Eranthis

Family. Ranunculaceae.

Origin. Southern Europe, Asian regions.

Description. Eranthis is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant that blooms in late winter - early spring.

The flowers are single, cup-shaped, bright yellow, on stems 8-10 cm high, with 5-8 petals, about 2.5-5 cm in diameter. Each bud has triangular bracts. The flowers are sensitive to heat - they remain tightly closed on cold days and open only at temperatures of 10 ° C and above. This is due to the fact that in bad weather, drops of moisture can wash away the pollen.

Dark green leaves appear during flowering or even after it and reach 3 cm in length.

In their natural habitat, representatives of this hardy genus often form large colonies and break through the snow. The genus Eranthis includes only 7 plant species.

Height. Depending on the species, the height can range from 5 to 30 cm.

Planting and care

Eranthis can be planted in open ground with seeds and tubers. Adult specimens are planted during the dormant period, when the above-ground part dies off, usually in the fall.

Before planting, if necessary, the tubers are placed in a cool place with air humidity of about 60 - 70 percent. During the dormant period, the tubers are stored in small boxes, sprinkled with barely damp sand. Before planting, tubers that have lost moisture should be soaked in warm water for 6 - 8 hours.

Since the bush can reproduce in the garden on its own with the help of seeds, it should be planted in fenced areas where it will not interfere with other plantings.

The plant develops well both in well-lit areas and in partial shade.

Care does not take much time - it is enough to water the flower if the soil becomes too dry, loosen and weed the area.

The bushes do not require a large amount of nutrients, but once a year, in the spring months, you can fertilize them directly on the snow, scattering granules of flower fertilizers.

Every 4-5 years, adult specimens are replanted and divided, as described below.

This species winters well in harsh climates and does not need additional shelter.

Reproduction 

There are two ways to propagate: by dividing adult colonies or by sowing seeds.

Growing from seeds 

Before planting, the seeds must undergo stratification in a cool place with a temperature of -4 to 4°C for 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, the planting material is mixed with a small amount of wet river sand, perlite or moistened vermiculite and placed in a plastic bag.

It is interesting that only species bushes can be propagated by seeds; this cannot be done with varietal specimens - even with cross-pollination, they do not form seeds.

For propagation, you can use seeds collected by hand. The planting material is collected after full ripening - in the summer, choosing a fine - warm and clear day for this procedure. You can plant in open ground immediately after collection - at the end of summer or in the fall, in which case they will undergo stratification naturally, or postpone this procedure until spring.

The seeds are sown in furrows (about 2 cm deep), in an area with good lighting or in the lacy shade of trees and shrubs. Eranthis should not be planted in flooded lowlands - the water that accumulates at their bottom in the spring months forms a crust of ice, through which the flower cannot break through. If the soil in the area has an acidic pH, it should be adjusted to neutral or (better) slightly alkaline. To do this, mix crushed chalk, lime and dolomite flour into the soil.

At home, keep the crops cool - at a temperature of about 10 ° C, under a plastic cap or glass to maintain uniform humidity. Specimens obtained from seeds sown in the spring will bloom at the beginning of the following summer, while those planted in the fall - only in the third year - in winter or spring. To improve drainage, perlite or sand is added to the soil for planting.

If the rules of agricultural technology are followed, germination takes 2-4 weeks.

In the first year, only cotyledons can be seen, and not for long - about a month. At this time, all the energy of the plants goes to the formation of the root system, and the first leaves simply die off. Underground, such bushes will become owners of small tubers - their size is often no larger than a pinhead.

The first real leaf blade is formed in the second year of life - such specimens can already be transplanted to a permanent place. Since erantis look good in fairly dense plantings, when planting, maintain a distance between the bushes of about 6 - 8 cm.

Transplanting and dividing

Since over time the bushes form underground daughter nodules, the plants become crowded - a deficiency of nutrients and moisture occurs. To ensure that this condition does not affect flowering, every 5-6 years the eranthis is dug up and divided into parts. This procedure is carried out after flowering, but before the leaves die, otherwise the flower simply may not be found in the garden.

The colony is dug up and divided into parts manually or with a sharp sterile knife. If wounds appear as a result of division, they are sprinkled with charcoal or ash for drying and disinfection.

Planting holes are prepared at a distance of about 8 - 10 cm from each other. The depth of the holes can reach 7 - 7 cm. First of all, a small nutrient layer 2 - 3 cm high of humus and charcoal or ash, as well as well-rotted manure, is placed in the holes, then a tuber or 2 - 3 tubers at once are placed.

The plantings are sprinkled with earth on top and the surface is lightly tamped, and then watered with a sufficient amount of water and mulched.

Application in landscape design

Eranthis, with its numerous bright flowers, can decorate a flower garden or flower bed at a time when most plants have not even had time to form leaves. Erantis is often planted on alpine hills in combination with other firstcetums. The bush of this primrose will contrast perfectly with the purple flowers of Scilla, Chionodoxa, and Iris reticulum, which often bloom at the same time. 

Home care

Temperature

Tolerates a wide range of temperatures, including freezing. When growing at home - forcing, it is worth remembering that too high an air temperature will contribute to rapid flowering. Usually, for eranthis, they choose a fairly cool place with an air temperature of about 12 - 14 degrees. 

Lighting

A well-lit place without direct sunlight.  The most suitable windows for growing indoors will be eastern or western orientation. In a southern location, the flower is protected from the sun using a light tulle curtain. 

Care

Pinch out the fading buds if you do not plan to collect seeds - the flower does not need to waste energy on their formation. Every year, the entire above-ground part of the bushes dies off - there is no need to forcibly remove it. The leaves will serve until the last moment to store nutrients in the tubers. 

Soil 

Rich in organic matter, well-drained soil with a slightly alkaline pH level. The mixture for growing can be made based on components such as turf and leaf humus, humus. To improve moisture permeability, coarse river sand, perlite or vermiculite are mixed into the soil. 

Feeding

During the period of active growth, 2 times a month; during the dormant period, feeding is excluded. As a source of nutrition, you can use both mineral fertilizers for flowering plants and organic matter - eranthis really likes the presence of coal or ash in the soil. Mineral fertilizers are diluted to half the dose recommended on the package and applied only after abundant watering. Since the flower has underground storage organs - tubers. in which there is some supply of nutrition, it is important not to overfeed it. 

Time of flowering

From February to April. The flowering period is quite long and lasts for 2 - 3 weeks. 

Spraying

Spray periodically if the indoor humidity is too low. To increase humidity, instead of spraying, you can use a tray with wet pebbles or a room humidifier. 

Watering

Requires uniform humidity during the period of active growth and budding. After flowering, the frequency of watering should be gradually reduced and, as the above-ground part dies off, the soil in the pot should be dried out more and more. 

Transplanting

Every year, Erantis tubers are planted in fresh soil. This procedure is carried out when the plants are in a dormant period. Drainage in the form of broken bricks or expanded clay is placed at the bottom of shallow bowls, then the containers are filled with flower soil. 

The tubers are planted at a shallow depth - about 2 - 4 cm. The soil is lightly compacted on top, watered and the surface is covered with a thin layer of living sphagnum. Moss will highlight the beauty of the flower and allow less moisture to evaporate from the soil surface.

Since the tubers are depleted over time, after forcing the plants should be planted in open ground to gain nutrients.

Pests and diseases

With proper care, illnesses are rare. Watering too often and too much can lead to root rot. This disease also appears when there is insufficient drainage.   Fungal diseases sometimes cause gray rot - this disease is favored by too humid and stagnant air. Harmful insects and rodents try to avoid the plant. 

Purpose

Eranthis can be used as a forcing species - you will be able to get a flowering bush by any desired date - for example, by March 8.

Note

All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested - keep the flower away from children and pets. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the plant or protect them with gloves.  Floriculture has long paid attention to this flower - the first mentions of the cultivated spring flower date back to the 16th century. 

Varieties:

Eranthis hyemalis

Herbaceous compact perennial up to 15 cm high. The flowers are yellow, half-open, solitary, reach 2 - 3 cm in diameter, have attractive dark green bracts - skirts, appear even before the first leaves. The leaves are lobed, basal, dark green, glossy, forming leaf rosettes. 

Eranthis cilicica

A miniature flowering plant that reaches a height of 10 cm. Cilician eranthis has golden yellow, cup-shaped, single flowers on short thick peduncles. Beneath the thin petals are dark green, long, palmate bracts. After flowering, glossy, round, lobed leaves appear.