How to grow the butterfly flower? Detailed planting methods and precautions

Butterfly flower - upon hearing this name, do those of you who are unfamiliar with it think it is a butterfly? Actually, the butterfly flower is a flowering plant, named because when it blooms, the flowers sway in the breeze and look very much like dancing butterflies. It not only has high ornamental value, but the entire plant can be used as medicine, making it a relatively important type of Chinese medicinal herb. Are you eager to learn how to grow it?

How to grow the butterfly flower

1. Temperature requirements

The suitable cultivation temperature is 25-28°C during the day. The also seen temperature is 18-20°C, and at night the seedlings should be raised to around 23°C. In such a temperature environment, the butterfly flower is almost in a growth state all year round, especially the seedlings grow rapidly; seedlings removed from test tubes can bloom in about 1-2 years.

2. Humidity requirements

The native habitat of the butterfly flower has relatively high humidity, so when cultivating the butterfly flower, an environment with high air humidity must be created. Generally speaking, the humidity should be maintained at 60-80% throughout the year. In the vast northern regions, the climate is dry in spring, autumn and winter, so efforts must be made to increase the air humidity of the cultivation environment. This can be done by sprinkling water on the ground, benches, walls and other places several times a day, or by lightly moistening the plant leaves to increase the humidity of the local environment.

3. Light requirements

When cultivating the butterfly flower, remember to avoid strong light exposure, and there should be good shading conditions. Although the leaves of the butterfly flower are broad and thick, and store abundant water, the cuticle layer and drought-resistant structure on the leaf surface are relatively poor, so once exposed to direct sunlight, more water is lost, or if it is not replenished in time, the leaves are very prone to sunscald.

Butterfly flower planting methods and precautions

1. Planting methods

1. Sowing

Sowing in September in autumn is best. Each gram contains 700 seeds. The suitable germination temperature is 13°C to 16°C. After sowing, they germinate in 12-15 days, and from sowing to flowering takes about 100-110 days.

2. Cuttings

Carried out in May-June, cut off the shoots sprouting from the base of the plant, insert them into peat, keep the air moist, and they take root 15-20 days after cuttings, with a high survival rate.

3. Division

Often carried out after flowering. Cut off side branches with adventitious roots or new rooted shoots sprouting from the rhizome area, which can be directly potted and placed in a semi-shaded place to recover.

2. Precautions

1. Temperature

The suitable germination temperature for the butterfly flower is 18-21°C, germination occurs in 7-10 days under dark conditions, the growth temperature is 10-13°C, and flowering occurs 14-15 weeks after sowing. If the temperature is too high during sowing, it will affect seed germination and seedling growth, resulting in an excessively low seedling rate.

2. Light

After sowing the butterfly flower, cover the seeds with vermiculite, keep the soil temperature at 18-24°C, keep the medium moist, and no light is needed before the radicle grows out. Generally, seedlings emerge in 7-14 days.

3. Watering

Before watering, let the soil dry out, but avoid permanent wilting of the plant, as this is beneficial for root growth. The soil pH should be maintained at 5.5-5.8, and alternate application of some N fertilizer or potassium nitrate fertilizer.

Efficacy and effects of the butterfly flower

1. Chinese medicinal herb

The butterfly flower is a natural Chinese medicinal herb that is bitter in taste and cold in nature. Its greatest efficacy is that it can detoxify and reduce swelling, and it also has a certain effect on pain relief. It is usually used to treat hepatitis, liver function and a variety of common stomach diseases. In addition, the butterfly flower also has the effect of promoting digestion and treating food accumulation, toothache and constipation.

2. Aid digestion

The butterfly flower can treat conditions such as food accumulation, qi accumulation and blood accumulation. The specific usage is to dry the roots of the butterfly flower together with Chinese medicinal herbs such as the root of the stink grass, make them into powder, and then consume it with white liquor.

3. Invigorate blood and resolve stasis

The butterfly flower has a clear therapeutic effect on treating knee swelling. You can decoct 30 grams of butterfly flower roots in water and take it, or cut 3 grams of fresh butterfly flower roots into thin strips and eat them together with rice soup.

4. Reduce inflammation and relieve pain

The butterfly flower also has the effect of treating toothache. When treating, you can prepare one green-shelled duck egg and cook it together with the butterfly flower and water. After cooking, consume all the soup and the duck egg, and the toothache symptoms can disappear, and other symptoms of oral heat also noticeably lessen.

What to do if the butterfly flower has root rot

1. Pot soil selection

When choosing pot soil, first choose a loose, airy and water-permeable substrate. For example, peat mixed with perlite, peat mixed with pine needles, moss, etc. are all acceptable. Use organic fertilizer as base fertilizer.

2. Appropriate watering

Keep the pot soil moist, but it must not become waterlogged. Waterlogging is the main cause of root rot. Observe carefully. If after watering, the water does not seep down for a long time, it means the pot soil has been used for a long time and its density has increased, so the soil should be changed quickly to avoid root rot. Once root rot occurs, you can tip out the pot soil and break it apart, rinse the roots clean with clean water, cut off the rotten roots, and retain as much of the intact part as possible.

3. Pruning and disinfection, repotting and changing soil

When the root rot of the plant is relatively serious, take the plant out of the pot, clean off the soil from the roots, then remove the rotten parts of the roots, soak the cut wounds and remaining roots in a 2‰ potassium permanganate solution for 10 minutes, let them dry, then smear the cut wounds well with plant ash, and it can be repotted. The pot soil must be disinfected. You can pour boiling water thoroughly through the pot soil, let it cool, and then use it.

When repotting, press the rhizome part firm, water thoroughly, place it in a shaded place, cover it with a film, keep the temperature at around 20°C, and new roots can grow in about 20 days.

When does the butterfly flower bloom

The flowering period of the butterfly flower is relatively long. Generally, it blooms from late winter to spring, and the peak flowering period is in April——May each year.

The flowering form of the butterfly flower

The butterfly flower is a perennial herbaceous plant. The plant is not tall, but the flowers are very beautiful. The flower colors of the butterfly flower are rich and varied, with colors such as white, yellow, light purple, etc., making it look like one beautiful butterfly after another.

The butterfly flower likes a cool and ventilated environment. When planting, gardening enthusiasts should pay more attention to controlling the temperature and humidity environment suitable for its growth, as mentioned above. The butterfly flower has high ornamental value, and also has the medicinal value of reducing inflammation, relieving pain, invigorating blood and resolving stasis. Those in need should get moving right away.