Bouvardia

The genus Bouvardia is about 50 shrubby and semi-shrub perennials, but usually biennial, evergreen and flowering species. Leaves are glossy; flowers are tubular with a four-lobed limb, fragrant, collected in false umbrellas (in hybrids they can have a diameter of up to 15 cm, for example, Bouvardia x domestica and Bouvardia x hybrida) at the ends of annual shoots. The most common species have smaller inflorescences. Yellow bouvardia (B. flava) with lanceolate leaves and yellow flowers and long-flowered bouvardia (B. longiflora) grow up to 1 m in height, are characterized by ovoid-pointed leaves and very fragrant white flowers. In hybrids 60-70 cm high, the leaves are oval, and the flowers are of various colors: white, pink, red, purple. The flowering period is long - from June to October. Of the dwarf species, which grow to a height of 50-60 cm, the most famous is the jasminiflora bouvardia (B. jasminiflora), characterized by white flowers blooming in winter, which in appearance and aroma resemble jasmine flowers.

The genus Bouvardia is about 50 shrubby and semi-shrub perennials, but usually biennial, evergreen and flowering species. Leaves are glossy; flowers are tubular with a four-lobed limb, fragrant, collected in false umbrellas (in hybrids they can have a diameter of up to 15 cm, for example, Bouvardia x domestica and Bouvardia x hybrida) at the ends of annual shoots.

The most common species have smaller inflorescences.

Yellow bouvardia (B. flava) with lanceolate leaves and yellow flowers and long-flowered bouvardia (B. longiflora) grow up to 1 m in height, are characterized by ovoid-pointed leaves and very fragrant white flowers. In hybrids 60-70 cm high, the leaves are oval, and the flowers are of various colors: white, pink, red, purple. The flowering period is long - from June to October.

Of the dwarf species, which grow to a height of 50-60 cm, the most famous is the jasminiflora bouvardia (B. jasminiflora), characterized by white flowers blooming in winter, which in appearance and aroma resemble jasmine flowers.

Cultivation

Bouvardia is a widespread indoor plant, it is afraid of the cold, recently it is often grown in greenhouses for cutting. From June to August, it can be kept outdoors. For cultivation, a mixture of turf, peat or leafy soil (4:2:1) with an admixture of sand is used. After flowering, the plant begins a dormant period when the temperature is lowered to 10 °C and watering is reduced. Bouvardia is not fed during the growing season. Only 1-2-year-old plants bloom profusely.

Location

Requires a lighted area at home and a shaded area outdoors during the summer months.

Temperature

The optimum temperature for growing bouvardia is 13 °C. In winter, it should not fall below 7-10 °С.

Watering

Water is regularly watered in the spring and summer, less intensively during the rest of the year.

Transplant

It is believed that plants should be replaced with a new one every 2 years. Consequently, transplanting into a new pot is carried out only in the first year in the spring in a more spacious pot.

Care

Remove damaged leaves and faded umbrellas.

Reproduction

Propagated by green apical cuttings, less often by root cuttings. Roots are formed quickly. Young plants are transplanted into pots with a diameter of 14-15 cm, filled with a suitable substrate. Young plants are pinched 3-4 times and transferred. To provoke abundant branching of annual shoots, last year's shoots are cut shortly.

Diseases

Root rot is common in bouvardia, which leads to yellowing and wilting of the plant. Disease can be prevented by ensuring good drainage of the soil and following the rules of watering. And the affected plant is thrown away. Iron deficiency causes chlorosis, which manifests itself in yellowing of the leaves; in this case, they are fed with iron chelates. Difficulty in plant growth is usually associated with low or high air temperatures.

Acquisition

Bouvardia is hard to come by. Try your luck in specialized flower nurseries.