Lychnis maltese cross planting and care in the open field

The variety of shapes and brightness of the petals of the lychnis inflorescence is simply amazing. This plant is equally loved by experienced designers and novice gardeners. The article describes in detail lychnis, planting and caring for it in the open field, provides a description of the plant, lists the most popular varieties, features of reproduction, cultivation, shows popular combinations with other plants in landscape design. The article is illustrated with high-quality photos.

Description of lychnis: varieties and varieties

Adonis, dawn - folk names of lychnis, very accurately conveying the main feature of this flower. Lychnis is immediately noticeable in any flower bed: a bright flower is simply striking. Lychnis stems are straight, from 30 cm to 1 m in height, depending on the type of plant, of an unusual ash color with a few lance-shaped leaves. Inflorescences are usually white, pink or red.

Lychnis bloom

Perennial flowering lasts about a month, and if you remove dried flowers on time, you can lengthen the specified period by several more weeks. Another feature of the plant is soapiness (rhizome, petals can wash), therefore lychnis is also popularly called "Tatar soap" or "soap dish".

Lychnis, planting and caring for it are not particularly difficult, therefore the flower is recommended as one of the first for growing by inexperienced gardeners.

The genus Lychnis contains more than 30 species of plants, both annual and perennial, but 10 species are most widespread in landscape design, including crown lychnis, chalcedony, alpine, and Viscaria.

Chalcedony Lychnis - perennial up to 1 meter high with a straight stem. The leaves are oval or lanceolate, dotted with the smallest hairs. The flowers are small (up to 1 cm), combined in inflorescences in the form of a cap, white, red or pink.

Likhnis of Chalcedony

Crowned lychnis - perennial with densely branched stems of dark ash-gray color. Reaches a height of 80-90 cm. It blooms in late spring - early summer and blooms until late autumn. Inflorescences racemose pink, white or bright crimson. Inflorescences are solitary, densely arranged on the stems. The most common in the open field are "Angela Blanche" (a bush with large purple-crimson, white, dark pink inflorescences), "Mysterious Island" (the flowers have white edges, pinkish core).

Lychnis crown

Unlike the two previous types, alpine lychnis - a low (up to 20 cm) shrub, often used in landscape design when decorating rocky hills, rockeries. This type of lychnis is quite simple to plant and care for, but it should be remembered that it is distinguished by intolerance to acidic soil. Propagated by seeds. In outdoor gardening, the Lara variety is grown with pale pink inflorescences.

Lychnis alpine

Lichnis Viscaria grows up to one meter in height, differs in a special shade of stems - they are purple. Paniculate inflorescence with crystal white, bright crimson or pinkish petals. Blooms in spring (late May) and blooms throughout June and July. The cultivation of Lychnis Viscaria is recommended on loose, moist soils. The photo shows the "Rosetta" variety with bright crimson terry inflorescences.

Lychnis viskaria

Lichnis Haage - a compact bush, grows up to 40-50 cm, bred by breeders as a garden hybrid. Differs in bright red or bright orange inflorescences, collected in a brush. The petals of the "Hot Lava" variety are painted in bright bloody tones.

Lichnis haage

Lychnis Jupiter forms loose bushes, stem height about 80 cm, pubescent with white hairs. Inflorescences are light purple. It is advisable to rejuvenate the bush every 4 years.

Lychnis of Jupiter

Lichnis planting

The successful cultivation of lychnis is directly dependent on the conditions for planting it outdoors and ensuring proper care.
Lychnis can grow in partial shade, but its full potential is revealed when planting on the sunny side, then the inflorescences acquire a greater volume, become more magnificent and brighter. Lychnis is frost-resistant, does not require shelter for wintering.

Attention: A perennial shrub can grow in one place for more than 5 years.

Suitable soil for lychnis is moistened, containing sand (at the rate of 1 bucket of coarse sand per 1 square meter of the area allotted for growing a plant). The soil should be in a loosened state, well drained to avoid stagnant water and the death of shrubs. Approximately a month before planting lychnis, it is recommended to prepare the soil for it: dig up the soil, while adding potassium magnesium (about 40 g per 1 square meter), superphosphate (50 g), 10 kg of humus (compost).

Plant lychnis on the sunny side of the site

Lychnis care

Lychnis, like many other perennials, is quite easy to care for. It is necessary to water it on time in moderation, mulch, fertilize, feed, cut off dried inflorescences and shoots.

Advice: do not flood the flower with water and allow the soil under it to become waterlogged, moisture stagnant in the open field. Lychnis roots will start to rot and the plant may die.

Watering lychnis should be moderate - as the soil dries up

Lichnis should be cut off in autumn (all stems are almost at the root). There is no need to shelter a perennial for the winter. The shrub needs replanting every 5 years.

Fertilization and feeding

Cultivation of lychnis is not difficult, but the plant should be provided with the necessary minerals, applying mineral fertilizers 2-3 times during the growing season. For the first time, the perennial should be fed during the period of active growth, but before flowering, by preparing a solution of potassium sulfate, carbamide, superphosphate (take one tablespoon per bucket of water). Water the plant at the rate of 3 liters of solution per 1 square meter of area.

Lychnis are fed with mineral fertilizers

During flowering, a different solution is used for fertilization, which includes superphosphate, potassium sulfate, Agricola 7 - all 1 tablespoon each. Dilute in 10 liters of clean water and water, spending up to 5 liters of fertilizer per square meter of lychnis growth. The perennial should be fed with the same solution in the fall after flowering.

Plant propagation

Lichnis can be propagated vegetatively (by dividing a bush, cuttings) or by seeds.

1. Reproduction by seeds. Lychnis, unlike other shrubs, reproduces quite well by seeds that have excellent germination, certain species and varieties can even reproduce by self-sowing. To grow lyhnis from seeds, you need to sow them in the spring (April-May) in open ground. The most suitable temperature regime for their germination is about 18-20 ° С, the time of emergence of seedlings is 3 weeks after sowing.To improve the conditions for seed germination, you can cover the crops with foil or agrofibre. After germination, seedlings must be dived and planted in a permanent place. Lichnis grown from seeds in the open field will bloom no earlier than next year. A denser germination of seeds is possible with their stratification (change in temperature).
2. Propagation by cuttings produced in early summer. To do this, cut young shoots of the plant up to 20-25 cm long, planted in a greenhouse or under a film, wait for rooting and transplant to a permanent place in early autumn.
3. Reproduction by dividing the bush... A part containing young shoots is separated from the mother bush together with the rhizome and transplanted to a new place.

Lyhnis seeds

Diseases and pests

Lychnis rarely becomes infected with diseases and pests, but with improper care it can be affected by a spider mite, powdery mildew, aphids, and a leaf roll.

Growing a perennial in an open waterlogged ground can provoke its disease with root rot, leaf spot, smut, rust. It is recommended to ensure good drainage of the soil under the plant, constantly thin out the shrubs, the soil should be treated with copper-containing preparations before planting lichnis.

Leaf roll

If the plant is infected with a leaf roll, it should be treated with biological products, for example, a solution of tobacco decoction, tomato tops. But in case of severe damage, it is necessary to use chemical insecticides (aktara, intavir, karbofos). Spraying lychnis with these preparations by spraying before flowering will prevent further infection, but the plant will not bloom in the current season.

Lychnis: combination with other plants

Lychnis goes well with:

• chrysanthemums;
• bells;
• asters;
• gypsophila;
• nivyaniks;
• dense bush carnations.

Lychnis in landscape design

Lichnis in landscape design is used in flower beds, group plantings, mixborders. It is good for rocky slides, rockeries. Lichnis is also used in the design of the shores of ornamental garden ponds and lakes. Tall perennials can be used for summer decoration of fences, walls, gazebos (combining, for example, with clematis).

Lychnis in landscape design

This plant is mainly planted to make certain color accents, to make the flower garden brighter, to focus on bright spots. Alpine lychnis is used in rock gardens in sunny areas, and is also used to decorate stone flower walls. It is especially effective in group plantings among yellow flowers.

Lychnis is bright in cut flowers, but, unfortunately, it does not last long. Therefore, grow it in plots, decorate stone walls, plant it in a flower garden and rock garden and admire the living colors of this flower.

The name Lychnis is of Greek origin. In translation, the word means "light" or in the modern interpretation "lamp". This modest and at the same time bright and attractive flower was brought to us from Southern Europe.

In our country, lychnis is better known as an adonis. In common people you can still hear "Dawn". This name is quite justified. On flower beds and flower beds, the plant looks very impressive: its flowers literally "burn" with shades of red and white in contrast with the gray stems. The adonis looks good both alone and in "company" with other plants.

In our country, most often you can see two varieties of lychnis: crown and chalcedony.

Lychnis crown

Rather high (50-80 cm, sometimes up to a meter) herbaceous perennial with a highly branched stem and a few small silvery-gray leaves, located in the form of a rosette at the base of the stem. Due to this arrangement, shape and size of the leaves, the crown lichen bush looks delicate.

Lychnis crown has single flowers that end with numerous stems, giving the impression of a lush flowering bush.The appearance of the plant harmoniously combines style, grace and restraint. The plant blooms in early summer. Flowering continues until late autumn.

Popular types of Lychnis crown

Angels Blush - a biennial, characterized by an average height of the stem (60 cm) and changing, during flowering, the color of the flowers. When they open, they have a white tint, then the middle of the flower turns pink. A silvery bush with white-pink flowers looks very beautiful.

"Mysterious Island" - domestic variety, perennial with slightly pubescent leaves and stems.

Lychnis chalcedony

Also known as Zorka ordinary, "Tatar soap" or "soapbox". The petals and roots of this plant "lather": they are capable of foaming water, hence its name.

This variety of lychnis differs from its "brother" in the shape of flowers, which have a geometric arrangement of petals, reminiscent of a clear acute-angled rosette. Small flowers are collected in spherical inflorescences that end in the stems. The inflorescences are painted in bright white, pink and red tones. The stem of the plant has numerous green, elongated leaves with slight pubescence.

"Maltese cross" - one of the most popular varieties of chalcedony lychnis. It is characterized by a very lush inflorescence. The flowers are bright red in color and have a graceful cruciform shape.

Lychnis: growing and care

Both varieties of lychnis are unpretentious in care and are grown according to the same algorithm. However, there are a few things to remember when breeding them:

• Likhnis do not tolerate waterlogging well.
• They are undemanding to light, but bloom more abundantly in sunny places.
• Lychnis grows best on light poor soils. It does not tolerate an abundance of organic matter, reacting with a reduction in the flowering period.
• The plant is fed with mineral fertilizers with a low nitrogen content.
• Lychnis are frost-resistant, therefore they do not need additional protection for the winter. However, in late autumn, it is advisable to cut off their aerial shoots.

Some growers practice plant rejuvenation. It is not necessary to do this, since lichens, especially crown ones, are easily reproduced by self-seeding. Plants easily tolerate transplanting, even in a flowering state.

Growing from seeds

Lychnis can be grown from seeds. The seed sowing technique differs little from the traditional one:

• A container with moist soil is prepared, on the surface of which the seeds are placed, sprinkling them with earth.
• The seed container is covered with plastic wrap, creating a greenhouse environment.
• After 2, sometimes 3 weeks, when the seeds sprout, the film is removed.
• Seedlings dive directly into the open ground.

Plants grown from seeds will bloom in the second year.

Lyhnis can be sown in summer as well. In this case, the container with seedlings can be kept outdoors in a shady place. The container is covered with foil to reduce water evaporation. When the seedlings grow up and get stronger, they are planted in a flower garden. This usually happens at the end of August. The plants will bloom next year.

In early summer, many household plots are decorated with scarlet, pink, purple, carmine or white flowers, the bright buds of which look like carnations. This is a perennial plant likhnis, which is also popularly called "adonis" or "dawn". In nature, it is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere and belongs to the Carnation family. In the culture, about fifteen types of flowers are grown, which are distinguished by their unpretentiousness, therefore, they are loved by many gardeners and are a welcome guest for any flower garden in the garden.

Lychnis flower - description with photo

Herbaceous perennial plant is a bush with several shoots that can grow in length from forty to one hundred centimeters. Straight stems with a rounded cross section are covered with a dense, short hair and can be gray or reddish in color.

Sharp, lanceolate-ovate, half-stemmed leaves form a dense basal rosette.They are rough on both sides. Sometimes the leaves can be heart-shaped at the base.

In the terminal heads or scutes, bisexual flowers are collected, the diameter of which reaches two centimeters. They consist of dicotyledonous petals of bright orange, scarlet, white, yellowish or pink color. After flowering, a fruit is formed in place of flowers - multi-root, which contains dark brown kidney-shaped seeds up to two centimeters in diameter. In one place in the open field, a perennial lychnis plant can grow for up to five years, after which it requires renewal and transplantation.

Types and varieties

In culture, there are both annual species and varieties of lychnis, and perennial.

Likhnis chalcedony or Dawn

Popular with gardeners the plant can reach one meter in height. It is distinguished by weakly branched erect stems, on which densely pubescent oval leaves grow. At the top of each shoot, dense and dense caps of inflorescences are formed, which consist of bright red flowers up to three centimeters in diameter. Dawn flowers have two-cavity or notched petals. There are varieties with white and pink, simple and double buds.

In horticulture, the most common chalcedony lychnis is the Maltese cross, which is distinguished by its graceful bright red flowers.

Likhnis sparkling

The plant grows in height from forty to sixty centimeters in nature in the Far East, Japan, China, Eastern Siberia. It has light green oblong-ovate or oval-lanceolate leaves and scarlet-red flowers, collected in corymbose-capitate inflorescences.

Lychnis crown

A perennial herb in height can reach from forty to ninety centimeters. Its bright green foliage is located on ash gray shoots. The flowering of Lychnis coronae begins in late spring and continues until the frost. Dense corymbose inflorescences consist of pink, white or crimson buds.

Popular varieties of Lychnis crown:

• Mysterious island - the flowers of the plant have a white border and a pink center;
• Angela Blanche - bushes with large inflorescences of dark pink or crimson color.

Lychnis viskaria

Perennial herb native to Northern Europe, in the south-west of Siberia, in the Crimea and Ciscaucasia. It differs in height from forty to one hundred centimeters, sticky stems at the top, paniculate inflorescences, which consist of five to seven white or crimson flowers.

The most popular varieties:

• terry Flore Pleno - a bush with dark green, basal linear narrow leaves up to thirty centimeters high blooms with purple terry flowers;
• Rosetta - the plant is distinguished by double bright crimson flowers.

Lychnis alpine

A compact bush up to twenty centimeters high is distinguished by basal opposite linear leaves and red-pink or crimson flowers gathered in panicles. Its popular variety, Lara, blooms with numerous flowers of pale pink color.

Lychnis Arkwright

Unusual plant up to forty centimeters is distinguished by burgundy stems and leaves. The inflorescences consist of single orange flowers with a diameter of three centimeters, which appear at the ends of the shoots in late June. The most famous variety is Vesuvius, which has bright green, heart-shaped broad leaves and orange-red flowers. Its inflorescences are denser than those of the main species.

Lychnis - growing from seeds

The plant is planted with seeds in open ground in early spring from April to June or in late autumn before winter. When planting in the fall, lychnis may bloom next year, but not at full strength. If seeds are sown outdoors in spring, then the plant will bloom in a year.

To bloom this year, planting seeds will need to be done in March:

1. Seeds must undergo a stratification procedure within two to four weeks, for which they are placed in a damp cloth and kept in the refrigerator.
2. Treated seeds are planted in seedling containers filled with soil and kept at an air temperature of +20 degrees.
3. In a few weeks, entrances will appear, which will need to be hardened in the open air for two weeks before planting.

For growing lychnis in the open field, young plants can be planted on a flower bed at the end of May, when the last frosts have passed.

Lichnis planting

A herbaceous plant needs a fertile, well-drained, moderately moist soil. Before sowing seeds or by planting seedlings in the ground, potassium magnesium and superphosphate are introduced. Acidic soils are limed, and clay soils are fertilized with compost or humus.

Well-lit areas are selected for the cultivation of lychnis. In the shade, only the crown-like type of plant can grow and bloom.

Before sowing in open ground, the seeds are stratified for a month. Sowing is carried out at an air temperature within +18 degrees. After about three weeks, seedlings should appear that require regular watering.

Care features

An adult plant needs regular watering, after some it is necessary to remove weeds and loosen the soil in the flowerbed where the bushes grow. Especially the moisture content of the soil should be monitored on hot, dry days. At the same time, there should be no stagnation of water in the soil., otherwise the roots of the plant will begin to rot.

When caring for lichnis during the season, it is necessary to do two or three additional feeding. As soon as the seedlings grow up and get stronger, the first feeding is done. For this, complex mineral fertilizers are used for flowering plants. Subsequent feeding is done in two to three weeks.

To prolong flowering, wilted flower stalks are cut off. After that, new inflorescences form on the bush. In the fall, the entire ground part of the plant is cut off.

When growing lichnis in the open field for the winter, the bushes do not need to be covered. But if severe frosts are expected, then from above you can cover with spruce branches or fallen leaves. Shelter requires only terry varieties. After pruning, they are covered with dry earth, foliage or peat.

Possible growing difficulties

Likhnis are unpretentious in care and are quite resistant to various diseases and pests. However, violation of agricultural technology during their cultivation can lead to damage to the plant with leaf spot, rust or root rot. Most often this happens if, during the care, the watering was excessively abundant and frequent. If such fungal diseases appear on the plant, it is necessary to treat it with fungicidal preparations as soon as possible.

Of the pests, lychnis can be annoyed by leaf rollers or aphids. To get rid of insects, if the plant is not very severely damaged, you can use folk remedies. To do this, the bushes are sprayed with a decoction of tomato tops or tobacco, in which grated laundry soap is dissolved. In case of severe infection of pests, they are destroyed with special insecticidal preparations.

Reproduction methods

Lychnis can be propagated not only by seeds, but also by dividing the bush, as well as by cuttings.

Dividing the bush

Each year, an adult plant forms basal shoots from which shoots grow. A bush that is too dense can be renewed, for which it must be dug up and divided into parts. The procedure is carried out in April-May, before the beginning of the growing season. Each section should have enough roots and shoots. New bushes on the same day are planted in the beds and watered.

Cuttings

To get cuttings, young, not yet flowering shoots are cut off in June. Each stalk should be twenty centimeters long. For rooting, seedling containers filled with loose garden soil are prepared. You can plant cuttings in a greenhouse, covering them with a film from the scorching sun and cool nights. Caring for them consists in regular watering and ventilation. By the fall, the cuttings will give roots and grow stronger, after which they can be planted in September in a permanent place.

A charming lychnis in the garden will look beautiful on a flowerbed with a cornflower, Gaillardia, primrose, bells. With its bright flowering, it will decorate the lawn, flower garden, mickboxer, rockery and alpine slide. Planting and caring for Lychnis is so easythat even a novice gardener can cope with growing a plant in the open field.

Lychnis plant

Such a perennial plant as Lychnis (Lychnis) is a representative of the Clove family, but in some cases this genus is included in the Smolevka genus. The scientific name of such a plant comes from the Greek word that translates as "lamp". There is a version that this is due to the fact that lychnis flowers have a very rich color, or with the fact that in ancient times the foliage of one of the species was used as a wick. A mention of this flower can be found in the writings of Theophrastus. It has been cultivated since the end of the 16th century. According to information taken from various sources, this genus unites 20-50 species, in the wild they can be found in the Northern Hemisphere. Only 15 species of lychnis are cultivated by gardeners.

Lychnis features

Lychnis is a perennial herbaceous rhizome plant. Its height can vary from 0.4 to 1 m. There are hairs on the surface of the stem; it is rounded in cross-section. Sharp lanceolate-ovate semi-stem-embracing leaf plates sometimes have a heart-shaped base, and the seamy and front surfaces of them are rough. The heads or terminal scutes consist of bisexual flowers, reaching 20 mm in diameter, their dicotyledonous petals can be colored pink, white, deep red, pale yellow or deep orange. The fruit is a multi-root with kidney-shaped seeds of a dark brown color, reaching 0.2 cm in diameter, they remain viable for 3 or 4 years. Lychnis perennial can be grown in the same place for about 5 years.

Growing lychnis from seeds

What time to plant

Lychnis can be easily propagated by seeds, which are sown in open soil before winter or at the beginning of spring. For the first time, such a plant will bloom only in the next season, regardless of when you sow it. Very rarely, when sown before winter, under favorable weather conditions, flowering can begin in the summer, but not in full force.

If you grow these flowers through seedlings, then they will bloom already this season. Before sowing seeds for seedlings in March, they should be stratified by placing them on a refrigerator shelf for 15-30 days. Crops must be harvested in a warm enough place (from 18 to 20 degrees). The first seedlings will appear a few weeks after sowing. Seedlings are planted in open soil in the last days of May, pre-hardened for 14 days. If you decide to sow seeds directly into open soil, then you need to do this in April ― June.

Landing in open ground

This flower is not particularly demanding on growing conditions. For planting it, you should choose a sunny area with nutritious, well-drained and moderately moist soil. Lychnis crown grows well in shaded areas. Before you start sowing seeds, you need to add 1 bucket of river sand, 40 grams of potassium magnesium and 50 grams of superphosphate to the soil per 1 square meter of the plot. In clay soil, compost or humus should be additionally added. Before sowing, it is necessary to liming the soil if it is acidic. Before sowing, seeds should be refrigerated for 4 weeks so they can undergo cold stratification. Pre-prepared seeds must be sown into the grooves, then they are sealed. Crops should be well watered. For friendly shoots to appear, the air temperature should be about 18-20 degrees. The first seedlings can be seen in 2.5–3.5 weeks.

Lychnis care

Lichnis, grown in the garden, needs to provide systematic watering, especially if there is strong heat. When the plant is watered, it is necessary to systematically loosen the soil surface on the site, while removing all weeds. Please note that such a flower can easily drown out weeds, in this regard, the future of this plant depends only on you. In order for the lychnis to bloom longer, it is necessary to promptly remove the inflorescences that have begun to fade, while pulling out all the plants that are trying to get to the area of ​​the lychnis.

During the growing season during the season, such a plant should be fed only 2 or 3 times. Slightly grown and strengthened seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizer. Then such feeding is carried out 1 time in 15-20 days.

Diseases and pests

If such a flower is watered too abundantly or very often, then this can cause the development of rust, root rot and leaf spot. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to develop such an irrigation schedule, taking into account the weather characteristics of your region, so that no liquid stagnation occurs in the plant root system. If the first symptoms of the development of a fungal disease are noticed, then the affected specimen must be sprayed with a fungicidal preparation.

If leafworms or aphids settle on the bush, then to destroy them it is necessary to use a decoction of the tops of tomato or tobacco, into which you need to pour soap chopped with a grater. If there are too many harmful insects, then you can deal with them by treating the bush with an insecticidal agent.

After flowering

For wintering, this flower does not require shelter, since it has a very high resistance to frost. However, if you grow terry lychnis varieties, then they must be covered for the winter. After the yellowing and wilting of foliage and shoots begins, they must be cut to the base. Terry bushes, after they are cut off, should be covered with a layer of leaves, peat or dry soil.

Types and varieties of lychnis with photos and names

Below will be described those species and varieties of lychnis that are cultivated by gardeners.

Lychnis arkwrightii

The height of the compact bush varies from 0.35 to 0.4 m, shoots and narrow leaf plates have a burgundy color. The plant has a small number of inflorescences or single orange flowers, reaching about 30 mm in diameter, bloom at the ends of the shoots in the last days of June, while flowering continues until mid-August. The most popular variety is Lichnis Vesuvius: rich green leaf plates have a heart-shaped shape, the inflorescences are more luxuriant than that of the main species, they consist of red-orange flowers.

Lychnis alpine (Lychnis alpina = Viscaria alpine = Steris alpine)

In nature, this species can be found on the territory of the tundra and forest-tundra of Scandinavia, the eastern part of Greenland and North America, and also in the mountain-tundra and alpine belt of Europe. The height of a perennial bush is from 0.1 to 0.2 m. There are basal leaf rosettes, as well as several shoots on which there are opposite linear leaf plates. Panicle inflorescences consist of pink-red or crimson flowers. The most popular is the Lara variety: a lot of light pink flowers are revealed on the bush.

Lychnis viscaria (Viscaria vulgaris = Lychnis viscaria = Silene viscaria)

In nature, it can be found in the Crimea, Central Europe, Ciscaucasia and in the south-west of Siberia. The height of the shoots of this herbaceous perennial plant is 0.4–1 m. Their upper part is very sticky, therefore this species is also called tar. White or crimson flowers, 5-7 pieces each, are part of the whorls that form panicles. The most popular varieties:

1. Rosetta... The color of the double flowers is deep crimson.
2. Lychnis terry flora Pleno... The height of the bush is about 0.3 m. Linear narrow basal leaf plates are dark green.The racemose inflorescences consist of double flowers of lilac color, reaching 20-30 mm in diameter.

Lychnis crown (Lychnis coronaria = Lychnis coriacea)

The height of such a herbaceous perennial varies from 0.4 to 0.9 m. Loose racemose inflorescences consist of pink flowers, but there are also plants with white inflorescences. Popular varieties:

1. Angels Blanche... The color of the flowers is dark pink, white or crimson.
2. Mysterious Island... The center of the flower is pink, and along the edge of the petals there is a white border.

Cuckoo adonis (Coronaria flos-cuculi), or cuckoo bloom (Lychnis flos-cuculi)

This species is found in nature in most of Europe. Such a delicate flower forms a loose sod, which consists of rosettes and shoots, branching in the upper part and reaching a height of 100 cm. The opposite narrow stem leaf plates gradually decrease in size as they approach the apex of the shoot. The scutes are composed of large, but extremely thin pink flowers, reaching 40 mm in diameter. The petals are divided into 4 lobes, each of which hangs and twists. There are forms with white flowers. Popular varieties:

1. Nana... The height of the bush is about 0.15 m.
2. Alba... The flowers are white.
3. Rosea captivity... Double flowers of pink color.

Sparkling Lychnis (Lychnis fulgens)

In the wild, it is found in China, the Far East, Eastern Siberia and Japan. Straight shoots have a height of 0.4 to 0.6 m. The shape of greenish leaf plates is oblong-ovate or oval-lanceolate. Shield-like capitate inflorescences consist of scarlet-red flowers in diameter reaching 40-50 mm, the petals are divided into 4 parts.

Lychnis Haage (Lychnis x haageana)

The height of this garden hybrid is from 0.4 to 0.45 m. The leaf plates are oblong-ovate. The racemose inflorescences consist of 3–7 orange-red flowers, reaching 50 mm in diameter. The petals are deeply incised, with a bend. On each side of the petal there is a long, narrow tooth. This plant is frost-resistant. The most popular variety is Molten Lava: the umbrella-shaped inflorescences consist of deep red flowers, the color of the foliage is bronze.

Lychnis chalcedonica (Lychnis chalcedonica), or dawn

It is found naturally in the European part of Russia, Mongolia, Siberia and Central Asia. The height of the herbaceous perennial varies from 0.8 to 1 m. The foliage is ovate-lanceolate or ovoid. The diameter of the corymbose-capitate inflorescences is about 10 centimeters, they consist of fiery red flowers, reaching 30 mm in diameter. The petals can be two-lobed or notched. The species is resistant to frost. It has been cultivated since 1561. There is a garden form of albiflora (the flowers are white, and their diameter is about 20 mm), as well as varieties with simple or double flowers (they have a pink color with a red eye). The popular variety Lichnis Maltese Cross: the plant is distinguished by its lush flowering, graceful flowers have a rich red color.

Lychnis Jupiter (Lychnis flos-jovis = Coronaria flos-jovis)

Occurs in the wild on the slopes of the Alps. The height of loose bushes is about 0.8 m. Branched shoots are densely leafy. On the surface of the shoots and lanceolate-oval leaf plates, pubescence is found. Simple pale purple flowers reach 30 mm in diameter. There are white-flowered and terry forms.