An exotic guest from sunny Africa with the unusual name Knifofiya can become a real decoration of your garden. An unusual flower looks favorably and a lonely plant on the lawn, and in composite plantings with other flowers in flowerbeds. It can serve as an ornament of a garden or a coastal strip of a reservoir.
General description of colors with photos
Knifofia (kniphofia) is a perennial, which belongs to the genus of beautifully flowering plants of the Asfodelova (Asphodelaceae) family of the Xanthorrea (Xanthorrhoeaceae) family. This is an evergreen perennial with dense leaves of gray-green color, which form a thick rosette. Knifofiya looks advantageous in flowerbeds, even without the presence of flower stalks. In the period July-September, a tall, bare stem appears from the center of the socket, at the end of which a large peduncle is located. 
The peduncle of a knofofiya is assembled into a sultanoid or spiciform inflorescence. The buds on the peduncle bloom gradually, and, depending on the type and grade of the kyphonia, flowering begins either from the upper buds down, or from the lower buds up. If we consider each flower separately, then in form it resembles a bell. An amazing feature of knofofia inflorescences is the ability to change color: the original color of the bud is red, which, while the flower blooms, changes to orange and then to rich yellow and lemon.
Did you know? Knifofiya bears its name from the XVIII century, and it is named in honor of the German doctor, botanist, rector of the University in Erfurt, Johann Jeron Kniphof. He specialized in seed plants and was the first to describe this flower.
Types and varieties
This genus includes about 75 species of knofofiya, most of which are found only in the natural conditions of hot Africa. The following types are cultivated in the middle lane:
Knifofiya berry is a high group. Flower stalks of this group reach a height of more than two meters, and the size of the inflorescences is 25 cm. This species was subject to cultivation at the beginning of the XIX century, the following varieties are very popular:
- berry booklet "Martian";
- berry booklet "Eskimo";
- knobofiya Macowan;
- "Dr. Kerr Lemon".
The difference in varieties is based on a variety of colors of inflorescences.
Important! This plant can be found with such names as trioma, kniphofiya, butnokeptrum.
Hybrids knifofiya - different variants of perennial, bred artificially, based on knofofiya berry. The following varieties from this group are especially popular:
- "Cobra";
- Rocket;
- "Cardinal";
- Atlanta.
Did you know? The highest kind of perennial - this is Thompson's booklet, its flower stalks grow up to three meters high.
Knukofiya Tukka is short, its height does not exceed 80 cm, the size of the inflorescence is 15 cm. Tukka is the most cold-resistant bookfoot, it reacts weakly to temperature changes. Can be grown on a windowsill. The most common varieties of this group are:
- "Alcazar";
- "Celiano";
- "Fleming Torch".
Planting and plant care
Since hot flowers like Africa and not less sunny Madagascar are the birthplace of knofofiya flower, this must be taken into account when planting a perennial. 
Choosing a place
For an African beauty, sun and light throughout the day are an essential prerequisite for normal development. On shaded areas, the book lesion loses its saturated color, and its growth slows down. Does not like drafts. It grows poorly in the lowlands and does not tolerate stagnant moisture.
The soil
This culture will suit sandy soils that are well fertilized and loosened. The size of the fossa depends on the plant itself - how big it is. At the bottom of the pits necessarily spread the drainage layer, then make fertile soil.
Important! Gardeners are advised to lay pebbles of various sizes close to the landings of the booklet or mulch them with a dark-colored material. These procedures will lead to the fact that the soil will warm up well.
Watering
Knifofiya - drought-resistant perennial, which does not require frequent watering. Knifofiya is very susceptible to excess moisture, so it is better to plant it on elevated places or areas with good drainage system.
Top dressing
In the spring, as soon as the first green leaves appear, the perennial is fertilized with nitrogen fertilizers. After some time, you can make organic fertilizer in the form of humus, compost, peat.
When flowering is complete, the booklet is fed with fertilizers, which include potassium or ash, so that it will receive additional nourishment and better overwinter.
You may be interested in such ornamental herbs and cereals for flowerbeds: fescue, meadow foxtail, miscanthus, fizostegiya, turfy meadow.
Care
Choosing a place for booklet, planting and subsequent care in the open field, you must follow certain rules. Proper watering, timely application of fertilizing and fertilizer, trimming plants - these are three components that affect the development of culture, its flowering.
Pruning is done in the spring, immediately after the shelter is removed (if the plant has hibernated in the open ground). Remove frostbitten, yellowed parts of the bush. After perennial ottsvetet, its stalks are removed under the root. It makes no sense to collect seeds from plants growing in our latitudes, as they are hybrids and do not inherit maternal characteristics.
Wintering
In each climatic zone, the wintering of knofofiya is carried out in different ways. In the southern regions of the perennial winters in the open field, but it must be covered for the winter. In the autumn period, perennial leaves are tied to prevent moisture from getting into the rosettes of the plant, sprinkled with foliage or covered with spruce leaves, and the film can be warmed. When using the film must provide ventilation holes; You can simply loosely press the film to the ground, leaving gaps. With this cover, the plant tolerates frosts with indications up to -15 ° C.
In the northern edges, booklet for wintering in open ground is not left: it must be dug out, placed in a container with nutrient soil and a good drainage layer. Perennial hibernates in rooms with a temperature not exceeding + 8 ° C.
Reproduction of culture
Knifofiya multiplies as growing from seeds, and vegetatively. The first method is more laborious and less popular, since in our latitudes there are not enough warm light days to get ripe seeds, therefore the second method is more common.
Seeds
For independent cultivation, only purchased seeds are used. In the second half of March, they are sown in soil mixture (any, just enough that it is good moisture, was loose and nutritious). To increase seed germination, the container with crops is covered with a film and left in this position for 2-3 weeks. From time to time, an improvised greenhouse must be aired and the soil moistened in it.
Emerging seedlings gradually harden at room temperature, and when two leaves are formed, the plants swoop in separate containers. In July, perennial planted in a place intended for him. Grown in this way, the flower blooms in the third year.
Dividing bush
An easier way to reproduce this culture. An adult bush at the age of three years forms daughter outlets, which are used for breeding. In early May, the separation of the daughter outlets from the main bush with a sharp knife is made. The cut is dried and powdered with charcoal. After a few hours, the sockets are planted in the previously prepared wells, filled with nutrient soil mixture. The first weeks, until the plant takes root, it is watered abundantly, and as it matures - once or twice a week. It is also desirable to create a temporary shading for the seedling. Knifofiya grown by dividing the bush, bloom the very next year.
Transfer
Knifofiya is a perennial plant, so do not often transfer it from place to place. This operation will be justified only if you notice that in this place the plant began to hurt.
Diseases and pests
As a rule, the plant is sick rarely enough. With the defeat of leaf-eating and sucking insects (aphid, thrips, spider mite) it is treated with insecticides.
With frequent watering or stagnant moisture, a booklet can become infected with a disease like root rot. To combat this scourge, it is necessary to treat the roots with a fungicide. If after the done procedure there are no visible improvements, you should remove the perennial from the flowerbed, so as not to infect other plants.
Combination with other plants
When creating flower compositions using flower knofofiya, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of caring for the plant, the frequency of watering, plant height, period and duration of flowering. The most frequent neighbors of African beauty are:
Also, for the decoration of your flower bed, exotic plants will suit: barley barley, podophyll, ripsalis, stephanandra, hymenocallis, santolina, tar adhesive
- irises;
- sage;
- gypsophila;
- lupine;
- Eremurus;
- dahlia;
- decorative cereals;
- salvia
This exotic culture is not demanding to care, for its cultivation on the site does not have to spend a lot of time and effort, and subject to all rules for the care of the plant - the original bright flowers will change your garden, making it unique.
