8 best vegetative annual flowers
Many flower growers must have come across such a concept as “vegetation”, “vegetative cuttings” or vegetative annuals. And even more often you can hear such a name as "vegetative petunias." Vegetative annuals, indeed, represent a special group. Among such plants, one can find unique species and varieties whose seeds cannot be found on sale, since seed propagation is in principle impossible for them. We will talk about the features of vegetative flyers and the most amazing representatives of this group in this article.

What are vegetative annuals?
The word “vegetative” itself comes from the Latin word ‘vegetativus’, which means “vegetable”. Vegetative are those annuals that were obtained using vegetative propagation. In botany, this is one of the methods of asexual reproduction and is interpreted as “the formation of a new plant from the multicellular part of the parent specimen”.
Most often, “vegetative” is called rooted cuttings cut from mother plants. The ability to propagate by cuttings are very many annual and perennial plants, including those that were originally grown from seeds. But most summers, which are designated as "vegetative", in principle, are not able to reproduce except as cuttings and do not tie seeds. But where did the uterine plants come from?
The situation resembles the question of what was primary - a chicken or an egg. But in relation to the "vegetation" there is still an exact answer. Initially, vegetative varieties (more precisely, of course, they are always only hybrids) are created in the laboratories of large breeding and seed companies.
As we know, the traditional way to obtain new cultivars is the cross-pollination of carefully selected parental specimens. But, unfortunately, not always as a result of this, viable offspring are formed or the desired unique characters appear, which are fixed at least at the level of first-generation hybrids (F1).
However, specialists are known for truly "magical" methods and technologies, thanks to which it is possible to create a hybrid with unique features, which in fact should not have been born. In particular, for example, a plant such as petchoa also originated in the laboratory. Indeed, under natural conditions, the embryo obtained by pollinating petunias and caliberhoa always perished due to the different number of chromosomes in plants.
But scientists managed to transplant such an embryo to a donor plant, which successfully “tolerated” a new flower. Of course, the plant obtained as a result of such complex manipulations cannot be reproduced from seeds, so pethoa, like its other vegetative colleagues, is subsequently reproduced only by cuttings.
Advantages and disadvantages of vegetative plants
Pluses of vegetative plants:
- indeed, unique colors that cannot be grown from seeds;
- there are hybrids with double flowers in plants that are not characterized by terry during seed propagation;
- usually the bushes of such seedlings are uniform, strong and well formed;
- You can grow crops that, in principle, do not propagate by seed;
- no need to waste time and take up space on the windowsill, growing seedlings from seeds.
The disadvantages of vegetative plants:
- high cost of seedlings;
- when buying in online stores, you can find re-sorting;
- plants can be infected with such typical and difficult to eradicate pests of greenhouses, such as spider mites, whiteflies, mealybugs and others;
- since the plants were obtained as a result of cuttings, they can be infected with viruses that could pass from both the uterine plant and poorly processed tools when cutting the cuttings.


1. Beedens
Under such a sonorous name, there is a decorative form of succession on sale. Beedens, or the vegetative sequence (Bidens, or Coreopsis ferulifolia) Is usually an ampel plant with thin drooping shoots, which is used for hanging baskets. An additional decoration is carved foliage.
Flowers most often vary within different shades of yellow. But there are also hybrids with variegated flowers, for example, ‘Bidy Bop Flame ’ - bright orange midpoints and yellow tips of the petals. In shape, the flowers are similar to daisies or rather to tiny sunflowers. Flowering is long and very plentiful.

2. Alyssum
It would seem, what could surprise such a simple plant with small flowers smelling of honey? And why buy his cuttings when alissum (Alyssum) is it so easy to grow from seeds and even get self-sowing?
As you know, varieties of alissum grown from seeds are divided into two large groups: bush and ampelous. The latter, however, only slightly hang from the pot. But the vegetative amelny alissum allows you to create a real train of delicate flowers, because the shoot length of such hybrids is several tens of centimeters! The most powerful bushes and long shoots in hybrids ‘Lucia White ’ (white) and ‘Lucia Purple ’ (purple). Also, vegetative alissum may have larger flowers.

3. Lobelia
Lobelia (Lobelia) Is another quite popular and already a little familiar summerman, whose vegetative forms literally amaze the imagination. For example, could you imagine a terry lobelia? But it really exists and spreads, like the whole "vegetative", only in the form of rooted cuttings.
Terry lobelia has the same small bright blue flowers with a white center, but they consist of many petals and look like small original roses. There is also another interesting variety of vegetative lobelia ‘Star Super ’, which differs from the seed by a larger spot in the center and a slightly different flower shape (more oval).

4. Petunia
I think I’m not mistaken if I assume that petunia (Petunia) has the richest variety of vegetative hybrids among all annuals. And no matter how beautiful the seed varieties are, the most striking petunias can still be found precisely among those that are propagated by cuttings. For example, dense small-flowered forms, which look very charming and original, exist only in vegetative petunias.
The most popular of them petunia "Tumbelina Priscilla" (lilac) "Tumbelin Melissa" (yellow). And non-double hybrids with unique colors simply can not be counted! Moreover, most varieties of vegetative petunia are ampelous and form very long lashes densely covered with flowers. Such petunias are more hardy and do not require the removal of wilted flowers.

5. Bacopa
Usually varieties bakopy (Bacopa), grown from seeds, play a supporting role, shading the brighter plants in the composition of flower compositions, because they have very small pale flowers. But the vegetative bacopa is so good that it can be planted as a soloist.
And this is not surprising, because the flowers of the bacopa variety ‘Double Snowball White ’ three times larger than most varieties and also even terry. So you do not immediately recognize in this beautiful bride-bacopa. In addition, it was possible to grow pink-lilac bacopa from seeds only last year, and earlier a bacopa with raspberry flowers was available only in a vegetative form. Hybrid is also interesting ‘Gulliver Violet Glow ’ with raspberry violet flowers.

6. Stcevola
In the West stcevola (Scaevola) is a very popular plant and can often be seen as part of container compositions. In our country, for a long time, this flower was completely unknown, since it is still almost impossible to find its seeds on sale. Moreover, seed reproduction of this plant is, in principle, possible. But now, finally, it has become possible to purchase the rooted cuttings of this original flower.
The tsevola is ampelous or pillow-shaped bushes strewn with medium-sized (up to 2.5 centimeters) flowers, similar to a fan, which are collected from inflorescences. The color of the petals is mainly blue-violet gamut: from pale blue to deep purple. Corolla is pure white, less often yellow. It blooms very plentifully, all summer.

7. Purslane
Vegetative purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is significantly different from the seed, and in this plant it is not always easy to identify the usual purslane. This succulent has the same plump juicy leaves, however they are flatter and have rounded edges. The flowers of the vegetative Purslane are approximately half the size of the seed, but the bushes bloom very abundantly. In cloudy weather, the corollas, like that of the seed purslane, are closed.
Basically, vegetative purslane is found in two colors: bright yellow and orange. Recently, terry varieties of such a purslane and variegated varieties began to appear on sale. When planting purslane next to other plants, it should be borne in mind that it grows rapidly and rapidly.

8. Osteospermum
Osteospermum (Osteospermum) Is an interesting plant from the Astrov family, and another exotic variation of multi-colored “daisies”. Depending on the variety, this flower may also look like asters or chrysanthemums. At the same time, the height of the plant is only 30 centimeters (seed varieties are usually high 40-50 centimeters), so this is a great potted plant.
There are varieties of osteosperm that are grown from seeds, but the vegetative osteosperm has truly fantastic variations. For example, a hybrid ‘Flower Power Purple Sun ’ - last year's new product, awarded the prestigious award. And, indeed, it is hardly possible to find another flower whose petals combine such exotic colors.
Another very worthy variety ‘Margarita Double Pink ’ distinguished by the presence of "pompons" in the center of the flower, which makes it look like varietal echinacea. By nature, perennial osteospermum and mother liquors can be preserved in winter as a houseplant. However, osteosperm cuttings are very difficult to root, therefore it is better to acquire young plants anew in the form of rooted cuttings.

Where to buy vegetative cuttings?
The easiest way to buy vegetative hybrids in the market, where they usually sell plants. Typically, entrepreneurs pre-purchase such cuttings in bulk from the Netherlands, after which they independently grow and by the time of planting present well-formed bushes densely covered with flowers to customers.
But sometimes nursery growers keep queen cells in the winter and independently carry out cuttings in the spring. Also, "vegetative" is very actively sold in various online stores. In the latter case, although it is easier to choose the most interesting varieties, you can easily be disappointed by the fact that they can be sent by very tiny, barely rooted, not trimmed cuttings.
In any case, buying “vegetative” in the online store, you need to give preference not too far from you, otherwise the cuttings may simply not reach or arrive very weak.
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