In modern rhythm and living conditions it is quite difficult to find time, for example, to take care of flowers, but you still want to have living plants on the windows. Therefore, many people are in search of unpretentious indoor flowers that can withstand, for example, short-term lack of moisture or other difficulties. These plants include cactus. We want to introduce you to one unusual representative of this family. Its unusualness lies in the fact that it is not needle-like, but sheet. It's about cross over.
Botanical description
Pereskiya (Lat. Pereskia) belongs to the family of Cacti, but in appearance it is completely identical with them: instead of needles it has thick leaves. However, for botanists, this is not unusual, since they are well aware that in the past almost all cacti were with leaves, and only harsh living conditions and a dry climate made them thin down to needles. 
Pereskiya grows in the form of a large bush or a small tree, there are climbing species. There are thorns on the stem. Leaves - thick, beautiful green or purple color. Their shape is oval or lanceolate. The sizes of the leaves of the species are different, they can be from 1.5 to 25 cm.
It will be useful for you to learn about the magical properties of cactus, which species are suitable for home breeding, how to care for this plant, namely: how to water, fight pests and diseases, also learn all about vegetative reproduction and sowing cactus seeds.
As they grow, the beautiful and bright color of the foliage fades, during the period of rest they generally fall off, and the trunk takes over all their functions. In the leaf axils there are areoles with spines. Thorns grow either one by one or in groups.
Flowering occurs in summer or autumn. The flowers are similar in appearance to the flowers of wild rose. One by one you can meet them infrequently. Usually they appear in groups. In many species, the flowers have a pleasant citrus scent.
After flowering, the fruiting period begins. Fruits are juicy. Inside they contain large black seeds. The rest period lasts from October to February.
Central and South America is considered the birthplace of the reshuffle For the first time this plant was described in 1703. Description provided by Charles Plumiere. 
The flower is named after the name of the famous French scientist humanist Nikola-Claude de Peyresc. Karl Linnae ranked the plant to the genus of cacti. A little later, in 1754, the English botanist Philip Miller singled out a separate genus, the Pereschia.
Today this flower is popular with home flower growers. It can also be planted in open ground and in greenhouses.
Did you know? The largest cactus in the world is considered to be the giant cereus, its height is up to 25 meters, its weight is up to 10 tons. And the smallest prickly plant is a blassfeldia. It reaches a height of one to three centimeters.
Varieties
Breeders distinguish 18 varieties of pereskis, which include both shrubs and trees. We will tell you about the most interesting and common types below.
Pereski prickly
Thorny cross (lat. Pereskia aculeata) has several names - cross over prickly, Barbados gooseberry. This plant is distinguished from other species by the fact that it curls in the form of lianas, as well as by the fact that it has edible leaves and fruits. Refers to semi-deciduous shrubs. In the wild, it grows in Panama, on the shores of South America, on the Antilles.
The length of a stalk winding around a support can reach 10 m, in apartment conditions it can be up to 3 m. The leaves of this genus are oval, they can be from 3 to 10 cm in length. They are green in color. Derived forms with red and purple color of the bottom plate of the sheet. 
There are spines on the stem. The older the plant, the more massive and thick they are.
At the end of summer, a period of flowering begins at the perisaceous prickly. The flowers are cupped, milky with a pinkish tinge. Have a light pleasant aroma.
In the course of fruiting, round and oval fruits of yellow, orange or red flowers with dimensions of 1-2 cm in diameter appear. The flesh of the fruit and leaves can be eaten.
In the open ground the plant is planted to create beautiful hedges. It reaches the greatest decorative effect in greenhouses.
Did you know? Many people prefer to collect cacti. The first collection of exotic plants was collected in the second half of the XVI century by a London pharmacist named Morgan.
Pereskiya Godseffa
Pereskia Godseffa (lat. Pereskia godseffiana) has thin stems with black spines, growing bunches. The leaves are oval in shape, with sharp edges with a length of 6 cm. The upper leaf plate is painted in a light green color, its center - in a darker shade. The bottom leaf plates have pink or purple hues.
In the course of flowering, medium-sized flowers of white or cream color are formed. 
Sometimes Godseff's cross is distinguished into a separate species.
Pereskiya orange
Pereskiya orange (lat. Pereskia bleo) grows from 2 to 8 m. The bush is slightly branchy. The young stems are covered with olive-colored bark. Their diameter reaches 15 cm.
The leaves are large with distinct veins. Grow on long petioles. During flowering, bright orange large flowers with a diameter of 5-6 cm are formed. Outwardly, they resemble roses.
We recommend to read about the 10-ke popular home blooming cacti.
The fruits are cone-shaped and have a pleasant pineapple smell. Unsuitable for food.
This species is found in Panama and Colombia at an altitude of 400-900 meters above sea level. It is actively grown in Malaysia for decorative and medicinal purposes. 
Locals believe that orange peresya leaves are a good prophylactic against diseases of the stomach and cancerous tumors. Also funds based on them are used to reduce pressure, blood sugar levels.
Pereschia Grandiflora
Pereschia Grandiflora, or more flowered (Lat. Pereskia grandiflora) in the wild grows up to 5 m in height and up to 20 cm in diameter. The stem is covered with numerous thorns 2-3 cm long. It is rough, chestnut-colored. Leaves elongated, up to 23 cm in length. Grow on petioles up to 1.2 cm. They fall down at a temperature of + 10 ° C.
As is clear from the name of the species, the flowers of its representatives are large. Have a rich pink color. Collected in inflorescences of 10-20 pieces, can also grow alone. However, lush flowering of this beautiful view can be achieved only by carrying out proper care for it. 
Pereschia Weber
Weber Perescia (lat. Pereskia webehana) forms small bushes that are suitable for creating bonsai bushes. The length of the stem reaches from 1 to 3 m, diameter - up to 12 cm. The rhizome of the plant is thickened. The leaves are small, attached to the stalk without cuttings.
Flowering in this species is abundant. The flowers are small - up to 2 cm in diameter, pinkish in color. Flowering long, lasts from mid-spring until the end of summer. 
Care features
Pereski can be called an unpretentious culture, however, in order for it to produce flowers and be pleased with its decorativeness, it is necessary to satisfy its preferences during planting and care.
Location and lighting
Pereskiya - light-loving plant. The best place for its habitat is the window sill, facing south. However, you need to make sure that the leaves and flowers do not fall into direct sunlight, otherwise they can burn them. Therefore, the plant should pritenyat.
Important! The plant will be able to survive in dim light, for example, in the depths of the room, but it will bloom only with good light in sufficient quantity.
In good warm weather, the flower can be exposed to fresh air, however, again, shade from the direct rays of the sun and cover from falling precipitation.
If you do not have a balcony or a loggia, then the room in which the flower grows must be aired often. 
When the day becomes too short, the plant can be provided with additional illumination lasting about 10 hours.
Temperature
The most comfortable temperature for the growth of crossbreed is + 22-23 ° C. During the rest period, it is desirable to lower the temperature first to +15 ° C (autumn), and then to + 12-14 (in winter). The maximum temperature that a plant can normally transfer is +10 ° C.
Keeping in cold conditions in winter is a guarantee that the flower will bloom profusely in spring.
Humidity and watering
For pereski air humidity is not the principal parameter of successful growth. It will be reconciled with low humidity, but it will be especially beautiful with occasional spraying with soft water.
A flower is watered when the top layer of earth in a pot dries. With the beginning of the dormant period, the number of irrigations should be reduced, otherwise you can trigger the development of a fungal disease. In winter, watering is carried out very rarely - once or twice a month, otherwise the leaves will begin to crumble.
It is necessary to water only with warm distilled water from the tap or with melt water. If the water is too hard, it needs to be softened by adding acetic or citric acid.
The soil
For planting use a substrate of the following components:
- leaf earth - two parts;
- clay-turf land - two parts;
- humus - two parts;
- river sand - one part.
Acidity is required weak - 5-6 pH.A large wide pot will fit for planting to fit a well-developed plant root system.
Fertilizers and fertilizers
After the end of the rest period, that is, from March, the plant will need to be fed twice a month. Apply store fertilizers intended for cacti, but with a dosage reduced by half.
Last feeding produced in September. In the future, they will be unsafe for the growth and development of plants, besides, they can provoke the development of the disease.
If you prefer to fertilize the flower with mineral fertilizers, then the nitrogen must be taken in the minimum dosage to prevent rot at the roots.
Transfer
Young plants are transplanted annually. Transplantation takes place in spring, before the growing season, using the transshipment method. With each transplanting pick up a larger pot. Adult bushes transplanted once every two to three years.
After transplantation, the plant should be put in a cool, darkened wet place and not moistened for several days.
Important! For a normal growth of the cross, when planting and each transplanting, one should not forget about laying in a drainage pot.
Breeding breed
Reproduction is carried out in two ways:
- Seed.
- Cuttings.
In apartment conditions, of course, it is better to propagate by cuttings. Cuttings for planting need to choose young, not yet covered with wood. They are cut in the spring or summer. Each of them must have at least one node. 
After cutting, the cuttings are rooted in pots with wet peat and perlite. You can also just put them in a jar of water, but creating a greenhouse from the film. And in the first and in the second case, the roots should wait from 15 to 20 days. For rooting cuttings, you must create a temperature in + 25-28 ° C
Seeds are planted in spring in containers. They should be germinated with diffused illumination and a temperature no higher than +21 ° C. After the appearance of the first leaves on sprouts, they dive into separate pots. Then with them carry out the same activities as with adult plants.
Diseases and pests
With too much watering the plant can rot the roots. To avoid this problem and need when planting laying a good drainage, which will remove excess moisture. Also try to comply with the measure when watering.
Sometimes pereska stalks may become covered with mold and soften. It looks like a defeat gray rot. It develops on the plant, if it is constantly growing at high humidity and the absence of its circulation. The sooner you start fighting with this disease, the more successful will be its outcome.
When detecting the first signs of disease, it is necessary to reduce the humidity of the air in the room, stop spraying and frequent watering. Also require treatment with special preparations.
The plant must be treated with systemic fungicides or a mixture of 2% household soap and 0.2% copper sulphate, a solution of "Fundazole" (0.2%), the preparation "Topsin-M" (0.1%). After two weeks, the treatment must be repeated.
Read more about the most popular fungicides in indoor floriculture.
Of the pests for the cross, mealybugs are characteristic. They suck the vital juices out of it, as a result of which the plant can die.
To combat the insects, two methods are used: mechanical - by manual scraping of insects, chemical - spraying with special means ("Aktellik", "Rogor", "Aktara"), folk - treatment with soap-alcohol solution, garlic tincture, olive emulsion.
Ticks, scale insects and thrips can attack pereski. They are also disposed of with the help of "chemistry" (preparations "Fitoverm", "Aktovit", "Vermitek", "Apollo") and folk remedies (soap solution, medical alcohol, decoction of cyclamen).
Difficulty growing
Sometimes it can be difficult to grow pereski. Among them:
- stunting - usually it occurs due to insufficient watering or too small capacity in which the flower grows. The problem should go away as soon as you get the watering done right and transplant the plant;
- stretching shoots, increase in the length of internodes - as a consequence of a lack of light. To solve the problem, it is necessary to choose another place for the flower, a more illuminated one, or install additional lighting;
- blanching foliage - a sign of excessive lighting. It is necessary to pritenit pot with a plant.
So, if you are looking for a beautiful and unpretentious plant that needs to decorate an apartment, then a crosshair cactus is perfect for these tasks.The cacti also include: mammillaria, aloe, ripsalis, echinocactus Gruzoni, hymnocalicium, flower Decembrist, hatiora, epiphyllum, opuntia.
It is characterized by long and original flowering, rapid growth, pleasant aroma. Moreover, its trunk is decorated not with thorns, but with leaves, which is quite unusual for representatives of cacti.
