This flower begins to smell suddenly: just after sunset, the air is saturated with its sweet scent. A delightful scent is heard from afar and fills your whole being as you approach the flower.
Brunfelsia southern (Brunfelsia australis). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com enbodenumer
For us, brunfelsia is still a rarity, but in the New World it is wildly popular. This magnificent houseplant stands out among others not only for its fragrant and showy flowers. Unlike other tropical plants that require bright light for flowering, it thrives in the shade. Brunfelsias bloom either all year round or in winter.
At home, in South America, brunfelsia is a beautiful small tree that will be a compact bush on your windowsill. In nature, under favorable conditions, the plant can reach a height of several meters. She has many names, the most common is manaka. So, according to legend, the name of the most beautiful girl of the Brazilian tribe Tupi was called, and brunfelsia was her favorite flower. They say that Manaka was the first to make a potion of unhappy love from him.
Like many plants of the Solanaceae family, after a certain heat treatment, Brunfelsia can be used as a psychotropic agent. Therefore, shamans considered it sacred and used it in magical rituals.
In the 70-90s of the XX century, scientists proved that the stems, leaves and roots of the plant contain a large amount of active ingredients that perfectly stimulate the lymphatic system, have analgesic, antipyretic, antibacterial and anticonvulsant effects, perfectly cleanse the liver. But brunfelsia manaka is just one of more than forty species of this plant. Any of the brunfelsias will live at home for many years, delighting in both beauty and aroma.
This plant is ideal for home conditions. Even if the sun does not enter your room at all, it will still bloom, although the less light, the less intense and aromatic the bloom will be. Therefore, the scattered light should be sufficient. The plant can easily survive bright light, but under the scorching sun, the leaves begin to fade, shrivel, and sometimes turn yellow.
You need to water it regularly, however, make sure that excess moisture does not accumulate in the pan, especially in the cold season. Water can be acidified – Brunfels like acidic soils. Top dressing is required frequent and plentiful, with a high nitrogen content. Fertilizers must be applied every half month throughout the year. At the first signs of an imbalance in the balance of substances in the soil, Brunfelsias immediately show signs of chlorosis.
At the end of flowering, it is advisable to cut the plant. Without this, the branches can become bare over time and the flower will take on a completely unattractive appearance. But after pruning, the bush becomes fluffy, gives numerous shoots with healthy dense foliage and soon becomes covered with flowers again.
In the summer, it is advisable to take the pot of brunfelsia to the balcony or to the country house, and you should especially carefully monitor the air temperature. If it drops below +15 ° С, you may not wait for flowering.
The plant can be affected by aphids, mealybugs and whiteflies, and when kept in the garden, it can be attacked by snails. It is necessary to fight these pests using traditional methods.
And remember, all parts of Brunfelsia, especially the fruits and seeds, are very poisonous.
