What is Monkey Plant?
Monkey Plant, also known as rubber Makoyana , is a permanent plant from the family acanthaceae . The botanical name of the plant ruellia is in honor of French herbalist Jean de la Ruelle. It is usually called a monkey plant, because it seems that its seeds resemble a monkey. Originally from the Brazilian rainforest, where these plants grow naturally as grounding in damp soil and shady conditions, the monkeys are popular as decorative garden plants. They grow well outdoors in well -drained soil and in wet climate and benefit inside house plants in pots and hanging baskets.
Size, Rueelia Makoyana perennials can grow to two feet (0.61 m) high and usually have a spread of about one and a half feet (about 0.46 m). The plant has elliptical or oval leaves that have about three inches (7.62 cm) long and are dark green. The leaves have red veins and are marked with a gray stripe of central ribs.
Flowers are roseare or red and are in the shape of a trumpet with five petals. They resemble petunia, although the monkey plant is not really close to relatives of this kind of plants. Flowers are not fragrant and usually bloom in summer.
Monkey plants are creeping plants, with free branching of the stems that send roots. These types of plants can be spread by cutting and planting rooted stems. It is important to plant the slices of monkey plants in a damp, well -drained soil in an area that receives a full sun. Monkeys are easy to grow and do not require much maintenance.
Adding compost and mulch to the soil and several times fertilization in the vegetation season in the spring and summer will be permanently beneficial for these perennials. They can be fertilized by organic fertilizers, water -soluble fertilizers and contraat -volnage temperature with slow release; The latter are fertilizers that are absorbed into the soil when URs are metČité temperature conditions.
hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to bright flowers of monkeys and may help with their pollination. The pests as spider mites and aphids also consider these plants attractive and can be solved by natural predators such as ladybugs and screwing or by pesticides. Monkey plants are sensitive to rust disease caused by fungi and bright yellow, orange and brown spots appear on the underside of the leaves. Rzi disease is particularly prevailing in excessive motiistic conditions or in rainy weather. If you want to deal with this problem, apply a fungicide, allow a lot of air circulation around the plant and do not perform water at night.