Prickly plants for gardeners are of particular interest. There are many varieties of them. Photos of thorny plants demonstrate that some of them have a very exotic look and become a decoration of a garden plot, flower beds. Such plants enhance the decorative effect. They are indispensable in designer compositions, making them especially stylish. Very fond of such unusual specimens and home flower growers. The name of thorny plants, as well as a description of their species, will give an idea of \u200b\u200bthe unsafe, but very common inhabitants of flower beds and window sills.
Functions of spines
The spines of plants are hard, sharp formations. The functions of spines are different for different plants. One of the most important is the condensation of water vapor. The plant is supplied with water through the spines. Another equally important role is surface protection.plants from being eaten by animals, as well as from the hot sun.
Growing conditions
A characteristic feature of thorny plants is their unpretentiousness. They do not require the creation of special conditions for their maintenance. In most cases, plants are photophilous and do not like excessive watering. Consider some of their types.
Eringium
The eryngium is another name for it. These plants have a thorny flower. Currently, eringium is very popular and is a decoration of the garden. Its blue and blue spiky inflorescences are very showy. The most common species were the flat-leaved and alpine eryngium. They are widely used in garden landscape design. The height of these specimens reaches from 70 cm to 1 meter. Alpine eringium, compared to flat-leaved, has larger inflorescences.
In modern landscape design, flat eringium, the so-called tumbleweed, is also used. It is a very thorny but showy plant. The eryngium grows well in stony and dry soil.
Thistle
These are annual thorny weeds. There are more than a hundred types of them. Among them is milk thistle. It belongs to one of the species grown by people. Its height is 1.5-2 meters. Her spines are long and sharp. The stem is erect, strongly branched at the top. Flowers are collected in prickly baskets. It does not lose its decorative effect throughout the season, delighting with flowering until late autumn. Milk thistle is a photophilous and drought-resistant crop, it can do withoutwatering for a long time. She is not afraid of temporary cold, diseases and pests. Usually, milk thistle is planted at a distance of at least 1.5-2 meters from paths and other plants.
Besides bright decoration, this plant has healing properties: diuretic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant. Its shoots with foliage are widely used to treat various diseases, including diseases of the liver, thyroid gland, sciatica, hemorrhoids, psoriasis and many others. This amazing plant is also used in cooking in the form of flour and butter.
Vesil
This biennial plant is a stem that reaches a height of 0.8-2 meters, with a rosette of oblong leaves. Prickly cones are formed on the top and side branches, covered with white and lilac buds.
The plant looks spectacular in the garden. It should be planted in the background of a flower bed, against the background of coniferous plants or shrubs, as well as near a wooden fence. It easily tolerates winter even without shelter. Cones, when ripe, do not crumble, retain their shape. Stems do not bend from wind and rain. It is no coincidence that pile is the favorite material of florists. It is used both as an independent plant in a bouquet and as part of stylish decorative compositions.
Cleoma prickly
Herbaceous annual, forming powerful bushes. Its height is on average 1 m. The stems are branched in the upper part. Cleoma flowering is very spectacular. It comes in different colors: white, yellow, pink, purple.
This plant is one of the mostoriginal flowering garden plants. It is used in flowerbeds, to create hedges, to decorate groups of shrubs. When using cleoma, there is a basic rule - it should only be planted in groups.
Mordovnik
This is a perennial plant from the Astrov family. The round head of its inflorescence looks like a mace. Mordovnik stalk single upright. The leaves are pinnately toothed or entire with teeth, depending on the species. Blooms in the second year of life from May to August. Blue flowers are collected in prickly inflorescences, which have a spherical shape.
This is an unpretentious plant, resistant to diseases. Doesn't like a lot of moisture. Mordovnik is used to decorate flower beds, as its blue color is in harmony with the warm bright tones of other plants.
Cacti
These are thorny plants of various sizes. Basically, cacti are inhabitants of deserts and semi-deserts, where there is a very low level of humidity. But some species grow in the tropics. Cacti easily adapt to sudden changes in temperature. They live on sandy and gravel soils. The spines of these plants grow instead of leaves, their maximum length can be up to 25 cm. This helps cacti prevent moisture loss.
Currently, various types of these exotic plants are very widely used in landscape design.
Features of home cacti
These thorny plants are unusually tenacious, as they can be without watering and fertilizers for a long time. In winter, they can not be watered at all. ButCacti definitely need sunlight. There are many types of them. Home flowering cacti are covered with buds, as a rule, annually, but when they reach 3-4 years of age. It happens in the spring. But some species can delight with flowers at other times of the year.
For a cactus to bloom, it is necessary to create conditions for it that are close to natural. First of all, it concerns lighting and moisturizing. In autumn, you need to water less often. In winter, it is advisable to refuse watering altogether. And start spraying with water only in March, resuming irrigation. In winter, the lighting should be subdued, and the room where the cacti are kept should be cool. If the buds have already begun, this prickly houseplant should not be transplanted and fertilized.
Homemade coniferous thorns
Currently, for home gardeners, the passion for coniferous prickly plants has become very popular. Keeping such cultures in a room is problematic: many of them need a low room temperature, which should not exceed 12 degrees. Therefore, the list of prickly coniferous houseplants is small. These are cypress, araucaria, legcarp, cryptomeria and others.
Araucaria
This is a coniferous evergreen, its bark is flaky. Grows very slowly. Its branches are located horizontally, the crown is pyramidal. The leaves are subulate, light green in color, up to two centimeters long. Gives the design of the room an elegant chic. Araucaria is unpretentious in care. Likes good lighting, but is afraid of direct sunlight. In warmthe season requires abundant watering, and in winter, moisture must be reduced. Likes daily spraying.
Cryptomeria
Its other name is Japanese cedar. This is an evergreen plant of the Cypress family. Its crown is dense, the color varies from light to dark shades of green. Japanese cedar is quite common in landscape design and park gardening. At home, dwarf forms are used. They are grown in winter gardens, on a balcony or terrace. These plants are photophilous, but cannot stand direct sunlight. The best place for him is outdoors. Watering requires special attention. Water should be warm, settled or boiled. Likes spraying.
Pandanus
This screw palm is widely used by home growers. It is a plant with thorny leaves and a lush crown.
The leaves are narrow and oblong, with spikes at the ends. They grow in a spiral. This is a very showy plant. It naturally grows in the tropics. As a home inhabitant, the pandanus is very unpretentious. It is usually recommended to beginner growers. It quickly grows to a large size, becoming like a real palm tree. But if there are small children or pets in the house, it is better to refuse this plant.
