Kalina gordovina - the original edible perennial in your garden
Most of us at the word viburnum represent a tall bush with a scattering of red berries. Most often, this is how we see this culture in nature, but there is also an original type of plant with shiny black berries - gordovina viburnum. It is no less beautiful, moreover, edible and very tasty. What is the difference between gordovina and common viburnum and how to grow it?
What gordovina looks like
Black viburnum grows in the form of a tall, dense bush up to 6 m in height with a crown diameter of up to 4 m. Grayish shoots are located close to each other, forming a thick cap. In adult plants, the bark on the branches cracks. The leaves have an oblong-oval shape characteristic of the culture, but very large - up to 18 cm long. They are painted dark green and covered with shallow wrinkles.
Both the twigs and the leaves of the gordovina are covered with dense white pile that looks like a white bloom from a distance. For this she received the name "flour bush".
At the beginning of summer, the bush is covered with delicate white inflorescences with a creamy tint. After about a month, fruits are tied in their place. At first they are green, then turn red, and at the stage of full maturity they turn black and wrinkle. At the same time, berries ripen unevenly, which complicates and lengthens the harvesting period. But ripe black berries are very sweet and moderately juicy. But it is better not to pick the red ones ahead of time - they are sour, with a pronounced tart note.
Kalina gordovina: cultivation features
Unlike ordinary viburnum, gordovina is more drought-resistant, but needs watering to get a good harvest. But, like her red-fruited relative, it can grow in the shade.
It is still better to plant variegated varieties of gordovina in illuminated areas, otherwise they will lose their original color.
Caring for black viburnum is generally the same as for red, namely:
- watering (once a week is enough, unlike the more moisture-loving viburnum ordinary);
- top dressing 2 times per season (spring and autumn), using mineral complexes, or a single application of organic matter in the fall;
- Spring pruning (removing old branches and pruning young shoots to stimulate branching).
In conclusion, I would like to add that if your viburnum gordovina is slowly growing, you should not be upset. This does not depend on the care, because the annual growth of the plant is no more than 30 cm. But the gordovina lives for a long time, up to 60 years in one place with periodic rejuvenation of the bush.