Coccoloba

Family. Polygonaceae.

Origin. Middle America, Florida.

Description. The genus "Coccoloba" consists of 150 species of evergreen trees, shrubs and vines. Some species are deciduous. Stems are erect, branched. The leaves are glossy, leathery, round or heart-shaped, green; young leaves can have a reddish tint, up to 15 - 20 cm long. The veins are often highlighted in red or light green. The flowers are white, fragrant, but unattractive, small, collected in large inflorescences - hanging racemes up to 25 cm long. Male and female flowers appear on different plants and cross-pollination is necessary for fruit formation. The fruits are round, edible, and turn red or purple when ripe.

Height. In nature it grows up to 15 m. In one season it can add about 1.5 m in height. When grown indoors it does not exceed 2 m.

Temperature conditions

Coccoloba is suitable for keeping warm all year round at a temperature of 18 - 21 °C. Tolerates short-term temperature drops of up to 2 ° C. 

Lighting

Moderately shade-tolerant plant, but prefers to be in a brightly lit place. Shade the leaves on summer and spring days. In autumn and winter, it sometimes suffers from a lack of light; in this case, additional lighting with fluorescent lamps can be used.

Care

It responds well to pruning, which can be used to control the size and shape of the plant. Long stems are pruned at the end of summer. 

Substrate

Tolerates a wide range of soils as long as they have good drainage. Can grow in substrates that are quite poor in nutrients.

Feeding

Feed during the growing season with regular liquid fertilizers 2 times a month. In winter, when kept warm, I feed it monthly. Loves organic fertilizers. 

Purpose

Suitable for bonsai style cultivation.

Flowering time

Coccoloba rarely blooms in cultivation.

Air humidity

Can adapt to the dry air of heated rooms, but will appear healthier with occasional misting. Also, to increase air humidity, you can place a pot with a plant on a tray with wet pebbles. 

Soil moisture

It is necessary to maintain uniform soil moisture all year round. Excess water in the pan can be left for a day and then drained. If possible, the pot with the plant can be periodically immersed in a container of water at room temperature for half an hour. 

Transfer

Young specimens should be repotted annually into larger pots. Mature plants are often quite large in size, and instead of repotting, the top layer of soil should be replaced with fresh soil each year.

Reproduction

Coccoloba seeds are sown in spring in loose, moist soil to a depth of 2 cm. Only fresh seeds are used for propagation, as they do not store well and lose their germination capacity. Semi-woody cuttings are dipped in a rooting agent and placed in a warm place. Rooting occurs within 6-8 weeks.

Pests and diseases

If the air in the room is too dry, the coccoloba weakens, the tips of the leaves dry out.

Pests may include spider mites, aphids, thrips, mealybugs, and scale insects.

Note

The bushes sometimes lose their attractiveness with age. The fruits of the plant are edible and used to make confectionery.