The name "bottle tree" is carried by several plants from different families. All of them are succulents: they accumulate moisture and nutrients in themselves. This feature helps plants survive during periods of prolonged drought and hot climate. The tanks are located in the lower thickened area of the trunks, the upper part is noticeably narrower, which makes the trees look like giant bottles.
Brachychiton
Plants of the sterculiaceae family, including both shrubby forms and trees. Home to most of these exotics is Australia.. They are found only in the northeastern territories of the continent, in the hot savannahs, where extremely little rainfall occurs. Often brachychitons grow on rocky slopes and the edges of cliffs, which is why they earned the name of "rocky" trees. Their appearance is very picturesque and unusual. Trunks rise in height from 3 to 12 m. There are also quite stunted species of no more than 1 m. Branching occurs closer to the upper, narrow part of the trunks, and the lower one is expanded several times, sometimes to monstrous sizes. In diameter, the base of brachychiton is 3 m, there are giants with thicker trunks, sometimes doubled. From afar, mature trees look like huge barrels.
Between the thick gray bark and the woody mass of plants, water reserves are concentrated, which the roots absorb from the soil after rare and scarce rainfall. Its volumes in one adult tree are enough to quench the thirst of 50-100 people. Such natural "wells" often saved travelers and Aboriginal people from dehydration in harsh climatic conditions.
The middle part of the trunks hides another tank - with reserves of sweet juice.
Shoots of a bottle tree are twisted in various directions, form a wide irregularly shaped crown. The leaves are dark green, juicy, have a different shape. On young branches they are whole ovoid, on old shoots spliced five-lobed are often found.
Flowers and fruits
Brachychitons are monoecious. Female and male flowers ripen on one copy. The view of the inflorescences is far from gigantic, but very cute: small, about 1.5 cm, bells of pink, cream, purple shades, collected in small brushes.
Fruits of brachychiton - narrow elongated capsules of greenish-gray color. Inside the pods are large, nut-like seeds, covered with thin, hard hairs. They are also edible. In local national cuisine they are added as spices to various dishes, consumed in fried and dried form.
The succulent roots of young trees are also food. They are eaten like ordinary root vegetables.
Indoor cultivation
Homemade bottle tree is one of the most interesting plants. It is cultivated in the bonsai style, presenting a small copy of brachychiton: a characteristic thick trunk crowned with shoots with bunches of green succulent leaves.
Caring for a tree involves many troubles. It is required to strictly observe the temperature regime, properly moisturize and illuminate the plant.
The soil mix is breathable and well drained.. This is either a special soil for succulents, or a substrate of sand, peat, leaf and turf soil. The pot is necessarily stable, ceramic. In a plastic bowl, a heavy tree will fall over.
The sun is as important to brachychiton as fresh air. Without direct hot rays, its shoots wilt, and the leaves begin to lose their bright color. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you keep the bottle tree pot only on the south side, close to the window. It is even better to provide lighting through panoramic glass. Near the deaf walls to grow a full-fledged tree is unlikely to succeed.
In summer and spring, brachychitones prefer a warm and hot atmosphere: from + 25 ° C and above. But the rooms must be ventilated. In winter, it is useful to create a rest period for the culture: keep the succulent cool - at + 16 ° С. To accelerate growth, permissible and year-round heat.
Watering and feeding
Abundant watering to the bottle tree is not required. Another moisturizing is recommended after drying of the topsoil. Enough 1-2 times a week. In winter, watering depends on the air temperature. In cool conditions, the plant easily survives prolonged drought: you can leave it without water for 2 weeks. If the tree hibernates in warmth, the moistening regimen does not change. Spraying leaves, taking care of increasing air humidity is not specifically required. Avoid only placing the pot near the heating appliances.
Brachychitons are fed in spring and summer once every 2-3 weeks with mineral fertilizers. With the onset of active vegetation, it is advisable to slightly shorten the elongated shoots, stimulating the crown to expand.
Bokarneya
This genus of exotic plants belongs to the asparagus family and is of Mexican origin. Its other name is nolina. Due to the unusual appearance, the scabbard is also called the “elephant foot”, and sometimes “horse tail” or “bottle palm”.
The lower thickening of the bases of the stem of the barn has a hemispherical shape, similar to a bulb. The barrel is standard, bare, extends several meters, begins to branch in the upper part. Narrow and long leaves with pointed ends go down, covering the trunk. They have amazing rigidity and strength, almost do not evaporate moisture. Mexicans use nolina leaves to weave hats and baskets. Over the years, the lower layers of leaves die off.
During rare rains, a naturally growing scutellum accumulates moisture in a reservoir under the bark. When precipitation stops and drought sets in, the onion loses weight and wrinkles greatly, supplying shoots with water.
The root system of the bottle palm is superficial and branched, does not have a central stem. This is due to the need to collect water from large areas of a shallow feeding soil layer.
The inflorescences of the tree are small, pink or red, collected in tassels.
Landing at home
In temperate climates, nolin is grown as an indoor crop. There are several decorative species of this plant. Among them:
- bentney bent: has an erect, low trunk and a dense sheaf of leaves hanging almost to the ground;
- Nolin Nelson: a rare species with long-growing bluish leaves with long-growing leaves;
- nolina microcarp: a tree with stiff, wider and shorter leaves than other species.
Caring for your home bottle palm is the same as for most succulents. Plant the plant in drained soil from sand, soddy soil and humus, taken in equal parts. Ready-made substrate will fit even better. They grow with a scabbard from young shoots or seeds that are pre-dripped in a mixture of sand and perlite and exposed at a temperature of + 20–25 ° C in a well-lit place. Rooted seedlings receive in a month.
Nolina pots are placed near windows, but not in direct sunlight. The soil regularly needs to be loosened. In winter, young plants will need additional lamp lighting. But the temperature can be reduced to + 12-16 ° C.
To the trunk of the tree evenly thickened, the leaves of the plant in the summer must be trimmed.
A bottle palm is of little interest to pests, but sometimes scabies or a spider mite attack its hard leaves. The risk increases if other plants are located in the room next to it. In such cases, the green part should be sprayed or wiped with an aqueous solution of vinegar, laundry soap or garlic infusion.
Watering and feeding
Abundant watering of the bottle palm is not needed. In spring and summer, moisten the soil after drying of the topsoil - 1 time per week. In winter, you can water the tree even less often - 1-2 times a month. It is easy to determine the need for water in a grown specimen: if the thickening of the trunk is elastic and dense - there is enough moisture, if it runs out and becomes wrinkled - watering is necessary.
For the first time they fertilize with a scallop 4-6 months after planting or at the beginning of the growing season. Mostly nitrogenous compounds or succulents are used.
In the first 3-4 years, the plant needs a seasonal transplant, otherwise the roots in the pot become crowded. Each time, dishes must be taken 3-4 cm wider. Adult nolin is transferred to new soil once every 3 years.