Hey, botanists! Today I would like to introduce to you a five-star general MacArthur from the Sedum family, who once said: The summer palace on earth, the Guanghan Palace in the sky! It's not the one who lives in the Moon Palace, it's an amazing succulent. Get ready to be conquered by its charm!
Guanghan Palace, a succulent plant of the Sedum family, a "little fairy" of the spring and autumn type. Its flower language can be a bit cold: apathy, nostalgia, longing, and pride. Native to northeastern Mexico, it is like a monkey that jumps between Sombrelet and Fresnillo in one fell swoop. About 40 kilometers northwest of Fresnillo is its home. This Guanghan Palace, the leaves are thin, like a long spoon, the sharp tip of the tip, the middle is a little concave, and the leaf edge is like a sharp blade. The whole plant shape is like a standard rosette, but also covered with a thick layer of hoarfrost, usually white-green, if the light is sufficient, the temperature difference is large, the leaf edge will become pale pink, the leaves will also be slightly blue, it is really fairy!
Some say it's the natural form of the Ephecia Desmetiana Mexican Blue Bird, which is also classified in the Ehereia Peacockii Blue Stone Lotus series. It's a big guy and can easily grow up to 40cm if the environment is right.
This Guanghan Palace, as beautiful as a fairy, is still a little related to the steel leaf lotus. It occurs quite far to the south and southeast, and unlike the steel-leaved lotus, it is more numerous, the leaves are narrower, thicker and longer, and the flowers are markedly different. The name, and the story, is in honor of a famous Charles Glass, who was a great contributor to the Kanter Institute and the Botanical Gardens. The word "cante" comes from the Chichimason language, which means "water source". In 1828, the French botanist Augustin Piramus de Candol particularly admired Echeverria's paintings, and in his honor he got the name.
So who is Echeverria? It turned out that Echeverria accompanied the expeditions of Cessé and Mocinho while exploring Mexico and northern Central America and produced thousands of botanical illustrations. Many Sedum plants have been recorded, and there are about 1,400 species in 33 genera in this family, which are distributed all over the world. There are about 180 species of the genus Echeveria Sedumaceae, native to the middle and high altitudes of the Americas, mainly found in Mexico and Central America, but there is one species from northern southern Texas and several species are found in Bolivia, Peru and possibly southern Argentina. John Pilbeam's book The Genus Echeveria (published by the British Society of Cacti and Succulents, 2008) is excellent information for this species**!
Guanghan Palace blooms at the end of summer, often pulls out two or three flower stalks, spike-like inflorescences, small flowers bell-shaped, orange-red, beautiful. It belongs to the spring and autumn type, the growth rate can be fast, it can grow more than ten centimeters in a spring, and it does not stop in summer, and it is not a dream to grow to centimeters in a year.
Its stems can grow up to 10 cm tall, 2-3 cm in diameter, and barely have side buds. The rosette can be up to 40 cm in diameter, and the leaves are elliptical obovate with a sharp apex; The adult leaves are about 18 cm long, about 7 cm wide, and about 06 cm. The upward side is flat or the middle is concave. The leaves are covered with a thick white powder, with a lilac glow in the sun, and the leaf margins are red. The inflorescences usually grow 1-2 at a time, all covered with powdery white, panicles of polyumbels, up to 45-60 cm long, about 1 cm in diameter at the base. There are usually 5 branches, each with 4-12 flowers. The fleshy peduncle is 02-0.7 cm with a diameter of up to 04 cm. Calyx erect, 10-1.5 cm. The corolla is 2 cm long and 10-1.5 cm, covered with white powder, orange to pink; The color of the nectar scales is yellowish pink.
Guanghan Palace is thin-leaved and succulent, which is different from other thick-leaved succulents, and it is difficult to maintain. However, it is not too difficult to raise, as long as you master the method, you can easily raise it. Of course, it is still a bit challenging for novices, and they will accidentally "spread the pie" or "wear a skirt".
Usually the fast-growing fleshy is not difficult to maintain, and the same is true for Guanghan Palace. In California, USA, many Guanghan palaces are open-raised. When maintaining, it is necessary to pay attention to the loose and breathable soil, watering dry and watering thoroughly, and giving enough sunlight or even open cultivation in non-summer, there are usually surprises. However, in summer, the Guanghan Palace is still growing, so it is necessary to give the right amount of light and water, otherwise the light is insufficient, and the leaves will turn down, as if wearing a skirt. But at the same time, Guanghan Palace is a variety that is easy to black rot at the end of summer, so just after the beginning of autumn, don't be bold to water and sun, it is easy to black rot. It is recommended that before the first serving, it should be treated according to the summer, and the water should be properly controlled and the appropriate amount of light should be good.
The Guanghan Palace grows fast and consumes quickly, and the lower leaves will be quickly consumed and piled up into thick dead leaves. Dead leaves should be cleaned up in time, otherwise it is easy to breed scale insects, and stagnant water will also lead to stem rot. The lower blades are easy to consume, and it is also easy to form an old pile state.
This guy has quite a lot of temperature requirements. The room temperature of 22-27 degrees in spring and summer is the most comfortable, just like a human fever, it can withstand it if it adapts. In the winter it is dormant, and the room temperature is 8-10 degrees from October to February, but be aware that in the winter when the temperature is high, it can stretch its arms and legs. Some varieties are resistant to a little frost, but don't try it lightly. It is sensitive to cold winds and needs to be kept warm when it blooms.
Echeveria is not cold to dry air, and it is not picky for humid environments and heating in winter. Don't spray it with water or wash it in the bathroom, or the wax coating on the leaves will be damaged, and it will rot or sunburn. However, in order to protect against insect infestation, you can use a soft cloth to wipe its body regularly.
There is also a particular watering, and echeveria likes soft water, watering in moderation in summer and less in winter. Wait for the top part of the soil to dry to a depth of 2-5 cm before watering. Varieties with drooping leaves should be watered gently, do not let the water get on the surface of the leaves, and use the soaking pot method, and when the soil ball is soaked, the excess water will be discharged. If you don't water enough, the leaves will become dull and dry, and in severe cases, they will shrink. Too much water will cause the rosette and roots to rot.
To grow an echeveria, you have to use a stocky pot because of its shallow roots. The bottom of the pot should be covered with a layer of expanded clay drainage or broken bricks, which is only one-third the thickness of the plate. You can buy ready-made cactus soil, or mix it yourself, using 3 parts lawn soil and 1 part coarse sand, plus some charcoal and small brick shavings. You can buy a second-hand microwave oven to sterilize the soil, if you use it at home, you may face the pain of skin and flesh, and kill all the parasites inside.
It is easy to pollinate in the Guanghan Palace, so reproduction mainly depends on sowing. It is also possible to breed by cutting off heads. Guanghan Palace can also be leaf cuttings, but the budding rate is low, if you want leaf cuttings, then choose in the spring.
Guanghan Palace, this fleshy elf, with its cold flower language and unique fairy aura, has brought a touch of mystery and surprise to our lives. Let us indulge in its beauty together, "The lonely moon wheel in the bright sky, the fairy robe floating in the Guanghan Palace." Let us indulge in the beauty of Guanghan Palace and feel the wonder and splendor of nature.