Tweedia

Family. Asclepiadaceae.

Origin. Uruguay, Brazil.

Description. Tweedia is a perennial evergreen vine or shrub. Young shoots and leaves of the plant are covered with small, light felt pubescence. The leaves are spear-shaped, soft, gray-green, up to 10 cm long, on short petioles. Flowering is abundant. The flowers are small - up to 3 cm in diameter, fragrant, with 5 star-shaped petals, blue, lavender, less often - white or pink, collected in axillary inflorescences at the tops of the shoots.

Height. Up to 90 cm, grows quickly.

Care at home

Temperature conditions

In spring and summer, keep it warm at a temperature of 18 - 24 ° C; the plant should spend the rest period in a cool room at a temperature of 7 - 10 ° C. 

Lighting

Light shading is possible on a summer afternoon; the rest of the time the flower can bathe in direct sunlight. In autumn and winter, maximum possible lighting. 

Care

Long stems may require support. After flowering, perform formative pruning by removing long stems. Pinch young shoots regularly so that the plant branches abundantly. Remove old and diseased branches, as well as faded flowers. You can take the plant out into the fresh air during the summer months, taking care to provide shelter from strong winds and rain.

Substrate

Tweedia easily takes root in any soil. It tolerates even nutrient-poor substrates with good drainage.

Feeding

In spring and summer, fertilize with a water-soluble fertilizer for flowering plants every 2 weeks. Stop fertilizing in autumn and winter.

Purpose

Quite a large vine for vertical gardening. Tweedia flowers can be used for cutting.

Flowering time

It blooms for a very long time, in summer.

Air humidity

At moderate temperatures, it can tolerate the usual atmosphere of living spaces, but with the onset of summer heat, the air humidity should be increased. To increase humidity, use a room humidifier or place the plant on a tray with wet pebbles. Misting is not recommended, as the fluffy stems and leaves can rot due to insufficient air circulation.

Soil moisture

Water during the growing season in such a way that the top layer of soil has time to dry before each watering to a depth of 3 - 5 cm. In autumn, the frequency of watering is reduced in accordance with the temperature and in the winter months they simply protect the soil from completely drying out. 

Transfer

Tweedia needs an annual spring transplant, which is carried out at the beginning of growth. Since transplanting large specimens is difficult, the top layer of soil is replaced annually with fresh substrate.

Reproduction

Stem cuttings, spring and summer. Tweedia seeds are planted in the spring. At a temperature of 21° C, germination will occur quickly - within 1 - 2 weeks.

Pests and diseases

When kept in a dry and warm atmosphere, the flower may be attacked by spider mites.