Blue ageratum flowers. Ageratum: planting, growing and care in open ground. Propagation of ageratum by cuttings

Ageratum is a bush-like flowering plant, having triangular, oval or diamond-shaped dark green jagged leaves. The bush consists of many erect branched stems, and the height of the branches varies from 10 to 60 centimeters. Small flowers are collected in inflorescences up to 1.5 cm in diameter, which, in turn, create large corymbose compounds. The flowers are fluffy, somewhat similar to asters.

About sixty species of ageratum are known, and many of them do not require much care. The color palette is very diverse: white, blue, pink, light blue, purple colors and their shades. The difference between ageratum varieties lies in the timing of flowering, the colors of the buds, the height of the bushes and the shape of the leaves. Ageratum is a perennial, but in our latitudes it is often grown as an annual, so below we present to your attention the most popular varieties of this plant with a description, and we can confidently call them the best varieties agertuma.

Did you know? Translated from Latin, "ageratos" means "ageless", the flower received this name due to its ability to maintain freshness after cutting.

The spherical bush has many branched erect stems, covered big amount leaves. Their height does not exceed twenty centimeters. The leaves are diamond-shaped, jagged along the edges. The inflorescences are compact, white, like milk, and the bush blooms from July to October. "Alba" is grown as a container flower or for decorating bouquets. "Alba" is one of the most popular varieties of ageratum.

Important! The flower belongs to poisonous plants, as it contains substances that can cause allergies.

Argentum "Summer Snow" flowers are better known as " white ball"either" white variety argentum". The plant is a close-knit bush with a height of 20 to 45 centimeters, the inflorescences of which have a diameter of up to two centimeters and are located in baskets, white. Flowering occurs densely, and the bushes themselves look like lush balls. The branches of the plant are erect, with a large number of leaves. The flowers look like white fluffy pompoms. Ageratum "Summer Snow" is grown in flowerpots and flower beds, as a separate plant and in composition with other plants.

Did you know? Ageratum came to us from Central America, Peru and Mexico.

Ageratum "Blue mink" is a bush-like compact columnar plant reaching a height of 20-30 cm. There are few leaves on the shoots, but they are large and have round shape. The lilac-blue flowers are collected in compact inflorescences with a diameter of more than two centimeters. Flowering occurs from June to October. Distinctive feature This variety is drought tolerant."Blue Mink" is often used to decorate balconies, terraces, and flower beds.

Important! Ageratum white and pink varieties, planted in open ground lose their color, fading in the sun.

"Fire Pink" is a dark pink, lilac or salmon-colored ageratum with small leaves and loose inflorescences. Baskets with a diameter of 1 centimeter are collected in liquid inflorescences not exceeding 5 centimeters in diameter. The flower bushes are knocked down and reach a height of thirty centimeters.

Blue Lagoon

"Blue Lagoon" has well-branched, erect stems growing no higher than 25 centimeters, abundantly covered with leaves. The color of the spherical inflorescences is light lilac. Plants of this variety are used to form flower beds, flower beds, and also as potted plants - to decorate terraces and gazebos. Flowering begins in June.

"Blue Angel" is a low-growing ageratum, since the height of the variety does not exceed eighteen centimeters. Cushion-shaped bushes, tightly collected. Inflorescences of this variety blue color, spherical and reach a diameter of ten centimeters. Blooms early.

Blue Adriatic

"Blue Adriatic" - ageratum related to hybrid forms, having densely collected stems up to 20 cm high. The bushes look like balls, slightly decomposed. The color of the inflorescences is blue-violet.

"Bavaria" is a two-color variety of ageratum. The height of the bush reaches thirty centimeters. Inflorescences are loose. The center of the inflorescence baskets is light blue, and the thin petals surrounding it are fringed with a bright blue color.

Red Sia

"Red Sia" refers to ageratum hybrids. A distinctive feature of this variety is the size and color of the flowers. The bush blooms before the onset of frost. The shoots are erect with a large number of leaves. The trunk height is up to 60 centimeters, while the bushes do not lose their compactness. Unusual for ageratums is the red color of the flowers. good company in flower beds and flower beds, ageratum can be composed of yellow marigolds or rudbeckia. "Red Sia" refers to late-flowering ageratums.

"Blausternchen" is a low-growing variety of ageratum. The height of compact bushes does not exceed 15 centimeters. Thin ruby ​​stems with a purplish tint, well branched and abundantly covered with leaves. There are few flowers in loose inflorescences and they have a lilac-blue color. Flowering occurs from June to October. The plant does not like drought. Ageratum "Blausternchen" is used as ground cover plant, in flower beds, ridges and borders.

Delicate ageratum is in great demand among gardeners. And this is not surprising, because the plant has an attractive appearance and lush, long flowering. In addition, its unpretentious character is a quality for which ageratum is valued. Planting and care open ground, characteristics of the plant and problems with its cultivation - you will learn this and much more from our material.

Description

Ageratum is an attractive member of the Astrov family. IN natural environment this flower grows in North and Central America, as well as in Eastern India.

Translated from Latin name plant means "ageless". And this name suits ageratum perfectly, because the buds retain their freshness for a long time and attractive appearance even after cutting.

The plant is compact bush arnica, up to 60 cm high. It has emerald green leaves, which, depending on the variety, are triangular, oval and diamond-shaped.

Small flower buds are collected in baskets with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm. They exude pleasant aroma, and are colored white, blue or pink tones. The baskets, in turn, are collected in complex corymbose inflorescences, densely covering the bush and giving it the appearance of a colorful ball.

The flowering period begins in late May - early June, and lasts almost until frost. After the buds, small boxes form on the plant, each of which contains a huge number of seeds. Moreover, the seed remains viable for 3-4 years after collection.

Although ageratum is perennial plant, in our climatic conditions it is grown as an annual. The flower gets along with other plants, and is used in creating compositions with other crops. The best “neighbors” are marigolds, calendula and snapdragons.

Flower varieties

There are 60 plant species in nature. In addition, breeders have developed many varieties of ageratum. The following varieties have gained popularity among gardeners:

• Blueball. The compact hemispherical bush reaches 20 cm in height. It is densely covered with slightly pubescent shoots. The inflorescences are collected in baskets with a diameter of 6 cm. The color of the petals is bluish-lilac.
• Alba. This white ageratum is valued for its unpretentious nature and the milky-snowy shade of its petals. A miniature, spherical bush reaches 20 cm in height. The inflorescences emit a strong, pleasant aroma.
• Ageratum blue mink. The flowers of the variety are painted a rich soft blue hue. They are collected in dense inflorescences with a diameter of 6-8 cm, which densely cover a compact, spherical bush 25 cm high. The baskets are very fluffy, in appearance they resemble mink fur, which is how the name of the variety came about.
• Pink fields (Purple Fields). The hybrid variety has an unusual purple petals. The spherical bushes of the plant reach 30 cm in diameter and 25 cm in height. The inflorescences cover the plants so densely that the foliage of the crop is practically invisible.
• Red Sea. A variety with rich purple-red and ruby ​​inflorescences. The shrub reaches 40 cm in height. It blooms at the end of May, and pleases with its numerous buds until frost. Suitable for cutting.
• Bavaria. This ageratum is distinguished by its bicolor petals. In the central part they are painted white. And at the edges their color takes on a rich blue color. The shrub reaches 30 cm in height.

Ageratums - flowers for the garden that will become a decoration personal plot. In addition, they are unpretentious, and even a novice gardener can grow them.

Growing a plant

There are two ways to propagate ageratum - growing from seeds and cuttings. First, let's look at the first method. Since the plant is heat-loving, it needs to be grown seedling method. Keep in mind that 2-2.5 months will pass between sowing and planting seedlings in open ground. Therefore, work should begin in mid-to-late March.

As for the soil, store-bought is suitable for growing ageratum from seeds. peat mixture. Or make your own soil. To do this, mix in equal proportions:

• peat;
• sand;
• humus.

Be sure to disinfect the soil before planting ageratum. To do this, pour boiling water over the soil, then spread the soil in a 5-centimeter layer on a baking sheet. Heat for 20-30 minutes at a temperature of 70-90 °C.

In addition, soil can be disinfected using steam bath. To do this, prepare large capacity and lay an iron grate or bricks on the bottom. Pour water below the level of the stones. Pour the soil into a canvas bag and place it on the stand. Steam the soil in a steam bath for 1.5-2 hours.

We grow seedlings

Flower seeds do not need preparation. But still, before sowing, keep them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect the material from bacteria and fungi. How to sow:

1. Pour soil into the boxes.
2. Mix the seeds with sand. This will help distribute the material evenly over the soil surface.
3. Scatter the flower seeds. But do not cover them with soil, but lightly press them to the ground.
4. Spray the planting with water from a spray bottle.
5. Cover your crops plastic film or glass.
6. Place the greenhouse in a warm place.

For seeds to germinate, they need to create comfortable conditions.

Seedling care

At the stage of seed germination, it is important for crops to provide high humidity. To do this, do not allow the earthen ball to dry out and spray the soil daily with a spray bottle. In addition, it is recommended to keep the greenhouse in a room with a temperature of 20-25 °C. Do not forget to ventilate the seedlings daily and remove condensation from the glass.

As soon as the sprouts hatch, which happens in the second week after planting, reduce the humidity, remove the glass or film and move the planting to a well-lit place.

During this period, it is advisable to maintain low humidity (25%). But it is not recommended to allow the soil to dry out, so periodically spray the seedlings with a spray bottle.

After two pairs of leaves appear on the seedlings, pick up the plants and transplant them into separate cups. There is no need to delay this event. After all, if the sprouts begin to interfere with each other, then in the future this will affect the appearance of the bushes.

At this time, it is recommended to feed the sprouts, because the lack of nitrogen and minerals will affect their strength and growth. For these purposes use complex preparations. But in no case exceed the dosage - this will have a bad effect on the future flowering of crops.

Two weeks before planting seedlings in open ground, begin to harden the seedlings. To do this, take the seedlings to Fresh air for a couple of hours. But avoid this activity when it gets cold.

When to plant ageratum in open ground? The best time it will be the end of May. You can plant earlier, but only if the risk of morning frosts disappears.

Selecting a location

Ageratum is a flower that prefers well-lit places. And with the slightest shadow, the shoots of the plant become very elongated and the bush itself loses its compact ball shape. Take this into account when choosing a location for your flower garden.

As for the soil, light loams and sandy loams with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction are preferred for the crop. Don't plant flowers too long fertile land. Here the plant will produce a lot of leaves and shoots, but it is difficult to achieve lush and friendly flowering from it.

The plant does not like stagnation of moisture at the roots, so you should not choose wetlands and lowlands for your flower garden. In this case root system the culture will rot.

Ageratum: planting and care in open ground

The plant is planted using the transshipment method. It is recommended to maintain a distance of 20-25 cm between tall varieties; 15 cm is enough for dwarf varieties. How to plant seedlings:

1. Dig holes, the depth of which is 2-3 cm greater than the volume of the earthen ball of seedlings.
2. Moisten the soil and transplant the seedlings along with the earthen ball into the holes.
3. Fill the voids with soil and compact lightly.
4. Water the planting again and mulch the soil surface with peat.

When planting seedlings, never use fresh manure. This will lead to intensive growth of shoots and leaves. In this case, the buds will appear late, and there will be few flower stalks on the plant.

Cultivation care

Ageratum flower - unpretentious plant. But this does not mean that he does not need attention at all. To achieve long-lasting and consistent flowering, provide the crop with proper care, consisting of:

• regular watering;
• feeding;
• loosening the soil;
• trimmings.

Watering

The ageratum flower tolerates drought well and has a negative attitude towards waterlogging. Therefore, it is recommended to water the crop after it dries out. upper layer soil.

Please note that flowers growing on light sandy loam soils require frequent moisture. But if the plants “live” in heavy loams, then they should be watered much less frequently.

Top dressing

To achieve long-lasting flowering, do not forget to fertilize the plant. Please note that preparations containing nitrogen cannot be used for ageratum. Therefore, use phosphorus and potassium complex compounds. It is recommended to feed the flower twice a season:

• Apply the first application of fertilizer a week after planting ageratum in open ground.
• Feed the crops a second time when the buds develop.

If the color of the leaves and inflorescences has faded, fertilize the plant a third time. But use complex mineral preparations for this.

Trimming

Be sure to remove spent shoots. This will improve appearance plants. In addition, removing dead branches stimulates the appearance of new flower stalks. To prevent the branches from stretching, perform formative pruning. To do this, leave several internodes on the bush. Then the culture will take the shape of a ball.

Loosening the soil

Carry out this activity after each watering. Then you will provide air access to the roots of the plant. This will protect the culture from diseases.

Propagation by cuttings

In the fall, choose the strongest one and beautiful bush, transplant it into a pot and bring it indoors. Of course, you will not be able to achieve flowering from the crop at home. But in the spring you will have something to cut green cuttings for further rooting.

After replanting, keep the ageratum flower in a cool place. This will reduce the stress of the procedure. In the future, place the plant in a well-lit place and provide the crop with moderate watering. Once a month, feed the flower with complex mineral fertilizer. But apply only a quarter of the dose indicated on the package.

Start cuttings 1.5 months before planting the crop in How to carry out the event:

1. Cut the shoots 10-15 cm long. Make the lower cut at an oblique angle.
2. Moisten the substrate and make holes in the soil with a pencil.
3. Treat the cuttings with Kornevin and bury them in the soil.
4. Cover the seedlings glass jars or circumcised plastic bottles.
5. Place the plants in a bright place with a temperature of 20-22 °C.

Provide the cuttings with regular watering and ventilation for 3 weeks. After the shoots take root, remove the greenhouse. A month later, when new branches appear on the cuttings, transplant the plants into open ground.

Diseases and pests

Ageratum is endowed with strong immunity. But if there is insufficient care or violation of the rules of agricultural technology, this flower can get sick. Most often, flower growers encounter gray rot. This disease is treated with Bordeaux mixture.

The situation is much worse if the plant is affected by root rot. The disease is incurable, so at the first sign, destroy the affected bush. In addition, be sure to remove the soil in which the crop grew, because it still contains pathogens that can infect other plants.

The flower is often attacked by whitefly - a butterfly similar to a moth. To destroy the pest, treat the bush with Aktara or Tanrek insecticides. No less dangerous for ageratum spider mite. Recognize harmful insect you can use the thin web that entwines the plants. For treatment, use acaricides “Akarin” or “Nissoran”.

The Asteraceae family includes many beautiful plants, among which is Ageratum. So unusual name I got the flower because of its characteristics; this plant blooms for a very long time, starting from June and ending with the first frost. Translated from Latin the word ageratos Means ageless. Gardeners have already fallen in love with it and this is not surprising, because the plant has an unusually beautiful appearance and is suitable for decorating not only lawns and flower beds, but also balconies. More information about growing ageratum from seeds will be discussed in this article.

Peru is considered the birthplace of ageratum. This is a perennial plant reaching a height of 20-60 cm. Thanks to its unusual properties, ageratum can delight gardeners with its flowering for a long time, it’s not for nothing that it is popularly called “long-flowered.”

The plant is used in landscape design, so most often it can be seen in gardens country houses. Flowering until the coldest weather and its beautiful appearance have made the long-flowered plant an obligatory guest at various flower exhibitions. The inflorescences have a pleasant aroma that does not disappear for a long time, just like the pristine beauty of the flowers. What makes ageratum decorative is that its style and stigma are slightly longer than the corolla of the flower. The diameter of the baskets reaches 1.5 cm, and they, in turn, form large inflorescences (up to 12 cm), which evenly cover the entire plant.

On a note! The shape of the leaves, depending on the ageratum variety, may vary. Most often, there are plant varieties with oval leaves, the edges of which have denticles. Ripe fruits contain a huge number of seeds (at least 6,000 seeds per 1 g). The seeds are unpretentious, so they can germinate even after several years of ripening.

Popular plant varieties

There are more than 70 various types plants that differ from each other in their decorative characteristics (shades of flowers, flowering time, height of the bush, and so on). But not all are used in gardening. Let's look at the most common varieties.

Table. Popular varieties of ageratum.

Sowing time

If you decide to grow ageratum seedlings, then you need to understand that the period between sowing the seeds and the first flowering is at least 60 days. Because this heat-loving plant, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of occurrence spring frosts at the time of planting seedlings in the soil. Even slight cold snaps can have a negative impact on the flower - this must be taken into account.

On a note! Having carried out simple mathematical calculations, it is not difficult to guess that mid-March is considered the most optimal period for sowing ageratum seeds. Of course, you can sow the seeds at a later period, but this will delay the beginning of flowering a little.

Growing from seeds

Ageratum is a perennial plant, but in our conditions there is no need for its long-term use. Propagation can be carried out in two ways - cuttings and seeds, but, having finally weighed the pros and cons, flower growers usually settle on the second method.

On a note! The development cycle of ageratum is accelerated, which distinguishes the plant from its “colleagues”. Thanks to this feature, it is possible to move the sowing period to April-May.

Like any plant, ageratum loves nutritious soil. IN in this case it is better to use slightly acidic or neutral soil, so if you decide to prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing humus, lime and garden soil, do not forget to add a little - this will reduce the acidity of the soil. Also, do not add too much humus, since its excess will have a bad effect on flowering, making it more sparse.

This all applies only to soil prepared with one’s own hands. Few gardeners do this. It will be much easier to purchase ready soil for flowers in the store, what to do with preparing it.

Nutritious universal soil for vegetables and flowers

Sowing seeds

Step 1. Fill the seedling container (in this case a container) with the soil mixture about 80%. If you want to grow several varieties of ageratum at once, it is better to take a separate container for each of them.

Step 2. Place the seeds from the bag onto a plate. There is no need to use everything, since the seeds are very small and there are quite a lot of them. Half the contents of the package for one container is quite enough. Preliminary preparation there is no need to carry out seeding.

Seeds are poured onto a plate

Step 3. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil. They have a long shape, so you can easily notice if they have accumulated 5-6 pieces in any place. Use a regular toothpick to push the seeds away from each other. This will be much faster than removing the seedlings later.

Step 4. During the growing process, monitor the soil moisture. At an early stage, humidity can be preserved by placing the container in a special container with a hole made. If you do not provide the seeds with enough moisture, the plant will die in almost all cases.

Step 5. Place the seed container on a windowsill with sunny side. If all are met the necessary conditions for seed germination, you will soon get such friendly shoots.

Transplantation into open ground

In the second half of May, having chosen a clear and warm week (having looked at the weather forecast in advance), begin transplanting plant seedlings in open ground. Place the seedlings in the previously prepared holes, and fill the remaining space with soil, which must be slightly (but not heavily) compacted. The distance between low-growing varieties of ageratum should be no more than 15 cm, between tall ones - up to 25 cm.

On a note! The area where you plant the plants should be sunny, since even slight shading can cause the shoots to stretch. As a result, the flowering intensity decreases. Even though the bulk of the work is behind you, you still have work to do. It's about about caring for ageratum.

Aftercare

Although the plant is considered unpretentious and does not require care, you still need to pay attention to it. But the labor and time spent will not go in vain. As a result, you will be rewarded with lush and vibrant flowering of ageratum.

Top dressing

For feeding you can use not only minerals, but also organic fertilizers. Gardeners also prefer to apply complex fertilizers. This should be done every 3 weeks, and the first fertilizing should be carried out using the minimum dosage of fertilizers. Otherwise, flowering may slow down due to their excess. It is highly not recommended to use manure to fertilize the soil, because it can destroy the ageratum.

Watering

The root system of this plant is very developed, which allows the ageratum to extract required quantity moisture from the soil. Therefore, water regularly - every 3 weeks, but at least once a month. During hot periods, the frequency of watering, as well as the amount of water used, can be slightly increased.

Pruning ageratum

To obtain lush and beautiful bushes, it is necessary to periodically trim the ageratum. Leave no more than 4 internodes when pruning to speed up plant development. Before the first frost, you can transplant the flowers into separate pots and grow them in greenhouses or at home. Proper care will allow you to enjoy beautiful flowers throughout the winter.

On a note! With the onset of spring, the bushes can be replanted in open ground or the plants can be cut into cuttings, thus rejuvenating them.

Loosening the soil

Regular watering and fertilizing are not the only things that need to be done when growing ageratum. The soil around the plants must be loosened regularly. Since this flower likes to grow in airy soil, this procedure will improve its growth. When loosening, be sure to remove all weeds, as they inhibit the growth of the plant. After completing the next weeding, mulch the soil. This will prevent excessive evaporation of moisture.

Disease and pest control

Like most ornamental plants, ageratum can be exposed various diseases, the most common of which include root rot. Neglect preventive measures will lead to rotting and, as a result, death of the plant. To prevent this from happening, you need to pay attention to the intensity of watering and periodically loosen the soil. Ageratum may also be affected cucumber mosaic, which is also the result of non-compliance with the rules of care.

Seedlings that are still indoors or in a greenhouse must be protected from whiteflies. If these pests do appear, it is imperative to remove the damaged plants and treat the flowers themselves with insecticides. Carry out treatment until all insects are completely destroyed. Over time, when you transplant seedlings into open ground in a flower bed, nematodes or cutworms may encroach on the plants. In this case, you also need to use special means for processing. And remember that correct and conscientious adherence to the rules of agricultural technology will protect your plants from such troubles.

Decorative uses

As noted earlier, ageratum is of great value for landscaping and decorating areas. This is due to long flowering, unpretentiousness and color diversity. This combination is quite rare among ground cover ornamental plants.

Low-growing varieties of ageratum are ideal for decorating balconies, loggias or borders, and tall plants Can be grown for later cutting. If we talk about combination with other colors, then blue varieties ageratum will look great with eschscholzia, zinnia and marigold. In other words, any unpretentious flowers yellow shades.

Video - Germination of ageratum seeds

Ageratum is one of the most “fluffy” herbaceous perennials, which does not have any particularly spectacular greenery or graceful lines, but during the flowering period it captivates with a unique foam of flowers similar to soft pompoms in fairly dense inflorescences. The stems are numerous, highly branched, erect or erect, pubescent, 10-50 cm tall.

This flower has a number of qualities that are valuable in landscaping: it has a powerful root system, which allows it to withstand overheating of the soil and its drying out in the summer; it blooms for a long time, right up to frost. In addition to growing in flower beds (especially parterres), the plant looks good on sunny balconies, in above-ground containers. It is rarely used as a cut, although it has a sweet, pleasant aroma and tall varieties make it attractive for bouquets.

Growing ageratum from seeds

Ageratum is grown mainly from seeds, but it is also possible vegetative propagation by cuttings. The seeds are quite small (6–7 thousand per 1 g), they remain viable for 3–4 years. Sowing is carried out with both regular and granulated seeds.

To germinate seeds, use a sufficiently moist, light and nutritious substrate, but without excess moisture, pH 5.5–6.5. For pellet seeds, the soil needs to be moister than for regular seeds.

Seeds are sown in March or early April in greenhouses or boxes, without deepening the seeds. The seedlings usually hatch after two weeks, after emergence they are allowed to grow for about 3 weeks and then dived into greenhouses or boxes on a slightly larger

Growing seedlings in cassettes.

distance from each other.

When growing ageratum seedlings, double picking is desirable.. The seedlings do not tolerate dampness. Watering should be done in the morning, and greenhouses should be ventilated frequently. 10-14 days before planting the seedlings, the frames from the greenhouses are removed and covered again only if there is a threat of frost. They are planted in open ground after the end of spring frosts, maintaining a distance of 15-20 cm between plants when planting. Plants bloom 60-70 days after emergence.

Planting and caring for ageratum in open ground

What soil is best to grow in? It grows quickly and develops well on light, neutral, nutritious soils; on too rich soil it develops a large vegetative mass, and the flowering intensity decreases. Does not tolerate raw rocky soils!

When to plant ageratum. Ageratum cannot withstand frosts, even light ones. Therefore in middle lane it is planted in open ground only at the end of May or at the beginning of June, when there is no need to be afraid of them.

The flower usually tolerates transplantation painlessly, as long as the young plants have enough moisture, heat and light during the rooting period. In order to preserve both the first and second, it is advisable to mulch the soil around the plants with peat or humus after planting: water from its surface will evaporate more slowly, and in the event of unexpected frosts, only the top of the plant will die (new shoots will soon begin to grow from the lower part).

Landing scheme. The planting density depends on the variety and type of flower garden. Tall varieties, for example, are planted at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other, and compact, low-growing hybrids - at a distance of 10 cm.

Care: plentiful, but not overwatering, easily tolerates haircuts and pruning, after which it quickly grows back and blooms profusely again; The plant is heat-loving and is damaged even by minor frosts. Regular weeding and loosening. Always cut off faded inflorescences.

Gardeners have the opportunity to grow numerous new varieties of ageratum. Currently, varieties and F1 hybrids differ in inflorescence color, compactness, leaf size and, most importantly, plant height. According to this indicator, they are conventionally divided into 3 groups: short (15–25 cm), medium tall (26–40 cm) and tall (more than 40 cm).

short

F1 Hawaii Series. Very compact (12–15 cm) leveled plants. The inflorescences are white, blue, blue, purple and violet, flowering very early. The series is suitable for early growing in cassettes.
F1 Neptune Blue. The plants are compact (20–25 cm high), the leaves are large, the inflorescences are blue.
F1 Pearl Blue. Compact, well-branched plants 15–20 cm high and 30 cm wide. The leaves are dark green, the inflorescences are blue. Particularly suitable for early growing and flowering in cassettes.

Medium height
F1 High Tide Series. Powerful semi-compact plants 35–40 cm high and 30 cm wide, branch well in seedlings. Inflorescences blue and white.
F1 Leilani Blue. Powerful, well-branched, semi-compact plants 40–45 cm high and 40 cm wide. The leaves are dark green, the inflorescences are light blue.

Tall
F1 Horizon Blue. Plants are 45–55 cm high (according to some catalogs up to 70 cm), powerful, well branched. The inflorescences are large, purple-blue; Flowering later, abundant. Suitable for growing in pots with a diameter of 10–15 cm, as well as for cutting.
F1 Red Sea. Powerful plants 50–55 cm high with dark green leaves. Flowering later, inflorescences dark purple. Suitable for growing in pots and for cutting.

Ageratum in the garden photo

Originally from Central and North America. The ageratum flower got its name from the Latin “ageratos”, which means “ageless”, but in our country its other name has taken root – “long-flowered”. This quite accurately describes the plant, because the flowering of ageratum begins in June and lasts until the first frost, and tall varieties, actively used in floristry, are able to maintain freshness for a very long time when cut without additional care.

Ageratum grows and branches well, so landscape design it is used to create hedges and borders, the branches and stems of which, intertwined, create a monolithic green fence. It is grown primarily for its fluffy flowers, reminiscent of pompoms, which are collected in dense inflorescences. The palette is most often shades of blue, but there are varieties of white, pink, red and burgundy; when planted en masse, it forms an almost continuous flowering “carpet.”

Ageratum is often planted along the edges of flowerbeds with zinnia, cosmos, cleome, verbena, where it will look bright as a beautiful lush spot. Ageratum also goes well with marigolds, evening primrose, balsams, calendula, snapdragon, asters and roses. It is often used to simulate a dry stream or pond in an area.

Advice! Together with marigolds, it is good to plant it at the roots clematis, they will create the coolness necessary for the clematis roots.

It is also used in single plantings; it will look especially impressive against the backdrop of a well-groomed, uniform green lawn. Low growing varieties ageratum tolerate growing in flowerpots well, so they are often used for decorating balconies, decorations patio, gazebos, recreation areas and entrance areas.

Ageratum: types and varieties

Despite the fact that ageratum is a perennial, in our climatic conditions it is grown as an annual. For the same reason, of the more than 50 different types of ageratum, only a few species can be grown.

Ageratum mexicanis

Another name is Houston's ageratum, a plant with numerous erect, highly branched stems, reaching a height (depending on the variety) from 10 to 50 cm. The leaves are oval, rhombic or oval, jagged along the edge, rough. The flowers are fragrant, narrow-tubular, small, collected in small (1-1.5 cm in diameter) inflorescences of the basket. In turn, these basket inflorescences are collected into complex corymbose inflorescences reaching up to 10 cm in diameter. Many varieties differ in shades of flowers, flowering times and bush height, the most popular are:

• Alba is a compact, only about 20 cm high, spherical bush with white dense inflorescences

• Blau Kappe is a low (20-30 cm) compact hemispherical bush with densely pubescent dark green shoots. The inflorescences are medium-sized (5-6 cm in diameter), loose, with short stigmas, lilac-blue. Late variety - flowering begins at the end of June and lasts until October

• Blausternchen is a very low (10-15 cm) compact bush with thin, densely pubescent, dark green shoots with a slight purple bloom. The inflorescences are few-flowered, loose, the baskets are small (up to 1 cm in diameter), blue with a characteristic lilac shade, in buds - dark purple. Early variety, flowering begins in early June and lasts until October, requires watering

• Blue Mink is a low (25-30 cm) columnar compact bush with thick, weakly leafy, strong shoots. The inflorescences are large (up to 2.1 cm in diameter), dense, lilac-blue. Drought resistant. According to flowering time - medium grade, flowering begins in mid-June and continues until October.

Ageratum blue

Another name is “Blue Mink”, this variety received because of the specific shade of the flowers - pale blue, similar to mink fur. This is a low (up to 25 cm) bush with large (5-8 cm) inflorescences that cover the plant almost completely.