It often happens that in an interior decorated with indoor plants, the green color predominates and lacks something bright and extraordinary. In this case, stromanta is exactly what is needed. Spectacular leaves with original colors will certainly attract attention, since the pattern on their surface is striking in its perfection. Stromantha is an undeniably attractive, but very capricious houseplant. However, if you follow special care rules and provide the sissy with suitable conditions, it can delight you for many years, especially since its foliage with an expressive pattern of longitudinal stripes, spots and stains of pink, purple, yellow, cream and vanilla shades is incredibly decorative.
Description and origin
Stromantha is a very spectacular plant
The plant's habitat is damp and swampy areas of South America, Africa and Asia. Tropicana is very moisture- and heat-loving, so growing it “in captivity” is fraught with difficulties.
All plants of the Marantaceae family have very expressive leaves. It is thanks to the brightly colored foliage in the most incredible shades that the flower is highly valued by experienced gardeners.
Close relatives of the plant are ctenantha, arrowroot, calathea, and stromanta is often confused with the latter. The main differences are the structure of the leaf blade and the size of the bush. Calathea leaves are larger (up to 30 cm in length) and have an elongated oval shape. In turn, stromanthus is slightly smaller and, unlike its “relative,” its leaves are slightly pointed and, as a rule, painted in a bright crimson or beetroot shade on the underside.
Stromantha is a herbaceous perennial, reaching a height of 30 cm to 1 m or more. The shape of the chic foliage is elliptical or lanceolate. The plant resembles a half-opened fan formed by painted leaves on long petioles. The top of the leaf blade is decorated with thickened lines of a lighter shade with whitish spots, and the underside and petioles are painted in one of the shades of red (purple, burgundy, beetroot or bright crimson). The flower looks picturesque thanks to the bold combination of different shades.
During the day, the stromanta changes the arrangement of the leaves in the plane several times, lifting them in such a way that the flower suddenly transforms and becomes incredibly elegant. “Getting ready for sleep,” the leaves of this amazing plant begin to rub against each other, making a slight rustling sound. It is for this reason that Stromanta is called the “praying flower” or “pagan prayer.”
Under natural conditions, during the flowering period, Stromanthe appears a long peduncle strewn with small white flowers surrounded by scarlet bracts. However, “in captivity” the plant blooms extremely rarely, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to wait for this event at home.
“In captivity” stromanta blooms extremely rarely
Species diversity
Botanists distinguish 13 species in the genus Stromanthus. But only two of them are most widespread in gardeners’ collections: blood-red and pleasant; it is from these plants that breeders obtain new interesting cultivars, varieties and hybrids.
- Stromanta is nice. The habitat of this species is South America, or more precisely, areas with tropical rainforests. This is a low compact bush up to 25–35 cm in height. The leaves are 15–20 cm long, have a regular oval shape and are colored light green with dark green stripes. The underside of the leaf blades is grayish or silvery-green.
- Stromantha blood red. This species is native to Brazil. The flower is larger than Stromantha pleasanta (adult specimens reach one meter). The leaf blades are pointed and elongated, their upper side is bright green with variegated dark green stripes, and the lower side is purple.
Modern hybridizers have developed several ornamental varieties with bright and expressive foliage. Among them:
- a very impressive variety Triostar (Tricolor), the dark green leaves of which are painted with stripes of cream, salad and pale pink shades, and on the reverse side the leaf blades are burgundy;
- Multicolor - a plant whose leaves are covered with all kinds of stains and spots of light green, cream or white on a dark green background;
- Maroon, the distinctive feature of which is a pronounced vein of a light green hue, located in the center of the bright green leaf blade. The reverse side of the leaf surface is burgundy or purple.
Photo gallery: variety of species and varieties of stromantha
Stromanta multicolor amazes with its original colors
The dark green leaf blades of the Tricolor stromanthus variety are painted with stripes of light green and pale pink shades
Stromantha variety Maroon has a pronounced central vein of a light green hue.
A distinctive feature of this species is the red coloring of the underside of the leaf blade.
Stromantha pleasant - low bush
When and how does it bloom
The houseplant stromanthus rarely blooms. In addition, its flowers are small and inconspicuous, so they are not of particular value. The plant is grown for its leaves.
Stromantha inflorescences
Types of flowers
The flowers are small with white petals; they are identical in almost all varieties. There are varieties that do not bloom at all. The flower bracts and sepals are red.
Flower shapes
The inflorescences are connected into small panicles and grow on long peduncles reaching a length of 8 centimeters. The panicles of inflorescences can be about 6 centimeters in diameter.
Flowering period
The ornamental foliage plant stromanthus usually blooms in the summer. From late May to early August.
Additional Information . The flowering period depends on the variety and care, but lasts only about a month. Therefore, if a flower begins to bloom at the beginning of June, then by the beginning of July the flowering ends.
Changes in care during the flowering period
During the flowering period, it is recommended not to fertilize the plant, especially with nitrogen-containing preparations. Also, in order not to damage the inflorescences, the flower is not sprayed or pruned.
Growing conditions - table
The sight of a beautiful and healthy flower brings true aesthetic pleasure. And for this you need to know some of the sissy’s preferences.
| Conditions | Recommendations |
| Temperature | Stromantha prefers warmth. In winter, not lower than 18–20°C, and in summer, not higher than 25°C. It does not tolerate drafts and sudden temperature changes (in such conditions, root rot begins). |
| Lighting | Stromanthe needs good, but diffused lighting (in the shade the color is lost and the leaves become evenly colored). If the light is too intense, stromanthus, on the contrary, acquires a reddish-brown tint, and burns appear on the leaves. In winter, the flower requires additional lighting, which can be provided with fluorescent lamps. |
| Humidity | Loves high humidity (up to 80–90%). This can be achieved by regular spraying or by placing the container with stromanta on damp moss or on a tray of pebbles filled with water. In addition, it is necessary to regularly wipe the leaf blades with a damp sponge. To maintain high humidity, it is also recommended to place the plant in a florarium or grow Stromantha in a bottle garden. |
Features of planting and transplanting
Replant young Stromantha annually. If you are not going to divide, then it is better to transfer the flower from the old container to a larger one, lightly shaking off the soil. Spread the roots from below a little and plant the stromanta in a pre-steamed soil mixture, without deepening the root collar or compacting the substrate too much.
Spring is the best time for the procedure. There is no need to disturb adult plants often, so replant them every 3 years if the container becomes too crowded and the roots appear from the drainage holes. The rest of the time, it is enough to occasionally replace the top layer of soil in the container. To do this, remove the old soil to a depth of about 3 cm, cover it with fresh substrate and lightly moisten it.
If you need to replant a stromanta purchased in a store, first inspect the flower for pests and rinse the foliage well under a warm shower. Then remove from the container and immerse in a solution of any biostimulant. The drugs Epin and Zircon have a good effect. Replant plants purchased in winter, autumn or summer using the transshipment method, being careful not to injure the delicate roots.
Young specimens require annual replanting
Preparing the substrate
Stromanthe needs a loose nutritious soil mixture, it should be light and high in organic matter. Prepare it from leaf soil (the top layer from under the birch tree), peat, and humus. Use all ingredients in equal proportions. Add a little sand to the soil (1/2 part is enough) and charcoal, which will absorb excess moisture in the substrate and return it when the soil dries out. Thus, you will have an air- and moisture-permeable mixture suitable for good growth of capricious stromanthus.
For greater moisture capacity and looseness, some gardeners recommend adding pieces of sphagnum moss.
The soil mixture must be disinfected before use. This is done in two ways: by steaming the substrate or scalding with boiling water. The first method is the most effective. Place the soil in a colander, previously lined with gauze, cover the container with a lid and place it on a saucepan in which water is boiling. Keep in a water bath for 15 minutes and sprinkle the steamed substrate to dry on a sheet of newspaper. When using the second method, each component must be doused with boiling water until completely soaked. After this, the soil should be sprinkled in a thin layer on a sheet of paper, lightly dried in air and the ingredients recombined.
For planting and replanting stromanthas, you can buy soil for arrowroots in a specialized store. Palma substrate is also suitable, but you need to add a little peat soil to it.
Stromanthe requires a loose nutrient substrate
Selecting a container
The container for planting stromanthus needs to be wide and not very deep (its shoots grow wide and the flower will quickly fill the entire surface of the earth in the container). When transplanting into a larger pot, stick to the basic rule, choosing a maximum of 2–2.5 cm larger than the previous one.
The container needs to be shallow and wide
Planting and transplanting - step-by-step description
- Although Stromantha loves high humidity, excess water should not stagnate in the pot. To remove it, you need good drainage. To do this, place a layer of expanded clay, gravel or broken brick at the bottom of the container, add coarse sand on top, which will fill all the voids and prevent soil from washing out.
- Place the substrate on the drainage layer so that there is approximately 1–2 cm between the roots of the stromanthus and the stones. Lightly moisten the soil.
Place a layer of expanded clay, gravel or broken brick at the bottom of the container - Moisten the soil in an old container with stromanta well, crimp the pot and remove the plant.
- Shake off the substrate and carefully rinse the roots under the tap. Cut off damaged ones.
Shake off the substrate and carefully rinse the roots with warm water - Place the stromanta in a new container and spread the roots on a moistened substrate.
- Carefully fill any voids with soil without compacting it. Water the substrate. When the soil settles, add more soil.
- Observe the condition of the transplanted plant for two to three days. If the stromanta is not feeling well, the leaves are drooping, the color has faded, then spray it and put it in a plastic bag. In such a mini-greenhouse, the flower should take root faster.
Home care
Watering and spraying
Stromanthe requires quite abundant watering during the active growth of green mass in spring and summer, and in the autumn-winter period it should be halved (excessive moisture at low temperatures will lead to root rot). It is very important to prevent the earthen ball from drying out or becoming waterlogged, since both drought and excess moisture have a detrimental effect on the flower.
The condition of the soil should be monitored daily. When the top layer of the substrate dries only 1 cm, the stromanthus must be watered with warm, settled water.
Any water (spring, melt, rain or drinking from the tap) must be allowed to settle for several hours. As a result, some of the salts will precipitate, while the water will be saturated with oxygen and become softer. Thus, the soil will become less alkalized and the stromanta will become less capricious and will thank you with a bright appearance. Experienced gardeners recommend standing water in an open container with a wide top so that the chlorine evaporates from it.
It is not advisable to leave water for irrigation for more than two days, as it may begin to deteriorate.
Stromantha should be sprayed daily, and on hot summer days this should be done at least twice a day, since humidity is a vital condition for the flower. Please note that you should not spray the plant during the day, as it can get sunburned .
Fertilizing: how and with what to fertilize a flower depending on the season?
During the period from April to August, fertilize with liquid complex fertilizer for decorative deciduous plants once every 2 weeks. Bona Forte or Fertika preparations, which contain all the macro- and microelements required by the flower in an optimal ratio, have a good effect.
Dilute the fertilizer in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Before fertilizing, moisten the soil, and after a few hours, water it with a nutrient solution. From time to time, you can arrange foliar feeding, for which you need to dilute the fertilizer in half the dose and spray it on the leaves from a spray bottle.
It is recommended to alternate fertilizing with minerals and organic ones. You can use ready-made liquid fertilizer - humate or make an infusion of mullein (it must be filled with water and allowed to ferment for a week). Then the concentrate should be diluted in a ratio of 1:10 and one or two tablespoons of the solution should be added to the substrate (depending on the size of the container). In winter, feeding should be stopped completely.
After transplanting into fresh nutrient soil, Stromanthe does not require feeding for 1 or 1.5 months.
Stromantha at home - video
Types and varieties of Stromantha with photos
The most popular species among flower growers are: bloody and pleasant stromantha.
Stromanthe amabilis
The height of such an ornamental deciduous plant is about 0.3 m. The leaf blades have long petioles and a regular wide-oval shape, their width is 4–5 centimeters and their length is 10–20 centimeters. On the front surface of the foliage there is a herringbone pattern - on a greenish background, stripes of a dark green color diverge from the middle vein. The reverse surface is greenish-gray with a barely visible pinkish tint. Flowering is observed very rarely, and it occurs in spring or summer.
Bloody or blood-red stromantha (Stromanthe sanguinea)
This species is native to the tropical rainforests of Brazil. This plant is larger than Stromanta pleasanta. The oval leaf plates have a pointed upper part, they reach 15–40 centimeters in length and 7–13 centimeters in width. The front surface is glossy greenish in color with a V-shaped pattern of a dark green hue, and the back surface is a rich cherry color. At the end of spring or early summer, the plant blooms, spicate inflorescences consisting of white inconspicuous flowers are formed. The best varieties:
- Multicolor . The front surface of the foliage is dark green with streaks of almost white or light green, and the back surface is burgundy-red.
- Horticolor . The color of the upper side is olive-yellow-light green, and the lower side is dark red.
- Tricolor , or triostar . This variety is the most popular among gardeners. The dark green front surface of the leaves is decorated with a pattern consisting of streaks of white, light green, pink and white. The underside of the foliage is dark burgundy.
- Maroon . The green front surface is decorated with a greenish median vein, and the color of the underside is dark red.
- Stripe Star . Along the middle vein on the rich green front surface there is a strip of pale color, and the underside is burgundy.
Stromanta My departure
Table: care problems
| Errors | Probable Causes | Correcting the situation |
| The tips of the leaf blades turn yellowish-brown | Excess or lack of nutrients in the soil. |
|
| The leaves become covered with brown spots and then curl into a tube. | The soil is dry. | The soil must be constantly moist. Adjust the watering regime, do not allow the substrate to dry out completely. |
| The leaves lose color and then dry out | Too intense lighting. | Move the container with stromanta to a place with diffused light. The best option would be an east window. |
| Stems become limp | The temperature of keeping stromanthus is lower than recommended, especially in high humidity. | Increase the temperature of the plant. |
| Leaves fall | Dry indoor air. |
|
Table: pests and diseases
| Name | Signs of defeat | Treatment | Prevention of infection |
| Scale insect (shield aphid) | Brown tubercles appear on the leaf blades and stems of stromanthus. The leaves lose their usual color, become limp, pale, then completely dry out and fall off. |
| Periodically check the plants located next to the stromanthus; if shield aphids appear on them, isolate them. |
| Trips | There are light dots on the leaf blades. Then the leaves acquire a silvery sheen. | Spray stromanta with insecticides. For example, Inta-vir, Fitoverm, Decis or Actellik. | Thrips appear on stromanthus at low temperatures and high humidity indoors. Adjust the temperature. Mist the plants as often as possible and install an electric humidifier to maintain the level required by Stromanthe. |
| Red spider mite | The leaf blades become pale yellow in color and white spots form on their surface. Severely affected plants shed their leaves. | Spray with a solution of one of the preparations: Fitoverm, Fufan, Vermitek or Actellik. | Dry indoor air contributes to infection by this pest. Spray stromanta regularly and install an electric humidifier or indoor fountain next to the flower. |
| Root rot (fusarium) | The stems become limp, the tops of the shoots droop. | Stromantha cannot be saved; it dies as a result of infection with fusarium. | Grow the flower at a temperature of at least 20 degrees and maintain high humidity. Treat the flower with a copper-containing preparation twice during the summer. |
Photo gallery: how to recognize pests and diseases
Under the brown tubercles hides an insidious enemy - the scale insect
Thrips colony on a plant leaf
A thin cobweb that appears on a leaf is a sign of the appearance of a red spider mite
Low temperatures and frequent waterlogging of the soil are the cause of root rot.
Stromantha leaves become stained due to insufficient watering and as a result of burns
Insect pests
With careful care, harmful insects do not affect Stromantha. If you find parasites on the plant in time, you will be able to get rid of them.
If you notice small brown spots on the leaves, this means that scale insects have settled on the leaves of the plant. These insects suck the juice out of the plant, the leaves lose their strength, turn yellow, and dry out. When there are too many parasites, the stromanthus dies.
You can get rid of scale insects using a damp cotton swab dipped in a soap solution. It is better to use laundry soap. Once all the leaves have been thoroughly cleaned, rinse off any remaining soap with a stream from the shower. After this, treat the plant with such a wonderful product as actellik.
If a white coating appears on the leaves, it means that the plant is being affected by spider mites. You can get rid of them the same way as you get rid of scale insects, but instead of actellik, use an insecticide.
If you notice that the leaves of the stromanta have curled, then a mealybug has settled on the plant. The life activity of this parasite is manifested by twisting the leaves into a tube. Destroy it with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol. After this, for the sake of prevention, treat the leaves of Stromantha with an insecticide.
Reproduction
Stromantha reproduces quite easily. Over the course of a season, it grows a large number of shoots and can be divided by combining the transplantation procedure with flower propagation. For the divisions, you should choose low, wide and rounded at the bottom bowls, in the bottom of which there are drainage holes. Stromantha also reproduces well through apical cuttings, which quickly take root.
Dividing the rhizome - step-by-step instructions
- Remove the stromanthus bush from the old pot, shake off the soil and rinse the roots under the tap.
- Divide the flower into several parts: it is optimal if there are two or three sections. Powder the rhizome sections with charcoal. Plant each bush in separate small containers with a slightly moist substrate.
- Give new Stromantha specimens time to adapt. Start watering only when the soil is completely dry.
- At the beginning of rooting the divisions, you can cover each plant with a transparent cap (for example, a plastic bottle cut in half) to create greenhouse conditions for new plants. After a week, the cap can be removed.
Dividing the stromantha bush is combined with
Rooting cuttings - step-by-step instructions
- Cut the cuttings so that they have two or three leaf blades (the length of the planting material should be approximately 7–10 cm). Please note that the cut should pass below the attachment of the leaf to the stem.
- Place the prepared cuttings in a container with water and cover with a transparent plastic bag.
- In about a month, roots will grow on the cuttings. Plant rooted planting material in bowls with a slightly acidic soil mixture based on peat with the addition of leaf soil, coarse sand, vermiculite or perlite.
- After two months, young stromanthus can be transplanted into a flower pot in which they will grow continuously.
Reviews from flower growers about growing Stromantha
I’ve been dreaming about this plant for a long time! And I finally bought it.
But when I brought it home, I was surprised that the price tag said calathea (similar, but still a different plant). I gave it a week to get used to the new conditions, and only then I transplanted it! I placed it on a windowsill with direct sunlight during the lunch and morning hours. Somehow I don’t take special care of it, it likes watering and spraying, and also takes a shower once every two weeks))))) The photo was taken right after the purchase, now it has grown ugh ugh! I love it, I advise you to buy it))) anastasia z
https://irecommend.ru/content/moya-krasotkafoto
If you are an esthete and love truly living plants, with a very graceful appearance, then you can certainly cast in your lot with this miracle flower.
Why do I say a miracle, because its folding and unfolding leaves form a person’s perception of it as if it were alive. With all this, it has a charming color of the leaves, and looking at them, you really feel exotic; after all, you won’t see such flowers in our post-Soviet space. However, in order for these flowers to be in such an attractive guise, you need to protect this flower like the apple of your eye from external irritants. In particular, you need to eliminate all drafts; I personally had to install double-glazed windows in the apartment for this. In addition, like Ichthyander, he needs to breathe, so spray moisture over him several times a day. During the summer heat, it needs more water, as in principle almost all flowers, so water more often. The main thing is to place it on the south side of the room, it will be better in any case since there will be more light there in any case. Remember that this sophisticated flower will immediately let you know if something is wrong. Its leaves will simply begin to curl and become damp. If this suddenly happens, it is necessary to work on mistakes and eliminate traumatic factors. Moreno
https://otzyv.pro/reviews/otzyvy-stromanta-109715.html
This beauty was given to me by my mother, knowing its name, but without reading anything about it, I just put it on the windowsill, sprayed and watered it, but no such luck).
Stromantha began to dry out the leaves, I increased the spraying, but it did not help. And then I decided to study it. Stromantha loves light, but it needs to be protected from direct rays. I moved it to the east window, but shaded it with newspaper in the summer. She loves watering, especially in summer and autumn; if you move it to a cooler room, then reduce it. I didn’t have any coolness for it, I stayed in the room for the winter, and it was very hot there, I watered it the same way as in the summer. Feed in summer - once every 2 weeks, in winter - do not fertilize, because is at rest. And don’t pour water on it, spray it more often. Svetka-1502
https://spasibovsem.ru/responses/kaprizna-no-ono-togo-stoit.html
If you want to tickle your nerves, you can get a stromanta.
I started it for the stunningly beautiful leaves, but then I regretted it. I’ll say right away that often the beautiful multi-colored leaves of stromanthus can turn into just green at home. This is due to the fact that variegated plants need a lot of light! But not everyone in their apartments can meet this condition. The funny thing is that there is a lot of light on the southern windows, but you can’t put stromanta there - the leaves won’t withstand direct sunlight! And with a lack of light, the stromanta begins to go bald very quickly. In addition, with all this, this plant grows well at a temperature of 28 degrees! Where can you get such conditions in an apartment? Well, if we go further, then an unexpected draft can destroy the stromanta, and the watering is not the same. In general, she is beautiful, but the treatment did not suit me personally at all. Murmur
https://spasibovsem.ru/responses/ne-bylo-pechali-kupila-baba-porosya.html
Plant species
In this article we will look at the most popular types of plants for growing at home:
- Pleasant - the sizes are small (up to 30 centimeters), the pattern on the leaves is in the shape of a Christmas tree. It usually blooms in spring.
- Bloody - can reach half a meter in height. The leaves have an unusual V-shaped pattern. The bracts are orange-red and the flowers are white.
- Yellow is the tallest species, up to 200 centimeters in length. The flowers correspond to the name.
