| Life form | Liana or shrub |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Origin and distribution | Most of the genus (32 species) come from Central and South Africa, Madagascar. Several species grow wild in India (1), China, Southeast Asia (6). The most common in domestic floriculture is the pleasant strophanthus (Strophanthus gratus), the strophanthus of Proiss and Boavin (Strophanthus preussii, Strophanthus boivinii). |
| Ease of cultivation | Average |
| The size | Up to 2-3 m at home, in nature up to 25 m |
| Growth rate | Very high, branches stretch out rapidly, up to 1 m per season. |
| Lifespan | A perennial |
| Temperature | In summer, temperatures from +68 to + 86 ° F are preferable. In the winter, leaves may fall, they will again develop in the spring. In the winter, the Progressus stanphanthus can be kept in a heated room, in this case it is desirable to fluorescent lamps, while it may even bloom. However, it is desirable to keep in a cool at a temperature of + 50-59 ° F, this will ensure a better flowering in the future. The minimum temperature that the plant tolerates is from 32 to + 41 ° F, but such a decrease should be only a short-term, since the plant is sufficiently thermophilic. |
| Humidity | It is desirable to spray regularly. It is desirable to create a humidity level of about 50%, but the plant also adapts to the drier air. |
| Lighting | Bright diffused light. It is best to grow on the east or west window, the most optimal will be a few hours of sun in the morning. The plant can grow and bloom even in artificial light.However, inadequate illumination, flowering is significantly weakened. |
| The soil | The substrate must be light, permeable, but fertile. You can use a ready-made substrate, for example, Teravitu. It should be neutral or slightly acidic, for example, leaf earth, compost and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. |
| Watering | It is necessary to water abundantly as the top layers of the soil dry out. When watering, it is necessary to wait until the water begins to leave the drainage hole. The plant is sufficiently drought-resistant, but it can discard the leaves if there is insufficient watering and drying. In winter, watering is significantly reduced, especially in cool conditions. |
| How to fertilize | Use a complex mineral fertilizer (15-15-15) about once every two weeks. You can fertilize once a month with organic fertilizing. |
| Reproduction | It reproduces vegetatively with the help of semi-extruded cuttings, which take root in the substrate from peat and perlite. Cuttings must be treated with rootstock, rooting under polyethylene at lower heating. At the same time, from young cuttings obtained from an earlier blooming adult plant, the young stanphanthus will blossom the next year. |
| Bloom | Strofanthus pleasant starts to bloom in the spring and in the summer. The flowers are very unusual in some species: in the middle of the corolla, a special tube appears from the middle of the corolla, with long threads hanging from the edges, they can reach 35-40 cm. The flowers of the Madagascar stropheter Boavin have long curled wavy orange-yellow petals. |
| Transplant and care | Young shoots are transplanted annually. Often, as a result of intensive growth, transplantation will be required up to three times per season. Adult plants are transplanted every two years. It is best to use ceramic cookware. It should be heavy enough that the flower does not turn over when it reaches a considerable size. |
| Difficulties | A typical pest is a spider mite, which is often found on the Proiss placenta. In order to prevent the appearance of mites, you should regularly spray the flower. Also affected mealybug. If you do not water the plant in time, it can discard the leaves, but then they are usually restored again. If the plant has thrown off the leaves for the winter, it is important not to over-moisten it at this time. In winter, with a cool content and abundant watering in heavy soil, rotting of the roots is possible. |
| Beneficial features | Strofanthus flowers have a pleasant smell. Because of its unique pharmaceutical properties, it is grown on a commercial basis. The plant contains cardiac glycosides, which are extracted from seeds and used in medicines in Europe as a rapid heart stimulant. Leaves are used in Africa in folk medicine in the treatment of snake bites and some skin diseases. Seeds and latex were previously used to make poison poisoned arrows. When the animal was killed with the help of such an arrow, the flesh around the wound was cut and thrown away, only after that the remaining meat could be eaten. |
| Toxicity | Strophanthus is poisonous, its poison is very strong. Dangerous to all parts of the plant, especially pods and seeds. |
