Scarlet, or tsercis (lat. Cercis) - a genus of perennial deciduous shrubs and trees from the legume family. Plants bloom beautifully. Natural Range - East Asia, North America, Mediterranean. Another name for scarlet is the tree of Judah.
Botanical Description
Under favorable conditions, cercis grows to 18–20 m, survives to 70–80 years. Branched trunks are covered with a dark brown or almost black furrowed bark, young shoots are grayish-green or reddish, darken with age. The leaves are heart-shaped, bright green, smooth. On the shoots are located next.
Bisexual small flowers have an irregular shape, resemble butterflies, collected in panicled inflorescences. Unfold before the leaves appear. In April, the bush is strewn with bright pink, red or lilac brushes. In many species, flowers form on the shoots and bark of the trunks. Elongated up to 10 cm capsules with 6–10 large flattened seeds ripen in autumn. Fruits remain on the branches for several years.
Kinds
The most popular scarlet flowers:
- Cercis is European, or streukkonosny. Heat-loving shrub up to 12-15 m in height with a spreading wide crown and dark pink large flowers. It grows in southern Europe, on the Black Sea coast.
- Tsercis Griffith. Shrub form up to 6–8 m high is more common. Inflorescences are bright purple shortened brushes.
- Scarlet Canadian. North American look. It is cold-resistant, the height of the trees is about 10 m, the leaves are about 15 cm in length, the corollas of the flowers are light pink, small, are formed in large numbers.
- Tsercis Chinese. Homeland - Far East. Trees grow up to 9–12 m, crowns are wide, flowers are light lilac, 10–20 pieces are gathered together.
- Scarlet bud. Homeland - North America. These are trees or shrubs up to 10 m tall. Leaves look like big buds, lilac inflorescences, drooping.
- Tsercis is western. Looks like Canadian. It has bright green leaves, a wide dense crown.
- Scarlet cistus. Heat-loving low shrub with heart-shaped dark green leaves and bright pink flowers collected in a brush.
Cercis is grown as ornamental plants. They are very picturesque, especially during the flowering period. Some leaves may change their color to pink or bright red.
Landing
Most species of crimsonberry freezes in the middle climate. Griffith's European, cyst and crimson can only be grown in greenhouses or planted in pots. North American species are more hardy: Canadian, kidney-shaped. The first one was introduced and perfectly established in Russia, tolerates frosts well up to -30 ° C, blooms profusely in spring, and is not afraid of drought and extreme heat in summer.
For planting, it is better to choose well-lit areas. Cercis can be placed singly or in groups. Do not plant them together with large tall trees. Scarlet must dominate its zone. Ensembles with dwarf coniferous and flowering crops look beautiful.
The plant prefers loose, light soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Canadian cercis develops well on almost all soils, except for heavy, clayey, often boggy soils. If necessary, add a little lime or river sand to the ground.
Seed cultivation
Cercis can be germinated from mature seeds, but this will require a lot of effort. For better germination, stratification is required for 2-3 months at a temperature of 3-5 ° C. Then you need to violate the integrity of the shell. To do this, rub the seeds with abrasive paper, soak them for 30 minutes in a solution of sulfuric acid, or lower them for 10 hours in hot water.
In the fall, prepared seeds are planted immediately in the ground or in a container with soil. The first option is preferable, since scarlet does not like transplants. The root system of young plants is very fragile, dies at the slightest damage. For this reason, you should immediately determine a permanent place to grow. They deepen the material by 4–5 cm, between plants leave 80–100 cm. For the winter, cercis is covered with leaves, sawdust or spruce branches.
In pots, scarlet will have to be grown for at least 2 years, until it forms strong roots. Seedlings need to be moistened 2 times a week, in spring and summer, fed with complex mineral fertilizers and humus. The temperature in the room should be about 29-24 ° C. In winter, additional lighting is required.
Development and disease
Shoots from seeds sown in autumn appear after snow melts. During spring and summer, they stretch 40-50 cm, die in cold weather. Sleeping buds are preserved in the soil on the root necks; stronger shoots grow to 80-100 cm in height next year. During cold weather, they also partially or completely freeze. With the onset of heat, the aboveground part is restored. Over 3-4 years, the roots of rosemary grow in depth and to the sides by 2-3 m. Skeletal lignified shoots grow more slowly, they form after the complete formation of the root system. Adult bushes tolerate winter better, thin lateral shoots-first-year can freeze.
In adult trees, after severe frosts, cracks appear on the trunks. To prevent this, the bushes for the winter need to be covered, after connecting the branches.
Diseases and pests of cercis are almost fearless. Sometimes aphids attack foliage. To get rid of it, the crown is sprayed with insecticides. Heavily affected shoots cut off.
Care and reproduction
Caring for the Judah tree is uncomplicated. It is necessary to loosen the trunk circles, water the plants in a timely manner. Individuals are especially demanding to moisturize in the first 3-4 years of life, at this time the roots are not yet sufficiently formed, they cannot independently produce moisture from great depths. In spring and summer, under each bush 1-2 times a week, you need to pour 2 buckets of water. It must be defended or slightly heated to 20 ° C. Trunk circles should be mulched with humus or peat.
Scarlet does not need to be fed frequently. In the spring, before the start of active vegetation, you can make a small amount of rotted manure or other organics. With insufficient flowering, the bushes are once fertilized with phosphorus and potassium compounds.
In the spring it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning, i.e., remove dried and frozen shoots. Shaping haircut begins to do with 4-5 years of age. Annually get rid of basal branches and shorten sprouting shoots. For 1 time it is recommended to cut no more than ¼ of the crown.
Propaganda is propagated by cuttings. The material is taken from plants that are 3 years old. Cut shoots should be about 30 cm long, strong, healthy, contain several buds. Before planting, the sections are treated with phytohormone, placed immediately on a constant place in loose moist soil to a depth of 10-12 cm. Cuttings are carried out in August. Before winter, the shoots take root.