Pahira aquatica
Pahyra - an exotic plant from the family bombaksovyh, a close relative of the breadfruit tree. Genus includes two species. As a houseplant cultivated P. aquatica. Homeland - Mexico, Peru and Brazil. A beautiful plant with long dekoratyvnolystnoe yastymy lanceolate, pointed at the ends of the leaves; in appearance like Scheffler.
This plant belongs to the so-called "bottle tree", ie plants - natives of stone yanystyh desert stockpile water in a thick bottom stems. Between the bark and wood is a cavity in which the supply of moisture and creates.
In the indoor environment is growing very slowly, but grows to 2.5-3 m, with a diameter of 1.5 m crown stock. Young plants growing in a trunk and branch usually begin when you reach a height of more than 2 meters. Leaves palmate - complex, bright green, on long stalks. The shape of the leaves of the plant is also called Malabar chestnut or Guiana.
Unlike most "bottle trees" pahira blooms in oblystyaniliy crown. Flowers are narrow, long (10- 15 cm), white, collected in inflorescence panicles. At home pahira not bloom unfortunately flowers in her enormous, extremely good. Fruits - odrevesnevayuschye - extracted olive green round fruit length 10-25 cm, containing rounded seeds are eaten raw or roasted.
In general, this beautiful plant is unpretentious, easy to care for him.
Plant care
Location. Bright place but not direct sunlight. The summer temperature 18-20 °C, winter is not too cold (not below 12 °C). In summer the plant can be placed in the garden, protected from wind and rain location.
Watering. Watering abundant in summer, from lack of moisture begins to yanuty leaves. In winter, watering is limited by excess moisture in winter trunk can pidhnyty. Watering is necessary soft which warm water. Bottom watering is not recommended. Periodically, you need to give the soil dry out between waterings.
Humidity. Not bad tolerate dry air, does not require frequent spraying, but spraying once a day gives useful for plants.
Care. Value trunk diameter and its height - the result of external conditions. The more abundant watering and less light , the more the plant is extracted and becomes like a normal tonkostvolnye tree. Online pahyru often can be found in a tree with multiple trunks intertwined, the formation of such plant several seedlings coming few let. V period of active growth of plants fed fertilizer only once in misyats. Duzhe large plants after transplanting in the spring can be severely cut.
Propagation. Seed or summer apical cuttings. Seeds are sown in a pot with a standard mixture of dirt, soil should be evenly moist, with a temperature of 25-30 °C. Cuttings are placed in a moist mixture of peat and sand, covered with foil and maintain the same soil temperature, as can be propagated by cuttings vysevanii. Pahiru, be sure to cut out five heel in late summer. Rooting conditions - heat and high humidity.
Transplantation. Young plants to accelerate the growth of transplanted each year in a pot with a diameter of 4-5 inches more than the previous, older plants are transplanted as needed in the spring, in March and April, before the growth. Dishes need shallow and wide, so the roots grow to a depth. Requires good drainage. Soil should be loose and not very nutritious, leaf and sod land, sand, brick chips (1:1:1:0,5).
Possible difficulties
- pahyra afraid of drafts and high winds, so it can not be put through open windows and doors;
- in case of insufficient humidity leaves fall.