Tithonia flower is a luxurious tall, spreading shrub with bright orange flowers that reaches one and a half meters in height. He is a representative of the Astrov family. It has a long flowering period: from the second half of summer until frost. Mexico is considered the birthplace of the plant, so titonia has a second name - Mexican sunflower. Tithonia was brought to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors. In temperate climates it is grown as an annual crop. The flower received its name in honor of the Trojan king Tithon.
Description, main characteristics and growing conditions
Tithonia rotundifolia
Tithonia is considered a hardy and unpretentious plant that feels comfortable in almost any anthropogenic soil and prefers moderate watering. A powerful flower blooms profusely, but does not always need tying up. As for planting, gardeners recommend choosing sunny places, protected from strong gusts of wind. Tropical titonia tolerates hot weather well.
Due to its attractive, lush crown, it is often used in landscape design. The crown can be pyramidal or spherical. The stems have a reddish tint. Quite large leaves below are covered with trichomes (hairs).
Around July, inflorescences begin to appear continuously. The diameter of the basket is 7-9 cm. There is an obvious similarity with dahlia petals. The plant exudes a subtle, pleasant aroma.
Tithonia is unlikely to please with abundant flowering and intensive growth if the weather outside is rainy and cloudy. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, growth slows down and buds stop forming. At the peak of flowering, the plant is strewn with orange, yellow, even red flowers.
It is advisable that the soil is light and loose; ensure good drainage. The abundance of moisture in the soil adversely affects the health of the plant. Tithonia goes well with annual and perennial crops.
Conditions comfortable for Mexican titonia
Like all Mexican plants, titonia is extremely light-loving. It can only be planted in bright sunny areas. This plant will not be afraid of southern locations or the hottest conditions. Moreover, it is in the midst of the heat, in the very sunshine, that Tithonia is usually the most attractive.
Perhaps the only drawback of titonia is its dislike of drafts. This beauty cannot be planted in unprotected areas and in windy places; it needs stable and “quiet” sites. But since titonia is most often used to decorate walls and fences near buildings, there is no need to worry about such capriciousness.
Tithonia also has one more feature: this summer plant does not tolerate too cold and rainy summers. It grows poorly, develops slowly and hardly blooms. But you won't be able to compensate for the vagaries of the weather in bad years by leaving, so be prepared to be disappointed if the weather doesn't cooperate with you.
Tithonia varieties
Tithonia variety "Red Lantern"
To date, breeders have developed more than a dozen varieties of titonia flowers. But the most popular are:
- Fiesta del Sol is a dwarf variety. Miniature bushes, entwined with small orange flowers, do not grow more than 50 cm in height;
- yellow torch - approximately 30 cm higher than Fiesta del Sol. The flowers are yellow;
- red lantern is a large variety that grows up to one and a half meters. At the beginning of flowering, terracotta buds form on the plant;
- torch - has the same height as a red lantern, the width is about 50 cm. Reddish flowers are formed on a bush with red stems.
Flower care
The plant needs moderate watering without waterlogging. They do not have to be regular; their frequency depends on weather conditions, for example, in the absence of precipitation. In dry weather, tithonia is watered once a week, while the soil is well soaked.
A flower planted in a fertile substrate does well without fertilizing. Poor and structureless soil needs enrichment; fertilizers are added three times:
- 30 days after planting the seedlings,
- during the formation of buds
- in the first stages of flowering.
Mulching helps stabilize humidity. Rotted manure or compost are suitable for these purposes. The mulch layer is 6 cm.
Under the influence of strong winds, tall shoots bend and bend. At the first signs of crown deformation, tithonia needs to be tied up. Reliable support for the bush is provided by the circular garter method.
There is no trimming or pinching of the tops. If you follow agrotechnical rules, a strong, healthy and attractive bush will grow on the site. If you regularly remove faded flowers, then Tithonia will delight you with abundant flowering until late autumn, when the thermometer drops below zero.
Reproduction and growing from seeds
Tithonia variety "Torch"
Flower growers advise propagating the plant using seedlings. Due to the long growing season, titonia cannot be placed directly into the soil in the harsh climatic conditions of central Russia and other northern regions. The time for collecting seeds is early autumn (sometimes until October).
As for seed propagation, the seeds are sown in the third ten days of April (they are pre-soaked for 24 hours). Tithonia seeds are germinated in loose soil; they are practically not buried, but lightly pressed and covered with a thin layer of sifted soil. Then the young Tithonia seedlings are watered with a sufficient amount of water.
The boxes are placed in a warm, always bright place. Regular and frequent watering is carried out until the seedlings have several leaves (at least three). For these purposes, use only warm water. Grown seedlings must be covered. Strong seedlings are planted in open ground in late spring or early summer.
The ideal place for the propagation of titonia is a greenhouse or hotbed, which protect fragile plants from the effects of adverse weather conditions.
Growing seedlings
Growing titonia for seedlings is not difficult. In this case, you need to act like this:
Seedlings need to be watered as the soil dries out, since excessive moisture is detrimental to it.
- Initially, you should prepare the seeds for planting. First, they need to be sorted out and set aside for further sowing, only even samples without defects. It is recommended to wrap them in a cloth moistened with a solution of potassium permanganate a few days before planting. This will increase the germination of the plant.
- Next you need to prepare light, fertile soil. It is recommended to pour it into elongated large trays.
- Seeds need to be planted in moist soil, maintaining a distance of 15 cm between them (since the seed of this type is quite large). They are pressed into the bud and then sprinkled with a small amount of soil. Trays with this crop are placed in sunny places with a temperature of at least 18 degrees.
- Water the pots as the soil dries out.
- When the first 4 leaves appear, young plants are planted in separate pots.
After transplanting the seedlings into pots, they must begin to harden them. This is done several weeks before transplanting to open ground. For this purpose, the pots are taken outside every day and left there for an hour. The time the seedlings spend in the fresh air is gradually increased.
Diseases and harmful insects
Tithonia variety "Yellow Lantern"
Tithonia is a resistant crop characterized by strong immunity. The danger is posed by slugs, which become active in damp weather and eat large leaves of the flower.
The main pest is still aphids. It settles on the lower part of the leaf blade. A small insect sucks out the juice, disrupts breathing and affects metabolic processes that determine optimal growth and fruiting. To combat pests, gardeners prepare decoctions with the addition of wormwood, onions, tobacco, pine needles, garlic and red hot pepper. Effective means include soap solution and industrially produced insectoacaricides.
An abundance of moisture is detrimental to the flower, so the soil must be fairly dry. With excess humidity and an abundance of precipitation, rot appears on titonia, which affects the baskets of inflorescences. At the first signs of the disease, the affected flowers and buds are removed, as it rapidly spreads to all parts of titanium, which leads to the death of the flower.
Application in landscape design
Tithonia is a plant that is very widely used in home gardening. So, it can be used:
- For decorating lawns as a background plant.
- For framing front gardens and decorating recreation areas.
- To create an accent on flower beds and flower beds.
- For decorating fences, framing walls, borders.
- As a camouflage for unsightly outbuildings: sheds, compost pits, sewer hatches, etc.
But you can see what conifers look like in landscape design in this video by following the link.
In addition, titonia can be grown in mini-flower beds and used in group plantings as a soloist. It can be used to fill voids in flower beds and be used as a wonderful cutting crop. Tithonia attracts butterflies, so the garden, thanks to these insects, will become even more picturesque. The plant can also be grown in flowerpots on terraces and balconies. But what kinds of fences there are for flower beds, and by what parameters they can be selected, is indicated here in the article.
In the video - tithonia in landscape design:
Tithonia looks best next to the following plants:
- rudbeckia;
- marigolds;
- sage;
- lupine;
- kochia;
- verbena.
The plant also looks great as an independent decorative addition to the garden landscape. Planted at the entrance gate or near the gazebo, it will stand out in an open space, surprising with its picturesqueness.
Use in Tithonia in the landscape
Tithonia in the garden
A bright South American soloist plant stands out from other garden crops. The stately titonia of gigantic proportions will become a real decoration of the local area of a private house. Specialists in the artistic organization of personal plots use tithonia, as it looks advantageous:
- on lawns and next to ground cover plants;
- in front gardens, flower beds, ridges located along fences;
- next to other annual flowers;
- in mixed groups;
- in pots that are placed on balconies and terraces;
- against the backdrop of unsightly hedges and fences.
Tithonia is considered a cut crop: cut flowers will decorate any bouquet or flower arrangement.
Growing tithonia can be done by beginners in gardening. The flower will delight with its attractive appearance if several conditions are met: the right place for planting without drafts and with plenty of sunlight, periodic enrichment of the soil, moderate watering, and regular cutting of faded inflorescences is a must.
Landing
Even a beginner in the field of gardening can cope with planting and caring for Tithonia. The needs of Mexican sunflower are minimal; no special growing conditions are needed.
Landing place
When choosing a place for planting, you should consider two main factors: the plant loves the sun and does not tolerate waterlogging. Therefore, shaded low-lying places are not suitable for planting. A flat area or hillock on the sunny side would be ideal. Shading is destructive for Tithonia, so you should not plant it near tall trees with a lush crown. The plant does not tolerate even moderate winds, and in regions with sharp gusty winds it is necessary to provide protection from its gusts.
The soil
Mexican sunflower has no special soil requirements; it grows well even in poor soils. Advice: in order to reduce future maintenance to a minimum, it is necessary to prepare nutritious soil in advance. When grown on fertile garden soil, it does not need fertilizers. The site is prepared in advance. It should be dug up (preferably twice) and the soil should be allowed to dry. If groundwater is close, drain it and then cover it with fertile garden soil. Immediately before planting, you can add compost and complex mineral fertilizer to the soil.
Landing
Young plants are planted in May-June, after consistently warm weather has established. Individual holes are made in the prepared soil at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other. The sprouts are placed at the usual depth level and dug in.
