Kochia
Kochia (lat. Kochia) is an ornamental leafy annual or biennial from the Chenopodiaceae family.
Description
Kochia is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant or a spectacular subshrub and can be either a perennial or an annual. Its erect stems, the height of which can vary from thirty centimeters to one and a half meters, are quite strongly branched, and the solid linear narrow leaves are slightly pubescent and arranged in a regular order.
Quite inconspicuous small flowers of kochia are devoid of bracts and are collected one to five pieces into miniature balls, which in turn form attractive paniculate or spike-shaped inflorescences, giving kochia a surprising resemblance to tumbleweeds. As for the fruits of this plant, they are single-seeded nuts, and the length of the ovoid seeds usually does not exceed one and a half to two millimeters. As a rule, this plant blooms from July to October, and the process of fruit ripening invariably starts in the fall.
At the moment, about eighty species of kochia are known, although only one single variety is grown in culture.
Where does it grow
The main habitats of this beautiful plant are Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. It is also found in the southern part of Russia, as well as in the Amur region and Primorye, and sometimes it can be seen in Western Siberia.
Usage
Kochia is used primarily to add volume to luxurious compositions made up of beautifully flowering annual plants, while these annuals are usually represented by low-growing vegetation growing in one plane. Kochia will look very cool in flower beds with borders; in addition, it is very successfully used to create a magnificent green background in flower beds with mixed borders. This wonderful plant looks equally impressive both in small groups and in single plantings.
This green beauty is also good because with the help of a haircut, its thickets can be given absolutely any shape — it tolerates a haircut perfectly, in addition, it lends itself perfectly to shaping.
In some countries, kochia is also considered an excellent raw material for making brooms; in addition, it is quite successfully used in folk medicine: an infusion of the herb is an excellent remedy for itchy skin, difficult or painful urination, eczema, rubella, itching in the vaginal area accompanied by leucorrhea, bites of rabid dogs, urolithiasis, rheumatism, as well as constipation and dropsy. And in Chinese medicine, a decoction of the fruit is actively used — it is used for gonorrhea, as well as for a wide variety of ailments of the urinary tract and bladder.
Growing and care
Kochia will grow fully and without problems only on well-cultivated, nutritious and loose soils. And the area for planting it should ideally be sunny, although this plant tolerates partial shade very well.
In general, kochia is very unpretentious in care, but when hot weather sets in, it must be systematically watered.
Kochia is propagated either by seeds sown in open ground in May, or by planting in greenhouses in April. And growing seedlings usually begins with the onset of March. When planting this plant, it is important to try to maintain a distance of twenty to thirty centimeters. By the way, kochia gives quite abundant self-seeding!
As for all kinds of pests and ailments, kochia is very resistant to them.
