Columnea: care and types | Gardening enabled

Columnea is a flowering herb

Image – Wikimedia/Wildfeuer

plants called column or golden carp has very curious flowers, as you can see in the picture above. It is believed that there are more than 200 varieties, all of which are native to the tropical regions of tropical America.

Some are grasses, but there are others that are bushy, so without a doubt it is a genre worth knowing.

Contents

What is a Columna?

It is a series of herbaceous or shrubby plants that can have a terrestrial or climbing habit depending on the variety. Leaves vary greatly in size and shape: they can be oval, elliptical, lanceolate, linear; with or without petiole, and with a shade of green which is not the same in all.

The flowers are tubular, open at the end and red, red-orange or yellow.. Once pollination has taken place, the fruits ripen, which are globe-shaped berries inside which the seeds will be found.

Column types

Of the more than 200 types that have been described, very, very few are known. But don’t worry, there are enough for you to have a home decorated with a nice variety of plants. Check:

column argument

Columnea arguta is a flowering plant

Image

The column argument It is a hanging plant with long stems, about 40 centimeters, composed of leaves of 1 to 2 centimeters. Its flowers are red or orange-red.

glorious column

Columnea is a hanging plant

Image – Wikimedia/geoff mckay

The glorious column is a hanging plant -like the vast majority of species of the genus- which It has elongated leaves covered with very short hairs. White. The flowers are red.

Column ‘Krakatau’

The krakatau column is small

Image – feellike-home.co.uk

The Column ‘Krakatau’ It is a variety of low bearing, with stems that tend to hang down composed of dark green leaves. The flowers can be orange or rather reddish, but in any case they are really curious.

Columnea purpureottata

The Columnea purpureottata is a beautiful plant

Image – gesneriads.info

The Columnea purpureottata It is, for me, one of the most beautiful. It has a hanging habit, with wrinkled leaves that can measure 3-4 centimeters long, green with purple veins.. The flowers are also purple and green. It’s spectacular.

Columnea x bankii

Columnea is a hanging plant

Image – Wikimedia/Kor!An (Корзун Андрей)

The Columnea x bankii it is a low height hybrid -in fact, it usually does not exceed 20 centimeters in height-, with dark green leaves and orange flowers.

What are Columnea treatments?

Goldfish is a type of plant that can be very demanding. Remember that it is native to tropical America, so we will not have to expose it to low temperatures. For this reason, in a country like Spain it is generally recommended to grow it indoorsalthough I also tell you that if you have a patio or balcony that has shade all day, you can have it outside in the warmer months.

Anyway, if you follow us for a long time, you will know that we like to explain in detail the care that must be given to the plants. It is a way to prevent problems from occurring or, if they do occur, to find out what is wrong so that the plants will weaken.

So let’s go:

Location

There are many hybrids of columnea

Image – Wikimedia/NasserHalaweh // Column “Midnight Lantern”

  • If you are going to have it at home, you need to place it in a room where there is plenty of light, but no drafts. It is important that you know that the air conditioning, the fan or any other device that generates this type of current dries the environment. If the plant is close to them, you will see how its leaves turn brown. Therefore, it is better to place it in a place where there are no drafts.
  • If you want to keep her away, it must be shaded. This is especially important if you live in an area where the sun “is very strong”; that is, if the degree of insolation is very high and “burns”, as happens for example in the Mediterranean during the summer. If you live in an area with a mild climate, you can have it in partial shade; but you should never put it in direct sunlight to avoid damage.

soil or substrate

Columnea or golden carp is a plant that needs fertile, well-drained soil. Therefore, if it must be potted, we recommend that you plant it in a pot with a universal substrate (on sale here); and if you intend to plant it in the garden, we advise you to do so only if the soil drains water well and if the temperatures remain above 10ºC at all times.

Irrigation of columnea or golden carp

Columnea is a perennial plant

Image – Wikimedia/Joan Simon

It must be watered frequently in summer, and much less in winter. But how many times? It’s a bit difficult to know, because each climate has its particularities. So, rather than telling you “you have to water X times in summer and X times in winter”, I wish you knew how to check soil moisturebecause that way you’ll know when you need to pour water on it, and when not.

And that’s why, just take a wooden stickthose found in Japanese restaurants for example, and insert it at the bottom. If the ground is damp, the stick will come out damp and even with some soil attached; On the other hand, if it is dry, it will come out like that, dry, and if a grain of earth has stuck to it, it will come off very easily.

Things to avoid:

  • If you’re going to put a plate under it, NEVER keep it full of water. Excess water will rot the roots and kill the plant.
  • Do not spray its leaves if you live on an island or a short distance from the sea. If you do, the fungus will rot them. If you’re not sure about the humidity in your area, I recommend buying a home weather station: if it’s over 50% you won’t have to spray, but if it’s lower then yes , otherwise the leaves will dry out.

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It is advisable to pay the Columnea in summer, taking advantage of irrigation. We will use a liquid fertilizer like this, following the instructions for use.

Plagues and diseases

Columnea is a hanging plant

Image – Flickr/Barry Hammel // Columnea lepidocaulis

In general, it is quite resistant, but it can be attacked by red spider Yes aphid, which are eliminated with universal insecticides; or if you wish, with diatomaceous earth (on sale here) which is a natural insecticide and very easy to apply:

If it is over watered, or if the leaves are sprayed when the humidity is very high, it will kill botrytis, which is a fungal disease (caused by fungi). The bad thing is that when the symptoms (grey mold, rot) become visible, it’s usually too late to save it, but you can try cutting off the affected parts and applying a fungicide, like this one.

hardiness

It is very sensitive to cold and frost. In addition, he does not like too high temperatures either; in fact, if they exceed 30ºC, it is better to keep it at home, in a cool room -remember: without air conditioning or fans- so that it tastes better.

What did you think of the column? Does it look like a pretty plant?

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