Brachycome

Family. Asteraceae.

Origin. South Australia.

Description. Brachycome is an annual or perennial compact, dense, attractive shrub or herbaceous plant. The leaves are pale green or gray-green, pinnate, arranged alternately or form a rosette. The flowers are numerous, fragrant, beautiful, about 2.5 cm in diameter, located in the upper part of the stems, open simultaneously, white, blue, indigo and purple with a yellow or brown center, similar to a chamomile. The flowers are so abundant that they often completely hide the leaves; flowering lasts 3 to 4 weeks.

Height.  15 - 45 cm.

Planting and care

Reproduction, growing from seeds 

Seed germination occurs within 1 - 3 weeks at a temperature of about 21° C. The first shoots may appear within 2 - 4 days. Brachycome also reproduces successfully from half-ripe stem cuttings, that is, vegetatively.

Growing conditions - temperature

They prefer moderately warm conditions or even some coolness. Hybrid varieties are more unpretentious to temperature. When kept in hot conditions, flowering suffers first of all - it passes quickly or does not occur at all. 

When it blooms 

Summer and autumn.

Content, trimming 

Provide support for young specimens if necessary. Pinch out growing shoots of young seedlings to form a dense bush. Cut off wilting buds in a timely manner to extend the flowering period of plants.

Lighting

Direct sunlight, with some shade during the day in summer. When grown in partial shade, flowering will be less abundant. 

Soil

Prefers a substrate rich in organic matter with good drainage, pH 6 to 7. 

Fertilizer

During the period of active growth, fertilize at half the concentration every 2 weeks. Perennial plants are not fed in autumn and winter. 

Irrigation

Sensitive to excessive watering, tolerates some drought. Allow the top layer of soil to dry out between waterings. In the cold season, reduce the frequency of watering in accordance with the temperature. 

Transplant 

Annual brachycomes do not need replanting - they are thrown out immediately after flowering. Perennial plants are planted in fresh soil annually in the spring. For planting, select a pot with fairly large drainage holes. 

Pests and diseases

There are no serious problems with insects, and they rarely get sick. With excess air humidity and insufficient air movement, powdery mildew can occur.  Among the pests, the flower can be attacked by whiteflies, thrips, and aphids. When grown in open ground, the plant is subject to attack by slugs and snails.

Spraying 

No special requirements. 

Purpose

Brachycome is one of the most abundant and long-flowering plants, each bush often has more than a hundred flowers that remain open until late autumn. It looks very impressive in group plantings and hanging baskets. With minimal care, this species will be a wonderful addition to any garden. Purple brachycome looks especially impressive if grown in the garden in combination with marigolds.

Note

Group plantings of different varieties in the same container look extremely attractive. 

Varieties of brachycome:

Brachycome iberidifolia

Dense, rounded plants up to 40 cm high, covered with lilac, blue or white flowers with a yellow or black center. Flowering is very abundant, although not very long; with the onset of heat, it may not occur at all. The leaves are green with a grayish tint, pinnately cut, the stems are erect and branched. 

This group also includes the very gentle Brachycome "Swan Lake" is a spectacular bush with white, pink or purple, large flowers with a black center.

Brachycome multifida

A compact perennial plant up to 45 cm high. The leaves are green, deeply cut, pinnate, 3 - 6 cm long. The flowers are lilac, pink or white, with numerous thin and narrow petals. A distinctive feature of this species is the rapid rooting of plants when the stems come into contact with the ground. Brachycome multifidus produces few seeds and their germination rate is low.