Origin:

eastern Australia

Development cycle:

Development cycle:

The soil:

pH:

mechanical composition of the soil:

Planting and propagation:

methods of reproduction:

method of planting seeds:

time for sowing seeds for seedlings:

time for sowing seeds in open ground:

Features of seed propagation:

• the seeds are sprinkled only lightly and germinated at +15+20 degrees;
• shoots appear in 6-8 days;
• after the seedlings appear, the temperature is reduced to +10+15 degrees;
• dive 3 pieces into pots with a diameter of 9 cm;
• planted in late May-early June, when frosts have passed

distance between plants:

Cold resistance:

not cold-hardy, does not tolerate frost

Decorative properties:

Height:

Color spectrum:

Flowering time:

June-July (60-65 days after sowing)

Inflorescences:

• small yellow tubular flowers are collected in baskets with a diameter of 1.5 cm and are surrounded by white membranous petal-shaped involucre scales, arranged tiledly in several rows;
• after flowering, the yellow flowers turn brown and the involucre petals bend downwards

Leaf shape and color:

leaves are simple, in a basal rosette, stem leaves are alternate

Fruit color and size:

fruit - achene with a membranous saucer-shaped volatile

Plant Shape:

an erect, highly branched plant with strong ribbed stems, covered with gray felt

Usage:

• for sunny mixborders of rocky gardens;
• for cutting for live bouquets;
• in dried form - for compositions of dried flowers, floral panels (cut in buds and dried, hanging with inflorescences down)

• a perennial plant grown as an annual;
• drought-tolerant, requires watering only during prolonged drought;
• there is a large-flowered form (var. grandiflorum) with flowers up to 2 cm in diameter and a compact variety Bikini with a smaller height, 30-40 cm

Ammobium winged

The currently very popular group of dried flowers has long included flowering summer flowers, suitable for cutting into living bouquets and for drying. Their properly processed and dried inflorescences, while remaining open, do not lose their beautiful shape and color.

The peculiarity of such dried flowers is that the flowers are somewhat harsh. Their petals have a hard, straw-like structure, which ensures long-term preservation of the flower, its shape and color when dried.

Most of these dried flowers are representatives of the large Aster family. Winged ammobium (from the Greek words “sand” and “to live”), native to distant Australia, also belongs to them.

Winged ammobium is a spreading perennial plant, but in garden culture it is grown as an annual. All forms of ammobium are quite unpretentious, heat- and light-loving and drought-resistant plants, so they grow in open places with plenty of sunlight.

When choosing soil for growing ammobium, they give preference to loose, sandy and fairly nutritious soils, but they can easily tolerate soils that are not very nutritious. It easily tolerates poor loams, but grows better on loose, well-cultivated soils.

Over the summer, the ammobium forms a rather powerful and very beautiful bush with a basal rosette of leaves and numerous flower stems growing from the center of the rosette.

The stem of ammobium is tall, tetrahedral, branched in the upper part, straight, reaching 60-70 cm in height. The entire plant is whitish-pubescent, the inflorescences are white with a yellow center, 1.5-2 cm in diameter. They are located in several pieces at the ends of a branched peduncle.

Winged ammobium reproduces by seeds. In central Russia it is grown mainly by seedlings.

Sowing seeds in open ground can be done in spring and autumn, but when growing seedlings, seeds are sown in early April. Shoots appear in 8-10 days. After the seedlings have 1-2 true leaves, the seedlings are planted in boxes or in a greenhouse directly into the ground in increments of 6-7 cm, but preferably in pots.

Planting seedlings in open ground should be done in the second half of May, planting the plants at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. Although the plants tolerate transplanting well, the seedlings must be watered first, especially when growing seedlings in boxes or greenhouses.

12-15 days after planting, the plants should be fed with nitrophoska or mullein infusion, and it should be watered only during a long absence of precipitation.

Plants bloom 60-65 days after sowing seeds in the ground and bloom until frost. The seeds ripen 40-50 days after the start of flowering.

Ammobium is widely used both for landscaping and for cutting. From its low varieties you can make an excellent ridge or use it in a rock garden. It is also beautiful in living bouquets.

However, the main area of ​​its use in cutting is in dried form as a dried flower, because its inflorescences do not lose shape or color when dried. They are cut for drying at the half-opened bud stage, when the central tubular flowers are still covered with reed flowers.

Then the cut shoots are tied into small bunches of 5-7 branches and hung to dry with the inflorescences down in a dry, shaded place.

The time for collecting and drying is determined purely individually, depending on personal preferences. To obtain pure white flowers, harvesting must be done when a yellow center appears on the first inflorescence. If it is necessary to obtain larger flowers with a yellow center, they are collected later, when a disk of yellow tubular flowers appears on 4-5 inflorescences.

A later harvest is undesirable, because the involucre leaves near the central inflorescences will be excessively bent to the bottom, which will lead to the flowers losing their beauty.

In winter, when there are not enough fresh flowers, and not every gardener or pensioner can afford them, these dried flowers serve as an excellent material for dried bouquets and a wide variety of flower arrangements.

D. D. Chernyaeva

Ammobium: cultivation and care

Ammobium is a heat-loving perennial. In the climate of Russia it is grown exclusively as an annual plant.

Description of ammobium

Ornamental grass includes several subspecies. Only winged ammobium has gained widespread and popularity. It owes its name to the leaves located at the stem of the plant. They are shaped like wings. The photo of the ammobium shows that the flower itself consists of a yellow basket and a white wrapper. The wrapper may have a yellowish tint, its leaves are arranged in several rows.

Source: Depositphotos

Ammobium: a delicate wrapper flower

The height of the plant does not exceed 0.6 m. The stem is covered with fine pile, resembling felt in appearance. Dried flowers acquire a special charm at the end of flowering, when small inflorescences darken. The contrast with the silvery stems creates an unusual effect.

The flower has found application in the following industries:

• floristics;
• garden decoration.

It is not suitable for landscape design due to the lack of a presentable appearance. In floristry, it is used to make bouquets of dried flowers. With its appearance, the plant perfectly shades other types of herbs.

Growing ammobium

Ammobium is grown from seeds, which are purchased in a specialized store. Sowing of a decorative flower occurs closer to the second month of spring, if weather conditions allow it. After 7 days, the first shoots appear. After 2 weeks, the seedlings are planted, maintaining a distance between them of approximately 7 cm.

The plant is planted in open ground at the end of May or at the very beginning of summer. The soil needs to be irrigated abundantly with water before planting. In order for a flower to grow and bloom well, you need to follow the growing rules. They are as follows:

• Choosing a landing site. This should be an open place where the flower can enjoy the sun's rays;
• Feeding. To ensure that the flowers are large in size and do not turn black at the end of flowering, you need to feed the plant with mineral and complex fertilizers;
• Minimal watering. Ammobium is a drought-resistant plant that does not require artificial soil moisture. It needs to be watered only during periods of prolonged absence of precipitation and when replanting.

After placing a flower in a garden bed and adapting it, it should take about 2 months before it blooms. Flowering occurs over a long period of time. The inflorescences decorate the garden right up to the first frost.

The original dried flower was loved by florists due to the length of the stem and the ability to tint the wrapper. Connoisseurs of the plant appreciated its unpretentiousness and the minimum required attention.

Ammobiums are perennial herbaceous plants with leaves collected in a voluminous basal rosette. The dark green leaf blades are oblong-oval, long, with wavy edges and a sharp tip.

Many stems emerge from the center of the rosette in midsummer. The shoots are tetrahedral, covered along the entire length with white fluff, reaching a height of more than 50 cm. The attached stem leaves are sparse and small, often with a silvery tint.

In the upper part the peduncle branches. Ammobium blooms long and profusely. Inflorescence-baskets appear one after another. The tubular flowers are bright yellow. But the plant’s numerous involucre scales make it especially decorative. They are petal-shaped and colored snow-white or slightly yellowish.

After flowering, Ammobiums actively bear fruit, forming elongated black or dark brown achenes.

Growing

In culture, Ammobiums are grown as annuals. During one growing season, the plants form tall and strong bushes.

This representative of the flora looks beautiful like a tapeworm on an alpine slide. When planted in mixborders, it gets along well with Calendula, Marigold, and Felicia.

Ammobium is not susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. With minimal care, it will bloom before the onset of cold weather. By promptly removing faded flower stalks, you can stimulate the growth of new ones.

The plant is suitable for creating live and winter bouquets. For drying, Ammobium is cut at various stages of flowering. To obtain white dried flowers, cut off half-opened buds. After waiting for full opening, you can prepare yellow-white flowers. Dry the plants tied in bunches in a dry and shaded place.

Diseases and pests

Not susceptible.

Reproduction

Seeds.

First steps after purchase

Ammobium is grown from seeds. In warm regions, it is permissible to sow in open ground in April–May. The shoots appear together. In order for the seedlings to have the space necessary for growth and development, it is necessary to thin out the sprouts. A distance of 25–30 cm is considered optimal.

The seedling method allows you to speed up the onset of flowering. In March, the seeds are placed in a nutrient substrate and covered with glass or plastic film. Shoots appear in a week. After half a month, the seedlings acquire real leaves, and they need to be picked. The substrate should be moistened regularly. Planting in open ground is carried out in May. Watering is necessary only before active growth begins.

Secrets of success

Ammobium is able to grow on loam, but prefers light, nutritious soils.

This plant needs bright light. When choosing a place for planting, it is advisable to choose an area open to the sun, protected from the winds.

Ammobium is drought-resistant. After the seedlings are established, watering is canceled. The plant is quite content with precipitation. In the absence of rain, rare watering is acceptable.

Ammobium is fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers a week after planting the seedlings. After another half a month, a second feeding is carried out using complex mineral or organic fertilizers.

Possible difficulties

Ammobium does not tolerate the accumulation of water in the soil. Arranging a reliable drainage layer is the responsibility of the owner.

The growth of foliage at the expense of flowering is a consequence of excessive fertilization. Poor flowering is also caused by short daylight hours or insufficient light intensity.

When cutting Ammobium for dry bouquets, it is important not to miss the deadline. If the plant’s scales bend back, you can’t expect the dried flower to be decorative.

The bright yellow tubular flowers often turn brown after drying. The bleaching method - exposure to sulfur vapor - will help preserve the festive color.

Appearance ammobium not very decorative in general, therefore it is almost never used for landscape design in our country - but it is beautiful in bouquets, both live and winter. His complex baskets, reminiscent of daisies, look original and always attract attention. These densely packed, medium-sized button flowers are borne on long, branched, straight, weakly leafy and strong tetrahedral stems - an ideal stem for a bouquet crop that complements other plants.

The stems are really long - up to 1 meter. The diameter of the flowers is up to 2 cm. The tubular center is bright yellow. Petals are dry white scales. It blooms profusely and actively from the beginning of summer until the coldest weather.

It is a perennial, native to Australia. Particularly widespread in New South Wales. In our climate it is grown as an annual.

Types and varieties

Of the three existing species, only one is grown in Russia - winged ammobium (Ammobium alatum).

Description: straight, pubescent shoots up to 60 cm long, covered with oval elongated leaves. Small flowers, yellow with petal-shaped scales. The species thrives in the climatic conditions of Russia and blooms profusely with a minimum of care.

Two forms of winged ammobium:

1. Large-flowered. The flowers are really larger - up to 2 cm, the stems are stronger.
2. Bikini - has a miniature size, up to 40 cm in height, but is popular due to the fact that the flowers seem to be calibrated and the plant itself is lush.

Luxurious Bikini.

Now in Russia you can find and buy two varieties of seeds: Winged Elf and Starfall. This is still the same winged ammobium; the characteristics of these varieties are dictated only by the manufacturer.

Starfall from the Sedek company, according to the manufacturer’s description, is a lower plant, 50-60 cm, with inflorescences up to 2 cm.

Winged Elf (NK Russian Garden) has flowers up to one and a half cm in diameter, plant height is 60-70 cm.

Attention: NK Russian Ogorod sells seeds of its own selection, the company does not consider packaging important, so the seeds can arrive packed in a simple plastic bag with an image sticker, as in the photo below on the right.

Landing

The planting site should be sunny and bright, preferably open flower beds. The soil is loose, sandy, nutritious, although the plant blooms well on loam. Drought-resistant and thermophilic.

Reproduction

Propagated by seeds, either through seedlings or by sowing directly into the ground. The second option is for warm regions. Seeds are sown in open ground in May, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving a distance of 20 cm between them. It blooms two months after sowing.

Growing from seeds in seedlings

For the middle zone, the seedling method is preferable. The plant takes root very well and easily tolerates transplants. Seeds are sown for seedlings in suitable containers in April, they germinate in a week, picking - after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves. You can plant both in individual cups and in planting boxes (in this case, the distance between plants is 6-7 cm). In open ground - planted in May. But in this case, the distance between plants is greater - 30-35 cm.

Planting in autumn is also possible.

Care

Only young plants require special care. And further - ammobium will stand out even among unpretentious ones. He is not afraid of drought, disease or pests. And even the weeds are not able to cope with it.

Water immediately after planting - and you don’t have to think about watering anymore. Although during a period of very long drought, you can water it.

Feedings are possible:

1. Nitrogen-containing fertilizer - a week after planting in the ground.
2. Comprehensive – in a few weeks.

Drying and preparation

There are no specific cutting dates - another plus of the culture. Unless you should take into account the timing of specific wishes for the resulting cutting material. For example, if you want snow-white flowers, the best time to cut is when the yellow center appears on the inflorescences. If the color is not so important, but the size is important, that is, it is desirable to get the largest flowers possible, then cutting is carried out a little later - when the yellow core is clearly visible.

But you shouldn’t delay cutting it, as the flowers will lose their appearance.

The shoots are cut to a length of 25 cm, tied in bunches and hung upside down to dry in any suitable place (dry, dark place).

To preserve the bright yellow color of the core, fumigation of the material with sulfur is used. It is not known whether any of the masters use this method at home; it is quite complex and dangerous: it will require quite large containers in which fumigation is carried out. These are either barrels or chambers. Sulfur is poured onto a brazier under such a container, and the cut flowers are fumigated for 10-12 hours - as a result, they acquire a much lighter shade; after 15-20 days of normal drying, the color becomes natural. That is, the cores retain their bright yellow color.

Bouquets with ammobium.

Some people find ammobium bushes attractive and quite powerful, suitable for decorating borders or flower beds. In any case, the plant really does not require separate beds, and will look good in a mixborder in some styles (, country, rustic - see photo below). This is especially true for low-growing varieties; the flowers of ammobium are quite bright and catchy. It is also used in living bouquets.