Chamomile is a favorite and familiar flower. But if there is not enough color and variety on your land plot, then you should pay attention to a similar plant with a wide range of shades and varieties. This flower is a mesembryantemum (dorotheanthus).
Description
Mesembryantemum (from the Latin Mesembryanthemum - a flower of noon) - a perennial ground cover plant from the family of the Aizovs, has another name - dorotheanthus (Dorotheanthus). Perennial blooms on sunny days at noon, and closes in the evening.
The inflorescences resemble daisies, which are white, red, lilac, orange or crimson. Among the popular names - crystal grass, sun, African chamomile. Crystal plant is called because the leaves are glands with liquid, which in good light looks like crystal.
The plant belongs to the succulents, as well as Rhodiola Rosa, stonecrop, young, Fatty, Aichrizone, Echeveria.
The fleshy foliage and stems grow to 15 cm. The leaves have a spatulate or spindle-like shape, a marsh shade. Their tissues are not saturated with chlorophyll, therefore the main purpose is to store water. At the bottom of the leaves grow oppositely, above - in turn. On the leaves are swollen "crystalline" idioblasts.The diameter of the flowers is 8 cm, which is quite a lot on all plants. Mesembryantemum is used as a carpet and border plant and is placed on stony heights and balconies. The boxes are the fruits of dorotheanthus.
Did you know? Dorotheanthus seeds are very small. In 1 g 3000 seeds.South Africa is home to the plant, but it also lives in other tropical countries: Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Peru. In this regard, the landing site is better to choose the most sunny, on the southern side of the site.
Common species
Mezembryantemum has about 50 different species. The most famous among them - crystal, cereal, daisy, cloudy.
Crystal
It is possible to meet other names. crystal mezembryantemma, for example, crystallinum, ice grass, crystal grass, ice-caster (from the Latin Mesembryanthemum crystallinum).
This is an annual plant of the family of aizovyh, common on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands, the Azores. Salt marshes, sand beaches - the habitat of crystal grass. After planting, it grows, forms a "carpet" up to 15 cm in height. Specific care is not required.
Consists of fleshy stems, on which grow greenish, small leaves with a corrugated edge. Flowers are white, pink or red in the inflorescence, which has a brush-like shape. 
Did you know? In ancient times, this type of mezembryanthum was used as a salad. Now it performs only a decorative function.
Mallow
Mesembryantemum cereal (Mesembryanthemum tricolor) is an annual plant with branches 12 cm high. It has red stems that form a whole "carpet". Its surface consists of hairs. The leaves are linear, fleshy, 3-5 cm long, covered with hair-papillae. The flowers have a diameter of 3.6 cm, painted in carmine-pink color with a shiny dark center.
Begins massively bloom from July to September. Dastardous duster is represented by varieties of white, salmon pink flowers. Lunette has a red center and yellow petals around it. 
Daisy
Mezembryantemum daisy (Mesembryanthemum criniflorum) or hair flowering is considered primary. Its flowers with a diameter of 3.5 cm come in various colors (red, yellow, apricot, pink, orange, purple). Flowers close when the weather turns gloomy. Flowering occurs throughout the summer and partly in the fall (until October).
Plant height reaches 10-15 cm, the length of the shoots that spread along the ground is 30 cm. The leaves of obovate form have a length of 7.5 cm with papillary coating. 
Cloudy
Mesembryantemum cloudy (Mesembryanthemum nubigenum) is an evergreen, ground cover shrub 6-10 cm tall with linear, oval, 1-2 cm leaves. Another name is Delosperm. Acquires a bronze color after cooling. It is frost-resistant and characterized by non-durable flowering.
Golden yellow, red, orange, purple can fill a stemless flower with a diameter of 3.5 cm. It begins to produce flowers at the end of spring. 
Did you know? This variety has hallucinogenic properties. Previously, this plant was used by African aborigines for ritual purposes. For this reason, their cultivation and distribution have been banned in the United States.
Growing from seed (step by step instruction)
The best cultivation of dorotheanthus from seeds occurs in March. To do this, you need to perform such actions at home:
- Place the seeds in seedling containers, sprinkling the ground with lightly calcined sand. You can pull the film on the boxes to get a small greenhouse.
- A week later, the plant will start to emerge. But it germinates unevenly, so most seedlings will seem for 20-28 days.
- Young seedlings from mesembryanthum seeds grow slowly. When growing plants, it is better to place the containers in a lighted place and irrigate. Otherwise, the "crystal" grass will rot and die, despite the fact that it was in a comfortable home environment.
- Seedlings that are already strong and have leaves, it's time to dive into individual containers. For this it is better to use cups or other small containers.
- You can make planting in open soil only in the absence of sub-zero temperatures at night and if the soil is already warm enough. This usually happens in May. It is recommended to observe the distance between the seedlings with a length of 15 cm.
Important! It is not necessary to plant a mesembryantemum near moisture-loving plants. Excessive watering provokes rotting.
Breeding
There are two types of reproduction of doroteanthus: seed and cherenkovy. The first was discussed above, so pay attention to the second method. In March, you need to take cuttings from uterine plants and rooted in pots with soil. In May, the cuttings are ready to move into open ground. First you should cover the cuttings with a can in order to maintain the humidity of the soil and air. After the plant is rooted, it must be transplanted to another, already permanent place. There they quickly grow.
To create a vegetable carpet they plant alissum, ground-covering roses, silver dichondra, armory, saxifrage, creeping phlox, creeping thyme, primula.
Peculiarities of care
The southern plant tolerates drought and heat, in contrast to excessive moisture. An overabundance of water in the soil can be detrimental to it - there is a chance that the roots will rot. If you see the plants wither away, it is better not to water them until you get a healthy look.
Also, perennial can feel discomfort and lack of sun. Then it draws out and blooms badly. Therefore, if the requirement in good illumination will be met, an unpretentious flower can be planted where you want. 
Dorotheanthus requires simple care in the winter. It is best to plant a flower in a greenhouse or a room with a temperature not lower than -5 ° C. At zero temperature, the mesembryantemum may die.
Top dressing of a flower implies a two-time application of fertilizer to the soil every month during the summer.
Crystal grass survives better on protected from cold winds of land. It successfully grows in the place where vegetables had previously grown, under which fertilizers were applied. Before planting the Mezembryanthum is not fertilized. The flower needs care, which consists of raising, leveling and compacting the soil.
You should also save this plant from drafts, but do not forget about the mandatory circulation of air around it. The best soil for the mezembryantemum will be sandy or stone, which is equipped with a drainage system.
Important! The plant is resistant to drought, but in the hot summer it is necessary to spray the air near it to maintain water balance.
Diseases and pests
Perennial is not prone to disease and is resistant to pests. But, as an exception, a spider mite can attack. To cure the plant, you need to wash the leaves well with soap or dishwashing detergent. Lathering should be repeated after seven days. And it is worth holding this tool for several hours on the sick parts of the mesembryanthemma, and then wash it off.
Another way to overcome the tick is ethyl alcohol 96%. They need to moisten the cotton and wipe the leaves.
An effective remedy is garlic tincture. You need to take 2 heads of garlic, chop finely, put in a jar and pour 1 liter of water, tightly close the lid and leave for 5 days in a dark place. The tincture should be diluted 1: 1 with water and spray the painful areas of the plant.
Application in landscape design
Crystal grass is used both in garden and in landscape design for the purpose of decorating rabatok, curbs, balconies and stony slopes. As a rule, dorotheanthus is planted from the front. 
Mezembryantemum, planted near the stones, will look spectacular in such a composition. Container perennial placed on balconies and terraces.
Mezembryantem goes well with other colors, such as bells and roses. Dorotheanthus is versatile in landscape design. The brightness of the colors is used to border the track line.
When the bulbous flowers are already fading, the doroteanthus remains to bloom until autumn.
Due to the bright color, the mesembryantemum will become a winning addition to the artificial reservoir or hide the flaws of an unpresentable fence.
The variety of species and color, lack of difficulty in care, the decorative purpose of the flower, long flowering best talk about the benefits of this plant. A wide range of species will allow you to choose a flower that is right for you. Gardeners, flower growers and designers can widely use the mesembryantemum in any compositions for landscape design.
