Akalifa is a very interesting plant. Its inflorescences resemble the tail of a fox. Thanks to this similarity among the people, the Akalif was nicknamed the Foxtail. He is so popular that one of the characters in Skyrim bears his name - Akalifa.
Akalifa is a flower of the family Euphorbiaceae. The natural habitat is the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The genus of the plant consists of 250 species. The origin of the name is interesting - from the ancient Greek "akalifa" is translated as "nettle". This coincidence is not without reason: the leaves contain substances that cause irritation.
What does a flower look like
Note! Because of the poisonous white juice, this plant is best not grown in homes with children or pets. When carrying out work (transplanting, pruning, etc.), gloves must be used, and after completion, hands should be washed.
As an indoor flower, Akalifa became known since 1898. It is very compact, does not grow more than 0.3-0.7 m in houses.
Akalifa as an ampel plant
For this purpose, they use the Haitian Akalifa. It has a sprawling stem and small leaves of mint color with serrated edges. Inflorescence is an ear of purple color. The length of the bud is not more than 10 cm. Due to its small size, it looks great in hanging pots or baskets and pleases with its impressive flowering.
Caring for akalifa at home is not difficult, but do not forget about caution when working with a plant. Otherwise, the following symptoms are possible:
- skin rashes;
- tearing;
- headache.
Other nuances of caring for such a plant:
Temperature and lighting
Foxtail is a thermophilic plant. You can’t take him out into the street, as gusts of wind can harm him. The house should be placed in a place where there are practically no drafts.
Illumination is a very important factor. Akalifa prefers bright but diffused light.
With a low level of illumination, decorativeness can deteriorate:
- leaves will turn pale;
- flowering will worsen;
- the stem will stretch and take on an ugly outline.
For your information! The optimum temperature for the foxtail is about 25 ° С, in winter - not lower than 16 ° С. If these rules are not followed, the Akalifa will begin to hurt and may die.
Watering
Foxtail is a plant with rapid growth and development, therefore it requires multiple watering. In the period of cold weather it should be reduced. When heat sets in, the earth must always remain moist.
Important! To make the plant feel comfortable at home, it is worth placing a pot with a foxtail in a pan with wet pebbles. Humidification with a spray gun will also help.
Fertilizers
It is necessary to feed the plant during intensive growth (from March to September). Complex mineral fertilizers are ideal for this purpose. Top dressing is performed 2 times in 30 days. Perhaps the use of organic fertilizers.
Transfer
Young foxtails are transplanted annually, adults - once every 3-4 years. Growing a foxtail for more than four years is pointless, as it is very elongated. Without rejuvenation, the plant will lose its decorative effect in the third year.
Overgrown foxtails are transplanted with a transfer method with the renewal of the upper soil layer. It is also necessary to shorten the shoots by half. The best time to transplant Akalifa is spring.
Important! The plant prefers light soils with sufficient air and water throughput. The optimal soil mixture should include equal shares of turf and leaf land, as well as peat, humus and sand.
Pruning
In order for the old specimens to remain attractive, you need to trim the entire upper part, leaving a stump of 20-30 cm high. Then it should be covered with a bag or a glass cap, so the plant will give young shoots faster.
For your information! For accelerated growth, you can use a solution of zirconium, which sprayed the stump.
Breeding
Akalifa can propagate using seeds or cuttings. Getting seedlings begins in March-April. Seeds are planted in a soil mixture of leaf soil and sand (1: 1). The temperature should be within 20 ° C, and it is best to place the seedlings in a mini-greenhouse, where the development of seeds will be faster.
Propagation by cuttings
For cuttings, apical semi-lignified cuttings are taken. Before planting, the cuttings are treated with a root-forming stimulant. A container with a young plant is placed in a greenhouse or covered with polyethylene. After 45-60 days, the tip is pinched so that the foxtail is better bushy.
Important! Akalifa hairy should be propagated only in the spring. For rooting, a peat-sand (1: 1) substrate is used.
Possible plant problems
In case of violations of care, the Akalif can be attacked by aphids, worms and vesicles.
When the foxtail is in relative coolness and low humidity, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off. Spotted placers may occur - a manifestation of fungal diseases. With a lack of nitrogen, the leaves lose their color and become pale. To correct the situation, acaricides and drugs against direct parasites will help.
Akalifa has many species. Here are the most famous and popular of them:
Akalifa Hispida
The description of the Akalifa Hispida states that its other name is the Akalifa, the bristly-haired. It is a small indoor flower with long inflorescences (about 45 cm). Their color may be dark pink or red. Outwardly, they are very similar to birch catkins. The leaves are thin, dark green, covered with branched veins. The edges have small serrations. Flowering is long and lush.
Akalifa South
This species does not stand out. Southern Akalifa is an ordinary weed. Its stem is straight and branched, reaching a height of half a meter. Flowers of two types: staminate (bottom) and pistil (top). Inflorescences are spikelets. It blooms from July to August. Fruits form in August-September and are formations with hard hairs. Color varies from gray to light brown.
For your information! Such an annual plant is very tenacious, therefore, herbicides should be used to destroy it.
Akalifa Wilkes
This species is appreciated for its rounded leaves with a bronze tint and purple spots. That is why he got his second name copper sheet. The foxtail eventually turns into a tall bush, but there are also miniature specimens. Rare flowers also surprise with their red color, but they are still not as impressive as catchy leaves.
Akalifa viginsi
The homeland of the endangered species is the Galapagos Islands. Due to the active activity of people, this species is almost never found in nature. It has wide elongated leaves with sharp endings. Inflorescences are bright red, hanging.
Propagation by cuttings
Akalif can rightly be considered a very diverse plant. Numerous representatives include both attractive flowers and weeds. However, among a large selection, you can definitely find what you want. This plant will be the perfect decoration for any room, whether it is an ordinary apartment, a cozy country house or office.
