The gender Gypsophila It is represented in nature by some 335 species from Europe and Asia. Being the best known species Gypsophila paniculata, commonly called as Bridal Veil Plant. It is a beautiful plant for ornamental use that is distinguished by its white flowers, arranged in the form of very showy bouquets. I invite you to meet her.
Bridal Veil Plant
This plant of European and Asian origin, is herbaceous and perennial that has been cultivated for the beauty of its white flowers and foliage, in florists and gardens. In florists to complement floral arrangements and bouquets, it is commonly called "cloud, bridal veil, gisófila".
His scientific name is Gysophila paniculata and belongs to the botanical family Caryophyllaceae, in it around 335 species have been classified with the genus Gysophila, being the best known species Gysophila paniculata. It stands out for the rustic appearance of its trunk and foliage and its beautiful inflorescence with abundant small white flowers that provide a delicate and fresh appearance.
It should be noted that this species G. paniculata Some twelve varieties have been described, with the characteristics of being a shrub plant with an average size of between 0,50 and 1,20 meters in height, depending on the varieties. They are highly sought after for filling bridal bouquets due to their long and firm thin stems that allow them to be held and for their panicle-type inflorescences where their small and beautiful white flowers are born, even with a slight pinkish tone.
Morphological Description
It is a bush-like growth plant; with a racemose inflorescence (with several racemes) that receives the name of panicle, in these racemes grow small pentapetalous flowers, between 3 to 10 millimeters in diameter; it is lanceolate and glaucous about 7 centimeters long; an erect, woody main stem with lateral branches; Its main root is deep and secondary roots are 1 to 2 meters long and have a diameter of 3 millimeters.
Your flowers
The flower buds of this plant have made it the winner of one of its common names bridal veil, because they grow in a racemose inflorescence, which look like bouquets, these are small in size and color ranges from white to pale pink depending on the variety. Single or double flowers have been observed depending on the variety of G. paniculata.
The flowering of this plant occurs in the summer season in the months of June to August. During its propagation to increase flower production, its exposure to light is increased with photoperiod techniques and temperature increase, achieving flower production throughout the year.
Distribution in nature
In nature it grows wild in parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, it adapts to loamy-sandy and stony soils with little moisture retention; it grows well in soils with a slightly acidic and limestone pH, a characteristic that distinguishes the plants of this genus and the reason for the name of the genus Gypsophila (which indicates its good adaptation to rocky soils with a high presence of gypsum).
plant taxonomy
This plant belongs to the botanical family Caryophyllaceae, it is a species of the Genus Gypsophila, its scientific name is Gypsophila paniculata, first described by Carlo Linnaeus in 1753, and published in Species Plantarum 1:407. 1753.67.
Synonym of the plant
Many taxonomists have described specimens of this plant and have assigned it other scientific names, which in subsequent studies have changed it to its current scientific name and due to this it has the following Synonymy.
- arrostia paniculata
- Gypsophila effusa TRADE
- Hungarian gypsophila Borbas
- Gypsophila manginii
- Gypsophila paniculata adenopoda Borbas ex Hallier
- Gypsophila parviflora Moench
- gypsophila tatarica
- Lychnis procera
- saponaria paniculata (L.) H. Neumayer
Uses of the plant
Although its natural distribution is in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, it has been introduced to other countries as an ornamental plant for gardens and florists. In Peru it is one of the most produced and exported plants cultivated for its flowers. They are used for wedding decorations, using them as outlines for brides' bouquets and other floral arrangements.
Environmental conditions
- They are plants that grow well at an average environmental temperature between 15 to 17 °C, adapting well to places with maximum temperatures of between 20 to 25 °C during the day and minimum temperatures of 10 to 15 °C at night. It goes into hibernation when temperatures drop to around 0 to 2°C.
- Bridal veil plants grow well in places with relative humidity between 60 to 80%
- Because it is a plant native to places in the temperate region where it blooms in the summer season, physiologically it requires long days for its flowering. Demanding between 12 to 18 hours of sunlight for a good formation of the flowers. When temperatures range between 15°C during the day and 10°C at night, the production of its flowers increases.
- If it is being propagated in greenhouses, photoperiod treatment should be done to induce flowering, placing artificial light above all to induce and start flowering of the plants, as it is the most critical period in terms of light and temperature conditions. Nurserymen usually place more light hours from the third or fourth week after sowing.
- Plants Gypsophila paniculata It likes slightly acidic soils with a pH between 6,5 to 7,5 with a high amount of decomposing organic matter. Loamy textured soils, deep and porous, well drained. They are plants sensitive to salinity.
Reproduction and Propagation
These plants are reproduced asexually by terminal cuttings of a size between 7,5 to 10 centimeters, taken from the mother plant, which has about three pairs of leaves and are taken when the plant is vegetative. These cuttings are planted in sand substrates so that they take root, during this period nebulized irrigation is applied to maintain constant relative humidity.
The plants take root in approximately 23 to 26 days, in case you want to accelerate the rooting of the cuttings, the use of rooting hormones is suggested, such as indole-butyric acid known by its acronym IBA. Also these plants can be reproduced by grafting.
It is suggested for the propagation by grafting of these plants, to have a mother plant of two years of age. Gypsophila paniculata. The “Brstol Fairy or Flamingo” varieties are usually propagated by grafting, juvenile cuttings of these plants are chosen and grafted onto the mother plant, these cuttings are suggested to have a length of 2,5 centimeters, they can be these varieties or another that like. For grafting it is suggested to place prepared soil.
If you are propagating by grafting in a temperate climate, it is suggested to carry out the grafting practice at the beginning of the spring season, a shield or bark type graft can be made. In case it is under greenhouse conditions and greenhouse-grown rootstocks are used, grafting can be carried out in late winter. To promote healing, it is suggested to place the plants in a cold chamber, especially those grafted in summer. Propagation by in vitro culture is also carried out for plants of the species Gypsophila paniculate.
crop management Gypsophila paniculata
It begins with the preparation of the planting land, cleaning the rest of the previous planting and weeds. It is fertilized before planting to provide nutrients to the soil that will be used by the plants once they germinate, the fertilizer will depend on what is indicated in the soil analysis previously done.
They are built in systems of ridges or planting benches from about 0,9 to one meter wide, with a separation between them of 0,5 to 0,6 m and a height of 0,25 meters. Then the stakes or cuttings of the plants are placed preferably in trebolillo, with a distance between stakes of 0,4 meter between each one.
Around 7 or 8 weeks after sowing, the plants are about 15 to 20 centimeters long, the plants are trimmed, this is a cut at the apex of the stem 2-3 centimeters long, to promote growth side. The trimming is done between 2 to 3 weeks of topping, this consists of removing the thin shoots of the secondary and tertiary stems, to strengthen the most vigorous stems to the productivity of branches.
In order to guarantee that the plants have straight stems, tutors are placed, for this they place a mesh around the plants to guide their vertical growth. Hormonal treatment with gibberalin is applied to this crop to lengthen its stems. This treatment is carried out when the rosettes have about 20 leaves and on pruned shoots that measure 3 centimeters.
The pruning of the plant is done to stimulate a new flowering, this is carried out after the harvest of the flowers. Fertilization is carried out almost throughout the entire growing cycle, from the second week of sowing until when the flowers are opening. The plant is irrigated by drip, as it is a sensitive plant to flooded soils.
Plague and Diseases that affect it
These plants are susceptible to attack by pests when agrocultural practices are not carried out properly, such as soil preparation to eliminate soil pests, remaining weeds, high soil moisture, and others. The pests that affect these bridal veil plants are listed below.
Pests
- leaf miner (Liriomyza trifolii)
- White fly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)
- Airworms (Heliothis armigueras, Spodoptera) and others
- Red spider (Tetranychus urticae)
- Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)
- Aphids
Diseases
These are caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses that occur due to poor cultural practices, adverse environmental conditions, incidences of pests such as aphids that are virus hosts, high temperature and humidity, among others. The diseases that can occur are listed:
- Rhizoctonia solani
- Oidium (erysiphae)
- Phytophthora
- Pythium aphanadermatum y Pythium ulimum
- Fusarium
- erwinia herbicola
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