Araucaria (monkey tree): photos, types and care at home


The monkey tree plant, monkey riddle or simply araucaria is very beautiful and unusual. This is the oldest representative of coniferous trees, which can be found on the rocks of South America, Australia or New Zealand. The monkey tree belongs to the Araucariaceae family. In the natural environment, giant trees predominate, but miniature specimens are usually used in culture. In the photo, the monkey tree resembles a small Christmas tree that can be decorated for the New Year. It also looks charming in a room all year round.

Here you will learn:

Monkey tree, Crassula or Crassula - what kind of flower is it?

The popular name - money tree - was obtained due to the external similarity of the leaves of the flower to coins. The monkey tree is most often called the plant in Southern countries. Crassula is a Russian name that appeared due to its fleshy and thick leaves.

Well maintained money tree

The height of a bush or tree can reach even 1 meter. The leaf plates of the flower are collected in so-called rosettes, in which moisture condensation occurs. Thanks to thick leaves covered with a waxy coating, the tree is reliably protected from drying out.

Characteristics and types of araucaria

Araucaria belongs to the coniferous trees and in natural conditions grows up to 50 m in height. Its majesty can be seen in numerous photos on the Internet or in wildlife magazines. In indoor conditions, a monkey tree can reach 1.5 m in a few years (the average annual growth is 15-20 cm). The Araucariaceae family includes 19 species, but not all of them are suitable for home cultivation, so you need to purchase compact specimens. Here are the most popular types:

  • Chilean;
  • Brazilian angustifolia;
  • Hanstein;
  • Bidwilla.

But the most unpretentious and miniature is Araucaria heterophyll (variegated). It is ideal for small rooms with low ceilings. You can form a bonsai tree from this variety, but to do this you will have to regularly trim and pinch it. You will also need to replant once a year with the roots shortened by half. In this case, you need to use a low ceramic container filled with soil with a large amount of sand. This will help slow down the growth of the plant and make it miniature.

Money tree sheds leaves in summer or winter, is this normal?

In the summer, the fat plant can shed healthy leaves. This is caused by the natural need of the flower for reproduction.

Money tree diseases - why leaves fall off the money tree

Also, if the number of fallen leaves is not critical, then this may occur due to the natural renewal of the plant crown. If new leaves appear in place of fallen leaves, then do not worry.

In winter, daylight hours decrease and this causes the loss of more leaves. You can help the plant preserve its green mass by organizing additional lighting with special phytolamps.

For reference! For normal flower development, it is necessary to extend the daylight hours to 10-12 hours.

Is the plant poisonous or not?

Arsenic is a poison for any living organism. But the amount of it in the fatty acid is not very large. Is it possible to eat the pulp of the plant?

Can adults take the juice or pulp orally?

If an adult is careful and consults a specialist, the juice and pulp of the money tree in small quantities, strictly according to the prescription, can be used internally to treat stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal diseases, enhance metabolism, alleviate neurology, and kidney diseases.

Why is it dangerous for children?

Is Crassula poisonous to children? It is strictly forbidden to give money tree juice and pulp internally to children . A child’s body is extremely sensitive to arsenic even in tiny doses, so even one leaf eaten can cause not only vomiting and diarrhea, but also loss of consciousness and severe allergies. External use of Crassula is safe for children.

Reasons why a money tree may shed its leaves

Why do clerodendrum leaves turn yellow and fall off?

The main reason why money tree leaves fall is failure to comply with the conditions for growing and caring for the plant.

Illiterate watering regime

Under natural conditions, Crassula grows in the driest regions. An individual feature of a flower is its ability to accumulate and store moisture in its leaf blades for a long time. Domestic representatives are also endowed with this quality. That is why you should be careful about the watering regime.


Flower overflow

It is strictly forbidden to allow the soil to become waterlogged - this will inevitably lead to rotting of the root system. The next stage is the fall of leaves.

Important! The succulent needs to be watered once a week in spring and summer, and much less frequently in autumn and winter - once a month.

The only way to help the plant is through emergency transplantation and removal of damaged parts of the root. For this purpose, the root system is completely cleared of contaminated soil and the tree is transplanted into a new substrate.

If timely moistening is not carried out and the earthen lump dries out greatly, then the leaves will first wither and wrinkle, and then begin to fall off. Urgent adoption of rehabilitation measures will help save the situation. To do this, place the flower pot in a container with water for 40-50 minutes. This procedure will allow the soil to be sufficiently saturated with the necessary moisture.


Insufficient soil moisture

Advice! The absence of water in the pan will not allow the water to stagnate and will not lead to waterlogging of the soil.

Exposure to direct sunlight

The classic representative of the money tree is not too demanding on the level of illumination. The plant feels great both in the shade and in a sunny place. But the main thing to remember is that, as for any other species, the light must be diffused. Direct sunlight can not only scorch the leaves, but also cause the entire green mass to fall off.

At the first sign of burns, the leaves begin to turn yellow and disappear. Also, if you do not properly care for the fat plant, the branches will stretch and weaken.


Fallen leaves of a plant

Too much fertilizer

Due to the fact that the plant grows in poor soils in its natural habitat, the money tree will begin to shed leaves only when the nutritional content of the soil is as low as possible. With the appearance of the first signs of micronutrient deficiency, it is necessary to urgently feed.

Fertilizers are applied from late spring to September. To do this, use liquid fertilizers designed for cacti or succulents.

Important! Any special preparations must be diluted according to the instructions. Exceeding the concentration can lead not only to damage, but also to the death of the flower.

You need to feed the succulent once every 14 days. Supporting preparations are applied to pre-moistened soil. Such feeding rules are due to better absorption and preservation of the root system.

Natural soil depletion often occurs. To balance the level of minerals, the tree is transplanted into a new substrate. The mixture is prepared from the following components:

  • peat (1 part),
  • humus (2 parts),
  • nutrient soil (2 parts),
  • river sand (2 parts).

By adding charcoal to the resulting soil, you can not only enrich this soil mixture, but also carry out natural disinfection of the substrate.

Incorrect water temperature for irrigation

Using regular tap water can also cause leaves to fall off. For irrigation, it is recommended to use only water at room temperature that has been standing for 2-3 days. It is not allowed to use either cold or too warm. This can cause leaf fall and disruption of necessary metabolic processes.

For information! If the leaves have already begun to fall, then spraying with warm water will help preserve the remaining green mass. When carrying out this procedure, do not allow liquid to get into the pot.

Experienced gardeners use rain or melt water for irrigation.

Temperature changes

In winter, when heating devices are on, the plant also does not feel well. Leaves may not only wither, but even fall off. To help the plant, it is necessary to regularly do the sprinkling procedure.

Streams of dry hot air harm not only all indoor flowers, but also humans. Air humidification can be carried out with a conventional spray gun or using special steam generators.

The flower grows best at a constant temperature, which is +25..+27 degrees during the growing season and +15 during the dormant period. When temperatures drop, the succulent begins to abruptly shed its leaves and lose its decorative effect.

Also, the flower can shed its leaves due to sudden temperature changes. If you move a plant from a warm room to a cold one, this will certainly lead to stress, and may even provoke disease in the succulent.

On a note! If the root system of a tree is frozen, then it will no longer be possible to save it. The only way out is to use cuttings of a “dying” flower to propagate and grow a new one.

Sometimes you can observe the loss of leaves in Crassula before the appearance of new young shoots.

General information about the Crassula plant

History of origin, birthplace of the living tree

The money tree is popularly known as Crassula , Kalanchoe or Monkey Tree , and its scientific name is Crassula (crassus from Latin “thick”).

It was called “money” because some types of Crassula have round leaves and look like coins.

There are about 300 species in the genus Crossul and they belong to the Crassulaceae family . In wildlife there are creeping herbaceous species, tree-like shrubs and aquatic plants.

Due to its ability to accumulate water in its leaves, the fat plant is classified as a succulent. Origin from tropical and subtropical countries. These plants can be found in Africa, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and southern North America.

During excavations of the tomb of the Chinese emperor of the Han Dynasty, scientists found the first mention of Kalanchoe. According to the legend of the “ Sunny Tree ,” it was believed that if you show generosity in earthly life, you can end up in heaven.

Appearance

Despite the abundance of varieties, the Crassula has many common characteristics.

The root system is slightly developed. Maintaining the balance of the entire tree with such roots is not easy.

Therefore, when growing indoor plants of this type, it is recommended to select fairly heavy and deep flower pots.

The trunk of the flower is very similar to the trunk of a real tree. It is thick, powerful and covered with a hard shell - bark. There are many branches coming off the main trunk.

The leaves of the monkey tree are round or oblong, fleshy; located opposite each other, sometimes merging at the branch itself. The color of the leaves is varied - from rich green to silver.

The crown of an adult tree is usually spherical in shape and lush and dense. It is better if one sprout is planted in a pot. This will provide the plant with good branching.

flowers , with proper care, are small, light and very delicate, collected in a semi-umbrella. The persistent aroma is sweet and cloying. The money tree usually blooms in the tenth year of life, but seeds are not formed.

Medicinal properties

Crassula is a house filter plant.

First of all, it is recommended to keep it indoors to cleanse the air of harmful substances, lift your spirits and give strength. This effect is ensured by the content of a large number of microelements and essential oils in the leaves.

It has been noted that a living tree has a pronounced bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect. In folk medicine it is widely used as an antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agent.

Application

The forms of application are quite varied:

Taken internally for kidney and gastrointestinal diseases.

For throat diseases, runny nose, cough, herpes, rinsing is recommended.

Leaf tinctures

  • to relieve pain from varicose veins,
  • improve blood circulation,
  • treatment of hemorrhoids, abscesses,
  • from insect bites.

Compresses

First aid for domestic injuries!

Cuts, burns, sprains, bruises, regeneration for eczema - use compresses.

Simple recipes

For instillation into the nose for a runny nose

  1. Wash and dry Kalanchoe leaves
  2. mash into pulp
  3. squeeze out the juice.

Instill the resulting juice into both nostrils three times a day, five drops.

For children under one year of age, reduce the dosage to 1-2 drops.

IMPORTANT! Prepare the medicine immediately before instillation. During storage, the medicinal properties are quickly lost.

Sore throat and cough

  1. freshly squeezed juice of 15 Crassula leaves pour a glass of warm water,
  2. You should gargle with the resulting solution every three hours or more often.

Can leaves turn yellow and fall off due to diseases and pests?

Why do dracaena leaves turn yellow and fall off?

The leaves of the Crassula or Money Tree fall off when they are sick or damaged by insects.


Fungal infection

Most often, leaves begin to fall due to infection of the crassula flower with all kinds of fungal infections.

The most dangerous are:

  • Root rot. At the first stage of infection, the leaves begin to dry out and turn yellow. Then the entire root of the flower is affected and the tree dies. The situation can be saved if you carry out an emergency transplant and treat the root system with charcoal.
  • Stem rot. Rotting begins gradually, the leaves are the first to be affected, then the branches and trunk. All damaged areas must be pruned: roots, stems, shoots. Living tissue can later take root and grow into a real tree.
  • If the fungus has attacked only part of the branches, then emergency pruning of the damaged shoots will help save the flower from death.

Important! All cuts and cuts must be treated with crushed charcoal or antifungal pesticides.

The most dangerous pests are:

  • The spider mite not only affects the flower, it is because of it that the plant begins to shed its leaves.
  • The most dangerous pest is the common scale insect. The only way to escape is to remove all insects manually.
  • Mealybugs can quickly infect and destroy not only the money tree, but also all nearby plants. The affected areas become covered with a white sticky coating.


Destructive root rot

Most often used for protection and fight:

  • insecticides - preparations for killing insects;
  • acaricides - products that have a more limited range of effects, are mostly used to combat ticks;
  • mixed species are used for preventive measures.

Reproduction methods

The monkey tree is propagated by sowing seeds or rooting cuttings. Seeds should be sown in the first 2 months after collection or they will lose their viability. Planting is done in small individual pots with 1-2 seeds in each. Use sand-peat or sand-leaf soil with the addition of charcoal. The seeds are deepened into moist soil by 2-3 cm. The pot is kept at a temperature of about +20 °C and the soil is periodically sprayed. Shoots appear in 2-8 weeks. The seedling is grown without picking or replanting in the same pot until the rhizome fills all the free space.

For cuttings, the apical, semi-lignified shoots are cut off in March or April. The cut is made slightly below the whorl. The released resin is removed from the bark, and the cut area is dipped in crushed charcoal. After treatment with root, the cuttings are planted in a small pot with sand and peat soil. The seedling is covered with a transparent cap and kept at a temperature of +25 °C. The rooting process usually takes about two months.

What to do, how to help the money tree

It is easy to see that there are a huge number of reasons why the leaves of the fat plant fall off. But they all come down to an irresponsible attitude, which is caused by improper care and failure to comply with basic growing rules.


Falling and wilting of leaves of the species

To save the flower, the causes of this negative phenomenon must be urgently eliminated. Very often it is enough to simply adjust the growing conditions of the succulent. And after a short period of time, new shoots will appear on the money tree and foliage will grow.

If leaf flying is a consequence of a disease, then you cannot do without the use of special means. The main thing is timely identification of the cause and treatment of Crassula with suitable drugs.

It should be remembered that, despite the completely unpretentious nature of the plant, it still requires at least minimal attention. Following basic and very simple rules of care will allow you to admire the decorative qualities of the money tree for many years.


Money tree - an element of room decor

And if you show a little effort and imagination, the succulent can be turned into a real work of art.

Transfer rules

It is not recommended to transplant too often. As long as the roots have not filled all the free space in the pot, the tree will develop perfectly without outside interference. Before replanting the monkey tree, you need to dry the soil a little. The procedure is planned for early spring. You should prepare a wide pot with holes in the bottom. First, pour out shards or brick chips.

The soil for planting should include the following components:

  • sand;
  • turf land;
  • peat;
  • leaf soil;
  • charcoal.

It is important to be extremely careful with the rhizome and use the method of transferring the earthen clod. The old soil should be preserved as much as possible.

Black currant

This deciduous shrub can be found in almost any part of Europe and in the northern regions of Asia. It actively grows both in the southern latitudes of the temperate climate zone, and in Siberia and the Far East.

The berry is characterized by rapid fruit ripening. Blackcurrant flowering begins in May-June (depending on the region), and the fruits are ready for consumption after about 1.5 months.

In gardening in the northern regions, specially bred varieties are used that are intended for cultivation in this area. These include "The Leningrad Giant", "Sofia's Seedling" and "The Secret".

Indoor araucaria, or home Christmas tree: care at home

Araucaria is an indoor plant that looks like a small Christmas tree. Therefore, it is sometimes also called “house spruce.” Coniferous crops are distinguished by leaves that have a rigid structure and look like needles. The seeds of the plant are edible, and the wood is often used to make furniture and decorative items. For growing in an apartment or office, the araucaria flower is one of the best options because it is unpretentious.

Main varieties

There are 21 species of Araucaria found in the wild, but only 2 of them can be found in America, the rest in Australia, the Norfolk Islands, New Guinea and New Caledonia. No more than 4 varieties are suitable for breeding at home, greenhouses and offices, which do not reach enormous sizes and tolerate indoor growing conditions:

  1. Variegated araucaria (indoor spruce) . A small tree with a pyramidal crown, green modified leaves in the form of needles. The trunk is covered with dark brown bark, on which there are thin light scales. The tree's needles are soft, tightly pressed to each other, and densely distributed on the branches.
  2. Narrow-leaved araucaria (Brazilian) . A tall indoor specimen that can reach a height of more than 3 m. The leaves are triangular, short, soft, light green. They are densely located on the shoots. A distinctive feature of this variety is that the soft shoots are directed downwards.
  3. Chilean araucaria. The hard leaves are triangular in shape with a pointed end and a flared base. The branches are densely covered with thin needles. The stems are dense, tall, with hard lignification. Wood of this variety is highly valued in furniture production. Edible seeds are formed in the cone fruits. This variety is the most frost-resistant.
  4. Araucaria Cooka. A rare variety even in natural conditions. The branches grow almost perpendicular to the rigid, tall trunk. It is distinguished by long, up to 10 cm, cones that are covered with soft green bristles.

The Araucaria columnar variety is grown only in open ground or in greenhouses, since the height of the trunk is much higher than that of decorative forms. Thick short branches are located at an angle of 90 degrees to the thick massive trunk, the crown is pyramidal.

Sanzen-ji Temple, Ohara

Tofuku-ji Temple is one of the best places to watch the fall leaves in Kyoto. This is a large Zen Buddhist temple with beautiful Japanese-style gardens. You can even find several bridges. For those who have never seen a rock garden before, we strongly advise you to admire it at Tofuku-ji Temple.

Shisen-do Temple is also officially known as Jozan-ji. During the Edo era, it served as the residence of a samurai named Jōzan Ishikawa (1583–1672). It was he who created the entire temple garden, which, believe it or not, is considered a true work of Japanese art. Of course, in such a garden it is extremely pleasant to enjoy the beauty of autumn leaves!

To see autumn leaves in the evening, come to Nanzen-ji Temple. The maples are illuminated by night lanterns; this makes the temple grounds a very suitable place to rest here after a long and tiring day. There is no charge to enter the main building of Nanzen-ji Temple, but there is a small fee to enter the subordinate buildings.

The best time to discover the autumn colors of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is late November to early December. More than 250 Japanese maples grow here. The temple is open to the public, and the abbots allow guests to enter the maple grove. Try walking along the winding paths of the grove with friends, it's much more interesting than walking alone!

If you come here at the end of November, you can enjoy the play of maple leaves in the wind. Many Zen Buddhist temples in Tokyo have their own maple grove, and the Edo-era Enko-ji Shrine is no exception. However, not many foreign tourists know about this place, although here you can immerse your eyes in the autumn beauty of the colorful maples that grow here and there on its territory.

Ohara is a small village located in the northern part of Kyoto. Here you will find Japanese-style gardens, temple buildings, a moss garden, cedar and maple groves, walking paths, ponds, a statue of Amida Buddha, rows of miniature figures of the goddess Kannon, restaurants and shops. In a word, everything here is built for your pleasure, and you just have to choose what to eat, what to buy and where to go first! If you don't want to miss out on all the beauty of Kyoto's autumn nature, we recommend arriving before mid-November.

This beautiful temple called Eikan-do (formerly known as Zenrin-ji) is located north of the large Nanzen-ji temple complex. Many call it one of the most picturesque and popular places to admire autumn leaves in Kyoto, which, however, is worthy of a visit at any other time of the year.

This temple boasts a rich history and several buildings, a garden with a pond, and the Tahoto Pagoda. The main building of the Eikan-do temple complex is worthy of special attention. By the way, this temple belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. Try strolling along the paths, admiring the maple leaves and manicured gardens.

So there you have it, ten of the most popular places to admire autumn leaves in Kyoto. Now is the time to explore them in real life! Be sure to book an autumn tour to Kyoto; We wish you to get the most vivid impressions from this trip.

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Main varieties

There are 21 species of Araucaria found in the wild, but only 2 of them can be found in America, the rest in Australia, the Norfolk Islands, New Guinea and New Caledonia. No more than 4 varieties are suitable for breeding at home, greenhouses and offices, which do not reach enormous sizes and tolerate indoor growing conditions:

  1. Variegated araucaria (indoor spruce) . A small tree with a pyramidal crown, green modified leaves in the form of needles. The trunk is covered with dark brown bark, on which there are thin light scales. The tree's needles are soft, tightly pressed to each other, and densely distributed on the branches.
  2. Narrow-leaved araucaria (Brazilian) . A tall indoor specimen that can reach a height of more than 3 m. The leaves are triangular, short, soft, light green. They are densely located on the shoots. A distinctive feature of this variety is that the soft shoots are directed downwards.
  3. Chilean araucaria. The hard leaves are triangular in shape with a pointed end and a flared base. The branches are densely covered with thin needles. The stems are dense, tall, with hard lignification. Wood of this variety is highly valued in furniture production. Edible seeds are formed in the cone fruits. This variety is the most frost-resistant.
  4. Araucaria Cooka. A rare variety even in natural conditions. The branches grow almost perpendicular to the rigid, tall trunk. It is distinguished by long, up to 10 cm, cones that are covered with soft green bristles.

The Araucaria columnar variety is grown only in open ground or in greenhouses, since the height of the trunk is much higher than that of decorative forms. Thick short branches are located at an angle of 90 degrees to the thick massive trunk, the crown is pyramidal.

Landing

To grow paulownia, you need to choose flat, well-lit areas protected from strong winds, away from fruit trees. The soil can be from slightly alkaline to acidified. Black soil, sandy loam soils and loose loams are well suited. It is not advisable to plant trees in heavy clay soils.

For open plantings, one-year-old seedlings are recommended: they are quite resistant to weather changes. Work is carried out from April to October. The pits are prepared about 1 m deep and 60–70 cm wide. A drainage layer of 20 cm of fine gravel is placed at the bottom. Leaf humus, rotted manure and 40 g of complex mineral fertilizer are added to the removed soil. When planting, a high peg is strengthened next to the tree, to which a fragile trunk is tied. Water the seedlings immediately and abundantly, spending 20 liters of water per 1 specimen.

If you want to grow paulownia from seeds, you need to test them for germination by soaking them in water. Remove the ones that float, and place the sunken ones on a damp cloth and cover with film. The material should be watered a little every day and the seedlings should be kept at +22–25 °C. After 2 weeks the first shoots will appear. During this period, the napkin with seeds is placed in a container with a nutrient mixture of peat, leaf and turf soil. Just dust the top with a layer of 2–3 mm of earth. Until strong growth appears, the material is kept in greenhouse conditions, with daily lighting. Grown seedlings are transferred to open ground after a year.

Photo

See more photos of the fat woman:

If you are interested in the ancient Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui, you are probably familiar with the properties of Crassula - a houseplant with the mysterious nickname “money tree”. It’s hard not to admit that almost all of us strive, first of all, for material wealth. And here the sermons of the blessed that money does not play any role in life are inappropriate.

Distribution history

At the end of the 18th century, England had many colonies around the world. The British were interested in finding cheap food for slaves working on plantations. When James Cook's expedition brought information about an amazing plant that replaced bread for the aborigines, it was decided to bring it to Europe. The Bounty ship was sent to the island of Tahiti under the command of William Bligh. The expedition reached its destination with great difficulty. The team was starving and illness began. Upon arrival in Tahiti, the sailors saw a paradise island and wanted to stay on it.

The captain took breadfruit seedlings from the natives and wanted to go back, but the crew rebelled. With great difficulty, he persuaded the sailors to sail back. Difficulties began again on the way due to lack of drinking water. The seedlings required abundant watering, which depleted the crew's drinking supplies. As a result, the sailors took control of the ship into their own hands, landed the captain on a desert island, and threw away the seedlings. However, the captain was able to survive and swam to England. He equipped a new ship and still brought the seeds of the plant to Europe.

Description

Rosa Leonardo da Vinci belongs to the Floribunda group. The variety was created by crossing polyanthus and hybrid tea roses. The Floribunda group includes bush roses of various varieties, but the most popular is, of course, Da Vinci. The variety was created in 1994 by Alain Meyland and given the name in honor of the artist.

The flower blooms with double flowers with a diameter of about 10 cm and a bright color. Flowers can be either single or grow in racemes of 3-4 pieces. One flower has about 80 petals. Roses have a light fruity aroma. Gardeners also love the bright red flower variety. Rose red Leonardo da Vinci has about 100 red petals.

The bush itself is strong and reaches 70-100 cm in height, and the red rose can grow even larger. The foliage is dark green and the shoots are erect. In addition, the variety has strong resistance to various diseases.

The bush is straight, growing upward, very dense, of medium height, which can range from 70 to 110 cm. All flowers are large, double, with a large number of large petals, closely spaced to each other. Their sizes are up to 10 cm, but against the backdrop of the average size of the shrub they sometimes seem simply huge. The flowering is racemose, abundant, continuous, from five to six flowers can be counted in one brush.

Rose Leonardo is light-loving, but it is not afraid of rain: it can withstand even downpours without losing the pristine freshness of its buds. Frost-resistant, in some areas it blooms before frost. The color of the petals is durable, not subject to fading in the sun, and as for pests and diseases, with proper care and timely preventive measures this disaster can be completely avoided.

It is also worth noting that Leonardo da Vinci adopted her amazing beauty from hybrid tea representatives, and her resistance to cold, disease and unpretentiousness was passed on to her from polyanthus roses.

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