched and loosened.

Kermek, cultivation and care, video:

Flowering of perennial species begins in the second or even third year after planting, after the formation of a powerful root system.

Almost all species tolerate wintering normally in mid-latitude conditions without shelter. Kermek suffers only from spring floods, since this beauty does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil.

Diseases and pests

Limonium is extremely hardy and pests do not bother it. The exception is aphids. Spraying with insecticides helps against this scourge.

Excessive watering and waterlogged soil can lead to the formation of root rot. Organizing good drainage and being careful when watering can help here.

Statice (statice), or kermek (lat. Limonium)- a genus of the Svinchataceae family, which was previously classified as a member of the Kermeaceae family. According to various sources, there are from 166 to 350 species in the genus, growing throughout Eurasia and on other continents, sometimes forming thickets up to half a meter high even in sand dunes. The scientific name of the plant means “persistent, unyielding.” In our country, statice is otherwise called by the Turkic word “kermek”, Tatar white lemongrass, sea lavender or immortelle. It has been a cultivated garden plant since 1600.

Planting and caring for statice

Bloom: from July until frost.
Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings - at the end of February or early March, planting seedlings in open ground - at the end of May or early June.
Lighting: bright sunlight.
The soil: drained, sandy loam or loamy, slightly alkaline or neutral reaction.
Watering: infrequent and moderate: a sign of the need for moisture is the loss of turgor by the leaves.
Feeding: are optional, but when growing in poor soil, it is better to feed the plant with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer a week after planting the seedlings in the garden, and after another 2-4 weeks you can apply a second feeding. The site has not been fertilized since September. If you grow statice in fertile soil, there is no need for additional fertilizers.
Reproduction: seed.
Pests: practically not affected.
Diseases: botrytis, white mold.

Flowers statice (kermek) - description

Kermek Tatarian is a perennial herb or subshrub with large, often basal leaves forming a large rosette, and straight leafless but densely pubescent stems ranging from 30 to 90 cm in height. Small five-membered flowers of Kermek with calyxes of white, yellow, blue, indigo, violet, salmon, pink, crimson or purple in color are collected in spikelets that form corymbs or panicles. Flowering of statice lasts from July until frost, and the seeds do not lose their viability for 4-5 years.

After this article they usually read

Kermek is a plant that can be either annual or perennial. Its name is associated with Turkic origin, but there are other options for the name of this flower, such as limonium and statice. This plant belongs to the Svinatkov genus. Some time ago, this plant was considered part of the genus Limonium, but later Kermek was separated into the genus Goniolimon. As for goniolimon, it is a type of herbaceous plant that is a perennial. In nature, Kermek lives in the steppe, it can grow on slopes of stones; plains and foothills are also the favorite territory of this flower. You can meet Tatarian goniolimon in this color in almost any corner of the planet.

Kermek itself is a plant with a height of thirty centimeters and up to one meter. Its stems are hard, woody, the leaves are located at the roots. Limonium flowers are small and there are a lot of them. Externally, the bush during flowering looks like a bright cloud. The flowers come in a variety of colors, such as yellow, blue, purple, white, pink, cream, and green. It begins to bloom in July and continues until the coldest weather. The flower stalks undergo a certain compression at the top, and the entire plant resembles an umbrella. When the Tatarian goniolimon finishes flowering, its branches are tilted down, and the shape of the plant changes, it begins to resemble a ball. If limonium grows in the steppe, then its dried shoots break off very easily, and the inflorescence, which turns out to be spherical, rolls along the ground, which is why people call this flower “tumbleweed.” The root system of Tatar kermek is long; it can go deep into the soil up to one meter. Such roots are needed to extract moisture in arid climates when there is a lack of moisture. Due to such an extensive root system, it is extremely difficult to replant this plant, because digging out the roots is very problematic, and if the root is damaged, the plant may not survive, so Kermek is most often grown using seeds.

Variety of species

The most common types of Tatar kermek are:

Kermek notched - this plant is an annual. Its height can reach eighty centimeters. The flowers are tit-colored and are in corymbose-shaped inflorescences.
Kermek Bonduelle - this plant is perennial. Its height is up to ninety centimeters. This species is grown as an annual plant. Bonduelle stems are very thin, and the flowers can be white or yellow and are quite large in size.
Kermek Bunge - this plant is perennial. Its height ranges from thirty to sixty centimeters. The root system is very thin, the stems branch short, the flowers are purple and collected in spike-shaped inflorescences.
Kermek Caspian - this plant is also a perennial. Its height is fifty centimeters. The flowers have a soft purple color and are collected in thyroid-shaped inflorescences.
Kermek Chinese - this plant is a perennial, it grows up to seventy centimeters. If Kermek grows in a temperate climate zone, then it is grown as an annual. The flowers of the plant are small, yellow in color and collected in openwork inflorescences.
Kermek tree-like is a rather tall shrub, the height of which exceeds one meter, its stems are woody, its leaves are leathery, and its flowers are deep pink.
Kermek Gmelin - this plant is also a perennial, its height is not large, about thirty to forty centimeters. The leaves are large in shape and the flower spikes are dense. They bloom in a soft purple color, the flowers are collected in corymbose-shaped inflorescences. This type of kermek also has medicinal properties.

Growing a plant

All types of Kermek are considered unpretentious; they tolerate cold well, but there are points that must be observed.

Landing place. Kermek grows in open space; it is practically not cultivated in greenhouse conditions or indoors. Most of all, the plant needs sunlight; for Kermek, even the length of daylight hours and the amount of light it receives per day are important. If a flower lacks light, then its shoots become elongated and the plant stops its flowering cycle. In order not to create shadows from one plant for another, they are planted at a distance of up to thirty centimeters.

Air humidity. Dry air is the most preferable living conditions for Kermek. The leaves of the plant should not be soaked in water; even when watering, you need to be careful so that the shoots do not come into contact with moisture, because this can give impetus to the development of microbes.

Temperature. The most suitable temperature for growing Kermek is considered to be twenty-thirty degrees Celsius during the daytime, and about fifteen degrees Celsius at night. The plant is resistant to cold and feels normal at temperatures of minus five.

The soil. In terms of soil, Tatar Kermek is not demanding. It can be grown anywhere, but it is better not to plant it in clay soil. The best soil for this plant is loose, with good drainage and a large amount of sand.

Water and irrigation activities. Kermek does not require frequent and abundant watering. If the plant is grown in an open space, then it does not need additional moisture at all. The flower receives moisture from dew and rain. Kermek needs additional watering only when the plant is grown in conditions where it is clear that it lacks moisture. Once a season, it is recommended to moisten the flower with water and a small amount of salt.

Fertilizer. Often, fertilizer is used only once, when the plant is planted. Basically, these are complex fertilizers. If the soil in which Kermek grows is poor in useful elements, then the soil needs to be fertilized every fifteen days.

Plant propagation process

Kermek is most often grown using seeds. As soon as the spring frosts end, you can plant the seeds in open soil. The plant can also be grown in the form of seedlings, which are germinated in separate containers, so that in the future there is no need to replant the flower again. Seeds for seedlings can be sown as early as March.

Kermek will begin to germinate within a week after sowing. In the form of seedlings, this plant is transplanted into the ground to its permanent growing location after mid-May. When planting flowers, you should remember that the distance between them is no less important than the conditions for its growth. When a bush is planted, special attention should be paid to the root rosette, because it must receive the proper amount of sunlight.

Diseases and pests

Kermek Tatarian is an unpretentious plant and diseases and all kinds of pests are not a common occurrence. One of the main pests that a plant can have is aphids. To drive it away, you need to spray the plant with a solution of soap and alcohol.

One of the variants of limonium diseases may be rot. It affects the roots of plants and appears due to too much soil moisture. To prevent this from happening, you need to monitor watering, do not flood the plant, and in addition, the soil where Kermek grows must have a good drainage system so that the water does not stagnate.

Application of the plant

Kermek Tatarian is most often used to create rockeries, mixed borders, alpine slides, in all these options the plant shows itself amazingly. The peculiarity of this plant is that it becomes most beautiful when dry. Kermek flowers are dried when the largest number of flowers are open. The drying process is carried out in a shady room. To properly dry a flower, you need to put it in water; it’s better not to pour a lot of it. The plant opens the maximum number of flowers, and at the same time slowly fades. During this period, seeds can be collected to plant new plants the following year.

The Kermek genus has approximately 300 species distributed throughout the planet. Most of the species grow in Asian and European Mediterranean regions. Under natural conditions, kermeks grow in dry places, thanks to which the plants usually have a powerful, long taproot.

Perennial biennial herbaceous and rhizomatous plants with basal leaves, sometimes subshrubs with leafy, woody shoots. Kermek flowers are small, purple, pink, yellow, violet, in multi-flowered or single-flowered spikelets, collected in dense spikes, forming complex corymbose or paniculate, sometimes spherical inflorescences located on angular, rounded winged peduncles.

The corolla is slightly larger than the calyx, the petals are almost free, fused only at the very base, the calyx is wheel-shaped, dry, pubescent, brightly colored. Kermek blooms from July until frost.

Until recently, 30 species of the genus Kermek were used in gardening, and even then to a limited extent, but now interest in this plant has increased among both landscape designers and amateur gardeners. Therefore, breeders have created many new beautiful varieties and introduced many new species.

The most popular types of kermeks are::

broadleaf kermek ,

Kermek Tatar ,

Kermek Gmelipa ,

Suvorov's static ,

notched kermek ,

Kermek Caspian .

According to agricultural technology, plants of this genus are divided:

Species grown as annuals: Kermek Bonduelli, Kermek notched, Kermek Chinese.

Species grown as perennials: Kermek Gmelina, Kermek Caspian, Kermek common, Kermek broadleaf.

Previously, Kermek Tatarian belonged to the genus Limonium, but then the plant was separated into a separate genus - goniolimons.

Perennial species of the genus Kermek, widely used in gardening:

Kermek Gmelina

It grows in salt marshes in southern Russia and Central Asia. Siberia, Central Europe, Mongolia, Northern China. It is found on sea coasts, as well as in river valleys.

Externally, Gmelin's kermek is similar to broad-leaved kermek, but has less branched shoots. The foliage of Kermek Gmelin is obovate, light or bluish green. The peduncles in the uppermost part are paniculate-branched. The flowers are in dense, short racemes, collected in corymbose inflorescences, purple, there are species with snow-white flowers. Kermek Gmelin blooms at the end of summer.

The plant is beautiful both dried and alive; in addition, it is an excellent honey plant and is used for dyeing leather, fabrics, carpets in yellow, pink, green and black, and also for tanning leather. This type of kermek is similar to broadleaf kermek not only in appearance, but also in agricultural technology and growing conditions.

In the middle zone it is winter-hardy, but dry shelter for the winter period is desirable. Requires shading from bright spring rays. Kermek Gmelin has no varieties.

Kermek Caspian

A perennial plant, its homeland is the same as that of Gmelin's kermek. Under natural conditions, it loves wet salt marshes, seashores and salt lakes.

Externally, the plant resembles Gmelin's Kermek, but in the lower part the flowering shoots are not bare, but densely covered with amazing thin branched shoots. Kermek Caspian has small, lilac inflorescences. Kermek Caspian is very beautiful and is grown abroad as a cut flower for bouquets. In our country, this plant is practically not cultivated, because the plant is too thermophilic for growing in a garden in central Russia.

Common Kermek

Its homeland is Western Europe and Africa.

Perennial plant 50 cm tall. Foliage in a basal rosette, large. The flowers are blue-violet, small, in spikelets. Flowering lasts 50 days.

Kermek broadleaf

A plant growing wild in the forest-steppe zone of Europe and the Caucasus.

This is a herbaceous rhizomatous plant, perennial, 80 cm high. The plant is densely pubescent. The foliage is in a basal rosette, elliptical, large, green, collected in a basal rosette. In August, large, leafless shoots grow from this rosette; they bear violet-blue flowers, which are collected in spikelet inflorescences.

During the period of flowering and seed ripening, Kermek looks like a huge openwork ball. Blooms in July for 50 days. In cultivation, Kermek broadleaf is very beautiful and looks unusual in mixborders; it can be used as a tapeworm. Kermek broadleaf attracts insects due to its unpleasant odor, which quickly disappears when dried.

Kermek broadleaf prefers sunny open places and well-permeable soils. It takes well to fertilizing, especially humus or compost. The plant is drought-resistant. Propagated by seeds. Seedlings should be planted in a permanent location at the end of August. Broadleaf kermek does not tolerate replanting well.

This species reproduces both vegetatively and by dividing rhizomes in the fall or spring, but these divisions take root with difficulty. This type of kermek has no varieties. In our country it winters without shelter, but suffers from stagnant water.