Kermek is a plant that can be either annual or perennial. Its name is associated with Turkic origin, but there are other options for the name of this flower, such as limonium and statice. This plant belongs to the Svinatkov genus. Some time ago, this plant was considered part of the genus Limonium, but later Kermek was separated into the genus Goniolimon. As for Goniolimon, this is a species herbaceous plants, which are perennials. In nature, Kermek lives in the steppe, it can grow on slopes of stones; plains and foothills are also the favorite territory of this flower. You can meet Tatarian goniolimon in this color in almost any corner of the planet.

Kermek itself is a plant with a height of thirty centimeters and up to one meter. Its stems are hard, woody, the leaves are located at the roots. Limonium flowers are small and there are a lot of them. Externally, the bush during flowering looks like a bright cloud. The flowers come in a variety of colors, such as yellow, blue, purple, white, pink, cream, and green. It begins to bloom in July and continues until the coldest weather. The flower stalks undergo a certain compression at the top, and the entire plant resembles an umbrella. When the Tatarian goniolimon finishes flowering, its branches are tilted down, and the shape of the plant changes, it begins to resemble a ball. If limonium grows in the steppe, then its dried shoots break off very easily, and the inflorescence, which turns out to be spherical, rolls along the ground, which is why people call this flower “tumbleweed.” Root system the Tatar kermek is long, it can go deep into the soil up to one meter. Such roots are needed to extract moisture in arid climates when there is a lack of moisture. Due to such an extensive root system, it is extremely difficult to replant this plant, because digging out the roots is very problematic, and if the root is damaged, the plant may not survive, so Kermek is most often grown using seeds.

Variety of species

The most common types of Tatar kermek are:

• Kermek notched - this plant is an annual. Its height can reach eighty centimeters. The flowers are tit-colored and are in corymbose-shaped inflorescences.
• Kermek Bonduelle - this plant is perennial. Its height is up to ninety centimeters. This species is grown as an annual plant. Bonduelle stems are very thin, and the flowers can be white or yellow color, they are quite large in size.
• Kermek Bunge - this plant is perennial. Its height ranges from thirty to sixty centimeters. The root system is very thin, the stems branch short, the flowers have purple and collected in spike-shaped inflorescences.
• Kermek Caspian - this plant is also a perennial. Its height is fifty centimeters. The flowers have a soft purple color and are collected in thyroid-shaped inflorescences.
• Kermek Chinese - this plant is a perennial, it grows up to seventy centimeters. If Kermek grows in a temperate climate zone, then it is grown as an annual. The flowers of the plant are small, yellow in color and collected in openwork inflorescences.
• Kermek tree-like is a rather tall shrub, the height of which exceeds one meter, its stems are woody, its leaves are leathery, and its flowers are deep pink.
• Kermek Gmelin - this plant is also a perennial, its height is not large, about thirty to forty centimeters. The leaves are large in shape and the flower spikes are dense. They bloom tenderly purple, flowers are collected in corymbose-shaped inflorescences. This type of kermek also has medicinal properties.

Growing a plant

All types of Kermek are considered unpretentious; they tolerate cold well, but there are points that must be observed.

Landing place. Kermek grows in open space; it is practically not cultivated in greenhouse conditions or indoors. Most of all, the plant needs sunlight; even the duration is important for Kermek daylight hours, and the amount of light it receives per day. If a flower lacks light, then its shoots become elongated and the plant stops its flowering cycle. In order not to create shadows from one plant for another, they are planted at a distance of up to thirty centimeters.

Air humidity. Dry air is the most preferable living conditions for Kermek. The leaves of the plant should not be soaked in water; even when watering, you need to be careful so that the shoots do not come into contact with moisture, because this can give impetus to the development of microbes.

Temperature. The most suitable temperature for growing Kermek is considered to be twenty-thirty degrees Celsius during the daytime, and about fifteen degrees Celsius at night. The plant is resistant to cold and feels normal at temperatures of minus five.

The soil. In terms of soil, Tatar Kermek is not demanding. It can be grown anywhere, but it is better not to plant it in clay soil. The best soil for this plant is loose, with good drainage and a large amount of sand.

Water and irrigation activities. Kermek does not require frequent and abundant watering. If the plant is grown in an open space, then it does not need additional moisture at all. The flower receives moisture from dew and rain. Additional watering Kermek is needed only when the plant is grown in conditions where it is clear that it lacks moisture. Once a season, it is recommended to moisten the flower with water and a small amount of salt.

Fertilizer. Often, fertilizer is used only once, when the plant is planted. Basically, these are complex fertilizers. If the soil in which Kermek grows is poor in useful elements, then the soil needs to be fertilized every fifteen days.

Plant propagation process

Kermek is most often grown using seeds. As soon as the spring frosts end, you can plant the seeds in open ground. The plant can also be grown in the form of seedlings, which are germinated in separate containers, so that in the future there is no need to replant the flower again. Seeds for seedlings can be sown as early as March.

Kermek will begin to germinate within a week after sowing. In the form of seedlings, this plant is transplanted into the ground at its permanent place cultivation, after mid-May. When planting flowers, you should remember that the distance between them is no less important than the conditions for its growth. When a bush is planted, Special attention should be given to the root rosette, because it must receive the proper amount of sunlight.

Diseases and pests

Kermek Tatarian is an unpretentious plant and diseases and all kinds of pests are not a common occurrence. One of the main pests that a plant can have is aphids. To drive it away, you need to spray the plant with a solution of soap and alcohol.

One of the variants of limonium diseases may be rot. It affects the roots of plants and appears due to too much soil moisture. To prevent this from happening, you need to monitor watering, do not flood the plant, and in addition, the soil where Kermek grows should have good system drainage so that the water does not stagnate.

Application of the plant

Kermek Tatarian is most often used to create rockeries, mixed borders, alpine slides, in all these options the plant shows itself amazingly. The peculiarity of this plant is that it becomes most beautiful when dry. Kermek flowers are dried when the greatest number flowers open. The drying process is carried out in a shady room. To properly dry a flower, you need to put it in water; it’s better not to pour a lot of it. The plant opens the maximum number of flowers, and at the same time slowly fades. During this period, seeds can be collected to plant new plants the following year.

Kermek unique ornamental plant . After drying, the small flowers of Kermek retain their shape and bright color; thanks to this feature, the inflorescences of the plants are excellent dried flowers. Florists love to use kermek branches to make winter bouquets; these flowers are often grown as cut flowers. Gardeners and landscape designers They love to decorate gardens with flowering kermek; this ornamental plant is chosen for its unpretentious nature and bright natural beauty.

The plant received the name “kermek” from the Turks; in Latin this flower is called limonium, which means “meadow”, since in nature kermek prefers to grow in fields, meadows, and steppes with dry salty soil. This plant is also called statice or dried flower.

Genus Limonium (Limonium) quite numerous, belongs to the family Svinchataceae, includes about 300 species of herbaceous rhizomatous plants and subshrubs with woody shoots. About 30 species of limonium are used in cultivation, most of them are perennials, but in regions with cold winters they are grown as annual flowers from seeds.

Well known to gardeners notched kermek (Limoniumsinuatum), naturally distributed throughout the Mediterranean. This plant is up to 40 cm high with elongated leaves with a wavy edge. The leaves are collected in a rosette; erect, leafless shoots grow from its base, at the tops of which corymbose inflorescences form. The flowers are small, their natural color is blue, but there are varieties with cream, yellow, red, pink and blue flowers. Dried calyxes of flowers do not change their shape and color; they seem to be made of paper.

Also popular is the sustainable type - broadleaf kermek (L.latifolia) with elliptical leaves that are collected in rosettes. The stems of the plant reach a height of 60 cm, the flowers are purple or blue.

Features long-lasting flowering ordinary kermek (L.vulgare), the graceful corymbose inflorescences of this plant decorate the flower garden all summer. It is a perennial, its stems reach a height of 20-30 cm. The flowers are white, yellow, pink, blue, indigo and red.

Less commonly grown in culture Kermek Gmelin (L.gmelinii), Kermek Tatar (Goniolimontataricum) and Caspian kermek (L.caspium). The stems and inflorescences of these plants are highly branched, so their bushes look like balls. In the steppe, autumn winds break off spherical bushes from the base and carry them over long distances, for which they are called “tumbleweeds.”

Kermek is grown in flower beds in an open sunny place. These flowers are sensitive to lack of lighting, do not tolerate thickening, and love long-term intense sunlight. In shade or partial shade, Kermek blooms poorly, the shoots grow weak, elongated, and the color of the flowers is faded.

Growing kermek from seeds like annual flowers. Perennial species can be propagated not only by seeds; you can also divide overgrown bushes or root cuttings. The cuttings are cut in the spring and planted in pots with light soil; as soon as they begin to develop, they are planted in open ground.

Sowing seeds flowers are carried out in May immediately into open ground, the seeds germinate at a temperature not lower than +15 0 C. To obtain early flowering Kermek is grown through seedlings. For this purpose, seeds are sown in March. The seeds are distributed into separate pots so that the seedlings can be transplanted into open ground in mid-May without much damage.

Kermek does not tolerate transplantation well, so for planting perennial species immediately choose a permanent place. Plants should be placed at a distance of 25-35 cm.

Flower care simple - weeding, loosening and watering only during prolonged drought. Flowers should be watered only at the root; watering from above increases the risk of developing diseases on the shoots.

Kermek loves loose fertile soils containing sand. Flowers are fertilized 2-3 times per season with complex mineral fertilizer.

To dry, the inflorescences are cut in the fall and the bunches are hung upside down to maintain the shape of the stems and leaves.

If you come across a flower with a thick and bright cap of delicate inflorescences, similar to a floating cloud on top of green foliage, then you can say with confidence that this is limonium, which many gardeners dream of with lust.

This colorful beauty has a very original appearance, unlike the other flowers in the flowerbed. Only in recent years has the plant gained enormous popularity among flower growers, and before that only the most experienced specialists knew about it.

Gotta give it some credit amazing plant, since he also has a very flexible character, there are no special complaints or whims when growing. Most varieties of kermek are perennials and there is no need to replant the plantings annually.

It should also be noted that limonium, for the most part, is frost-resistant and can easily withstand the winter inconveniences of mid-latitudes.

To his unusual name Kermek owes its Turkic roots. But this is extraordinary beautiful plant has many different names. One of them is limonium. This name is Greek and has nothing to do with lemons. Translated from ancient Greek, this word means meadow.

In our country you can also hear the name statice, and in other countries kermek is called “sea lavender” or “swamp rosemary”.

Varieties of limonium have long settled over vast territories: this and North America, and Australia, and Africa, Europe. They can even grow on saline seashores. And some species are found even in areas with very harsh climatic conditions, in Altai and Siberia.

Some species growing in steppe and desert areas form tumbleweeds, dispersing seeds to survive and expand their habitat.

The handsome Kermek also has mass beneficial properties, known since ancient times. It produces multi-colored natural dyes used to dye leather and yarn for carpets. Limonium roots contain tannin, which is used in tanning.

Also known are his healing properties. It is used to heal wounds and as a means to stop bleeding. But the most important advantage of kermek is the decoration of gardens.

The genus is quite numerous, numbering more than three hundred species.

Limonium belongs to the lead family. Grows as a herbaceous plant shrubby plant. There are perennials and biennial species. In its natural habitat it can grow up to two meters in height.

Kermek's roots reach a meter in length, so the plant has adapted to survive in arid areas with a lack of water, extracting it at great depths.

The leaf blades are lanceolate and collected in a rosette around the root, or long and saber-shaped.

The color of the leaf blades is green, less often grayish-green. The stems have a pubescent edge and are somewhat branched at the top. The flowers are shaped like bells. They are small in size, collected in spikelets, which then form panicles or corymbose inflorescences.

In mid-latitudes, limonium begins to bloom from July until the onset of frost. In warmer climates, kermek blooms much earlier.

The colors of the inflorescences are very diverse. You can find both white and different shades purple, and pink, violet, green, yellow. Many species are grown not only as an ornamental plant, but also as an excellent honey plant.

Types and varieties

Kermeki, how ornamental crops, divided into perennials and annuals.

Perennial:

Broad-leaved or flat-leaved - Limonium platyphyllum

It received this name because of its wide, leathery leaves of a rich, green color. This is a herbaceous, pubescent plant, medium tall, reaching 60-70 centimeters in height.

The flower stalks that grow from the center of the rosette do not have leaves. Small, lilac-violet flowers, on branched shoots, are presented in the form of corymbose inflorescences.

It begins to bloom in July and continues until mid-September. During flowering, flat-leaved kermek presents a colorful sight. It looks like a large ball woven from thin lace, up to half a meter in diameter.

Kermek broadleaf, having come from the wild, has remained virtually unchanged in home gardens. In its natural environment it grows in steppe conditions. Although no one specifically bred them, this species is so frost-resistant and just as decorative that it remains one of the most popular.

Growing in natural conditions in steppe and arid areas, limonium broadleaf also requires the same conditions in the garden. Sunny and open places are best suited for it.

Gmelina - Limonium gmelinii

This type is most often used in the form medicinal plant. As a decorative flower, Gmelin's kermek is less common than the flat-leaved one. This flower reaches half a meter in height, has a widely branched stem and bluish-green leaves collected in a basal rosette.

The peduncles are not as lush as those of its broadleaf relative, they are collected in dense, lilac color brushes, with a large number of small flowers.

In nature, it lives on salty soils on seashores. Its natural habitat is the steppe regions of Siberia, Mongolia and Northern China. In colder areas the plant requires shelter from winter cold, and with the arrival of spring - shading from bright sunlight.

Common - Limonium vulgare

This perennial has large basal leaves and very small purple flowers in the panicles of the inflorescences. It reaches half a meter in height.

The stems of this species are straight and bare, the roots are taproots, reaching up to one meter in length. The leaf plates have an oval shape, assembled in a rosette.

Tatar

Kermek Tatarian grows in the southern part of European Russia, the Caucasus and Ukraine, as well as in Bulgaria. He's wide sheet plates having a leathery structure. This is a low plant, up to 40 centimeters high. In the steppes it grows like tumbleweed.

This species is unpretentious, can grow well on dry and rocky soils, and adapts to both chalky and acidic soils.

When flowering, it forms a very lush spherical bush. It blooms in June, with spreading peduncles and small white flowers.

This Kermek - perfect decoration for solar alpine slide, often used as a dried flower.

Caspian - Limonium caspium

It is a heat-loving species and grows in salt marshes. Grows up to 70 centimeters in height. Peduncles have tiny and highly branched shoots that resemble leaves.

The flowers are small, pale purple. For growing in open ground V middle lane unsuitable, does not tolerate winter temperature drops.

IN southern regions often grown as a dried flower because it does not lose color after drying.

Annuals:

Kermek Notched

Notched or dark blue limonium - Limonium sinuatum

In mid-latitude conditions, this perennial plant is grown as an annual. Grows up to 60-80 centimeters in height. It has light green leaf blades located in a rosette at the root.

The shoots are erect, with inflorescences at the ends, in the form of dense shields, consisting of small flowers collected in spikelets. Their colors are very diverse: white, yellow, pink, purple.

The presence of maximum light is mandatory when growing. The slightest lack of light will negatively affect the quality of flowers and the duration of flowering in general.

Kermek Perez – Limonium perezii

This rare exotic, originally from the Canary Islands, has large and very beautiful caps of inflorescences and dense oval-shaped leaves.

Coloring - various shades of blue-violet palette. But it needs a hot and long summer to flower; it is easier to grow in the southern regions.

Growing and care

When growing Kermek, the main condition will be to find a bright, sunny place for planting. This is perhaps the main condition for growing. Without enough light, its stems will begin to stretch and thin, and flowers will not be able to form at all.

But the composition of the soil for limonium does not matter much. But on too heavy clay soils It’s better not to plant it. The best option There will be a choice of loose soil with good drainage, to which sand has been added.

In dry weather, Kermek is watered moderately, this steppe plant tolerates lack of moisture easily. But if the leaves are dehydrated and wither, then watering is still necessary.

Feeding is also simple. Complex fertilizers Apply only once, during planting; more Kermek is not required. But if limonium is grown to produce lush bouquet, then fertilizing is done twice a month, and the soil around the bush is also mulched and loosened.

Kermek, cultivation and care, video:

Flowering of perennial species begins in the second or even third year after planting, after the formation of a powerful root system.

Almost all species tolerate wintering normally in mid-latitude conditions without shelter. Kermek suffers only from spring floods, since this beauty does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil.

Diseases and pests

Limonium is extremely hardy and pests do not bother it. The exception is aphids. Spraying with insecticides helps against this scourge.

Excessive watering and waterlogged soil can lead to the formation of root rot. Organizing good drainage and being careful when watering can help here.

The Kermek genus has approximately 300 species distributed throughout the planet. Most of the species grow in Asian and European Mediterranean regions. Under natural conditions, kermeks grow in dry places, thanks to which the plants usually have a powerful, long taproot.

Perennial biennial herbaceous and rhizomatous plants with basal leaves, sometimes subshrubs with leafy, woody shoots. Kermek flowers are small, purple, pink, yellow, violet, in multi-flowered or single-flowered spikelets, collected in dense spikes, forming complex corymbose or paniculate, sometimes spherical inflorescences located on angular, rounded winged peduncles.

The corolla is slightly larger than the calyx, the petals are almost free, fused only at the very base, the calyx is wheel-shaped, dry, pubescent, brightly colored. Kermek blooms from July until frost.

Until recently, 30 species of the genus Kermek were used in gardening, and even then to a limited extent, but now interest in this plant has increased among both landscape designers and amateur gardeners. Therefore, breeders have created many new beautiful varieties and introduced many new species.

The most popular types of kermeks are::

broadleaf kermek ,

Kermek Tatar ,

Kermek Gmelipa ,

Suvorov's static ,

notched kermek ,

Kermek Caspian .

According to agricultural technology, plants of this genus are divided:

Species grown as annual plants: Kermek Bonduelli, Kermek notched, Kermek Chinese.

Species grown as perennials: Kermek Gmelina, Kermek Caspian, Kermek ordinary, Kermek broadleaf.

Previously, Kermek Tatarian belonged to the genus Limonium, but then the plant was separated into a separate genus - goniolimons.

Perennial species of the genus Kermek, widely used in gardening:

Kermek Gmelina

It grows in salt marshes in southern Russia and Central Asia. Siberia, Central Europe, Mongolia, Northern China. It is found on sea coasts, as well as in river valleys.

Externally, Gmelin's Kermek is similar to broad-leaved Kermek, but has less branched shoots. The foliage of Kermek Gmelin is obovate, light or bluish green. The peduncles in the uppermost part are paniculate-branched. The flowers are in dense, short racemes, collected in corymbose inflorescences, purple, there are species with snow-white flowers. Kermek Gmelin blooms at the end of summer.

The plant is beautiful in a dried state, and in a living state, in addition, it is excellent honey plant and is used for dyeing leather, fabrics, carpets in yellow, pink, green and black, and also for tanning leather. This type of kermek is similar to broadleaf kermek not only in appearance, but also in agricultural technology and growing conditions.

In the middle zone it is winter-hardy, but dry shelter for winter period. Requires shading from bright spring rays. Kermek Gmelin has no varieties.

Kermek Caspian

A perennial plant, its homeland is the same as that of Gmelin's kermek. Under natural conditions, it loves wet salt marshes, seashores and salt lakes.

Externally, the plant resembles Gmelin's Kermek, but in the lower part the flowering shoots are not bare, but densely covered with amazing thin branched shoots. Kermek Caspian has small, lilac inflorescences. Kermek Caspian is very beautiful and is grown abroad as a cut flower for bouquets. In our country, this plant is practically not cultivated, because the plant is too thermophilic for growing in a garden in central Russia.

Common Kermek

Its homeland is Western Europe and Africa.

Perennial plant 50 cm tall. Foliage in a basal rosette, large. The flowers are blue-violet, small, in spikelets. Flowering lasts 50 days.

Kermek broadleaf

A plant growing wild in the forest-steppe zone of Europe and the Caucasus.

This is a herbaceous rhizomatous plant, perennial, 80 cm high. The plant is densely pubescent. The foliage is in a basal rosette, elliptical, large, green, collected in a basal rosette. In August, large, leafless shoots grow from this rosette; they bear violet-blue flowers, which are collected in spikelet inflorescences.

During the period of flowering and seed ripening, Kermek looks like a huge openwork ball. Blooms in July for 50 days. In cultivation, Kermek broadleaf is very beautiful and looks unusual in mixborders; it can be used as a tapeworm. Kermek broadleaf attracts insects due to its unpleasant smell, which quickly disappears when dried.

Kermek broadleaf prefers sunny open places and well-permeable soils. It takes well to fertilizing, especially humus or compost. The plant is drought-resistant. Propagated by seeds. Seedlings should be planted in a permanent location at the end of August. Broadleaf kermek does not tolerate replanting well.

This species reproduces both vegetatively and by dividing rhizomes in the fall or spring, but these divisions take root with difficulty. This type of kermek has no varieties. In our country it winters without shelter, but suffers from stagnant water.