Stenocarpus

Family. Proteaceae.

Origin. Australia.

Description. Stenocarpus is a large evergreen tree with a thick trunk covered with grayish bark. The leaves are deeply dissected, palmate, glossy, green, arranged alternately, 20 - 40 cm long. Young leaves have a bronze tint. The flowers are very large - up to 10 cm in diameter, red or yellow, less often - white, collected in inflorescences - umbrellas on the tops of the shoots, fragrant. The flowering is very abundant and is a unique sight.

Height. It grows slowly, in tub culture it reaches 180 cm in height.

Care at home

Temperature conditions

Normal room temperature during the growing season. During the winter months, a cool rest period is provided at a temperature of 10 - 15 ° C. 

Lighting

Plants like very well-lit places with direct sunlight for 3 - 4 hours daily in the morning and evening. On hot summer days, slight shading is required. In fall and winter, provide as much light as possible.

Care

The tree is easy to grow indoors if given a cool dormant period. During the warm season, it is advisable to take the pot outside under cover from strong winds and rain. Pinch young seedlings so that they branch out abundantly. Pruning can be done in early autumn. Bring the plants indoors if night temperatures drop below 10°C.

Substrate

Adapts well to most soil types, but prefers well-permeable nutrient substrates with an acidic pH. 

Feeding

Feed stenocarpus every 2 weeks during the growing season with a low-phosphorus fertilizer.

Purpose

Large tub plant for landscaping spacious and bright rooms.

Flowering time

Summer. Unfortunately, flowering occurs extremely rarely in indoor culture. 

Air humidity

As the summer heat sets in, increase the humidity using a tray of wet gravel or a room humidifier. You can spray the leaves with room temperature water in the morning.

Soil moisture

Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy during the spring and summer when stenocarpus is actively growing. In the winter months, keep watering to a minimum, just trying not to dry out the earthen ball. Be sure to drain excess moisture from the pan. Mature plants acquire some drought tolerance. 

Transfer

Young bushes should be replanted in spring, annually into larger pots. For large tub stenocarpus, the top 5-7 cm of soil is replaced with fresh soil annually.

Reproduction

The tree can be successfully propagated by seeds, but this is a long process, and vegetative propagation using stem cuttings is more preferable. The lower leaves are removed from the cuttings, and the bases are sprinkled with rooting powders. Young seedlings are kept in a warm place with a temperature of at least 18 °C under a lid made of transparent plastic or glass, away from direct sunlight.

Pests and diseases

Leaves dry out during prolonged drought or insufficient air humidity.

Of the harmful insects, spider mites are the most common.