Wolfberry paper ornamental trees and shrubs. Decorative shrubs. Common types of wolfberry

In mid-April, the wolfberry blooms. Those who see this plant for the first time often mistake it for an ultra-early lilac. He admires how good the branches sprinkled with flowers look, and dreams of planting the same bush on his site. I once belonged to such naive people who believe that they have bred an ultra-early variety of lilac. I was fascinated by a meter-high bush that grew near a village road in the Kaluga region.

Now, in front of my house, a luxurious wolfberry bush grows and blooms every spring. This plant is also called "daphne", "deadly wolfberry", "wolf bast" and "wolf". In early spring, in mid-April, a miracle happens: the wolfberry blooms. The snow has not yet melted all around, and the wolf bush is all in bloom. Its pink-lilac flowers, in shape - exact copies lilac flowers seem unthinkable in this off-season, when winter has not yet ended and spring has not come.

Shrub with a terrible name "wolf", "wolf bast", or "deadly wolfberry"

Botanical family Volcheyagodnikovyh ( Thymelaeaceae), in which there are about 50 species on the territory of Eurasia, is distinguished by some insidiousness. On the one hand, all of its representatives are surprisingly decorative. Especially during flowering and fruiting. I remember the legend that gave the name Daphne ( Daphne) to this plant. That was the name of a beautiful girl in an old romantic legend. But there is also another side of the coin. The girl Daphne dies from the revenge of the jealous wife of Zeus, and beautiful shrub Daphne turns out to be very poisonous. How not to recall his other names, which sound like a threat and a warning: Wolfberry, Wolf's bast and wolf.

Decorative wolfberry

IN middle lane the common wolf species is common ( Daphne mezereum), or Wolf's bast, which blooms very early and profusely. On all branches of the shrub, many fragrant flowers bloom simultaneously, each of which resembles a lilac flower. Elongated leaves will bloom towards the end of flowering. The wolf flowers appear before the coltsfoot. The branches of the shrub are plastered with flowers for more than three weeks, from April to early May. Sometimes repeated flowering is observed in the fall, when only a few flowers bloom. The bush always looks neat. It is rarely seen with broken branches. They are protected by a strong, plastic bark that allows the branches to bend rather than break. Try to break this bark. Will not work. But every child can tear it off “like a bast from a linden”. But you should not do this, because the bark and juice of the wolf are also poisonous.

And how beautiful is the "wolf's bast" in autumn! By this time, its juicy ruby berries ripen. There are so many of them that the crown of the bush becomes scarlet. In winter, the wolf looks good too. Its branches with dark bark and well-defined buds stand out in relief against the background of white snow.

Dangerous and beautiful wolf bast

The wolf contains a high concentration of toxic substances in all its parts. When its juice gets on the mucous membrane of the mouth or eyes, then there is a strong burning sensation. In rare cases, there are convulsions, which are symptoms of general poisoning. In some people, the juice has little to no effect on the skin reaction. But only up to a certain limit. Both children and adults should never bite off branches with their teeth. If there are kids in the family, then it is better to remove juicy berries from the branches before the child has time to put them in his mouth. The ingestion of berries into the stomach often ends in disaster. There are also deaths. Before first aid is given, you need to rinse the stomach, and then eat a few tablets activated carbon and drink a large number of liquids. Wolfberry leaves are dangerous even for horses and other domestic animals. But for birds, for example, thrushes, this is just a nutritious treat. The wolfberry does not want to offend the distributors of its seeds.

How to grow a wolfberry on your site

Agrotechnics of the wolfberry takes into account it species features. Undersized wolfberry odorous, or fragrant ( D. odorata), will feel great on south side alpine hill. For example, among limestones. Less winter-hardy Berkwood wolfberry ( D. burkwoodii) must be insulated for the winter. Evergreen pygmy wolfberry boletus ( D. cneorum) expands rapidly. But only when fresh soil is regularly poured to its bare branches. Most species prefer open and semi-shady places, fertile soil, consisting of aged peat, sand and loam.

common wolf ( Daphne mezereum) is a classic forest plant. His young bush can be transplanted to a plot from the forest. This species is characterized by slow growth.

The wolf's bast is unpretentious. But he does not like prolonged stagnation of water in the area. It is better to transplant shrubs to a new place in young age. Daphne is usually propagated by cuttings and sowing seeds in the autumn of the year of collection. Shrub and self-sowing do not disdain. Stratification is needed for spring sowing.

We include the wolfberry in the composition

Wolfberry branches, placed in a vase of water, are suitable for winter distillation. However, you do not need to leave them in the room where people sleep. The smell of flowers can cause headaches. Daphne is good both on its own and next to many ornamental trees and shrubs. And how wonderful it looks near a miniature pond. Some species and varieties have variegated forms ( Variegata). White flowers look unusual (Altai wolfberry - D.altaica, alpine wolfberry - D. alpina), yellowish cream (Kamchatka wolfberry D. kamtschatica) and cherry red (odorous wolfberry - D. odorata). Recently, several new varieties and forms have appeared. This diversity allows you to include these shrubs in all kinds of garden and park compositions. Take a closer look at this still rare shrub. But don't try its juicy berries!

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Wolfberry is an ornamental shrub that, regardless of variety, has a seductive floral aroma. The plant blooms its delicate fragrant flowers in early spring. This shrub is also called "wolf bast" or "wolf".

All these names should not be confused with the well-known among the people " wolf berries”, which are called a number of shrubs (including the wolfberry itself) with inedible and poisonous fruits. Wolfberry is a compact shrub, its height, depending on the variety, does not exceed 90 - 120 cm.

Some species of this plant are evergreen, others are deciduous. Due to its compact appearance, the wolfberry is perfect for single ornamental plantings. With it, you can decorate the front garden, alpine slide or terrace by planting in a large container.

Wolfberry fits well in compositions with plants (shrubs, bulbs) that bloom in early spring. To enjoy the sweet aroma of the wolfberry more often, it can be planted along paths in the garden.

cultivation

Planted "wolf's bast" in early spring or autumn in sunny areas that are not blown by the winds, some varieties can grow in partial shade. The soil for planting should be permeable, rich in humus.

Shrubs are planted with young seedlings, as adult plants take root worse.

When planting and caring for a wolfberry, you need to work with gloves, as the plant is poisonous and can cause skin irritation.

To plant a wolfberry, you need to choose places inaccessible to children, because the fruits of the plant are poisonous. Just a few berries that get into the stomach can be fatal.

Care

The plant does not require special care, it is enough to mulch the soil with compost or humus in spring and autumn. The plant is propagated by cuttings. They root well in a mixture of sand and peat. The second way - late autumn sow berries directly into the ground, however, in this case, germination is very low.

In hot and dry weather, the wolfberry can infect the spider mite, which is easy to detect on leaves and shoots. This pest sucks moisture from the leaves, as a result, they fall off. Therefore, during dry periods, the shrub must be watered in a timely manner.

Species, varieties

In Russia, 17 out of 50 wolfberry species that are found in Eurasia grow. Some of these plant species have leathery leaves resembling laurel leaves. From here came another name for the wolfberry - daphne, which on Greek means laurel.

Below are the most common types.

fragrant wolfberry. This shrub, whose homeland is China, is shaped like a dome. In Russia, it rarely grows above 30 cm. In early spring, red fragrant flowers with a cherry tint appear on its branches. The plant blooms earlier than other species. The most famous evergreen variety- Variegata. In winter, these plants in the middle lane need to be covered.
deadly wolfberry, the second name is "Wolf's bast". The height of the plant is about 1 m. This species is also distinguished by its early flowering, but it blooms after the previous species. The duration of flowering is 2-3 weeks, and it begins to bloom before the leaves appear. If you cut the branches of a bush in winter and put it in a vase with water, then the bush will bloom with fragrant flowers. Famous varieties "Rubra Select" ("Ruby Glow") with large flowers deep pink with red berries and 'Alba' with creamy white flowers.
Berkwood's wolfberry. This plant blooms pink in May. The color of the flowers gradually turns white. This species belongs to the group hybrid varieties, which do not form berries. Some varieties have decorative leaves with a light border around the edges. Known variety'Somerset' has evergreen lanceolate leaves and blooms in light pink tones.
Yulia's wolfberry. Short dwarf shrub no more than 30 cm high. It is a relic plant and is listed in the Russian Red Book. The plant blooms from April to May with small fragrant pink flowers. In the end summer season may bloom a second time. The plant has very deep roots (up to 1.5 m deep), tolerates frost well under snow.

Medicinal properties

Wolfberry like most poisonous plants, has medicinal properties. In medicine, bark, berries, leaves, shoots are used. Preparations are prepared from the bark, which are used to treat joint pain, as well as eye and skin diseases. The flowers of the plant are used as effective remedy from worms.

Alcohol tinctures of the wolfberry treat sciatica, gout, rheumatism, as well as various tumors and abscesses. All wolfberry preparations, with rare exceptions, are used as an external remedy and according to the doctor's recommendations.

Wolfberry - an ornamental shrub with the aroma of delicate flowers, will decorate your garden earlier than other plants in the spring.
Video: Wolfberry - ornamental shrub

Central and Southern Europe (Alps)

Sizes and forms of growth:

main view:

alpine belt of mountains

life form:

bush

deciduous

20-50 cm;
in Moscow - 70 cm

crown diameter:

in Moscow - 50 cm

Growth rate:

growing slowly

The soil:

pH:

mechanical composition of the soil:

sandy soils, loams, light soils

Planting and breeding:

breeding methods:

seeds, green cuttings, woody cuttings, layering

features of seed reproduction:

seeds are sown in autumn

vegetative reproduction:

layering;
poorly propagated by cuttings

Care:

Pruning:

does not tolerate pruning well

Winter hardiness:

main view:

Shelter for the winter:

mulching the root system

Decorative:

Decoration season:

Spring Summer Autumn

Peak decorative:

during flowering and fruiting

Decorative properties:

leaves, flowers, fruits

Branches (bark color, shape):

branches are twisted, with exfoliating bark;
young shoots pubescent

Leaves:

clustered at the ends of the branches, oblong-obovate, 1-4 cm long, cuneate at the base, obtuse or sharp at the apex, pubescent on both sides

Summer color of leaves (needles):

grayish green

Flowering time:

May June;
in Moscow it blooms from 2 years of age from late May to early June, sometimes again in early October

Color spectrum:

flowers:

white, fragrant, with a tube 8 mm long, silky on the outside, and a perianth of the same diameter, consisting of ovate-lanceolate, sharp lobes

Inflorescences:

flowers 6-10 in bunches at the ends of branches

Fruit:

drupes oblong-ovate, red, slightly pubescent, poisonous

I think that everyone has plants that, as it were, gradually accompany the entire life path. You suddenly meet them in the most unexpected places, memories and stories gradually become connected with them. For me, such plants are daphnes. I can tell for hours where and under what circumstances I had to face them, what is special about each species. Frequent meetings and unconditional beauty of this kind made me become its collector.

Probably, my acquaintance with the first wolfberry in my life was banal. Still naked and gray after the snow melted spring forest, my parents and I went mushroom hunting for lines. And suddenly - the strongest aroma and airy, with a pink veil of flowers, a bush. It seemed like a miracle! He bloomed the very first, even before lungwort and anemones! There were no leaves on it, only completely covered with small flowers twigs. Mom immediately warned me that this beauty is poisonous, and it seemed to me blasphemy to touch this incredible plant. Especially since it was lonely.

I think that many have a meeting with deadly wolfberry(Daphne mesereum) happened in a similar way. After all, these lovely fragrant bushes are still found in the forests near Moscow.

Daphne mezereum. A thin twig in the forest.

Physics

By the way, daphnes are always bushes, quite tall (human height) or decumbent (below the knee). They are both evergreen and deciduous, they have simple leaves and sessile small flowers about four petals, either collected in crown inflorescences, or located in the axils of the leaves. Wolfberries mostly bloom in spring, and at the end of summer and autumn they can produce repeated weak flowering.

Daphne has a powerful root system, extending both deep and wide. Roots alone act as anchors, holding plants in place in the often unbelievable conditions of rock and scree. Other roots seek nourishment, and in many species such horizontally creeping roots form vertical shoots that give life to new plants over time.

Almost all types of wolfberries grow in mountainous and rocky areas, some in open places, others under the canopy of forests.

Who is from where and what

My acquaintance with the genus of charming nymphs continued many years later on a journey to the Cretaceous country in the south of central Russia. In this area with white hills and limestone crumbling underfoot, there are tiny islands of pre-glacial nature, where a great rarity and relic lives. Yulia's wolfberry(Daphne Julia). The most remarkable, by the way, plant and from the point of view of ornamental gardening. After all, this species is evergreen, the bush remains in the foliage all year round. Its flowering is very plentiful, at the end of each branch there is an inflorescence of bright pink (and sometimes white and crimson) flowers with a strong smell.

I was lucky to make the first selections of this plant. Since 2003, I have been visiting populations of Daphne Julia every year. I have found and introduced into culture its white-flowered, purple-leaved, white-edged, variegated and several other decorative forms.

Daphne julia
Appleblossom

Our country is generally rich in wolves. Take, for example, the Caucasus. There are both tall species and dwarfs. Daphne pontica(Daphne pontica) - luxurious powerful evergreen bush with large glossy leaves and rather inconspicuous whitish flowers. It is suitable only for warm climates, because. grows at low altitudes in stony forests. In our country, the above-ground part is often demolished by frost. Very similar to her Daphne Albova

Much more potential in others Caucasian species. Two closely related species wolfberry Circassian(Daphne circassica) and wolfberry false silky(Daphne pseudosericea) - endowed with such qualities as evergreen glossy dark foliage, pink flowers in numerous terminal inflorescences. Daphne Circassian has, for my taste, the most pleasant aroma in the family. In addition, it has stiff and short growths, which makes the bush stocky, rounded and sometimes looks like a bonsai. These species were almost never tested in the middle lane. So far, I manage to keep them without any special tricks - just on a limestone sunny hill. In a particularly frosty snowless winter, all specimens of the Circassian Daphne froze, but quickly grew back and recovered. They bloom almost every year.

Daphne circassica young plant from a cutting

Also interesting and persistent wolfberry crowded(Daphne glomerata). A medium-sized evergreen glossy leaf and white flowers, over which new leaves grow in a tuft. The species is of interest for selection and hybridization, since the color of the corolla tube can vary from pure white to red. This species grows more slowly than most Daphne and does not bush well. To wait for a luxurious bush, you have to wait a lot of years. Rather collectible than highly decorative material.

Caucasian wolfberry(Daphne caucasica) is also curious and quite decorative. This is a deciduous shrub with delicate bluish leaves and white rare flowers. Height in favorable conditions may be above the waist.

If you move from the Caucasus to the east, then in Altai you can meet Altai wolfberry(Daphne altaica). This species is curious in that its “echoes” are found in the Crimea and in the south of the middle zone, only distinguished into separate species - Crimean wolves(Daphne taurica) and Sophia(Daphne sophia). There are many opinions about their decorative value, but I would like to spread these species in gardens, if only for reasons of species conservation, because. the clone growing in the European part of the country is almost extinct, the Crimean one is also on the verge of extinction.

There is also a difference between them. If the altaica in the garden is in full bloom, then daphne sophia will do this only in the sunniest heated place. But how good it is in Voronezh! This, by the way, is a coppice species: it shoots and gradually grows around.

On the very edge of our country, in Kamchatka, lives the yellow-flowered daphne of the same name - Daphne kamtschatica. This great plant for Russian garden- strong, hardy, beautifully flowering, deciduous, rather tall. This wolfberry blooms already in the summer, and this is some of its drawback. The yellow flowers are a little lost among the foliage. But then orange-yellow berries appear, which adorn the plant for a long time. The ends of the branches in some winters can freeze slightly, from which the plant as a whole does not suffer much.
Very similar to the Kamchatka Daphne jezoensis, it turned out to be much less resistant to frost.

Daphne kamtschatica
four year old bush

Daphne kamtschatica
flowers

Daphne kamtschatica
berries

And these are only Russian species! But the range of this genus extends to the rest of Europe and Asia. And every part of the world has its own highlights.

For example, in Asia there are several yellow-flowered species. Particularly charming are the undersized compact ones like Daphne calcicola. But it’s almost impossible to get them, they are rare even in European gardens. Rare seedlings that ended up in the gardens of collectors during recent years, unfortunately, froze in snowless frosts. The experiment, of course, continues, but ...

On the other hand, European species and hybrids have been studied more, because in Europe, for several decades, work has been carried out on breeding varieties and selecting forms. I can not help but note that most of them, in the eyes of a simple gardener, will turn out to be very similar. If you do not collect this particular genus, then in the garden it is enough to have 3-5 varieties of different shapes.

One of the most famous, common and simple in culture - upland wolfberry(Daphne cneorum). This is the twin brother of our Julia, the difference is only in the form of inflorescences. And just like Julia's daphne, the upland daphne is very changeable. Selected cultivars with different colors of flowers, bush habit, white-edged foliage. This shrub has been tested in the Moscow region (and not only) and is quite reliable with the right agricultural technology. Based on it, there are many hybrids in which its blood gives plants winter hardiness and overall endurance.

Another European species, undeservedly bypassed in Russian culture, is wolfberry Good(Daphne blagayana). Lodging, slightly lanky, it is winter-hardy, unpretentious and blooms charmingly with milky-white tubular flowers in hemispherical inflorescences. Some of its branches in wet winters can be affected by botrytis, but in general the plant survives and grows.

Other species must be tested for many years to ascertain the constancy of their properties. I have several years grow and bloom daphne arbuscula(Daphne arbuscula), wolfberry alpinewolfberry Domini(Daphne domini), may be promising wolfberry hill(Daphne collina) Burkwood's wolfberry(Daphne x burkwoodii) and many others.

Arbuscules turned out to be quite demanding and prone to fungal diseases.
Alpine wolfwort turned out to be cute, simple, hardy, quickly entering the age of decorativeness, flowering and fruiting after sowing, although not as decorative as cushion-shaped evergreens. Blooms in early June.
Daphne Domini More like a freak than a beauty. Its flowers never open, remaining buds. But why not keep such a curiosity on the hill? Yes, and the bush itself is good and quite winter-hardy, although it freezes slightly in rare winters.
hybrid Burkwood Wolves have great potential. In our climate, they shed their leaves, sometimes they can freeze with the ends of the branches. But they are insanely good for their decorative rather large foliage. They are a plus and the fact that they are shade-tolerant. True, especially attractive varieties have not yet been practically tested and there may be problems with them.

Where to stick, what to pour

The secret of raising daphne is not original. It is in the knowledge of the ecological preferences of a particular species and its plasticity. Common for wolves is the requirement for the absence of moisture stagnation, but its constant presence in the soil.

Many species are ductile and tolerate a wide range of conditions. Perhaps the most unpretentious - our daphne is deadly. It tolerates both flooding (perhaps the only one of all) and fairly dry conditions, it can grow both in a forest area and in a completely open place. It also has the widest range.

With a high degree of conventionality, I will divide Daphne into two groups.
"Forest" species "and hybrids:

Daphne mezereum
Daphne pontica
Daphne albowiana
Daphne altaica
Daphne alpina
Daphne caucasica
Daphne x burkwoodii
Daphne genkwa
Daphne giraldii
Daphne jezoensis
Daphne kamtschatica
Daphne laureola

These species are shade tolerant and can be grown on forest areas in the penumbra. They need more attention to watering, because. their root system is not very deep.

"Hill" species and hybrids:

Daphne cneorum
Daphne julia
Daphne arbuscula
Daphne petrea
Daphne collina
Daphne domini
Daphne sophia
Daphne blagayana
Daphne calcicola
Daphne circassica
Daphne pseudosericea
Daphne glomerata
Daphne kosaninii
Daphne x eschmannii
Daphne x hendersonii
Daphne x mauerbachii
Daphne x napolitana
Daphne x rollsdorfii
Daphne x schlyteri
Daphne x suendermannii
Daphne x susannae

Daphne x Napolitana
Stasek

These wolves are more photophilous. Shading, if possible, is light and from the burning midday sun. It is also impossible for these species to dry out, but in plants living in one place for several years, the root system penetrates into the deep layers of the soil, extracting moisture, so it is more difficult to dry them.

Almost and not at all wintery in the middle lane wolves:

Daphne genkwa
Daphne calcicola
Daphne autiloba
Daphne gnilioides
Daphne odora
Daphne laureola
Daphne longilobata

Daphnes do not require anything extraordinary in terms of soil. Moisture-intensive nutrient loam is optimal for them. A looser soil mixture is also possible, but it should contain a lot of minerals. The importance of the presence of lime in the soil for wolves is greatly exaggerated. Yes, undersized evergreen species and it would be good for varieties to add dolomites, but it is absolutely not necessary to build a limestone hill for them. For almost a decade, Daphne Yulia grew up with me just in the garden, seemingly stuck in it in a hurry. There are older copies in the same conditions. For example, the famous botanist, naturalist and encyclopedist Mikhail Diev.

Rather, it is necessary to maintain the acidity of the soil. It should be close to neutral. If the soils on the site tend to be more acidic, mountain species should be limed once a year (sprinkle the soil around with dolomite and water). Similar things are recommended by experts for clematis, phlox and other garden plants.

Much more attention should be paid to water drainage. Prolonged flooding, close ground water and other charms of many sites are contraindicated for daphnes. If you have a “perch water” on your site, wolfberries can be grown on a hill or in raised flower beds (20 cm of elevation improves the situation significantly).

How to keep the youth

If you bought young plants, it is best to plant them immediately "into the wild" by choosing optimal location. If this is not possible, the plants can be kept in pots for a year or two. However, it is better not to abuse this: older daphnes take root worse than young ones. And being buried in pots, they instantly penetrate the roots into the drainage holes and grow into the surrounding soil, which nullifies the whole point of overexposure.

We take high pots, taking into account the peculiarities of the root system. There should be plenty of drainage holes excess moisture left quickly. I use my standard potting mix: coarse sand mixed with neutralized peat, plus about a fifth of molehill loam from the garden. Dolomites can be added to mountain views, as well as Daphne Sophia. I mulch the planted plants with fine gravel with a layer of 2-3 cm and spill it. Mulch reduces temperature fluctuations from the heating of the soil by the sun and prevents small pots from drying out. When planting bushes in the wild, mulch is also necessary.

Potted daphnes are optimally transferred to larger pots annually in the very early spring. It is necessary to overwinter the pots buried. The wolves do not need shelter, unless it is possible to shade the unrooted youth.

How to propagate

Species wolves are propagated by sowing seeds and vegetatively, only the latter remain for varietal plants.

Daphne seeds require a stratification period for germination. It is optimal to sow them immediately after harvest and leave the sowing to winter in the garden. Seedlings bloom no earlier than the third year of life, when they develop a powerful root system and begin to bush.

There are several vegetative methods of reproduction of wolfberries. The most familiar - cuttings that begin to wood in July-August. The cuttings are taken from the growth of the current year, planted in a loose mixture in a shaded greenhouse. Small roots form before winter, but I would recommend planting plants in another year.

Can be used over the right way- make withdrawals. The reception is standard: the middle of the branch is dug in with the crown sticking out. After a year or two, you can check whether the roots have formed and separate the young plant. There are other breeding methods, but they are more laborious and unpredictable.

Moving is worse than a flood

There are rumors about the dislike of wolves for transplantation. I had to transplant both young plants and old bushes different types. My conclusion is this: young people, one-two-year-old seedlings and cuttings, tolerate transplantation best. Older plants that have managed to run deep roots should be transplanted with the largest possible lump. The more the roots are disturbed, the longer the plants will get sick and take root, and may even die. Sometimes it's easier to grow new instances than to drag an old one. Optimal time for transplants - early spring. After moving the bush, it must be thoroughly shed and shaded for at least a month.

Haircut for a nymph

One of the almost indispensable methods of keeping Daphne is pruning. Those luxurious compacts that we see in photographs on the Internet are for the most part cropped. And this applies to both large forest and low hump species.

Even our forest daphne is deadly with and without pruning - two completely different plants. She is naturally a little bushy. To make the bush fluffy, have more branches and look like pink cloud, every autumn I pinch the ends of its shoots. If you got a young seedling in one reed, I highly recommend starting its formation from childhood. Then, at a more mature age, pinching can be neglected.

Hillock evergreen low species would also be good to prune. For example, the most common upland wolf without pruning, giving out 20 cm of growth every year, will quickly take square meter. You can, of course, leave everything as it is, it's also beautiful. But if there is no opportunity to allocate such an area for this plant, after flowering it can be cut almost every year, pruning as much as you want.

Oh, how compact Daphne calcicolas with yellow flowers are in the photographs! However, Vojtech Golubets complained to me that they grow at a terrible rate, and in order to maintain the sane size of the bush, they have to be cut even more than once a year. True, the frost does it for us.

Diarrhea and scrofula

Daphne has many diseases, but, like most other plants, they do not disturb if the plant is planted correctly. The most dangerous of all are various rots in case of planting in a damp place and too acidic soil. If the branches of the hillock bush began to dry out in the absence of mechanical damage, it must be urgently limed and sprayed and spilled with a fungicide (HOM, Fundazol). This is a clematis wilt disease. It is almost impossible to get rid of it, but it can be stopped. Old bushes are subject to it, young growth usually does not get sick.

Our daphne Julia is especially susceptible to this disease. She has a reputation for being sick not only here, but also abroad, and is almost not represented in culture.

As for pests, usually no one touches Daphne. Only once a young plant of Daphne Yulia was eaten by a mouse on a stump. While I was grieving and deciding whether to uproot the stump, he gave a dense young growth and already bloomed the next spring. Now it is a beautiful fluffy bush.

And finally

The Latin name Daphne sounds very contrasting - light, clearly given with love and admiration, and Russians - wolf, wolfberry, wolf's bast. Something evil seems to be right there, you begin to fear plants. And for good reason: it is believed that all parts of wolfberries are highly poisonous. And the domestic species is called so - deadly. There are, however, people who claim that they tried the berries, and nothing happened to them. However, the toxicity of Daphne should not be forgotten. In my opinion, this is the only thing (especially in the presence of unintelligent children) that can stop wolfberries from planting in the garden. Because otherwise it's wonderful garden material original and irreplaceable.

If small inquisitive children rest at your dacha, then this plant is not for you. Its fragrant flowers, abundantly covering the bush in spring, turn into attractive bright red berries by autumn, which, already in the amount of 15 pieces, can lead to death.

Wolfberry Attractiveness

It would seem that two incompatible heading words do not contribute to popularity, but a beautifully flowering deciduous or evergreen shrub conquers with its early spring abundant fragrant flowering, when other plants are still watching their winter dreams.

The difference in height of the bushes (from 10-15 to 200 cm) allows you to use Daphne in any type of flower beds. The leathery drupes-fruits that replaced fragrant flowers, like red elegant beads, flare up on autumn branches.

Some types of plant

Volchnik kneorum(Daphne cneorum) is a creeping semi-evergreen shrub with pink flowers.

common wolf(Daphne mezereum) is a deciduous erect shrub with a height of 30 to 250 centimeters, which is popularly called "Wolf's Bast" for the strength of its bark. Its lanceolate ovate leaves, pink or lilac fragrant flowers, crimson berries and bark - equally poisonous. Differs in abundant, early flowering, even before the appearance of green leaves.

wolf stone(Daphne petrea) is an evergreen dwarf shrub that grows slowly but branched. It blooms a little later than the common wolf, in May-June, with pink flowers. The branching of the plant is created by bundles of leathery glossy oblong erect leaves of dark green color.

Burkwood wolf(Daphne x burkwoodii) is a hybrid of the common wolf and the tall deciduous species of stone wolf. Semi-evergreen fast growing tall shrub. The lanceolate leaves are obovate in intense green. It blooms in late spring-early summer with pale pink flowers. In some varieties, for example, in the variety "White-motley" green leaves on the edge have cream, and the flowers are lighter, white-pink.

striped wolf(Daphne striata) - creeping dwarf (height 15 cm) evergreen shrub. From May to July, pink fragrant flowers are added to its linear hard leaves, turning into orange-red beads of berries by autumn.

cultivation

The wolfberry is very democratic in relation to the soil, it can grow even on limed soil. But the soil must be well-drained and enriched with minerals and organic fertilizers. In the summer, once every three to four weeks, watering is combined with liquid fertilizing. mineral fertilizer by adding 20 ml per 10 liters of water.

Places for it are good both sunny and partial shade. Daphne is resistant to frost and heat.

Watering is required for young plants, as well as for all plants in the spring and summer.

reproduction

Plant can be propagated autumn sowing seeds into the ground. But it will take several years to wait for full-fledged bushes.

It is easier to use cuttings in the summer.

Usage

Daphne is popular for its decorative effect. holiday season. Her dwarf species actively used in rock gardens and borders. Tall species are planted as tapeworms on green lawns, used as green hedges. Its fragrant, often mauve, flowering pairs well with early spring perennials. herbaceous plants, for example, with a violet-blue liverwort (hepatica).

The shrub usually does not need pruning. For supporting decorative look it is only necessary to remove damaged and dry branches in a timely manner

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