Every owner personal plot or dacha seeks to decorate his personal piece of nature flowering plants. For these purposes, an unpretentious but fragrant Iberis. This herbaceous plant from the cruciferous family, native to Spain. Externally it looks like a small shrub with rich green leaves, blooming in white, red, pink and purple color. Purple Iberis flowers are much less common. In nature, there are two types of Iberis: annual and perennial. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Annual Iberis
Annual Iberis is heat-loving herbaceous flower, well branched. Some gardeners call it wallflower. It is easy to grow - just sow the seeds on your site in the spring. After 10 days, seedlings appear that need to be thinned out for more comfortable growth. If you sow Iberis in mid-May, the plant will produce its first flowers by August. Annual Iberis require cutting off wilted and faded flowers. The most popular types of annual Iberis are bitter and umbrella. The flowers of these species of wallflower are small, united in inflorescences.
Did you know? Annual Iberis bloom longer than perennial ones.
Iberis bitter (Iberis amara)
The Iberis bitter bush reaches a height of 30 cm, the shape of the stem is branching. The inflorescence is similar in appearance to hyacinth and is a group of bright white crown-shaped flowers. Cut bitter white iberis can stand in water for up to 10 days. It is used in the design of bouquets and in the composition of flower beds and flower beds.
Eisberg– a variety of bitter wallflower, the bush of which resembles a candelabra up to 40 cm tall. The leaves are serrated and large. Large white flowers form elongated clusters of inflorescences.
Empress– a candelabra-shaped wall bush up to 30 cm high. Large leaves lanceolate, with jagged edges. The inflorescence of snow-white flowers resembles a hyacinth flower in appearance.
Iberis umbellata
Iberis umbellata can reach a height of 15-40 cm. The plant blooms with small umbels of various colors: bright lilac, rich carmine and more delicate tones of lilac and pink shades Iberis. Umbrella Iberis is suitable as a border plant and for decorating an alpine hill.
Albida – popular variety umbrella iberis. Bush up to 30 cm in height, hemispherical. Small white flowers form dense dense inflorescences.
Dunnetti– herbaceous bushes reach 25 cm in height. The leaves are pointed, long, lanceolate. Umbrella-shaped dense inflorescences are formed by small purple flowers.
Important! Young Iberis shoots are susceptible to attacks by pests: mealybugs, cabbage aphids and ground flea. Timely treatment of seedlings with insecticides is necessary.
Perennial Iberis
Perennial Iberis is also called “multifalted” for its unusual shape flower: two petals are longer than the next adjacent petals. Iberian is a frost-resistant plant that blooms profusely from the second year of life. Growing is simple: at the very beginning of spring, plant Iberis seedlings from seeds in pots or boxes, deepening 10 mm into the ground, and from May transplant the sprouts into Right place Location on.
Perennial Iberis loves rocky and sandy soils, needs a sunny and open place to grow. These features make it a frequent inhabitant of complex flower beds, rocky hills and rockeries. The most common types are perennial iberis, like evergreen, Gibraltar, Crimean, rocky.
Iberis evergreen (Iberis sempervirens)
The evergreen Iberis comes from Asia Minor and reaches a height of 35-40 cm. The leaves are oblong in shape with solid edges, dark green in color, and remain green throughout the year. This feature gave this Iberis variety its name. Small white flowers are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences with a diameter of 4-5 cm. When blooming, the inflorescences hide the foliage of the plant, and it looks decorative throughout warm season of the year. This species is suitable for growing in flower beds, as well as in pots and tubs.
Iberis Dana- a variety of evergreen Iberis, blooms thickly. It is a bush up to 15 cm in height.
Little Gem- a lush, low-growing bush up to half a meter in diameter, shiny evergreen leaves measuring 30*5 mm. It begins to bloom in April with white flowers up to 15 mm in diameter. A group of 30-40 flowers are collected in an inflorescence, approximately 200 inflorescences per plant. A large number of inflorescences makes Iberis look like a cap of foam.
Findel– the bush is highly branched, forms an evergreen carpet with white radiant flowers. It blooms thickly, but fades quite quickly. Reaches a height of 25 cm.
Winterzauber- one of the most early varieties, small white flowers begin to bloom in March.
Climax- a bush up to 20 cm high, growing, forms carpet thickets with small fleshy shiny leaves and a scattering of small white flowers. Gardeners like this variety for its ability to form a crown.
Zwergeschneeflocke– a subshrub 15 cm in height grows in cushion-shaped carpet thickets with small fleshy leaves. Medium numerous blue and white flowers long time decorate the plant.
Iberis gibraltarica
Morocco and Spain are considered the birthplace of Gibraltar Iberis. The plant is compact, its height is up to 25 cm, it blooms in the spring with a scattering of small pink flowers. For good growth Requires well-drained soil in a sunny location.
Candy Tuff– lilac-violet flowers form a large inflorescence, reminiscent of dahlias.
Crimean Iberis (Iberis simplex)
The name of this type of perennial Iberis speaks of its homeland - the Crimean Peninsula. The second name is Crimean Iberian. A low-growing plant 5-10 cm in height with gray-green, slightly pubescent foliage. The blossoming buds of the flower are purple, the blossoming ones are white. Blooms in spring. The sunny areas of alpine hills with well-drained soil are well suited for growth.
A beautiful, with pleasant aroma Iberis flower, whose photo planting and care has many interesting aspects. It is unpretentious in breeding, easy to care for, and blooms throughout the summer. They decorate alpine slides and masonry, decorate flower beds, lawns, etc. Iberis is suitable for growing in containers, landscaping terraces, loggias, and even for decorating a wedding bouquet.
Description of the flower
A native of Spain, Iberis is a semi-shrub plant with lush thickets. Branched shoots can grow both in height (up to 30 cm) and spread along the ground. The bush has oblong dark green leaves and basket-shaped inflorescences containing about 40 buds.
Iberis blooms profusely and is accompanied by strong aroma. The first flowers open in May or August, flowering lasts two months. Due to the numerous inflorescences, the leaf mass of the flower is not visible, and the plant itself is often compared to clouds. The color of the buds varies different shades, but most often there are white, pink, lilac, purple petals. In the photo, a flower bed of Iberis flowers is in full glory.
Iberis is good. After flowering, it produces small pods with big amount small seeds inside.
Growing and planting Iberis
Breeding a plant can be done in three ways.
Seminal
Iberis seeds are sown directly into open ground after the end of frost to a depth of 10 mm. The first shoots appear after 2 weeks. Dense shoots must be thinned out, leaving 15 cm between shoots.
In order for the plant to bloom all summer, you need to know when to plant Iberis. Growing from seeds of different varieties can be carried out in two stages with an interval of 3 weeks.
Vegetative
This method is used to obtain seedlings by the beginning of May. Iberis seeds are planted in a container with loose soil in late March. They are scattered over the surface and sprinkled river sand. To obtain greenhouse conditions, the container is covered with glass and placed in a bright and warm place. Watering the seeds is done as needed using a sprayer. The first shoots appear after 10 days.
Transplantation is detrimental to Iberis, so seedlings must be planted in a flowerbed as carefully as possible and together with a clod of earth. The planting hole must be deep so that the root part of the sprout can freely fit in it.
Cuttings
This method is carried out in the fall. The cuttings are cut into fragments 12 cm long and planted in pots with soil. Greenhouse conditions are created for future seedlings. Iberis will be planted in open ground and cared for in the spring of next year.
The plant must be planted in loamy or rocky soil, which will not allow moisture to stagnate. For planting, you should choose an area well lit by the sun.
Iberis care
All varieties of Iberis are unpretentious and do not require special care. But it’s still worth adhering to some rules:
- It is necessary to water the plant moderately and only in dry weather;
- It is allowed to feed Iberis twice throughout the summer: the first time at the moment the sprouts appear, the second time during the budding period;
- remove after flowering wilted flowers and buds, the stems should be cut to one third of the length as the bush grows;
- the space around the flower should be regularly cleared of weeds, then the flowerbed with Iberis in the photo will be well-groomed and beautiful.
Iberis is prone to self-seeding, so young shoots will appear near the bushes after flowering. It needs to be removed or can be used as seedlings.
Perennial Iberis
Besides annual plants, there are perennial varieties of Iberis. Grown from seeds, in the first summer it is limited to modest inflorescences. Full color and rich aroma the plant produces only in the second year. Perennial varieties Iberis are frost-resistant and adapt well to conditions mountainous area. But it is better to learn about the resistance to cold of each specific variety from the instructions.
In order for the perennial Iberis to have a well-groomed appearance all summer long, the flower’s faded stems must be cut off. When the plant reaches five years of age, Iberis bushes must be replanted, otherwise the inflorescences will become small and the plant will lose its decorative appearance.
Peculiarity frost-resistant varieties Iberis are branched stems. Creeping along the ground and intertwining with each other, they create an air “cushion”. By retaining heat and not drying out the soil, it guarantees a good winter in the absence of snow. But for greater safety, it is better to cover the shrub with coniferous spruce branches for the winter, and sprinkle fallen leaves on the surface of the soil. Planting and caring for Iberis long-term photo the same as an annual plant.
Growing Iberis from seeds - video
They say about Iberis that this plant looks like “clouds under your feet.” Having looked at it carefully, we also decided to agree with this comparison. Take a closer look at the photographs and you will understand why. But its delicate appearance is not the only advantage of this representative of cruciferous plants; Iberis is very fragrant flower. Interested? Then we tell you and reveal to you the secrets of growing Iberis flowers from seeds.
Iberis perennial
This plant is very unpretentious, so planting and caring for perennial Iberis is not particularly difficult. Seeds for seedlings must be planted in the ground in early March, deepening them by 1 cm, then in May it will be possible to transplant the seedlings to open place.
Now let's move on to choosing a place and soil for permanent place residence of a flower. Let's start with the soil: it will be best if the soil is sandy, loamy, or rocky. But the place should be open and sunny.
It is also worth mentioning about fertilizing, which is required by almost all plants. Iberis perennial is well suited for complex minerals, which can be used once every few months.
Perennial Iberis grown from seeds will begin to bloom well only in the second year. In the first summer he will limit himself to modest flowers. But the second summer, starting from June, many fragrant flowers will appear. If you want them to please you all summer season, then do not forget to trim off the already faded stems.
Now let's move on to diseases. Unfortunately, despite the fact that Iberis is unpretentious, its roots are still very sensitive to fungal diseases. This very often has a negative effect on the life of the flower: growth slows down and flowers quickly wither. To protect this handsome man from the described scourge, you need to disinfect the soil in which Iberis will be planted.
Iberis annual
Annual umbrella iberis - the most favorite variety of this plant among gardeners. This species has a lot of different shades, and the flowers themselves grow in a very dense and thick cap.
When growing annual Iberis, you need to know that caring for it is practically no different from caring for its perennial counterpart. You can grow this annual by sifting the seeds into open ground in mid-May. In 1-2 weeks the first shoots will appear. After they can be clearly distinguished from other seedlings, it is necessary to thin out the beds. Thinning will ensure Iberis blooms longer in the future.
The first flowers of Iberis annua will appear in late July or early August. Same as in option with perennial plant faded flowers must be cut off. Wilted inflorescences will resemble a cylindrical cap.
The end of August the beginning of September is the most the right time to collect seeds for next year.
SecretsNow let's move on to the promised secrets. In addition to the described methods of growing Iberis: seedlings and spring sowing in the ground, you can grow this flower winter sowing. This will allow next year get early and strong flowering bushes. One more 
the advantage of such sowing is that it helps Iberis avoid being attacked by harmful plants.
To extend the flowering of Iberis until September, you can use one more trick. Try sowing seeds in the ground, keeping an interval of 2-3 weeks.
After the Iberis has faded, it can be cut back by a third - in the future this will give it a more compact and neat shape.
That's all the tricks. Agree, nothing complicated or supernatural. But both the sight and the smell will completely please the owner.
For lovers of alpine slides and flower arrangements Iberis perennial is especially famous in tubs.
Belongs to the cruciferous family. This elegant crop is not at all similar to its relatives - radish and cabbage.
Firstly, it is inedible, and secondly, it is different decorative look and a pleasant aroma.
With a minimum of costs, you can use it to turn dry, bare soil into a lush, flowering carpet.
Many people traditionally imagine this plant as white, although many varieties with lilac, purple and carmine inflorescences have now been bred.
On average, the flowering period lasts one and a half months in the summer, and during this time the area is filled with a persistent, delicate fragrance.
Varieties
Among the perennial varieties in the garden, you can often find Iberis evergreen, which is a low bush with narrow leaves and long white inflorescences. Flowering of this species occurs in the second year after summer sowing. To save beautiful shape the bush is even trimmed to a third of its length.
A more miniature variety, rocky, has creeping leaves only 10 cm high, and flowers appear in May-June on an umbellate inflorescence. Iberis Gibraltar is also known for its lilac blooms, which fade towards the end of the season. This species is considered a juvenile because it sometimes does not tolerate a second winter.
Features of cultivation
Iberis can be classified as a plant in the category about which they say: “Plant it and forget it.” It requires virtually no maintenance, except for thinning the seedlings after germination and trimming faded inflorescences.
When growing, there is no need to fertilize and frequently water the soil, or cover it in frosty winter. Therefore, in fact, the costs associated with it will be limited only to the purchase of seeds.
The only one possible problem is due to the fact that, like others ground cover plants, Iberis is susceptible to root rot. However, this problem can be solved if the crop is planted among stones.
Once every five years, it is better to plant perennial Iberis, since due to too active growth, the flowers may become smaller and not look so impressive. But permanent transplant it is advisable to avoid culture, so it is better to immediately choose appropriate place with enough space so that it does not drown out its neighbors.
Reproduction
Iberis perennial can be propagated by cuttings or seeds. In the first case, the cuttings should be processed and rooted in a greenhouse. If you sow seeds in open ground, as a rule, after two weeks seedlings will appear, quickly transforming into full-fledged strong plant. You can also sow seeds in the winter - then Iberis will sprout and bloom earlier, and the flower caps will be more abundant.
Use in the garden
The unpretentiousness demonstrated by perennial Iberis makes it a universal crop, because it can be grown in almost any conditions.
Iberis, or Iberian, is a plant of the cruciferous family with small, delicate flowers and a pleasant aroma, which is widely used in landscape design and floristry. He is unpretentious, does not demand special care and tolerates temperature changes well, so even an inexperienced gardener can grow it. To do this, you need to choose the right variety and know about some of the features of Iberis - planting, care and basic growing rules. Photos will also help with this.
Features of growing Iberis
Iberis is a subshrub growing up to 50 cm, with a tap root system, small lanceolate leaves and small flowers, collected in inflorescences-umbrellas. The most common petal color is white, but some species have pinkish, purple and dark red hues.
Iberis is also called variegated, wallflower or peppercorn
The plant has many varieties - among them there are herbaceous, semi-shrub, frost-resistant, heat-loving, as well as annual and perennial varieties.
For cultivation in the domestic climate, perennial varieties are most often used - they tolerate winter well and delight owners with their elegant appearance for several years in a row.
The flowering period lasts 1.5–2 months - depending on the variety, the first inflorescences can be seen in May or August. Iberis blooms thickly and luxuriantly - sometimes the leaves are completely hidden under numerous flowers, and the area is filled with an intense fragrance.
Plant propagation is possible both by seeds and vegetative way(by dividing a bush, seedlings), but experienced gardeners prefer the first option. Due to the taproot system, Iberis does not tolerate transplantation well. It is much easier to collect seeds that remain viable for four years and plant them in the ground. The exception is in regions with an unstable climate, where frosts are observed in April and May - in this case, it is better to grow the flower as seedlings.
What climate is it suitable for?
In the wild, Iberis is found mainly in the mountains of southern Europe and Asia Minor, in the Caucasus, Crimea and on the banks of the Don, so the optimal climate for it is hot or temperate. It withstands frost, but reacts poorly to sudden temperature changes and lack of snow. Accordingly, it is better to cover the plantings for the winter - if it is too low temperatures And large quantities precipitation, the plant may die. Otherwise, Iberis is quite hardy, and its cultivation does not require any special conditions.
Iberis is an excellent honey plant
Photos and descriptions of popular varieties
There are about 40 varieties of Iberis in the world, but the most popular are perennial species, which tolerate cold winters, frosts and other climate difficulties well.
Not all types and varietal varieties of Iberis have the pleasant smell characteristic of this plant.
Evergreen
Solid oval size sheet plate evergreen iberis does not exceed 7 cm
A subshrub 30–40 cm high, found in the wild in the south of Asia Minor and Europe. It has dense leaves with rich colors, umbrella-shaped inflorescences and white flowers with a diameter of no more than 1.5 cm, which appear in mid-June. If you regularly remove faded inflorescences after the first flowering, the evergreen Iberis will bloom again at the end of August and will delight the eye until the first frost. Common varieties are findell, snowflake, little jam, whiteout. Highlight separate variety
evergreen iberis is bitter, its height is 20–30 cm, and the flowers sometimes have a light purple hue.
Crimean Crimean Iberis is cultivated mainly as an open ground plant, which is excellent for decoration. personal plots
due to more frequent or dense growth of stems to each other The natural habitat of the plant is the Crimean peninsula, from where the plant got its special name. A variety of flower that reaches only 5–10 cm in height, but looks very impressive - thick gray-green leaves and purple inflorescences, which acquire a white tint after the buds open. Blooms mainly in spring, prefers soft and, temperate climate very coldy
tolerates it quite poorly.
Gibraltar
Iberis Gibraltar is suitable for landscaping rocky areas It is considered a perennial plant, but in cold winters it blooms only 1–2 times. The bushes grow up to 25 cm, have small narrow leaves and umbrella-shaped inflorescences, which before flowering have a lilac tint, but over time their petals become almost white. The most popular variety among gardeners, which is often used in decorative purposes , - canditaft. Its large inflorescences have larger size
than other species, and slightly resemble dahlia flowers.
Rocky Iberis rocky is used for rockeries, borders, mixborders, rocky areas
In nature, this plant species is common in the rocky regions of southern Europe. Stems up to 15 cm high are covered with a large number of light pink or cream flowers already at the end of April. Flowering lasts 1–1.5 months, the most common varieties are Weiss Risen and Tom Tamb.
Umbrella
Iberis umbrella has the most bright colors from all plant varieties
This annual has branched stems that grow 40 cm in height. They are covered with brownish-green smooth bark and small whole leaves. In June, many dense corymbose inflorescences with snow-white fragrant flowers bloom. They bloom for more than two months. The main varieties are red rush and pink dream. Red rush is a subshrub about 30 cm high covered with carmine-red inflorescences. Pink Dream - many small bright pink flowers bloom above the low dark green shoots; this cold-resistant plant can withstand short-term frosts.
Landscape designers use Iberian mainly for edging flower beds and creating alpine slides, but the plant is also well suited for other purposes. Its petals are distinguished by their noble, pastel color palette, therefore goes well with other crops. Iberis looks especially impressive among evergreens dwarf trees and creeping plants. Another universal option that is suitable for any garden is a combination of small Iberis flowers with large bells.
Most species have long been cultivated by humans as ornamental plant, the plant became widespread in the 17th century in central Europe.
Photos of application options in the garden and on the site
Iberis is good in group plantings on rocky slopes, rockeries and alpine roller coaster Inflorescences on tall stems, characteristic of medium-sized varieties, can be cut to make bouquets that last 7–10 days. In some countries, young shoots of Iberis are eaten; they taste sweet and resemble broccoli. In the garden or along paths (paths), plant such a small , but the spectacular plant stands in a clearly visible place. It is desirable that the soil under Iberis have a high calcium content for better growth and further development Iberis effectively decorates the garden and terraces, filling the air around with a pleasant honey aroma. In the garden, as a rule, Iberis is planted on small elevations, for example, it can be a small rocky hill or a flower bed. Iberis blooms so profusely that during this period the plant is compared to clouds or snow Iberis caps - one of the best plants for growing in large open areas
Planting methods
Iberis can be planted with seeds or seedlings - the material for sowing is sold in gardening stores or you can collect it yourself. The best option- grow the plant by sowing in open ground to prevent damage to the seedlings during transplantation, but in regions with late frosts it is better to choose the second option.
Planting seeds in the ground
Iberis is planted in open ground in the second half of April, when spring frosts are behind us. Optimal temperature air temperature is +10–15°C, but soil heating should also be taken into account. If it has not warmed up at all, it is better to wait until the end of the month to plant. To ensure constant flowering, the seeds are planted with a break of 2-3 weeks.
For planting, it is best to choose an area with loamy or rocky soil that is well lit. sun rays and drained - excess moisture is extremely dangerous for the root system of Iberis and can very quickly ruin the entire planting. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Dig holes no more than 10 cm deep at a distance of 12–15 cm from each other - this important condition, since on fertile soils Iberis can grow greatly.
- Distribute the seeds evenly and lightly sprinkle with soil (there is no need to plant the plant too deeply), if necessary, moisten the soil. Different varieties It is better to place Iberians further away from each other, otherwise cross-pollination will occur.
- Wait for the first shoots and thin them out so that the distance between the bushes is 20–25 cm.
If the air temperature is 18–20°C, sprouts will appear within 7–10 days, at an air temperature of about 15°C - after 14–20 days.
Growing seedlings
If all the conditions necessary for the normal growth of Iberis are met, the plant takes root well
The optimal time for planting Iberis seeds for seedlings is mid-March. To do this, you need to take shallow containers and a sand-peat mixture, and then perform the following steps:
- Steam the soil (if necessary) and loosen it well.
- Distribute the seeds over the surface and press slightly to a depth of no more than 1–2 mm; the top can be lightly dusted with clean river sand.
- Cover containers with seeds with glass or polyethylene and place in warm place With good lighting, the temperature should be kept between 15–18°C.
- Crops must be periodically ventilated and moistened, but only with a spray bottle, otherwise the seeds will simply rot. The first shoots should appear in 1–4 weeks.
- After the sprouts appear, the shelter should be removed, and young plants should be hardened off from time to time - taken out into fresh air for a short time.
- Seedlings are planted in an open area after they reach a height of 7 cm - approximately in the middle or end of May. Seedlings should be planted at a distance of 12–15 cm from each other to a sufficient depth, without shaking earthen lump and being careful not to damage the delicate roots.
- After planting the seedlings, the soil around them should be compacted and slightly moistened.
Iberis will begin to bloom only in the second year.
Since the Iberian has a core root system, picking the plant is not recommended, although some gardeners carry out a similar procedure
Video: sowing Iberis seeds
Caring for Iberis in open ground
Iberis is one of the most unpretentious plants that do not require special care or serious expenses.
Moderate watering of plantings is necessary only in intense heat and in the absence of precipitation for a long time - the rest of the time the plants will extract moisture from the lower layers of the soil.
IN regular feeding Iberis also does not need - no more than two times per summer period feed the plantings with complex mineral fertilizers. This is done after the first leaves appear and at the beginning of the flowering period. Fertilizing will have a positive effect on the splendor and abundance of flowers - after fertilizing they become more spectacular. To ensure that the planting looks neat and does not grow too much, it is recommended to regularly cut off the wilted inflorescences.
Iberis leaves are hardly noticeable due to the almost covered inflorescences
Care after flowering
To save aesthetically pleasing After planting, after flowering, it is necessary to trim the stems - at least 1/3 of them are removed. The pods that form in place of the flowers can be collected for seeds. When the plants reach the age of 5–6 years, they need to be replanted, otherwise the inflorescences will become small and sparse, as a result of which the flower bed with Iberis will lose its decorative properties.
Iberis flowers are suitable for cutting; they are often used in floristry
Despite the fact that most varieties of Iberis are frost-resistant plants, in temperate and harsh climates it is better to properly prepare them for winter.
In the southern climate, in the last ten days of autumn, it is enough to add a little compost to the soil around the plantings - it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the bushes will subsequently grow too much.
If Iberis grows in regions with harsh, snowless winters, the plantings should be covered with fallen leaves, spruce branches or dry brushwood sprinkled with a small amount of hay.
Possible problems when growing a flower
As a rule, gardeners do not have problems with growing Iberis, but to do this they need to choose the right site for planting the plant. On too heavy and wet soils, Iberis is affected by fungal diseases. If other plants belonging to the cruciferous family (cabbage, radishes, etc.) previously grew on the site, there is a high probability that a pest called cabbage clubroot lives in the soil. It remains in the soil for a long time and is destructive to the root system, so before planting it is best to treat the area with a fungicidal solution.
After pollination of Iberis, small flattened pods with two valves ripen; inside there are small brown seeds.
Of the pests, Iberis is often affected mealybugs, flea beetles and aphids.
If characteristic damage to the foliage appears, which indicates infection of the plant, it is necessary to immediately treat it with special insecticide preparations.