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Orange wolfberry ornamental trees and shrubs. Spring shrubs: daphne and forsythia. Sizes and growth forms

Flax is not only a useful crop, widely used in the textile industry. Perennial flax, as well as the Narbonne and Alpine species of this crop, have highly decorative qualities and are successfully grown on medium-sized garden plots. Its blue, white or yellowish flowers can decorate any flower bed and are also ideal for rock gardens.

What different types of flax plant look like

In flower decoration, out of 25 species, only two are most often used: perennial and Narbonne. A description of these types of flax plants can be found on this page.

Plants with erect, strong, thin stems, narrow opposite leaves and beautiful five-petaled flowers that open on sunny days.

Look at the photo - the flax plant has flowers of blue, white, yellow or red colors, all of them are collected in half-umbrellas or brushes:

Perennial, or Siberian, up to 80 cm in height, stems are bare, thin, twig-like, usually branched at the top. The leaves are small, linear, alternate, green or bluish.

As you can see in the photo, perennial flax flowers are pale blue or blue, 2 cm in diameter, collected in a loose corymbose panicle:

Sepals are ovate, easily falling off. The capsule is spherical, 8 mm in diameter, the seeds are brown, flat, 5 mm in length. Perennial flax tolerates light shade, but grows better and blooms more profusely in open areas well warmed by the sun.

Narbonne- a plant about 30 cm tall with thin graceful, slightly twisted shoots. It blooms in June-July with sky-blue flowers, 2.0-2.5 cm in diameter, collected in few-flowered inflorescences on the tops of leafy stems.

But alpine flax is also found. Taproot plant 40 cm high. Grows from mid-April to October. Blooms in May-June, seeds in June-July.

Below you can see what a flax plant of all these types looks like:

Growing perennial, Narbonne and Alpine flax

Flax is easily propagated by seeds. When sown in March in a greenhouse, they bloom the same year, but you can sow immediately on permanent place in autumn before winter or spring.

Flax grown from seeds blooms more abundantly and the plants are more viable than when dividing bushes.

When growing perennial flax, as well as when growing other types of flax in normal garden soil add 5 kg of compost or humus per 1 m2; if the soil is heavy and clayey, add 1-2 buckets of sand. Wet soils are not suitable for flax.

Planting distance 15 x 20 cm. Best time planting seedlings late May - early June. Plantings are weeded in a timely manner and watered only in dry times. Although each flower lasts a little more than a day, in general, the flowering period is long - more than two months, from June to August.

Seeds of perennial, Narbonne and Alpine flax ripen in August-September in abundance. It is easily propagated by self-sowing; in the spring, seedlings can be transferred to new places.

Flax of all types is planted in rock gardens, on rocky areas among low-growing plants.

Not known to many, since this plant gained its main popularity due to its economic and raw material value. But, despite this, the flower destroys all stereotypes that it is suitable only as a raw material, which is confirmed by its bright and graceful flowering. However, growing flax on personal plot requires additional knowledge. Therefore, today we have to reveal all the secrets of proper cultivation of grandiflora flax at home.

Description

Flax grandiflora is an annual herbaceous plant, whose natural habitat is the northwestern region of Africa; in addition, it is widely represented in the wild in North America and southern Europe.

The species is cultivated exclusively in decorative purposes, since its economic value is minimized.

Did you know?LEn grandiflora was discovered by the French botanist René Desfontaines. It was this scientist who first described this species in 1798.

The maximum height of flax reaches about 105 cm, but in most cases it ranges from 30 to 60 cm. The stem is purely erect and branched, quite well covered with sessile alternate leaves with a typical pointed end.

The shape of the leaf blade is broadly lanceolate or linear-lanceolate with a characteristic three-vein structure, and its length does not exceed 2.5 cm (on average from 1.5 to 2 cm).

The main pride of the decorative varieties of this species is the flowers, predominantly bright red shades. They are located at the top of the stem and are collected in an elegant inflorescence with a diameter of no more than 3 cm. The flowering period begins in early spring and lasts until the first half of October.
After this, a fruit-box with a diameter of about 5 mm appears on the plant, in which it ripens a large number of flattened brown seeds about 4 mm long. Their quantity in 1 g is quite large and reaches 300 pieces.

Growing from seeds

One of the most popular ways to grow decorative flax is to propagate the plant by seedlings from pre-sprouted seeds, followed by planting it in a flower bed.

Did you know?Large-flowered flax seeds have a fairly high viability; their germination rate, even 5 years after storage, approaches 100%.

In order to obtain seedlings, the ideal period for sowing seed material is mid-April. Grandiflora flax belongs to the group of plants, the cultivation of which from seeds is not particularly difficult, but in order to obtain ideal seedlings, it is necessary to strictly observe the calendar sowing period.
Otherwise, the plants will have low suitability for planting outdoors.

The seeds do not require additional preparation before sowing, as they are characterized by high germination. For sowing, special garden containers for germination are used, but any free container is suitable for these purposes.

Sowing is done in light, loose substrates. The soil is packed into the container in a layer of no more than 10 cm ( optimal quantity- 8 cm), after which it is generously moistened with a garden sprayer. After this, the seeds are evenly scattered over the soil area and covered with a layer of soil of about 1 cm.

To speed up the germination process, you can create light conditions; for this, the container must be covered plastic bag or film.

Important!Flax sprouts do not tolerate high humidity, so when germinating seeds under a film, the structure must be ventilated daily.

After 5-10 days, the first shoots appear, after which the plants can be freed from the polyethylene dome. After 2 true leaves appear on the seedlings, the plants can be transplanted into separate flowerpots. There is no need to delay the process, as flax grows quickly.
If you miss the optimal moment for diving, you will not be able to replant the plants without damaging the root system.

After reaching an average daily temperature of about +20 °C, seedlings can be planted in open ground flower beds, which should be prepared in advance. To do this, for 1 sq. m of soil, about 4 kg or humus is added, 1 tbsp. l. and 1 tbsp. l. , after which everything needs to be thoroughly loosened.

Growing

Growing flax on outdoors is the most in a simple way cultivate this plant, since this does not require particularly complex agricultural practices and special equipment. Sowing seeds directly into open ground is carried out either at the end of autumn (for the winter) or at the beginning of May.
Before sowing, it is necessary to first prepare the soil based on the previously described technology (fertilization and plowing).

On prepared and leveled soil, dig longitudinal holes 5 cm deep and at a distance of 15 cm from each other. Seeds are sown abundantly into the prepared hole, after which they are covered with a small amount of soil and watered.

Important!In order to achieve long-term flowering in a large-flowered flax plot, you need to resort to a little trick, namely: periodically cut off the unripe bolls, which stimulates the plant to flower again.

After the first shoots appear, the beds need to be thinned out, and the distance from one plant to another should be within 8-10 cm.

Reproduction

Flax, like most non-perennial species, is propagated by seed, which ripens in fruit capsules. In this case, planting and caring for the plant are important. Flax can also be propagated vegetatively.

To do this, parts of the flower are soaked in special solutions, which help to root them effectively.

The method is mostly not popular, since flax is quite effective, and most importantly, it is instantly propagated by seeds.

Therefore to vegetative propagation resorted only in exceptional cases when it is not possible to preserve the cultivated plant in any other way.

Care

Grandiflora flax is one of the species whose planting and care is open ground are not particularly difficult even for an amateur gardener, since this species is quite unpretentious.
However, in order to grow healthy flowering plant, you must follow some recommendations for caring for it.

Did you know?Large-flowered flax was introduced into culture in 1820, after which in just a few decades this annual flower conquered almost all corners of modern Eurasia, right down to the harsh regions of the taiga.

Location for the flower

The flower primarily belongs to species that love open and bright places. That's why ideal place To cultivate the plant in your own flower bed, there will be a brightly lit area away from tall tree-like species.

However, prolonged exposure to direct sun rays will negatively affect the appearance of the flower, therefore, to achieve the best decorative value, it must be provided with exclusively diffused light.
Large-flowered flax is also unpretentious in terms of soil, but the best option for it would be light soils, pre-fertilized with compost, as well as special fertilizer for flowering plants.

In addition, a flower bed on which decorative flax is abundantly planted must be weeded at least once a month.

Temperature

The optimal temperature for the development of large-flowered flax is +20 °C, but the plant feels good even when it drops to +12 °C.

Perennial flax, so familiar to most of us, is often relegated to the background when choosing suitable decorative flowers for a garden plot. But in vain. After all, this plant has long been considered a real decoration of any home and its protector. Flax is a completely unpretentious plant, but at the same time capable of blooming with incredible luxurious flowers. By the way, contrary to popular belief, linen does not have to be blue. Today you will learn about all the features of growing perennial blue flax in open ground: planting, care, use in landscape design(photo materials are attached).

Perennial blue flax: description, main varieties and varieties

Flax belongs to the genus herbaceous plants, numbering about 200 plants that are diverse in appearance and properties. Most often linen is represented small size a plant reaching a height of about 0.5 m, with fairly thin but strong stems and flowers of various sizes (they can be both small and quite large) of a soft blue, white or pink-red hue.

Actively cultivated in mid-latitudes. The plant prefers a temperate climate, so you can most often find blue flax in North America, Africa, parts of Europe and Asia.

Among existing species and varieties of flax, the following can be particularly highlighted (photo below):

  • Oilseed. This decorative variety of flax is grown at home, often for the purpose of obtaining nutritious and incredibly healthy flax seeds. The plant usually reaches a height of no more than 30 cm. The flowers are relatively small. Their color can be soft blue, yellow and even red.

Oilseed flax

  • Decorative. One of the most picky varieties of flax: growing it is a pleasure even for a novice gardener. Moreover, it is from decorative varieties linen produces durable natural clothing.
  • Large-flowered. This variety of flax appeared in domestic gardening not so long ago and immediately became one of the “favorites” among gardeners - lovers of home flora. The plant can be called medium-sized - it usually reaches a height of 0.5 m. The flowers of decorative flax are very large, presented in a rich range of shades. Decorative flax is considered a perennial: under favorable conditions, it can live in one place for up to 5 years.

Large-flowered flax

  • Perennial flax. This type of flax is considered the most common among all existing ones. Perennial flax is used to decorate flower walls, borders, etc.

Planting a plant in open ground

The plant cannot be called particularly picky about growing conditions, but still flax, regardless of the variety or variety, needs a sufficient amount of sunlight, so the area for planting it must be chosen that is not shaded by houses or trees.

Advice. If you are a resident of a region where the sun is considered a rather rare phenomenon, unfortunately, it is better for you to refuse to grow perennial flax.

The soil for planting flax can be almost any, but you are unlikely to be able to grow flax in a swampy area. The soil must be light and deep enough groundwater. Perennial flax will take root well even on slopes (but not too steep).

It is better to plant perennial varieties of flax in closed ground, but if the climate is warm enough, you can sow them directly into open ground, and it is advisable not to deepen the seeds into the ground, but simply spread them out on the ground and spray them with water from a spray bottle.

flax bush

Growing in open ground is possible both in spring (when the temperature reaches a stable 20 degrees) and in autumn (when the temperature has not yet dropped below 20 degrees).

Advice. When growing perennial flax in open ground, be sure to take into account the cold factor: planting cannot be done in damp or rainy weather, and after this process, the seeds must be covered with a small layer of soil, then insulated like a regular flower crop.

Plant propagation

Perennial flax is propagated in several ways:

  1. Seeds. As we already know, propagation by seeds is possible both in spring and autumn (when seed material is sown in winter). The seeds are carefully laid out on the ground (without digging into the soil) and slightly moistened with water. By the way, perennial varieties You can safely start growing even in the summer. When grown in containers (meaning a permanent place, since the seedling method of growing flax with subsequent transplantation is ineffective), removal to an open place is carried out immediately after sowing.
  2. Dividing the bush. This propagation method is relevant for two-year-old plants. The process of separating several parts from the mother bush is usually carried out in mid-spring, or after the end of the flowering period - in August. Parts of the bush are usually planted at a distance of about 20 cm from each other. They demand constant watering and protection from direct sunlight.

Blue flax care: watering and fertilizing regime, pest control

In order for the plant to please you with luxurious, albeit not too long-lasting, flowering in the summer, be sure to make sure that it receives proper care. Next, we will talk about what kind of care perennial flax will require when grown in open ground.

In order for the plant to remain healthy and “live” a full life, it is necessary to provide it with periodic watering, which, by the way, should not turn the soil surface into a swampy area.

Avoid stagnation of water at flax roots

Remember that flax does not like stagnant water. A sufficient frequency of watering can be about 1-2 times a week (depending on the dryness of the period and the temperature characteristics of the region). Make sure the soil is always moist. But with the onset of autumn, it is advisable to reduce watering to a minimum, and then stop altogether.

In addition to watering, flax will also need periodic weeding, since weeds and excessive thickening of the plant do not in the best possible way influence appearance flax

Fertilizing is not a weak point of perennial flax, so you can forget about constantly preparing nutrient mixtures for the soil. It is imperative to apply organic fertilizer a few days before sowing the seed and add a little potassium fertilizer to it. It is advisable to apply liquid fertilizer at least a couple more times throughout the season. It is advisable to carry out the process of feeding plants immediately after watering.

As for diseases, flax has something to boast about, because the plant is not susceptible to any diseases. Unless the flax flea can sometimes attack it. Unfortunately, folk remedies are powerless to fight it, so immediately when it appears little pest it is necessary to treat the area with growing flax with a special chemical.

Combination with other plants

So that flax takes root well garden plot and became a worthy decoration for him, remember that best combination plant growth is observed mainly with crops that have a similar development pattern and growing conditions.

Linen in landscape design

Family: wolfberry (Thymelaeáceae).

Motherland

Wolfberry grows in the Northern Hemisphere, Europe, Asia and North Africa. The genus includes about 50 species, some of which are found in Russia.

Form: deciduous or evergreen shrub.

Description

Wolfberry, or daphne, is deciduous or evergreen up to 1.5 m tall with a wide cup-shaped or spreading crown. The leaves of the plants are alternate, short-petiolate, entire, lanceolate or elliptic, hard, smooth. The flowers of the wolfberry are numerous, fragrant, sessile, with a very strong pleasant aroma, densely arranged, developing on the shoots of the previous year. Daphne blooms for a long time, sometimes up to a month. The fruits are decorative, yellow, red or black, and remain on the plants for a long time. The fruits of the daphne plant are very poisonous! All parts of the plant are also poisonous - bark, leaves, flowers. The root system of the wolfberry is deep. Wolfberry is a good honey plant.

Deadly wolfberry , or wolf's face(D. mezereum). A small, strictly vertically growing shrub up to 1.2 m tall. The leaves of the deadly wolfberry are alternate, oblong or oblanceolate, dark green, lighter below, pale yellow in autumn. Wolf's bast flowers are numerous, very fragrant, lilac-pink or pink-lilac, occasionally creamy-white, bloom in April, even before the leaves bloom. The fruits of the deadly wolfberry are round, pea-sized, yellow or red. Wolf's bast is a poisonous plant; all its parts are poisonous. Deadly wolfberry grows very slowly. In nature, wolf's bast grows in the European part of Russia, in Western Siberia, in the Caucasus and in Western Europe.

Yulia's wolfberry , or wolfberry(D. julia or D. cneorum). Subshrub up to 30 cm tall, grows up to 2 m wide. The bark of the plants is dark brown. The leaves of the wolfberry are leathery, obovate. Plants bloom after the leaves bloom, in May-June, sometimes they bloom again. The flowers of the boron wolfberry are pink or cherry, occasionally white. A rather capricious plant, it does not always take root. In nature, Julia's wolfberry is found in Central and Southern Europe; in Russia it is listed in the Red Book.

odorous wolfberry , or fragrant wolfberry(D. odorata). An evergreen, wide, dome-shaped shrub up to 0.9 m tall; in cultivation it rarely exceeds 30 cm in height. The fragrant wolfberry blooms in early spring with cherry-red flowers that have a very strong pleasant aroma. Plants are not winter-hardy. The homeland of fragrant wolfberry is China.

Altai wolfberry , or Crimean wolfberry, or Sofia's wolfberry(D. altaica or D. taurica, or D. sophia). Ornamental deciduous shrub from 0.5 to 1.4 m tall with red-brown bark. The leaves of Altai wolfberry are oblong-lanceolate, gray-green, pubescent below. White flowers of plants are collected in inflorescences. Crimean wolfberry blooms profusely in May-June, during or after the leaves bloom. The fruits are bright red or black. In September-October, Sofia's wolfberry blooms again, not so profusely. In nature, plants are common in Western Altai and Crimea.

Caucasian wolfberry (D. caucasica). Deciduous shrub up to 1-1.5 m tall. Caucasian wolfberry is a species with white fragrant flowers and black fruits. The plant blooms in May. In nature, Caucasian wolfberry grows in the Caucasus and Asia Minor.

Growing conditions

Wolfberry is shade-tolerant, develops better in shaded, cool places with high humidity air. Plants prefer fertile, moist substrates, from to , and grow well on humus-rich loams.

Application

Wolfberry plants (wolf bast) have found application in group, mixed plantings. Also used as, suitable for planting in rock gardens and rockeries, in. Planting wolfberry is limited by the fact that all parts of the plants are poisonous; several berries are a lethal dose for humans. This must be taken into account if there are small children at the dacha.

Care

Daphne is a moisture-loving plant, so it needs to be watered. The tree trunk area is better for creating more favorable conditions growth of plants. It is extremely undesirable to dig up the wolfberry plant; damage to the roots leads to rot and the death of the plant. In late autumn, weak, diseased and old branches are removed from the wolfberry, but the wolfberry is never pruned heavily, since the plants almost do not form new shoots. In the first years of life, a correct, symmetrical crown of the wolfberry is formed, shortening the shoots (also for better tillering).

Reproduction

Wolfberry is propagated by seeds and vegetatively (by offspring, by dividing the bush). Plant seeds quickly lose their viability. wolfberry is rooted in the first half of summer. Plants do not tolerate transplantation very well.

Diseases and pests

Wolfberry is stable; with proper agricultural technology, plants are not affected by diseases and pests. When the roots of the plant are damaged, rot strikes, which is very dangerous and can lead to the death of the plant.

Popular varieties

Shapes of a wolf's bast:

    white(f. alba) - form with fragrant white flowers and yellow fruits;

    grandiflora(f. grandiflora) - form with large, bright purple flowers;

    terry(f. plena) - form with white double flowers.

Varieties of wolf bast

    'Rubra Select'. Wide, dense, vertically growing shrub up to 1-1.5 m tall with more numerous shoots than the species. The leaves are lanceolate, pale green, and do not change color in the fall. The flowers of the wolfberry ‘Rubra Select’ are more numerous and larger than those of the species, with a rich dark carmine color, and bloom in late March-April. The aroma of flowers spreads over very long distances. The variety does not set fruit.

    ‘Variegata’- a variety with white-edged leaves, ‘Bowles Variety’ is a tall shrub with pure white flowers and yellow fruits.

Varieties of wolfberry or Yulia wolfberry

'Eximia'- a variety with a spreading crown and large leaves and flowers, 'Major'- variety with purple flowers, 'Ruby Glow'- a variety with very bright flowers, ‘Variegata’- a variety with cream-edged leaves.

Daphne - popular species, care features

These spectacular plants look great as individual specimens or in groups; they look good against the backdrop of a lawn or shrub plantings. But like most beauties, they are very insidious...

The scientific name is given by the name of the nymph Daphne, the heroine ancient Greek myth. Apollo was inflamed with passion for the beautiful nymph, but she rushed away in fear. God chased after her, and the fugitive, realizing that she could not escape, prayed to the goddess of the earth Gaia, asking for help. Gaia heeded the request and turned the nymph into a slender laurel tree ( daphne in Greek means "laurel"). The Russian name reflects poisonous properties these plants, their danger. The most common species of the genus in Russia is deadly wolfweed (D. mezereum), called wolf's bast.

Spectacular shrubs

All daphnes are deciduous or evergreen shrubs. They are distinguished by their miniature size, not exceeding 1–3 m in height, and some alpine species rise above the ground by only a few centimeters. The leaves of wolfberries are entire, long, narrow or elliptical. Daphnes bloom in late winter - early spring. The flowers are small but numerous, densely covering the shoots of the previous year or collected in dense caps on the tops of the stems. The petals are colored pink, purple, greenish-yellow, and can be white.

Blooming wolfberries are not only pleasing to the eyes, their flowers emit a strong and very pleasant aroma, which varies among different species.

Flowering is quite long, from two to three weeks, and in cold weather- up to a month.

Attractive fruits

In the first half of summer, daphnes are attracted only by foliage that is unusual for our latitudes, evoking thoughts of the flora of a warmer climate. But at the end of July and August, wolfberry plants again attract the eye with fruits of bright red, yellow or black.

Unfortunately, in middle lane In Russia, fruit ripening can only be expected from the wolf's bast, but its bushes are also fabulously good in the fall. The long narrow leaves acquire a soft yellow color, and between them on the branches sit numerous large red or yellow (in the white-flowered Alba form) shiny berries. They remain on the branches for a long time after the leaves have fallen; such bushes look great in autumn garden against the backdrop of dark coniferous trees, fallen leaves, and the first snow.

Different - beautiful

In European ornamental gardening, many species of daphne are used, some of which are too heat-loving for Russian conditions. Nevertheless, such wolfberry hunters as alpine (D. alpina) And branched (D. arbuscula), may well decorate our gardens. Of the species common in Russia and, accordingly, more suitable for cultivation in harsh conditions, we can name wolfberries lethal (D. mezereum), Altai (D. altaica), Caucasian (D. caucasica), Julia (D. julia), Pontian (D. pontica).

Meet the wolf's bast

Has proven himself to be the most unpretentious in culture deadly wolfberry, or wolf's bast (D. mezereum). In nature, this species is found in forest areas in the north and in the middle zone European Russia, in Western Siberia, the Caucasus, and Western Europe. The plant got its name from its strong bark, which is very difficult to tear. If you try to pick a flowering twig, under no circumstances should you put your fingers near your mouth or eyes without first washing them.

Wolf's bast is perfectly adapted to harsh growing conditions, therefore it is unpretentious in cultivation. This type of daphne is frost-resistant, does not require shelter for the winter, and prefers partial shade in the garden. It responds well to the addition of peat to the soil. Flowering occurs very early, before the leaves bloom, usually beginning in early to mid-April. The lilac four-petalled flowers that densely cover last year's shoots are very reminiscent of lilac, but the strong smell has nothing in common with the aroma of the harbinger of summer. Most of all, it is similar to the bright, refined smell of waxy inflorescences of Lyubka bifolia.

Genus Wolfberry, or Wolfberry (Daphne), from the Wolfberry family (Thymelaeaceae) has about 50 species, distributed in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Carl Linnaeus, when giving scientific names to plants, dubbed the wolfberry daphne, perhaps due to the fact that the leaves of some evergreen species of daphne are similar to those of laurel.

The blooming wolf is not afraid spring frosts and snowfalls and is very valuable for its early flowering periods. In central Russia, only the hazel tree can compete with it in this regard.

Miniature tree

In nature, the deadly wolfgrass usually looks like small bushes with weak branches. Once transferred to the garden, in a couple of years it turns into a neat miniature tree with a thick stem and a rounded crown. Its height does not exceed a meter or so. After flowering, last year's shoots of wolf's bast are covered with thick, narrow leaves up to 10 cm long. In August, beautiful bright red shiny berries ripen, sitting on branches in the manner of sea buckthorn berries.

Cultural varieties

Currently, in addition to the natural white-flowered form, there are the following cultivated varieties of wolf's bast.Large-flowered form (f. Grandiflora)with larger bright purple flowers than the natural species,terry (f. Plena)with white double flowers,variety "Bowles Variety"– a plant up to 2 m tall with pure white flowers and yellow fruits,variety "Rubra Select"With large flowers reddish hue,variety "Variegata"with white-edged leaves.

While admiring the bright fruits, remember that wolfberries got their name for a reason - most species, including wolfberry, are very poisonous. All parts of the plant are dangerous: bark, leaves, flowers, fruits. 10–15 berries contain a dose of poison that is fatal to humans, so if children visit the garden, it is better to pick the fruits.

Altai wolfberry

In nature, it is found mainly in Western Altai. This is a deciduous shrub 0.5–1.5 m tall, often looking like a miniature tree with a strong stem. The leaves are elongated, the flowers are white, collected at the ends of the branches in capitate inflorescences. It blooms profusely in May-June, after the leaves bloom or simultaneously with them. The fruits are bright red, brownish-black or black. Often a weak re-bloom occurs in September-October. Photophilous, winter-hardy.

Pontian wolfberry

Originally from Western Ciscaucasia. In the garden he prefers fresh fertile soil and open spaces. evergreen shrub 1–1.5 m tall. The leaves are large (up to 10 cm long), oval, dark green, shiny. Flowering occurs at the beginning of summer. The flowers are yellow-green, fragrant, quite large for daphne (about 2 cm in diameter), collected in the axils of the leaves. The fruits are juicy black berries. Although it winters well in central Russia, it blooms irregularly and does not set fruit.

Features of care

Daphnes are unpretentious. They demand the most usual care: weeding, watering in dry weather. Complex feeding is useful mineral fertilizer in the spring and adding nutritious compost under the bush in the fall. Deadly wolfberry is extremely frost-resistant.

The ability of other daphnes to endure winter in central Russia depends on the conditions of their natural habitats. Some species may require shelter. Weak and damaged shoots due to early date blooms are usually removed in the fall. Shearing is not recommended, because wolfberries grow slowly and themselves perfectly form a crown, which lasts for many years.

Many daphnes are shade-tolerant, but best results in cultivation can be achieved in semi-shaded or even sunny areas. Full lighting is especially important for alpine species, such as alpine wolfweed, Julia.

Prefers soils that are nutritious, light, moist, but well drained. They cannot tolerate prolonged drying out.

Daphnes benefit from mulching tree trunk circles, since their root system superficial and easily damaged even when weeding.

Wolfworts are resistant to pests and diseases, although they are occasionally affected by some viral diseases and gray rot. Of the pests, the most dangerous can be.