La Santa Rita It is one of the most beautiful plants you can find, a species that features beautiful flowers in vibrant colors that range from fuchsia to orange. Having a Santa Risa at home can be something very interesting because it is an easy-care plant that will not present major inconveniences. if you are in the right place and receive everything you need to survive.
This species is one of the most popular and famous plants of all time, perhaps because it grows and develops into colorful bushes that give life to any garden.
Plant overview
La Santa Rita belongs to the family of Rubiaceae and it presents some 500 varieties. Also known as the Maltese Cross, Isoca or Iron Stick, it is present in the five continents and presents different shapes in colors although the most common is that it develops in the shape of a bush, reaching about one meter in height.
The leaves of the Santa Rita are dark green and oval in shape, although the most striking are its tubular flowers, generous in quantity and which can be orange, red, white or salmon.
The flowering of the plant occurs between spring and summer but the flowers can remain well into fall.
Main cares of Santa Rita
A few days ago I bought two plants, one with bright pink leaves, the other orange, and they are still very pretty, perfect with their colorful flowers. I have placed them in two large pots so that the roots have space but I have also discovered that it is necessary that I should place them in a sunny place although with some shade during the winter and then relocate them in a place of greater luminosity in summer avoiding direct exposure to the sun.
Although the winds do not affect it, it is best to place it away from the air currents because then the flowers could fall. As for the temperature, the ideal is a climate between 16 and 30 degrees Celsius. Water the plant when you notice that the soil is dry: in the summer it will be a daily watering and in the winter it will be enough with about twice a week.
When planting, choose a soil made up of 50 percent leaf mulch and avoid calcareous soils. Ideally, fertilize the soil once a month during spring and summer. Avoid transplanting unless the plant really needs it for a matter of space as it does not support changes very well and prunes at the beginning of spring to remove damaged, old or poor looking branches.
I have three Santa Ritas in pots a few years ago their trunks are thick but they do not have many leaves or flowers. They have daily irrigation, they are in full sun and with daily irrigation. Its orientation is west, they will be well located, which fertilizer they recommend for them.-
Hello Maria.
Most likely they will need a somewhat larger pot, with new soil (added, not replacing the one they have 🙂).
You can also pay them with organic fertilizers, such as guano for example that is sold in any nursery. Use the liquid, following the directions specified on the package.
A greeting.
My plant is fast growing but not blooming.
Hi Adri.
If you have it in a pot, it may be that it lacks space. It is advisable to transplant it every 2-3 years, in spring.
In the event that you have it planted in the ground, I advise you to fertilize it with worm humus or guano from spring to summer.
Greetings.
Hello, I covered two Santa Rita a month ago (I am Cba capital) because they always freeze me
I uncovered them to see how they were and they are horrible without leaves ... will they lack light? Water? Or do I keep leaving them like this until September ???
Hello Lucrecia.
You can still keep it covered. In climates where the winters are cool, it is normal for it to lose its leaves, do not worry.
Greetings.
Hello, I just bought a Santa Rita, I live in Córdoba Capital, I would like to know if it is possible to plant it now or would I have to wait until spring, yes or yes?
Hello Rocio.
If you are in Córdoba, you can plant it now. But yes, make a big hole, fill it with water and wait for it to be absorbed. Then take the plant out of the pot and plant it in the hole.
Enjoy.
I bought two Santa Rita, I moved it to a bigger pot with good soil and the leaves look ugly with the flower ... I don't know. Decayed I have it in a place that receives good sun and another in a place that has both sun and shadow and both are just as ugly .. What do you recommend ???
Hi Yesica.
They are plants that if the sun is very intense it is better to have them in semi-shade. But they can get used to the sun, little by little.
How often do you water them? If you have them with a plate underneath, I recommend removing it so that the roots do not rot. Here you have more information about these plants.
Regards!
Hello, I have two santa ritas that I bought a few months ago, both in pots. One keeps only one of the flowers it brought, but their leaves have grown very well and in quantity. On the other hand, the other Santa Rita is getting the bracts with some whitish spots and the leaves I feel a little weak. I look at them daily and I can't find any insects, so I don't think that's the cause. I water them only when the soil is dry and I have them in full sun.
Hello Julia.
These plants do not like to have dry soil, so you do well to water them that way. But do you have a plate under it? I'm asking you because if this is the case, after each watering it is necessary that you remove the water from the dish so that the roots do not get flooded.
Anyway, if each time they have -both- fewer flowers, don't worry, since these flowers have a limited life expectancy 🙂
Greetings.