Today we are going to talk about a herbaceous plant that comes from the Mediterranean area. It’s about the cineraria maritime. Their common name is Cineraria gris and they have very original silver-gray leaves, hence their name. They are ideal plants for decoration in gardens. Therefore, we are going to focus this article on telling you everything you need to know.
If you want to learn to take care of the cineraria maritimethis is your post.
Key features
It is a plant that usually lives naturally in Mediterranean areas. Our climate favors it a lot when it comes to growing and reproducing. It has the leaves of a silver gray color and formed lobed. They are divided in part is irregular and have narrow edges. Normally, if its development is good it can reach a few sat inches in height. Its maximum height is reached in the flowering season. The flowers are yellow in color although quite small in size. They grow together on long stems that protrude from the ends of the plant.
Flowering takes place in late spring or midsummer, depending on the temperatures at that time and sun exposure. To see all its growth we must sow it directly in the ground, since if we sow it in pots it will not be able to grow correctly.
The flowers are similar to those of daisies and have narrow, oval-shaped, bright yellow petals. The center is a darker yellow color.
Uses of cineraria maritime
This plant is widely used for gardening and decoration. Its silver gray color makes it a fairly exotic plant and it combines quite well with other colorful species. We can grow it both in a garden and in pots to decorate patios, balconies and terraces. As we have mentioned before, it is better to sow it directly in the ground if we want it to develop to its maximum. As it is a fairly resistant plant, it is perfect for decorating on rockeries and borders.
We can also combine them with other plants that have flowers of different colors, such as lilies or other plants, pink flowers. It is quite used for the decoration of public spaces. Thanks to resistance to environmental changes it is able to withstand a wide temperature gradient and different wind conditions. In addition, it has the advantage of being able to be cultivated in coastal areas, since it is capable of supporting saline soils. Once it has established itself in the soil and has begun to develop, it is capable of withstanding prolonged periods of drought. This is one of the reasons why you can live well in the Mediterranean climate.
It is a plant that is interesting more than for its flowers because of the exotic color of its leaves.
Necessary care of the cineraria maritime
To the cineraria maritime can develop in good conditions we have to guarantee different care. The first thing to consider is the location. We must place the plant in a sunny space where it can develop its flowers properly. It may be able to fit quite well in a location, partial shade. Nevertheless, the best thing is that it is in full sunlight. As for the soil, they also adapt to more adverse conditions such as impoverished soils. Precede with loose substrate when not crowding the irrigation water. It is better that the soil texture is somewhat sandy or with some gravel to ensure good drainage.
Seeing that it is a drought resistant plant we can intuit that it is also a plant that does not need much watering. To ensure good growth of the plant the soil must have good drainage. This drainage serves so that the irrigation water does not crowd and can meet the roots. Once the plant has established itself in the soil in the pot, it will not need much watering. If we grow it directly in the garden soil, it will still need less water. If we place it in pots it is likely that it needs more frequent waterings, especially if they are young specimens that are recently transplanted or the flowering season has arrived in spring and summer and there are high temperatures.
The cineraria maritime which is a heat resistant plant. Not only escaped from living in high temperatures, but also can withstand colder temperatures. Something that we must avoid at all costs when we are caring for this plant is having an excess of humidity during watering. If the soil gets puddled it is very possible that the roots rot. On the other hand, it is not a plant that is usually attacked by pests and diseases. Sporadic a world may appear in the inflorescences, but it is not something that happens often.
Multiplication and maintenance
The cineraria maritime it can be easily reproduced with seeds if we sow it in spring. The substrate where we have to plant it has to have sand and we must keep it moist at first. Although we have said that the best location is in full sun, when the plant has just been planted it is better to place it in seedbeds such as these in semi shade. We will collect the seeds when we see them hardest and, before sowing them, We will keep them in a dark place until they are planted.
There is not much to do for its maintenance. It is only recommended that the soil pH is around 6. As for temperatures, Ideally, it shouldn’t drop below 10 degrees at night and about 26 degrees during the day. Below these temperatures its growth will be slowed down. On the contrary, if the temperatures are often above 26 degrees its growth will accelerate too much. In both cases, the growth is not the most optimal.
To know when we have to transplant it from the pot to the ground, normally we must wait a period of between 10 and 12 weeks.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Maritime cinerary.
