Potted flowers are even easier to grow than pothos, with both beautiful flowers and foliage, blooming in all four seasons for both ornament and food

Introduction

Green potted plants have become an essential decorative element of home life. Keeping some flowers and plants at home brings many benefits, as they can both beautify the room and delight the mood. "Flower Sound Potted Plant Diary, Issue 1113" introduces you to a flower that combines ornament and food in one.

Today's protagonist

There are not many plants that are both edible and ornamental; honeysuckle and chrysanthemum both count, but they can only be brewed as tea. The flower introduced today is sold in the vegetable section of supermarkets. It is called edible chuanxinlian, edible heart-piercing lotus, and so on, and is commonly used in cold dressed dishes; its flavor is fresh and refreshing, and it is very popular with diners. In fact, this plant is not only edible but also has high ornamental value.

Chuanxinlian

Chuanxinlian is merely a folk name, a name coined by merchants for marketing purposes; it is not the true chuanxinlian. Its real names are Mesembryanthemum, peony spider plant, and so on. It is a perennial herb of the family Aizoaceae and belongs to the succulent plants. It is native to southern Africa, and both its flowers and leaves are beautiful, with very high ornamental value. It has been introduced all over the world, and upon reaching China, it became a food.

Both flowers and leaves are beautiful

The leaves of chuanxinlian are heart-shaped, opposite, thick and emerald green, and in sufficient light they also take on a glossy sheen. It bears small red flowers at the tops of the branches. Red flowers paired with green leaves, both flowers and foliage beautiful, it has high ornamental value and is loved by many flower enthusiasts. It is often grown as a hanging potted plant hung on balconies and elsewhere, with a very good decorative effect. The flowering period is irregular; with sufficient light, it will bloom continuously in all four seasons.

Easy to cultivate

Chuanxinlian is one of the easiest indoor plants to grow. It is tolerant of shade and drought and has low light requirements; a bit of diffused light is enough to meet its flowering needs. Its requirements for fertilizer and water are also low. Its leaves are very thick and store water, so watering once every ten days to half a month is no problem. The recommended care is to water when the potting soil has dried out completely, and otherwise leave it alone; prolonged waterlogging easily causes root rot. It is no problem to say it is even easier to grow than pothos; whoever grows it knows.

Worth getting

Chuanxinlian grows very fast. It is a trailing plant that grows prostrate, and looks even better when grown hanging; it is very easy to make into a flower wall or flower curtain. It can be propagated by stem cuttings, with an extremely high survival rate, and one plant can be divided into many pots in a year. Its drawback is that it is not cold-tolerant, so in northern regions it must be moved indoors for the winter. Keeping a few pots at home allows you both to enjoy them and to pick the leaves as a vegetable; it is very worth having.