In a huge diverse world of trees and shrubs there are species and forms of “Amateur”, among which a special place is rightfully occupied by dogwood.
They are liked not all, but the real aesthetes — the true admirers of the available exotics, give them your heart and soul. It is not surprising, after all, a dogwood blossom is fascinating. Often it covers large areas, indicating a change of time of year.
But it’s all the lyrics, and we’ll go back to looking at the genus dogwood, or Cornus from a Botanical point of view. Its systematics is still ambiguous and causes a lot of controversy. Recently, some domestic dendrologists adhere to the classification, according to which the genus cynoxylon is isolated from the genus dogwood. The basis of this was the fruit, fused bases, and developed bracts, acting as petals.
We will rely on the distribution of priority species and their names, is given in Encyclopedia of garden plants.
The selection of representatives is made on the basis of the existing dogwood collection of the Botanical garden (Garden). A summary of their environmental preferences has been added to the characteristics of species and forms.
Let’s go on a journey through the interesting world of charming dogwood originating from East Asia.
This group, impregnated with charisma of the East, included 12 species:
- Cornus alba;
- C. capitata;
- C. contraversa;
- C. between kousa;
- C. macrophylla;
- C. mas;
- C. officinalis;
- C. H. bretschneideri;
- C. coreana;
- C. hemsleyi;
- C. poliophylla;
- C. walteri.
Cornus alba, syn. Swida alba Thelycrania alba
He comes from Siberia, North China and Korea.
Cornus alba, syn. Swida alba Thelycrania alba — vigorous deciduous shrub height and width of 3 m. in Winter, the spectacular red shoots in the spring, summer and autumn — oval-elliptic dark green leaves up to 10 cm, at the end of the season are red and orange. Additional decoration from late spring to early summer — white flowers collected in a flat umbrella complex diameter of 5 cm ellipsoidal Fruit, white (often bluish).
Decorative shapes:
- ‘Aurea’ – yellow leaves;
- ‘Elegantissima’ – leaves gray-green, with uneven white border;
- ‘Gouchaultii’ — leaves pink-painted;
- ‘Kesselringii’ – shoots blackish-purple (winter), leaves red and purple (autumn);
- ‘Sibirica’ – shoots light red, leaves red (autumn);
- ‘Spaetii’ – leaves wide-yellow.
The main species is not capricious and undemanding, frost-resistant and drought-resistant. Grow faster. In the Garden looks good on the courtesans. Excellent shade.
Propagated by seeds: sowing freshly harvested in the winter gives high germination-75-85%. When spring sowing seeds for a long time (8-10 months) stratified. Seeding depth of 2-3 cm.
Cornus capitata, syn. Dendrobenthamia capitata
He comes from China, the Himalayas.
Cornus capitata, syn. Dendrobenthamia capitata — a bushy tree or shrub with a height and a width of 12 m. the Leaves are oval (to lanceolate), up to 12 cm, greyish-green. In summer, green flowers are formed in small rounded capitate inflorescences 1.5 cm in diameter, surrounded by 4-6 obovate white cream stipules 4-5 cm long.strawberry-like hanging fruits appear on the site of the flowers.
Blooms, but does not bear fruit. Relatively winter-hardy: briefly withstand up to -12,2 °C. feels Great in the sun and partial partial partial shade southern exposure to fertile drained neutral soils.
Propagated by freshly harvested seeds in autumn sowing or stratified-in the spring; semi-woody cuttings. May be affected by Anthracnose.
The beauty of the Eastern dogwood has not gone unnoticed by artists: their image can be seen not only on canvases, but also on dishes, clothes, carpets and so on.
Cornus contraversa, syn. Swida controversa
He comes from China, the Himalayas, Japan. I have it conjures up the mighty cedar of Lebanon, as both typical longline location parallel to the ground branches.
Cornus contraversa, syn. Swida controversa is a deciduous tree with a height and a width of 15 m, with opposite elliptic leaves up to 15 cm, in autumn the bright red and purple. The flowers are white, in large flat inflorescences with a diameter of 18 cm; bloom in early summer, then there are rounded blue-black fruit.
Decorative shape:
- ‘Variegata’ – height and width 4-8 m, leaves with white border.
The main type of frost, withstands briefly up to -31,6 °C. Prefers acidic and neutral, well-drained moist soil and the location of the southern orientation.
The form ‘Variegata’ is propagated by grafting.
Dogwood ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’
Very beautiful cultivar, during flowering resembling Magnolia Kobus.
It is a broad-boned deciduous tree or a multi-legged shrub 6 m high and 5 m wide, with oval medium-green leaves up to 12 cm long, which become orange and purple in autumn. In late spring appear small greenish flowers, gathered in capitate inflorescence, surrounded by 4-6 white bracts oval, length up to 8 cm culture appeared in the period 1963-1973. Short-time withstands up to -23,3 °C.
Cornus kousa
On sale can do as the Japanese dogwood or sinoxylon Coase, or Japanese. He comes from China, Japan.
Cornus kousa-wide-angle deciduous tree height of 7 m and a width of 5 m. the bark is bronze or brown, with age begins to exfoliate. Leaves up to 8 cm long, oval, wavy on the edge, dark green, autumn-crimson — purple. In early summer, green flowers with a diameter of up to 1 cm in the head inflorescences appear over four white bracts (from oval-lanceolate to oval) 2.5-5 cm long, which persist on the plant. Flowers give way to bright red strawberry-like fruits-drupes.
Decorative shapes:
- ‘China Girl’ -smooth-edged leaves, bracts large, ribbon, pointed, up to 5 cm in length, when blooming-cream-white, then-white, and at the end-red-pink;
- ‘Gold Star’ – shrub height of 2.5 m; leaves with a dark yellow center, fall become red; bracts white when blooming, then-pink;
- ‘Milky Way’ a profuse flowering;
- ‘Satomi’ – bracts pink, leaves dark red-purple (autumn);
- ‘Snowboy’ – 2.5 m high, 2 m wide, leaves gray-green, with wide white edges, pink and red in autumn;
- ‘Wolf Eyes’ — bracts with white edges;
- ‘Variegata’ – leaves green-white-yellow;
- ‘Heart Throb’ – pink bracts;
- ‘Beni Fuji’ – bracts pink.
Often Cornus kousa with pink bracts becomes the object of inspiration for artists.
The main type of winter-hardy (withstands short-term frosts to -29 °C), prefers light shading and acidic, well-drained soil. The maximum height of the tree reaches the age of 20-50 years.
Propagated by semi-woody cuttings, vaccination.
Applied in flower beds, effective in groups and plantings in open areas and partial shade. It lends itself well to cutting: can be used in free-growing hedges or to form interesting low trees.
This is interesting: between Cornus kousa Fruits are edible but malanie, mealy, and in taste inferior C. mas. In Japan and China, they are consumed fresh and processed. Created American varieties with large red fruits: ‘Big Apple’, ‘National’; and yellow — ‘Xantocarpa’.
Cornus officinalis
He comes from China, Korea, Japan, like C. mas.
Cornus officinalis is a large deciduous shrub, 5 m high and 5 m wide, with a rough exfoliating brown bark. Dark green oval (elliptic) leaves up to 10 cm in length in autumn become red-purple. The flowers are yellow, collected in loose umbrellas with a diameter of 2 cm; bloom in early spring (and sometimes late winter), before the leaves. Round light red fruits are edible.
It is tolerant to growing conditions, but develops better and bears fruit on rich, well-drained soils in full light.
Propagated by stratified seeds (spring) and lignified cuttings (summer). At the age of 5-10 years reaches its maximum height.
My story about dogwood would be incomplete without mentioning the North American species that will enchant you with the beauty and luxury of flowering. To be continued…
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