Content
Speckled lily (Lamium maculatum) is a perennial herbaceous plant that until recently was not popular among gardeners. But everything changed when landscape designers began to widely use the culture, as it has the ability to quickly fill free space and maintain its decorative effect throughout the season. In nature, the plant grows in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus. Found on forest edges, clearings, ravines, and river banks.
Speckled lily has high frost resistance
Description and characteristics
Speckled lily (you can see the plant in more detail in the photo) is one of the fast-growing ground cover crops. Its shoots are prostrate and branching, which, when in contact with the ground, easily take root in the nodes. The height of the plant reaches 25 cm, and the diameter of its growth per year is 50-100 cm, depending on the variety. The shoots are tetrahedral, their surface is slightly pubescent. The thickness of the stem is 4 mm.
The leaves of the mottled clasp are heart-shaped, pointed, and have serrations along the edges.The color of the plates is dark green, but the central vein is noticeably distinguished by a silvery tint. Spotting also sometimes appears. Their length reaches 5.5 cm and width about 5.0 cm. The leaves are located oppositely on the shoots. The root system of the mottled grass is fibrous and superficial.
The plant blooms continuously from May to November. The buds are small, shaped like a snapdragon, and when fully opened their diameter does not exceed 3 cm. They are collected in inflorescence-whorls of 8-10 pieces. The corolla is pink in light or dark tones, its tube is curved almost at a right angle. The upper lip is dome-shaped and hangs over the lower lip. The calyx is shorter in length than the corolla. Each flower has four stamens. The lower lip has a spotted pattern and consists of three lobes, the middle of which is well developed. The anthers of the mottled mottled plant are shaped like a figure eight. The pistil is bare pink, bifid. The stamens and style protrude from the corolla tube. The peduncles of the speckled clamyria rise above the foliage.
The lifespan of a bud is two days. But new inflorescences constantly appear on the plant, so it seems like a continuous process. After pollination, small fruits are formed, visually divided into four parts. They appear between June and November.
Speckled lily does not require complex care and is undemanding to the composition of the soil. It can grow in full sun or partial shade, forming a dense carpet on the soil surface. The crop does not tolerate high soil moisture for a long time. Therefore, when planting in the shade, you should choose well-ventilated places.
The peduncles of the speckled damselfish break easily
This crop is not afraid of weeds, as it is able to suppress their growth, forming a continuous green carpet. An exception may be perennial weeds with a powerful root system.
Varieties of speckled sweet grass
Thanks to selection, it was possible to develop new varieties of crops with a varied shade of leaves and flowers. This stimulated the growth of popularity of speckled yastriya not only among professionals, but also among amateur gardeners. To understand the range of varieties offered, you should consider the most popular of them and study their features.
Pink Pewter
A perennial ground cover, 15-20 cm high. Its stems branch at the base and are covered with soft hairs. The leaves are oval-shaped, veined, with teeth along the edge. The color of the plates of the Speckled Lamiaceae Pink Pewter is silvery-white, with a dark green edging. The flowers are white and pink, collected in whorls of 10 pieces. Buds appear on the plant in May-June, depending on the growing region. Planting rate – 9-11 pieces per 1 sq. m.
The variety Pink Pewter is characterized by a moderate growth rate
Bacon Silver
A crop variety characterized by high decorative qualities. The height of the spotted Beacon Silver (lamium maculatum Beacon Silver) reaches 20 cm, and the growth diameter is 30-60 cm. The variety blooms at the end of May and continues until September. Bacon Silver is distinguished by jagged leaves of a silvery-green color with a green edge. The color of the buds is purple-pink.
Speckled lily, Bacon Silver, is characterized by abundant flowering
Aureum
The variety is distinguished by bright yellow foliage, with a silver stripe in the center. The height of the plant reaches 15-20 cm, and the spreading width is 90 cm.It blooms in early summer for 1-1.5 months. The color of the buds is light purple. Speckled lily (Aureum) is characterized by high frost resistance and hardiness.
This species should be planted in open areas to maintain decorative properties.
White Nancy
The variety is distinguished by silvery-white serrated leaves with a thin green border along the edge. The height of the plant does not exceed 20 cm, and the width of its growth is 50-60 cm. The stems of White Nancy are light-colored and tetrahedral. Flowering, like other species, occurs in late May or early June. The color of the buds is white.
The speckled clasp variety White Nancy does not suffer from frosts down to -29 °C
Golden Ennivesary
A special feature of this variety is its tricolor leaves. The main tone of the plates is green with a wide yellow border and a silver stripe along the central vein. The color of the buds of the mottled Golden Anniversary is purple. The ground cover reaches a height of 20 cm and grows in width by 60-70 cm.
The Golden Ennivesari variety prefers to grow in areas with openwork shade during the midday hours
Roseum
The plant reaches a height of 45 cm and a width of about 60 cm. The difference between the variety is green leaves with a light silver spot in the center. Its buds are pale pink. Flowering is abundant and long lasting. Maximum decorative effect when growing the speckled roseum variety can be achieved when placed in partial shade. The species is characterized by rapid growth.
The Roseum variety prefers moderately fertile soils
Annie Greenaway
One of the shortest growing varieties. The height of the plant does not exceed 15 cm, and the diameter of the growth is 50-60 cm. Speckled Clary Annie Greenaway has tricolor leaves.The main color of the plates is green, but there is a wide yellow stripe along the edge, and there is a marble spot along the central vein. The shade of the buds is pinkish-purple. Flowering occurs in the last ten days of May or in the first half of June.
The growth rate of the Annie Greenaway variety is fast
Reproduction methods
To obtain new plant seedlings, you can use the seed method, dividing the bush and cuttings. Each of these methods has features that need to be taken into account.
Sowing seeds can be done in early spring, when the ground thaws, or in the fall, before frost sets in. To do this, you must first dig up the area and level the surface. Seeds should be planted at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other, deepening them by 2-3 cm. After sowing, water. The first shoots of the spotted damselfish appear in 10-14 days. When the seedlings grow and become stronger, they need to be transplanted to a permanent place in the garden.
The culture should be cut at the end of August. To do this, you need to cut the apical shoots 5-7 cm long. Remove the lower leaves and plant the cuttings in a soil mixture of peat and sand in equal volumes. Then make a mini-greenhouse on top. Rooting occurs after two weeks. All this time, you should keep the substrate moderately moist and ventilate the cuttings. When they grow up, you can transplant them into open ground.
Dividing the bush is the simplest method of propagating speckled damselfish. To do this, you need to dig up the mother plant in early spring and cut it into pieces. Each of them must have well-developed roots and a growing point. Then plant the divisions in a permanent place.
Planting and caring for spotted jasmine
You can plant seedlings in open ground throughout the season.The main thing is to ensure regular watering so that the root system does not dry out later. Planting scheme for speckled claret - 11 pieces per 1 sq. m. such placement will create a continuous green carpet, but at the same time the plants will not compete for moisture and nutrients.
The site for the crop should be selected in partial shade. Two weeks before planting, it must be dug up and humus added at the rate of 5 kg per 1 sq. m. m. After this, the surface should be leveled. It is necessary to plant seedlings of the spotted grass so that the root collar of the plant is flush with the soil surface. At the end of the procedure, water the plants generously. Throughout the season, it is necessary to control soil moisture.
At the initial stage of development, you should loosen the soil between the seedlings and remove weeds. Over time, this will no longer be necessary when the plants close together.
You need to fertilize the spotted damselfish once a month. In spring and early summer, organic matter should be used, and subsequently phosphorus-potassium mineral mixtures.
At the end of flowering, it is necessary to remove flower stalks and shorten heavily overgrown shoots.
The speckled chrysanthemum does not need shelter for the winter
Pests and diseases
Speckled lily has a strong immune system, so growing it does not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners. However, in cool, humid summer conditions, the plant may suffer from gray and root rot. Therefore, as a disease prevention measure, the ground cover should be sprayed and watered with the fungicides “Maxim”, “Previkur Energy”, “Skor”.
Among the pests that are dangerous for the mottled moth are spider mites, caterpillars, and scale insects.The lesion can be identified by the absence of flowering, depressed appearance, deformed leaves, and a slow rate of development. In this case, the plant should be treated with Confidor Extra, Actellik or Fitoverm.
What plants does it go with?
Speckled lily is ideal for creating mixborders, rockeries, and filling the space at the base of tall crops.
The best neighbors for it can be: hostas, lungworts, heucheras, tiarellas, ferns.
Conclusion
Speckled lily is a ground cover crop that can easily fit into any landscape design and disguise unsightly areas in the garden. At the same time, the plant does not require shelter for the winter and does not require complex care. And when favorable conditions are created, the spotted lily is able to grow and bloom profusely in the first season after planting.
