Aukuba is constantly green bushes, the leaves of which are leathery, and the flowers are collected in a bunch and have a brownish-reddish color. There is a plant in Korea, Japan, China and the Himalayas. It is very common to consider Aukuba Japanese. About indoor plants aukuba Japanese today and will be discussed.
Aukube was given the second name "golden tree", because the plant looks so unusual that many travelers visiting East Asia paid special attention to this shrub. The Japanese loved this plant very much and tried in every possible way to prevent its export from the country. However, at the end of the XVII century it was possible to bring the aukuba to Europe. The plant grew, blossomed, yielded fruits that were seedless. Aukuba is a dioecious plant. Brought the same plant was female and due to the lack of a male tree, pollination did not work. A few decades later, the botanist Fortune still brought the male plant, from that time the aukuba and began to spread widely as a decorative houseplant.
For the first time the Japanese aucuba appeared in Europe back in 1783. The aukuba is easily propagated by cuttings and seeds. Due to its unusual and easy reproduction, the plant quickly spread in the open ground. It was widely used to decorate rooms and greenhouses. Especially unusual are species with beautiful leaves, on which there is a pattern of yellow small or large spots. Such a pattern on the leaves makes it look like a gold-bearing rock or a slice of sausage. Because of this comparison among the people, this plant was nicknamed "sausage tree" or "golden tree".
Kinds
Aukuba Himalayan is an evergreen plant, shrubs which can grow up to 4 meters in height. The home of the Himalayan aukuba is Central Asia. Leaves of this species have a variety of shapes, for example, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, dentate or whole-margin, occur at the apex of a long - or short, pointed, usually dark green color. Blossoms the aucuba with small flowers, completely unprepossessing in appearance. Flowers unisexual, male and female are located on different specimens.
Japanese aukuba is an ornamental plant, very unusual, has long been popular with residents of Japan and China. This species looks like a bush with woody green stems on which there are oval leathery leaves, reaching a length of 20 cm, and a width of 6 cm. The leaves are shiny, are notched or entire, have stipules. There are varieties with both monochromatic green leaves, and with motley coloring - it's a decorative look that creates a feeling of golden sunlight on the leaves. Thanks to this, the people of the city received the name "golden tree". The plant blooms in small flowers, which are located in the hair whiskers, have an orange or bright red color. Flowers are same-sex, dioecious and four-membered. Ovary usually single-caved, with one ovate, with shortened thick column and oblique stigma. The berries are orange or bright red, with a formed wreath from a lagging cup. The seed, as a rule, is on the tip of the endosperm with a tiny germ.
Care of the plant
Aukuba - plants are rather unpretentious, well tolerated and cool and warm room conditions. Most of the aukuba prefers penumbra, but it grows well in well-lit rooms. More calmly the shadow is transferred to varieties with green monophonic leaves. In order for the variegated leaves to retain their color, they need to provide diffuse light.
For a comfortable development of aukuba you need to maintain a moderate temperature. In summer, you must ensure that the temperature does not rise above 20 degrees, otherwise the plant will lose leaves and grow old. During this period, the plant can be carried to the balcony or garden, but it is necessary to protect it from the bright rays of the sun, rain and wind. In the middle of autumn, the temperature should be lowered to 14 degrees, and in winter, the temperature should vary from 8 to 14 degrees, but not below 5 degrees. Otherwise, the plant will begin to discard the leaves. If it is not possible to provide such conditions and the aukuba is kept in ordinary room conditions, then the plant needs good lighting and regular spraying.
In the summer, the aucoup should be watered abundantly, but make sure that the soil on top is slightly dried. In autumn and winter, the plant should be watered moderately, it tolerates a slight drying of the soil, and from too strong moistening black spots on the leaves may appear.
Aukuba normally refers to dry air, especially old plants, so you can spray it at will, and in autumn and winter spraying is a must. If the plant is grown at a temperature of 6-12 degrees, then spray carefully, or do not spray at all, as mold may form.
In the period from spring to autumn - this is the time of active growth, - house plants need to be fertilized with organic and mineral top dressings, alternating them.
In spring, you need to prune and prick the tops of shoots to form the crown. Shoots that remain after pruning are usually used for propagation as cuttings.
Transplant aukubu taken in the spring, while the young plants need to be transplanted every year, and adults enough once in 2-3 years, or as the braided roots of the whole soil. The roots of the aukuba are very delicate and fragile, so the procedure of transplantation should be done very carefully. It will be more favorable for the plant, if it is not transplanted, but to pass over, keeping an earthen lump, into a more spacious pot. Pots for an aucuba should be chosen sufficiently wide and loose.
The most suitable soil for aukuba are mixtures from peat, leaf, clayey-sod and sand or peat, humus, foliage, turf and sand. Well suited hydroponics aukuba.
Precautionary measures
Aucubus poisonous plant! All its parts can cause irritation of the intestines and stomach, diarrhea and blood in the urine. Use caution when contacting the plant!