Alstonia SCHOLARIS

Alstonia SCHOLARIS - Scholar tree, Blackboard tree, Alstonia scholaris.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Alstonia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae. Representatives of the genus are known from tropical Africa to tropical Asia, Malesia, and Australia. The genus was named in 1809 by Scottish botanist Robert Brown in honor of another Scottish botanist, Edinburgh University professor Charles Alston (1685-1760).

The genus includes shrubs and trees. The leaves are arranged oppositely or in whorls along the stem, usually with pronounced secondary veins. The inflorescence is a terminal cyme, the flowers are small, usually whitish. The calyx is five-parted, the sepals sometimes hairy, without glands. The corolla has a cylindrical tube, hairy inside. The stamens are short.

The ovary is apocarpous, superior or semi-inferior, glabrous or densely hairy, with numerous ovules. The fruit is a double follicle with numerous seeds, sometimes winged.

Seeds are sown into light, loose, fertile soil, moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in light, but not in direct sun at a temperature of 20-25 °C (68-77 °F). Seedlings need ventilation. Overwatering and drying out of the sowings must be avoided.

The first seedlings appear in 10-90 days. Pricking out is performed at the stage of 3-4 true leaves.

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Prefers sunny exposure. Soil is nutritious, well-drained, with plenty of sand and other inert aerating components. pH=6.5-7. Watering is moderate throughout the entire year. However, excessive drying out of the root ball should be avoided. Ambient humidity does not play a special role.

Moderate growth rates, modest size, and attractive appearance make Alstonia an ideal plant for indoor cultivation. The necessary shape and size can be imparted to the plant by regular pruning.