| Life form | Grassy, shrub |
| The family | Proteaceae |
| Origin and Distribution | Australia |
| Easy growing | Adenantos is quite unpretentious, but caring for it requires a certain experience. |
| Size | Up to 1 m at home, in nature – up to 2.5 m. |
| Growth rate | Low |
| Lifetime | Perennial plant |
| Temperature | In summer, the temperature is optimal at 77-82,4 ° F. In winter it is preferable to have a cool temperature of about +59, but not below 50 ° F. In winter, the plant suffers from hot and dry air. The plant is very sensitive to the temperature regime, often discards the leaves in response to temperature fluctuations. |
| Humidity | In the summer it needs regular spraying. In winter, when it is cool, it is undesirable. However, in hot conditions it is necessary to place the pot in a bowl with wet claydite, use various methods of increasing humidity, and also to isolate the plant from radiators. In dry air, yellow leaves may appear. |
| Lighting | During the summer, the plant needs bright diffuse light with shading in the hottest hours. The most optimal are the western and eastern windows. In winter, stir in the lighted window. For some species, even refreshing will be required. With insufficient lighting, the plant will not bloom. |
| Soil | Preferred acid substrate (pH 5,0-5,5), you can use ready-made soil for azaleas. The substrate must be breathable and light, you can use a mixture of peat, sand, perlite, heath land, it is very useful to add pieces of pine needles. Required drainage. |
| Watering | Most species of adenanthos need regular watering, with complete drying of the soil, leaves quickly turn yellow, repeated overdrying will be detrimental to the plant. In summer, the substrate should be moistened as the upper layer of the substrate dries. However, in case of excessive watering, rotting of the root system is possible, in no case should moisture stagnation be allowed in the pan. You should be especially careful with watering in winter in cool conditions, as in this case rotting of the root system is possible, so watering is reduced to a minimum (about once a month). Water for irrigation should be durable and soft. |
| How to fertilize | Fertilize about once every 3-4 weeks, using top dressing for azaleas and gardenias. |
| Reproduction | Seed propagation is used, the seeds must pass stratification, that is, they must be kept in the refrigerator for 2 months at a temperature of + 50 ° F, placing them in moist sand. Subsequently, the seeds are germinated in a mixture of peat and sand at a temperature of + 68-75 ° F. Seeds are covered with polyethylene. It sprouts for about 1-2 months. For better germination, you can apply scarification, that is, remove the shell from the seeds. After that they germinate in a sterile environment, for example, in vermiculite. |
| Flowering | Flowers are orange, red. At home, rarely blooms. |
| Transplant and care | Adenanthos is transplanted annually into pots of larger diameter, however the pot should not be too spacious. When transplanting pay special attention to whether the root system is rotting. The plant is cut regularly, although it branches well enough. You can grow in a bonsai culture. In summer it is useful to take the plant on a balcony or garden. |
| Difficulties | The plant, as a whole, is resistant to pests can be affected by aphids, spider mites, scabbards. Most often the plant is affected by gray rot, which is manifested as brown spots on branches. |
| Useful Properties | Cuttings of adentantos cut off for bouquets, placed in a vase, remain long and do not fade (up to 30 days). |
| Toxicity | The plant is not poisonous, but can cause an allergic reaction. |
