Iberis is a cruciferous plant native to Spain. It occurs in the temperate climate of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, the Crimea, the lower reaches of the Don. Breeders bred several dozen varieties. Annuals and perennials are found. Plants can be grassy and shrubs. Annuals prefer a warm climate; perennials tolerate frosts well.
Description of Iberis
Iberis (iberis) is also called stennik, heterogeneous, Iberian. Its stems are erect, branched, growing to 30 cm, in some species creeping. The leaf plates are elongated, smooth, shiny, dark green or bright green, 4-7 cm long, arranged alternately. The leaves are oblong or cirrus-dissected, the edges are rounded.
Umbrella inflorescences during flowering form a snow-white hat, because of which foliage is not visible and exudes a pleasant, rich aroma. The palette of petals is mostly white, but pink, lilac, and purple are found. Blossom in May, then in August, bloom for two months, annuals last longer. When flowering, the diameter of the bush is 80-100 cm. After that, a pod with small seeds is formed.
The root system is pivotal, consists of the main root and the lateral. Because of this, the plant does not like transplanting.
Popular types of Iberis
There are about forty varieties.
| Group | Kinds | Description | Varieties |
| Annuals | Bitter | From the Mediterranean. Reaches 30 cm, branched shoots are pubescent. Leaves are back-lanceolate, triangular with an edge, of the next arrangement. Inflorescences are columnar, collected in a brush, blooming in a white, lilac palette. It blooms throughout the summer months. |
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| Umbrella | From Southern Europe. Reaches 40 cm, has smooth, branched shoots. Leaves are rare, lanceolate, dark green. Inflorescences are corymbose, 5-6 cm in diameter. White, lilac petals do not fall for two months. |
| |
| Perennial | Evergreen | Shrub from Asia Minor. Up to 40 cm with dark green, oblong and shiny leaves. Umbrella inflorescences up to 5 cm in diameter, white flowers, bloom twice a season. |
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| Gibraltar | From Spain. Semi-evergreen, up to 25 cm, lives 2 years. Inflorescences are umbrella, small, pink, and lilac. |
| |
| Crimean | Distributed on the peninsula of Crimea. Up to 5-10 cm, gray-green, pubescent, scapular leaves, creeping shoots. Purple buds bloom in white. Prefers soil with a calcium content. | ||
| Rocky | From the rocky regions of southern Europe. It grows up to 15 cm, during flowering it forms a thick pillow of snow-white petals that look like snowflakes. It does not tolerate frost, it needs shelter. But unpretentious to soil and moisture. | ||
Growing Iberis from Seeds
The method of growing from seeds is the most common, they are easy to purchase in a store, you can collect them yourself.
Seeds are sown in April immediately in open ground, sometimes twice with an interval of 15-20 days, for flowering in summer and autumn. Weed the soil, dig, level out. Furrows are made, and the seed is placed at a distance of 5 cm. After emergence, after two weeks they are thinned out so that the distance between the bushes is 12-15 cm.
If it’s still cold at night, make a small greenhouse, cover the area with film.
Sprouts appear in 10-15 days.
Sowing and seedlings
Seeds for seedlings are sown in February and early March in containers with peat, sawdust and sand or in separate peat tablets, dropping one seed. Loose soil is first decontaminated with manganese or boiling water. Evenly distribute the seeds per 1 mm, sprinkle lightly with river sand, moisten with a spray bottle. Cover with glass, film and put in a warm place with diffused light. As it dries, spray the soil. After emergence, do not dive. Before disembarking, the flowerbed is tempered, taking to the street for 10 days.
Sometimes sowing is done in late autumn, when the weather is cold, so that seedlings do not appear before spring. They will rise in late April or early May.
Landing
You can plant plants in open ground with the onset of heat, observing certain rules.
Disembarkation time
Planting seedlings on a flower bed is usually done in May, when a wave of frost passes. The site needs a well-lit, with loamy, sandy or rocky soil, without stagnation of moisture. In partial shade, Iberis will not bloom very abundantly. In the fall, manure is added to the site.
Landing rules
During planting, seedlings are very carefully removed along with the ground by a transshipment method so as not to hurt the root system. Between the bushes the distance is 12-15 cm. Tamp the soil near the bushes, watered.
When planting different varieties of plants, you need to make a larger distance so that they do not become dusty.
After flowering
Annual crops are dug up. In perennials, wilted flowers are removed, the shoots are cut to 1/3, to give the plant a beautiful appearance.
Seed collection
Seeds in pods ripen during the summer period. Pods are collected several times, dried, seeds are extracted. Store in a dark, cool place in cloth bags, they have germination up to four years. Iberis propagates and self-seeding, just emerge seedlings in spring thinned.
Wintering
The aerial part is shortened for the winter. In a warm climate, a perennial flower tolerates wintering well. In cold regions, plants are pruned and covered with fallen leaves, spruce branches, especially if the winters are frosty and without snow.
Features of Iberis Care
The plant is unpretentious and minimal maintenance. In a drought, a flower is watered sparingly; it can do without fertilizers. But, in order to achieve abundant flowering, it is better to introduce complex mixtures once a season. Also loosen the ground and weed from weeds. Dried shoots are removed.
Plants that have reached the age of five lose their decorative effect, the flowers become very small. They need to be transplanted.
Diseases and pests
Iberis is resistant to diseases and pests. In order to avoid fungal, the area before planting is watered with fungicides. Affect:
- Cruciferous keel - when it roots are deformed. The plant is destroyed and the infected area is treated with lime.
- Black scab (rhizoctonysis) - appears due to cold and damp weather. The plant has gray, brown spots. After digging and burning a diseased bush, the earth is treated with copper chloride.
Iberis and pests attack:
- Mealybug - a white coating on the shoots. They are treated with garlic infusion, Mospilan, Aktara.
- Cabbage aphid - leaves wilt, turn yellow, flowers fall. Apply liquid potash soap or Actellik, Neoron.
- Green fleas - small black bugs eat up leaves, holes form on them. Humidify the soil near the bush, as insects do not like moisture. A dry mixture of ash and tobacco dust, vinegar solution helps.
Breeding
There are two more ways of propagating Iberis with cuttings and dividing the bush.
When grafting after flowering at the end of summer, shoots are cut into pieces up to 10 cm, placed in pots of 3-4 pieces, put in a greenhouse for rooting, and next year planted in a permanent place.
By dividing the bush, propagate in spring, choose strong, lush specimens, separate plants are planted in holes with drained soil, shortening them by 1/3.
Iberis in landscape design
A beautiful view of Iberis creates landscape design in gardens, in flowerbeds. Low grades are used on alpine hills, lawns, curbs. They place it together with phlox, petunia, alissum, saxifrage, night violet, milkweed, marigolds, tulips, stonecrops. A flower is getting along with a cypress, juniper, dwarf pine.
Iberis is grown in containers on terraces, loggias, used for wedding bouquets.
Mr. Dachnik informs: the healing properties of Iberis and its use in medicine
Iberis has a healing effect. It contains alkaloids, flavonoids, bitterness, glycosides, esters. Useful properties of the plant are used in cardiology.
Gorky infusion is used as a choleretic, anti-inflammatory, also for the healing of small wounds, abrasions. Iberis helps with impaired blood circulation, gastrointestinal diseases, gynecological problems in women and urological in men. Also, with liver pathology, colds, bronchitis, tonsillitis, joint pain.
It must be remembered that the plant is poisonous and it is better to consult a doctor before use. Iberis is contraindicated in pregnant, lactating, children and prone to allergies.
