Daphne

The genus Daphne includes about 70 species of stable evergreen and deciduous beautiful flowering shrubs with regular, rarely opposite, smooth-edged leaves. Fragrant white or pink flowers without petals, with a calyx similar to a tubular corolla, breaking up in the upper part into four lobes, collected in small glabrous inflorescences or in short brushes, rarely in bundles of 2-5 in the axils of leaves. In some deciduous species, the flowers appear earlier than the leaves. Fruits are leathery or fleshy drupes with a single seed. In height, plants are from several centimeters in creeping species up to 2 m in shrubs. Wolfberry cneorum (Daphne cneorum) is a semi-evergreen shrubby creeping species. In spring, pink flowers bloom on it. Burkwood wolfberry (D. x burkwoodii), a semi-evergreen hybrid with fairly rapid growth, obtained from crossing common wolfberry (D. mezereum) and stone wolfberry (D. petrea), a deciduous shrub 2 m high, has obovate-lanceolate green leaves of intense color. Pale pink flowers appear in May and June. The leaves of the variety 'White-mottled' have cream-colored edges, and the flowers are white-pink. Common wolfberry, or wolf bast (D. mezereum), is an erect deciduous shrub species. It has ovate-lanceolate leaves and fragrant flowers ranging from light pink-purple to purplish-red, they bloom in early spring before the leaves appear, and in their place poisonous crimson berries are formed. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Rock wolfberry (D. petrea ) is a branched dwarf evergreen shrub species of slow growth. It produces bunches of erect oblong glossy leathery dark green leaves and pink flowers that bloom in May-June. Wolfberry striata (D. striata) is an evergreen shrub species with a height of 15 cm, with rigid linear leaves and pink flowers that bloom from May to July, in their place orange-red berries are formed.

The genus Daphne includes about 70 species of stable evergreen and deciduous beautiful flowering shrubs with regular, rarely opposite, smooth-edged leaves. Fragrant white or pink flowers without petals, with a calyx similar to a tubular corolla, breaking up in the upper part into four lobes, collected in small glabrous inflorescences or in short brushes, rarely in bundles of 2-5 in the axils of leaves. In some deciduous species, the flowers appear earlier than the leaves. Fruits are leathery or fleshy drupes with a single seed. In height, plants are from several centimeters in creeping species up to 2 m in shrubs.

Wolfberry cneorum (Daphne cneorum) is a semi-evergreen shrubby creeping species. In spring, pink flowers bloom on it.

Burkwood wolfberry (D. x burkwoodii), a semi-evergreen hybrid with fairly rapid growth, obtained from crossing common wolfberry (D. mezereum) and stone wolfberry (D. petrea), a deciduous shrub 2 m high, has obovate-lanceolate green leaves of intense color. Pale pink flowers appear in May and June. The leaves of the variety 'White-mottled' have cream-colored edges, and the flowers are white-pink.

Common wolfberry, or wolf bast (D. mezereum), is an erect deciduous shrub species. It has ovate-lanceolate leaves and fragrant flowers ranging from light pink-purple to purplish-red, they bloom in early spring before the leaves appear, and in their place poisonous crimson berries are formed. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Rock wolfberry (D. petrea ) is a branched dwarf evergreen shrub species of slow growth. It produces bunches of erect oblong glossy leathery dark green leaves and pink flowers that bloom in May-June.

Wolfberry striata (D. striata) is an evergreen shrub species with a height of 15 cm, with rigid linear leaves and pink flowers that bloom from May to July, in their place orange-red berries are formed.

Cultivation

Wolfberry is grown as an ornamental plant in the open ground in curbs and rock gardens. It has no special requirements for the soil, which can even be well-drained, but well-drained and enriched with organic fertilizers (7 kg/m2 of manure), or mineral fertilizers (30 g/m2). They are planted permanently in September or March-April (in moist, dense soil). In the summer months, every 20-30 days, liquid mineral fertilizer is added to the water for irrigation in the amount of 20 ml per bucket. Pruning is usually not required; in the spring, you can limit yourself to removing dry and damaged branches.

Wolfberry is grown as an ornamental plant in the open ground in curbs and rock gardens. It has no special requirements for the soil, which can even be well-drained, but well-drained and enriched with organic fertilizers (7 kg/m2 of manure), or mineral fertilizers (30 g/m2). They are planted permanently in September or March-April (in moist, dense soil). In the summer months, every 20-30 days, liquid mineral fertilizer is added to the water for irrigation in the amount of 20 ml per bucket. Pruning is usually not required; in the spring, you can limit yourself to removing dry and damaged branches.

Location

Wolfberry can be planted in the open sun and in partial shade.

Temperature

In general, it is a resistant plant to both high and low air temperatures.

Watering

Water primarily in spring and summer, as well as young plants after planting in the ground completely.

Reproduction

The most common method is cuttings. In summer, semi-woody cuttings 10 cm long are taken and planted to form roots in a mixture of peat and sand in equal parts, in a closed, unheated room. After the formation of roots, they are planted in separate pots and taken out into the open air. If the roots do not fit in the pot, the plants are once again transplanted into a new container, and then after 2 years they are planted in a permanent place. You can also sow seeds in the fall.

Diseases

Aphids and worms suck up nutrients, damaging the shoots and leaves, which slows down the plant's growth. In this case, treatment with chemical preparations against aphids and anticoccidal agents is used. Rotting of the roots is caused by various fungi, among them - honey agaric (Armillaria mellea). Affected plants should be removed. Various fungi provoke the appearance of spots on the leaves, in the future the leaves fall off. They are eliminated with the help of copper - and dithiocarbamate-containing fungicides. Cucumber mosaic causes uneven spots on the leaves and their deformation. Affected people plants are removed.

Acquisition

The most common types and varieties of daphne are easily found in gardening centers and specialized nurseries. Choose healthy and well-formed plants, making sure that there are no worms on them, and whether they are affected by any disease.