Canistrum grow and care – leaf plant bromeliads of the genus Canistrum also known as Mosenia, Canistrum perennial evergreen used as ornamental plant, can grow in subtropics, mediterranean, tropic climate or indoor as houseplant and growing in hardiness zone 11+ and in the right over winter care can grow in hardiness zone 10b+.
Leaves color can be: green, purple or black, colors can appears in stripes, leaf linear and sharp in the edge, leaves grow in rosette structure.
Well-drained soil, slightly acid soil, moist soil, warm climate, more than 15C (59F) can survive 3C but not recommend, better to use purified water or rain water, soil should be something light and enteric, because in the nature those plants are mostly air plants live on rocks or crock of tree or air roots in tropical forest with big amount of rains that keep the plants in humidity all time.
What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed / Vegetative reproduction
Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction? No, but in order to get the same cultivars should use daughter plant
Difficulties or problems when growing: Spines
Planting season: Spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11, all year in hardiness zone 12+
Pests and diseases: Mealybugs
Pruning season: All year
How to prune:
Dead leaves
Size of the plant: 5-20 cm, 2-8 inches
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing / Slow growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water, need to put water in the middle of the rosette leaves, need humidity and moist, but well ventilated and well-drained soil, like in the nature big amount of rains and the plant that lay down on trees on the plants on the air.
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Half Shade better without direct light / Full Shade (with light), those plants like a lot of like but without direct sun, because the sun will burn the leaves and the flowers and leave on the burning marks
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? Yes, mostly it is easier to grow it as houseplants because it’s better to grow it outside the soil in pot like in a nature that mostly its epiphyte
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers: Yes, because it’s an epiphyte it’s actually better to grow it in planter or even on cork, disconnect from the soil, if you choose to grow on cork or bark as need to keep with higher humidity and moist on the roots, better to cover it with a bark or something that will keep the moist in the roots.
Blooming information
Bloom season: Summer / Autumn
General information about the flower: Red, pink, orange, yellow or purple bracts that cover small flowers in white or yellow flowers grow in the inner part of the plant in crown structure
How to grow Canistrum from seeds
Sowing requirement: Better to use fresh seeds and not more than few months old, use peat moss (sphagnum soil), high humidity, light moist soil, 25-30C (77-86F) in the day and colder in the night, a lot of light
Saving and care seeds until sowing: Dry and dark location
Sowing season: End of spring to early autumn
How to plant: Put the seeds in sphagnum soil and keep it moist
Planting spacing: 3*2cm (1.5*1 inch)
Depth of Sowing: On the soil
Conditions for seeds germinate: Moist soil with high humidity
Watering requires for Seeds: Small amount of water (do not over water
Germination time: 1-2 month
Condition of seedling: The same as fully mature plant and need to transplant them to location without algae
