Exochord shrub for landscape design of a summer cottage
A perennial exochord shrub with pronounced decorative qualities belongs to the representation of the Pink family. There are seven species in the genus of this plant, two of which are domesticated and available for growing in the garden.
General description and varieties
In the wild, the bush grows in Asia, reaching up to 4 m in height. Among gardeners, the plant is little known. The cultivated exochord grows no higher than 2 m, it is distinguished by beautiful white flowers with five petals, abundantly covering the branches.
Shrub varieties:
- Albert. Grows on the forest edges of Central Asia. Has a dense crown and strong branching.
- Giralda. China is considered the birthplace of the plant, but due to its high decorativeness and unpretentiousness to growing conditions, Giralda is popular all over the world. A characteristic feature is the pinkish tint of flowers and shoots in seedlings.
- Tien Shan. Practically uncultivated, afraid of frost. It has long inflorescences of 15 small flowers. The advantage is found in nature reserves.
- Exochord is large-flowered. The species is a highly branching tall bush (up to 3m) with long cluster-like inflorescences. Feels good in adverse weather conditions.
- Cystic. The variety is found in the highlands of China. The shrub is covered with serrated long leaves and small inflorescences, sensitive to frost.
- Serrated. The Manchu species is distinguished by a spherical crown shape, wide long leaves, large flowers, and frost resistance. Photophilous, grows up to 2 m.
- Exochorda large-flowered Magic. A frost-resistant hybrid with a high growth rate (up to 100 cm per year). The species loves sunlight, is not afraid of frost and has a short flowering period.
Landscape designers and gardeners use two varieties for growing:
- The small, short-growing Niagara grows no more than 100 cm. Abundant flowering occurs in the last spring month. Due to its unpretentiousness, endurance, decorativeness and frost resistance (up to -28 degrees), the plant has gained wide popularity among Russian gardeners.
- Exochorda ze Bride is the most demanded variety, the name of which translates as "Bride". Plant height and crown diameter - 2 m. An intensive flowering period occurs in late spring - early summer. It tolerates wintering and pruning well. It is better to plant in a fertile area with a lot of sunlight.
Despite the exochord's not being fastidious about the soil mixture, you should pay attention to its acidity. It should be neutral or alkaline, except for the cystic species. Acidic soil is suitable for planting them.
Planting and leaving
Exochord Bride is unpretentious in care, so you can plant it yourself.
This will require:
- Choose a fertile area with loose soil, illuminated by the sun from all sides.
- Dig a hole 65 cm deep.
- Lay a drainage layer (expanded clay, fine gravel).
- Place the seedling and cover it with soil, tamping gently.
- Cover the root surface with mulch to protect the root system.
After planting, the bush will need care. A young plant needs additional insulation before the onset of cold weather.As a covering material, spruce branches, straw or a special non-woven fabric, which can be purchased at a gardening store, are suitable. Upon reaching the age of three, the exochord tolerates frost without additional insulation.
Top dressing is carried out with mineral and organic fertilizers. Care should be taken to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers at the end of summer, so as not to disrupt the process of plant development. During the growing season, organic matter must be added every 25-30 days.
Planting and caring for the exochorda ze Brown photo involves covering the root system in order to avoid sunburn and regular watering during dry periods.
A lack of moisture negatively affects the plant, however, an excessive amount of water will lead to root rot and subsequent death. Watering the bush should be in severe drought once every 4-5 days.
The exochord needs sanitary pruning. It can be done in the fall after the end of the flowering period, or in the spring. During the procedure, weakened shoots and dry, diseased branches are removed. Such measures allow you to extend the flowering time and painlessly survive the winter.
Unfortunately, the exochord is still little known among garden owners. The bush has high decorative qualities and is excellent for creating landscape compositions, while requiring minimal attention in its care.