How to Care for Ugandan Clodendrum: Liana with Butterfly Flowers

Ugandan clerodendrum belongs to the verbena family. It is often found in nature in the highlands of East Africa. It differs from other clerodendrums in blue flowers of an unusual shape resembling small butterflies.

Botanical Description

Evergreen vine with lashes up to 2.5 m. The shoots are thin, lignified over time. Leaves on short petioles, dark green. The form is wide, lanceolate with a smooth or slightly serrated edge. On the stem, the leaves are opposite.

Long flowering - from spring to autumn. The flowers are small, five-petalled, in shape resemble butterflies. Four petals are painted in delicate blue, fifth - in blue. Stamens are long, curved. Paniculate inflorescences, loose, form on young shoots in the axils of the leaves.

Ugandan Carrodendrum Care: What to Consider

How to care for Ugandan clerodendrum in a pot? Like any tropical culture, it has certain microclimate requirements. You can’t call him capricious, but in adverse conditions, with improper care, the clerodendrum will not bloom. Experienced flower growers recommend that you adhere to the following rules.

• Temperature. In summer, you do not need to create special conditions. Clerodendrum feels great at an average room temperature of 20-25 ° C. In winter, difficulties may arise - lower temperatures of 12-16 ° C are required. Small young plants can be moved closer to the window pane, fenced off from the room by a dense curtain. Adults - take to a glazed, insulated balcony.
• Lighting. The need for light is high. They are placed in a well-lit place with a minimum of direct sunlight. In the heat of the day they always shade - sunburns quickly remain on the leaves. On the north side it lacks light, stretches, does not bloom. If there are no other options, they organize artificial lighting with phytolamps or fluorescent lamps.
• Watering. Ugandan carrodendrum should be watered systematically. Abundance of watering depends on the season, temperature of the content. It is watered abundantly in summer, and in moderation in winter. Water is used well-kept, soft, room temperature. It reacts instantly to drying out of the soil - the leaves wither, hang, begin to fall. If the drought was short, after watering the leaves become elastic again.
• Humidity. Systematic spraying is an important condition for active growth and maintaining decorativeness. Humidity is above average. Artificially increase it by installing a flower pot in a pan filled with wet expanded clay. Sprayed every day with soft water with a minimum salt content.
• The soil. The soil mixture is prepared from peat, turf, coarse sand, deciduous soil and humus. Mix in equal proportions. Ready-made substrates can be used.The main thing is that the soil is light, breathable, sufficiently nutritious.
• Transfer. Refers to fast-growing crops. Young plants have to be replanted twice a year - in autumn and spring. Adults are transplanted once a year. In large specimens, you can simply replace the topsoil. A drainage layer is required.
• Top dressing. Fertilizers are applied during the period of active growth. Ugandan Clodendrum can be fertilized with a standard preparation for flowering crops. They increase the content of phosphorus and potassium - important trace elements for flowering. When the clerodendrum fades, it begins to fall into a "hibernation" feeding is stopped.

Pruning rules

Growing carrodendrum at home is complicated by the need for regular pruning. Without pruning, clerodendrum will quickly grow vines, foliage, but will cease to bloom. Ugandan clerodendrum is cut off early. In small young bushes, you can simply pinpoint growth points. In subsequent years, it is recommended to cut the lianas to a third of the length.

Pruning is performed in early spring before the start of active growth or in the fall before entering the dormant period. Here, gardeners hold different opinions. Usually the shoots are cut to a third of the length. If the clerodendrum is formed in the form of a compact bush, they can be shortened by half. Clodendrum pruning is easy to carry. After some time, new lateral shoots begin to grow actively. It is on them that buds are formed.

It is possible to form a clerodendrum in the form of a small standard tree. Work begins with a young plant - adult bushes are more difficult to shape. This is done simply. They leave one strong shoot, the rest are cut under the root. After reaching a half-meter height, pinch the growth point, tie the shoot to a direct vertical support. The lower part of the stem is exposed, the remaining branches pinch. Regular pinching achieve the formation of a lush, even crown.

If it does not bloom: 4 reasons

Ugandan Clodendrum does not bloom due to inappropriate containment conditions. It affects the temperature regime during wintering, the frequency of fertilizing and the composition of fertilizers, the method of formation. There are four main reasons for the lack of flowering.

1. Clerodendrum is not clipped. After pruning, side shoots begin to grow on which buds are formed. The more young shoots the plant has, the more flowering.
2. Big pot. In a spacious pot, clerodendrum begins to intensively grow vines. Flowering is inhibited.
3. Incorrect fertilizer composition. The nitrogen content in the complex fertilizer should be minimal. Potassium and phosphorus - increased.
4. Warm wintering. The appearance of a warm winter is not reflected. But flower buds are laid only in cold conditions.

Ugandan clerodendrum blooms are stimulated by creating coolness in winter, minimizing watering, and transplanting into a small, slightly cramped pot. In spring, the plant is returned to heat, the intensity of irrigation is increased. With the advent of buds, the first top dressing is carried out.

Breeding methods

The easiest way to propagate Ugandan clerodendrum by cuttings. Apical shoots are easily rooted in water or soil. Seed propagation is also allowed, but the first flowering will have to wait much longer. In both cases, the propagation technique is simple and effective.

• Cuttings. The apical cuttings remaining after trimming can be rooted.They are placed in water with the addition of an activated carbon tablet or immediately instilled into light moist soil. To accelerate rooting, the cut site is treated with a root stimulant. Common drugs - “Heteroauxin”, “Kornevin.” When rooting in the ground, the stalk is covered with a plastic cup or a cut bottle.
• Seeds. Seeds are sown at the end of winter in a sand-peat mixture. Allowed to use any loose, light soil. Germinate under cover. Every day the greenhouse is aired, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle as necessary. Seedlings dive into separate cups after the appearance of the fourth real leaf.

Diseases, pests, growing problems

The leaves of carrodendrum have a not strong, but specific smell, so the pests practically do not touch it. If the room has very dry air, they are affected by a spider mite, whiteflyaphids. Less often have to deal withscale.

Common fungal and infectious diseases of indoor plants bypass the cllerodendrum side. The exception is rot - the root system can rot as a result of excessive watering and lack of drainage. Most problems are due to care errors. The main diseases and methods for their elimination are given in the table.

Table - Problems of growing Ugandan clerodendrum

How to care for Ugandan clerodendrum to constantly maintain its decorative effect? The main requirements are regular watering, timely top dressing, compliance with the rest period, pruning and protection from the sun. These simple rules will help to grow a beautiful clerodendrum, achieve its lush flowering.