Wintergreen planting and care in open ground, wintering, propagation

Home care

Wintergreen recumbent is often purchased to decorate the New Year's table.
Thanks to its bright red berries, the flower fits perfectly into holiday decor. If you place the plant in a cool place and water it with cold water, it will be pleasing to the eye for a long time, but after a month the berries will begin to dry out. If you want to keep this beautiful bush as an indoor flower, you will have to create favorable conditions for it.

When placing wintergreen in an apartment, it is important to remember that it does not like heat, so you should avoid a place in the sun. This universal flower will be comfortable both in shade and partial shade, as well as on a sunny windowsill, the main thing is that direct sunlight does not fall on its delicate leaves

To do this, wintergreen is shaded by placing it near other, more light-loving plants, or by curtaining the window with thin tulle or gauze. You should not place the pot near windows facing south; it is better to move the flower to the northern or western windowsill.

Such a plant does not need good lighting, and ultraviolet rays can actually cause harm, leaving unpleasant burns on wintergreen foliage. If the gardener has a balcony or loggia, then it is better to move the flower there; he will especially like the cool air temperature of about 12-15 degrees above zero. From time to time, the American pear needs to be ventilated and old shoots and dry berries removed.

Watering and fertilizers

Water the plant once every two weeks with cool water. The liquid is poured generously and after a while the excess moisture that has flowed into the pan is removed. When choosing water for irrigation, it is worth remembering that lime for such a flower is a deadly poison. Therefore, it is recommended to use bottled water; it would be a good idea to filter it before watering.

Tea berries prefer moist air, and dryness and desiccation of the earthen coma can harm the plant and negatively affect its growth. In dry and hot seasons, the flower should be sprayed with a spray bottle every evening, without affecting the inflorescences.

With the onset of winter, wintergreen goes into a dormant state. During this period, it should be placed in a cool room, ventilated periodically and not over-moisten the earthen ball.

Diseases and pests

The only disease that can affect the American pear is gray rot. It is caused by the accumulation of excess moisture at the root system of the plant. To prevent its appearance, it is recommended to treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate and avoid overmoistening it.

The owner of wintergreen may encounter the following problems:

1. The tips of the leaves have turned yellow - the air in the room is too dry and the temperature is too high.
2. Dry spots appeared on the foliage - the sun burned the plant, or it was not watered well.

To solve them, it is enough to correct shortcomings in care.

Reproduction by layering

The method works if the bush produces lateral shoots. They are cut closer to the base, placed in a prepared trench 1-2 cm deep with the cut down, secured to the ground and sprinkled with fertile soil. The next year, if the cuttings have all signs of growth, they are separated and transplanted to a new place.

Bean plant in landscape design

The tree looks great as a tapeworm against the backdrop of a lawn or in a composition of low conifers and decorative deciduous and flowering shrubs: spirea, barberry, azalea, buddleia, etc. Thanks to its drooping flexible shoots, the plant is widely used for landscaping pergolas, gazebos and trellises.

The most popular type of garden landscaping is the creation of arches, canopies and tunnels. The horizontal arrangement of the shoots in the upper part of the tunnel stimulates them to flower especially abundantly, and planting garden bean in a composition with wisteria creates an indescribable effect.

Overhanging green shoots of plantings in summer provide a contrasting background for bright roses, phlox, lavender and hydrangea, etc.

Diseases and pests

When cared for, the ornamental bean shrub is quite resistant to disease, however, in unfavorable growing conditions (high humidity, excess water in the soil), the crop can be affected by fungal diseases, which appear as round spots on the leaves. At first the spots are gray and then turn brown.

At the first signs of disease, the plantings are treated with antifungal drugs, for example, Topsin M 500 SC. Diseased fallen leaves must be burned in the fall.

If in spring, in wet weather, new tree shoots and inflorescences turn brown and begin to die, this indicates damage to gray mold. All parts of the plant affected by the disease are removed and the plant is treated with Signum 33 WG. The treatment is repeated after 10 days.

The most common pests are spider mites, which cause mosaic discoloration of leaves, and aphids.

Attention! When caring for beans, be careful, as all parts of the plant, especially the seeds, contain the toxic alkaloid cytosine and other quinolizidine alkaloids, which can cause poisoning if ingested. The lethal dose for an adult is several dozen seeds, for dogs and cats much less

Symptoms of poisoning appear after 15-60 minutes in the form of a burning sensation in the mouth, throat, cramps, nausea and vomiting

The lethal dose for an adult is several dozen seeds, for dogs and cats much less. Symptoms of poisoning appear after 15-60 minutes in the form of a burning sensation in the mouth, throat, cramps, nausea and vomiting.

Botanical description

Perennial asters planting and care in open ground photo
Perennial, evergreen plant of the Heather family with creeping branches. The oblong, shiny, deep green ellipsoidal leaves reach a size of 4 cm. In the cold season, the leaves turn red, which makes the plant even more decorative.

During the flowering period (June), wintergreen is covered with small white-pink fragrant flowers, reminiscent of both bells and water lilies. In autumn, when the flowers fade, the bush is replete with bright, inedible fruits. The berries hold tightly to the branches and do not fall off even in frost.

In nature, the plant lives in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Found in China. Cultivated all over the world due to its decorative and unpretentious content.

One of the species is Wintergreen Shallon, a shrub or subshrub that differs from Wintergreen recumbent. It will reach a height of 60 centimeters or more. The species is very hardy, its life can last for centuries!

The branches of the bush form thickets, thanks to an extremely developed root system, which has led in some places to prohibitive measures. Thus, in England it is prohibited to plant this species in the wild, since it threatens the survival of other plants.

Cut branches are used to make bouquets. They retain a fresh look for a long time. Wintergreen is also spectacular during the flowering period - its white and pink inflorescences resemble boxes. The plant is pollinated by bees, flies and tiny hummingbirds.

The berries are similar in appearance and taste to blueberries.

Properties of wintergreen - harm and benefit

Beneficial features

Wintergreen is not only an ornamental, but also a medicinal plant that has antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, stimulating, absorbable, carminative and analgesic effects. Wintergreen contains organic acids, formaldehyde, wintergreen, arbutin and tannins, and the main biologically active substance in wintergreen is methyl salicylate.

In the photo: Wintergreen - a beautiful and useful shrub

Since ancient times, tea has been brewed from wintergreen leaves for sore throats and headaches; they were chewed to relieve fatigue. In official medicine, oil from young shoots and leaves of wintergreen and the drugs Naftalgin, Kapsin, Sanitas, Saliniment made on its basis are used. They are used externally as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for joint pain. Wintergreen oil warms, so it is rubbed into overstrained muscles and painful areas of the body, and is also used externally in the treatment of skin inflammation, lumbago, neuralgia, rheumatism, fibrositis and cellulite. The aroma of the oil invigorates, improves mood, relieves fatigue and stress and refreshes the smell of the room.

Contraindications

The use of wintergreen preparations simultaneously with aspirin is contraindicated, as well as during pregnancy and during breastfeeding. It is not recommended to use wintergreen and its preparations for children under six years of age and for people with individual intolerance to substances contained in the plant. Wintergreen oil should be applied to sensitive skin with caution. Wintergreen is poisonous, so its preparations should be used only under the supervision of a doctor and in the indicated dosages.

Caring for wintergreen in open ground

Rudbeckia perennial planting and care

Although the wintergreen shrub is moisture-loving, stagnation of moisture at the roots leads to rotting. She is quite content with natural precipitation. During drought, water approximately once every 7 days. Pour water directly under the root, spending about 5 liters per bush.

It is advisable to pull out weeds by hand; loosen the soil very carefully. An excellent solution would be to mulch the area with peat.

This will help not only avoid the above procedures, but also maintain optimal soil moisture.

Under favorable conditions, the bush will add 20-30 cm in width in one season. To give the plantings a decorative look, in the spring, trim off excess shoots, as well as dry, damaged and too long branches. Then feed with nitrogen fertilizers: apply 150 g of nitroammofoska and 100 g of Kemira-universal per 1 meter square plot.

It is advisable to cover young plantings with dry leaves and spruce branches; you can use artificial spunbond material for covering. If your region has severe frosts or a snowless winter is expected, do the same with adult plants.

Spreading

Wintergreen grows naturally in the temperate climate zone of mid-latitudes. Thus, various species are found in the southern and northern regions of America, Africa, Australia and eastern Asia. Cultivated plants are found in many other areas, including in Russia and abroad.

Wintergreen prefers to grow in areas with plenty of warmth and sunlight. Some varieties grow in the Southern regions, so the first plants belonged to a different family. But after studying the characteristics of the plant, all varieties of wintergreen began to be classified as a single genus and family.

Popular varieties

Japanese spirea planting and care photo

Almost two hundred species of wintergreen grow in natural conditions. They are found in Australia, America and Asia. The most decorative is considered to be the “pointed” pernettia (Pernettyamucronata), called potted myrtle for the presence of small leaves with sharp tips. The flower amazes with the beauty of its “porcelain” drupes, the color of which varies from white-pink to red and purple.

Photo: Ciminus|hiveminer.com

“Recumbent” wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is called a small bush, 15 cm in height. On creeping branches there are leathery leaves of an oval-pointed shape. Flower growers call the lying handsome plant winter grass, mountain tea and winter grass. This plant got its name, “wintergreen,” because of its pear-shaped leaves, which turn a bronze-reddish hue in the fall.

Wintergreen (G. Shallon) has taller bushes; they grow up to half a meter. The leaves are ovate, blooms with pink or white pitcher-shaped flowers, collected in an apical inflorescence. The edible fruit turns from purple to black when ripe and has musky, blueberry and mint flavors.

Photo: thenorthwestforager.com

A typical representative of wintergreen is the “big berry” variety, up to 20 cm high, with dark leathery leaves and berries that are initially white, becoming bright red as they ripen. A variety that has been gaining particular popularity in recent years is Gynura procumbens, a plant whose medicinal properties are called “the cure for 100 diseases.” This flower is considered “the leaves of God”, it is so valued, and not only by folk healers. The international scientific community is studying the mechanism of the healing effect of the plant.

Photo: 2bp.blogspot.com

The medicinal qualities of “ginura procumbens” include:

• Possessing antioxidant properties;
• positive effect on reproductive functions;
• normalizing cholesterol and metabolic processes;
• decreased blood sugar levels;
• slowing down the growth of cancer cells.

This unique plant is also called “longevity spinach” for the taste of its leaves, which reach up to 8 cm in length and up to 3.5 in width, and have an ovoid-elliptical or lanceolate shape.

Wintergreen recumbent at home and in the garden

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
In the winter assortment of potted products, this small plant stands out for its abundance of deep red fruits, as if giving part of their color to the tips of the leaves. It is by this time that its fruits ripen in nature. It is called wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) and belongs to the heather family (Ericaceae). This bright plant begs to be used for New Year’s decor, but few people know that they are buying not only a beautiful, but also a useful plant, which, moreover, can live in our open ground.

Wintergreen recumbent, or American wintergreen, in its homeland - in the mixed forests of eastern North America, extends with creeping gray-brown smooth shoots among tall shrubs up to 40-45 cm in diameter and rises above the ground by only 10-15 cm. This evergreen shrub has elliptical , slightly pointed leaves 1.5-4 cm long (sometimes ovate), leathery, with a shiny dark green surface and a crenate edge. At low temperatures, the leaves take on a beautiful purple hue. The flowers are bisexual, white with a pinkish tint, solitary, drooping, bell-shaped, with a 5-petalled corolla, reminiscent in shape of the goblet flowers of our wild wintergreens, round-leaved and small, which also belong to the heather family. Flowers are arranged singly or in few-flowered inflorescences. They are readily pollinated by insects, since the plant is a honey plant. Flowering continues from July to September, then scarlet berries 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter develop, which often persist until the following spring. All parts of the plant have an aroma.

The population of the American continent often calls it Eastern Teaberry. The last name did not appear in vain; the indigenous population has long used the leaves of wintergreen to prepare pleasant-tasting and medicinal teas, which were used to treat various pains - headaches, rheumatoid, sore throats, and chewed the leaves to ease breathing during hard work.

At the beginning of the 19th century, chemists discovered properties in the plant similar to natural salicylates of white willow (Salix alba), providing an anti-inflammatory effect and reducing swelling of joints and muscles. It was melyl salicylate.

During the American Revolution in the second half of the 18th century, wintergreen leaves were used as a surrogate tea. To prepare this tea, the leaf was fermented in warm water to extract methyl salicylate and dried. There is even an opinion that the word tea itself originally referred to it, before the spread of real tea. There are still many other local names for the plant in use, among them Mountain Tea (the range of wintergreen rises to the mountains).

By the way, melyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) is a mixture of organic acids with alcohol; its specific odor is felt when rubbing wintergreen leaves. Only representatives of the genera wintergreen, spirea, black birch and this only type of wintergreen have the ability to synthesize it.

The lowest content of essential oil is observed in young wintergreen leaves; they are pleasant to chew. By the way, it is often used to flavor toothpastes. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation; the leaves are collected from spring to autumn and pre-soaked in water for 12-24 hours. The oil contains up to 98% methyl salicylate and is used in medicine as an external remedy for myalgia, neuralgia, rheumatism, sprains, skin inflammation and even cellulite. Contraindications are the same as for aspirin. In the food industry it is used to flavor beer, liqueurs and other drinks, sweets, medicines and rinses. However, now it is more often replaced by a synthetic analogue. There is a version that this plant was one of those that prompted the invention of chewing gum, which is still used for flavoring.

When it comes to wintergreen berries, you may come across conflicting information. Sometimes it is indicated that the berries are not edible for humans, but are not poisonous either. In nature, in winter, American birds (another name is Partridge Berry), chipmunks, squirrels, mice, bears and foxes do not disdain them. And any American source confirms that the berries are edible, but their taste is described differently. Some compare it with mint, calling the plant Mint berry, others point to the medicinal aftertaste. Having tasted one berry from a purchased plant (one will not cause harm, although the plants were probably treated with a lot of chemicals during the growing process), you will smell the familiar smell of germolene, an antiseptic substance used in medicine, or a mixture of camphor and mint. And at the same time, make sure that you can’t call this low-juiciness and mealy berry, empty inside, tasty, even though it begs to be put into your mouth, strongly resembling a cranberry in appearance. However, the berries are suitable for making jams and pie fillings, and in America they are used to decorate cakes.

Wintergreen from seeds at home

Wintergreen seeds photo

How to propagate wintergreen by seeds? Many gardeners will agree that this is time-consuming. But generative propagation also has its advantages: you will get a lot of seedlings at fairly minimal costs, plus the plants will be more resistant to diseases and pests.

• First, the seeds must be stratified. Mix them with damp sphagnum moss, place in a glass jar and close the lid tightly, and store for 3 months in the vegetable section of the refrigerator or in another room with a temperature of 2-4 °C.
• Then fill a wide container with high-moor peat and spread the seeds over the surface.
• To create a greenhouse effect, cover the top with a piece of glass or a transparent bag (you can use ready-made containers for seedlings with transparent lids), place under diffused lighting and maintain the air temperature at about 20 °C.
• Raise the shelter daily to ventilate, and as it dries, spray the soil with a fine spray.
• Shoots appear after 2-3 weeks, and after the formation of a pair of true leaves, we transplant 1-2 sprouts into separate pots.

We grow for 2 years before transplanting into open ground.

Vegetative propagation of wintergreen

By layering

This method is suitable even for beginners. In the spring, make a depression next to the bush, bend the outermost branch there, secure it with a bracket and lightly sprinkle it with earth, with the top of the shoot being above the soil surface. Water moderately throughout the season. By autumn, the root system will have formed and the cuttings can be separated from the mother bush. Immediately replant to a permanent place of growth.

Cuttings

• Take cuttings from semi-lignified shoots in the summer or autumn.
• For rooting, plant in containers with wet coarse sand.
• It is not necessary to cover with film or glass, but keep it under diffused light and water periodically.
• Summer cuttings can be planted in open ground before winter, but autumn cuttings are best kept in a cool room until spring.

Uses

Several species are grown as ornamental shrubs in gardens, particularly G. mucronata

(
Pernettia mucronata
) from southern Chile and Argentina and
G. shallon
(salal) from the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Many of the smaller species are suitable for rock gardens. Like most other ericaceous plants, Gaultheria
species do best in pety soil that never fully dries out.

The fruit of many Gaultheria

species is edible, particularly that of salal, which can be used to make jelly.
One, the American wintergreen or eastern teaberry, G. procumbens
, is the traditional source of wintergreen flavoring;
it is called the eastern teaberry because its leaves can be used to make a tea, and its berries can be eaten as are. The fruit of most other Gaultheria
species is insipid in flavor and not extensively consumed.

One variety of G. leucocarpa

shows anti-inflammatory properties and is used in Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, swelling, and pain.

Description of wintergreen

Wintergreen (Gautieria) is an evergreen shrub and rarely grows above 60 cm. There are about 170 species of these plants in the world, belonging to the heather family.
Under natural conditions, they grow mainly in South and North America, as well as in South and East Asia, New Zealand and Australia (wintergreen “rises” into the mountains up to 3500 m above sea level). In Russia you can find one wild species and seven domesticated ones. Pink or white flowers on wintergreen appear in May-June, and the fruits (red, pink, bluish, purple and white berries, about a centimeter in diameter) ripen closer to September-October. Wintergreen, like other heathers, contains mycorrhizae on its roots, which is a mutually beneficial symbiosis of fungal organisms and roots.

Wintergreen recumbent (creeping)

One of the most popular types of this plant is wintergreen (creeping). People have a number of names that reflect the main qualities of this bright representative of its species - wintergreen, winter grass, mountain tea, winter-loving.

This graceful plant has oval-pointed leathery leaves, reminiscent of the leaf blades of a pear. Wintergreen is not afraid of cold weather - closer to winter, its leaves acquire a bronze-red color, and bright berries can remain on the branches throughout the winter season (they have a pleasant aroma and are not poisonous, but, unfortunately, have no nutritional value).

Light pink flowers appearing in summer add decorative beauty to the bushes. Wintergreen is used as a ground cover plant. The bushes are suitable for creating evergreen borders, as well as for decorating balconies. Wintergreen is not susceptible to diseases and pests, and also thrives in partial shade - these qualities make it especially attractive to gardeners who want to decorate their area with a beautiful, but at the same time, low-demanding plant.

Useful properties of wintergreen

Wintergreen essential oil is valuable. In the form of an ointment, it is applied externally and is especially recommended for acute articular rheumatism and spontaneous tumors.

Chemical composition of wintergreen

Wintergreen essential oil is almost 100 percent methyl salicylate (an ester of salicylic acid). The leaves of the plant are rich in tannins and arbutin (a substance used as an antiseptic).

Reproduction methods, planting and care

Wintergreen propagates by layering, seeds and cuttings. The plant prefers acidic peaty soils. It can grow both in the sun and in the shade or partial shade. The soil mixture for planting wintergreen is prepared from semi-rotted coniferous litter, high-moor peat and sand (3:2:1). The ideal distance between plants is 20-25 cm or 35-40 cm (the required “looseness” of planting is maintained). The root collar is buried 1.5 cm or left at soil level. The depth of the planting hole is 30-40 cm. At the bottom there must be drainage made of broken bricks or river pebbles with a layer of up to 15 cm.

In the spring, the plants are fed with mineral fertilizers (100 g of Kemira-universal is used per 1 m2). Wintergreen is watered twice a month (each plant requires about 5 liters of water). During drought, plants are sprayed and watered in the evening every week. The soil is loosened superficially and weeds are removed at the same time. After planting, the ground is mulched with peat or wood chips. In the spring (before the juices begin to flow), wintergreen shoots are slightly pruned - this technique allows you to induce active branching. Dry twigs are removed as they appear. Young wintergreen plantings are protected for the winter by covering them with peat or dry leaves (layer thickness - 10 cm). In spring the cover is removed.

Contraindications

A contraindication to the use of wintergreen essential oil is individual intolerance. The berries of the plant are not edible.

Wintergreen is an interesting plant that can decorate your garden. We advise you to get to know him better.

Mir-yagod.ru

Types of wintergreen

The genus includes about 180 species of shrubs. Growing in the mountainous areas of the northern regions of America, Asia and Australia, it easily takes root in the gardens of central Russia. Let's look at the most popular types of this plant.

Beneficial features

The leaves are of particular value in the plant. They contain acids:

• ferulic (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor effect);
• coffee (anti-cancer effect);
• sinapine (for species identification);
• 4-hydroxybenzoic (for the production of esters) and a number of other acids.

Many animals feed on wintergreen berries: deer, squirrels, chipmunks. Birds: black grouse, hazel grouse, pigeons. The leaves are eaten by butterfly caterpillars.

In former times, the berries were eaten. They became especially tasty after the onset of frost. They were also used in dried form.

The Indians treated the plant as sacred. It was believed that a boy would appear in the family if one chewed the leaves of the bush.

Wintergreen flowers and fruits

Wintergreen blooms from June to September. The wintergreen flower is white or pinkish, in the form of a translucent bell and is very reminiscent of a lily of the valley. The buds are single or collected in racemes. The smell is very delicate, even refined. The flowers are bisexual, so wintergreen is self-fertile. The plant is an excellent honey plant.

In autumn, the berries ripen - red, white, pink, dark blue. They make a wonderful color contrast with the foliage. Wintergreen fruits easily tolerate extreme cold and often survive the winter.

Despite their beautiful appearance, it’s difficult to call the berries tasty: they are hard, low-juicy, and empty. The taste is minty, reminiscent of a mixture of camphor and mint. In nature, berries are eaten in winter by chipmunks, squirrels, mice, and birds. They are not eaten fresh, but are used to make jams or pie fillings.

Home care

Watering

Produce twice a month with cool water, which should not contain lime, which is fatal to the roots of the flower. Water generously, then remove excess water from the pan.

Top dressing

Flower feeding is carried out with special fertilizers for heather or rhododendron plants, which are applied along with watering.

Photo: plantsam.com

Humidity

Air and its degree of humidity are of great importance for wintergreen. Its dryness, as well as overdrying of the earthen clod, will have a bad effect on the growth of the bush.

Advice: “In dry times, the plant must be sprayed, preferably in the evening, without getting water on the flowers.”

Temperature

Based on coolness. “Zimolyubka” is comfortable at a temperature of about 12 degrees. Therefore, it is optimal to keep it on the balcony. Wintergreen needs a ventilated area and pruning of old branches. Caring for a flower at home includes replanting, after which the plant is placed in a cool place where there is little light.

It is produced with caution, as the delicate thread-like roots are easily damaged

>Winter care

In winter, indoor bushes need to be kept cool, ventilated and prevent excess moisture in the soil.

Reproduction and planting

To create a whole garden of such plants on the windowsill, it is enough to purchase one copy and propagate it at home. Wintergreen reproduces in the same way as other indoor flowers:

• 
  cuttings (cuttings are harvested in June);

• dividing the rhizome (the procedure is carried out in the spring);
• seeds (young plants are transplanted into new containers only 3 months after the appearance of the first shoots);
• layering (strong, young shoots are lowered to the ground, dug in and fixed in this position).

Propagation of the American pear is not difficult even for novice gardeners. Young plants germinate and develop well, but do not tolerate transplantation into separate pots.

Wintergreen at home

How to care for wintergreen at home

How to plant or replant

If the plant was purchased in a pot, then it is probably already in quality potting soil and does not require more than watering and proper care.

But if you want to transplant wintergreen from open ground into a pot or donate a seedling, start with high-quality soil purchased from a specialty store. Standard houseplant mixes are typically lighter in weight than topsoil, sterile, and pest-free. Many are available with a mild starter fertilizer in the mix.

Choose a container with a drainage hole, or be prepared to drill holes for drainage if there are none.

Prepare the container by filling it with soil up to 5 cm from the edge of the pot. Make a small hole in the substrate, slightly larger than the root system, by hand or with a garden trowel. Place the plant in the hole and press the soil firmly around the roots, just covering the roots. Water thoroughly. Place the seedling in a bright place for speedy rooting.

Replant wintergreen every 2 years in a container slightly larger than the diameter of the root system.

How to water

Wintergreens prefer consistently moist but well-drained soil. If the soil becomes too dry, the flowers may wilt and may not recover. Check the soil moisture with your finger. If the top 5cm of soil is dry, it's time to water.

If possible, water at the roots to avoid wetting the foliage. Water the entire area of ​​soil until water drains from the base of the pot. This indicates that the soil is completely wet. Drain excess water from the pan.

How to feed

Fertilizers are available in many forms: granular, slow release, liquid feed, organic or synthetic. Determine which fertilizing method is best suited for your wintergreen and choose a fertilizer with a nutritional balance designed for ornamental foliage plants.

Too much fertilizer can harm wintergreen, so it is important to follow package directions to determine how much to feed and how often. Slow-release fertilizers are the preferred, truly worry-free choice for container plants

Follow manufacturer's directions for correct timing and application rate.

Slow-release fertilizers are the preferred, truly worry-free choice for container plants. Follow the manufacturer's directions for proper timing and application rate.

In general, it is enough to feed wintergreen once a month with a complex fertilizer for decorative deciduous plants (for example, Bona Forte, “Good Power”, etc.).

How to trim

Remove flowers as they fade. This keeps the plants looking neat and can encourage more flowering. Be sure to trim the foliage to maintain the desired size and shape. Periodic pruning encourages the plant to develop side shoots and flowers, reducing the need to develop a larger root system

This is important because the roots are in a confined space

Propagation of derain by seeds

Seeds of hybrid and varietal forms are often sterile, but viable material is commercially available. Seeds require a long period of stratification to germinate. Sown in open ground in October, they germinate in the spring in March or April. Although some seeds may take a year to germinate.

Young shoots are weak and need protection from sun and wind for several months. Therefore, it is better to sow seed in containers where they can be germinated indoors. The stratification period takes approximately 4 months.

The seeds are placed in a bag in damp sand and stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2-3 °C. After a period of stratification, they are sown in a moist mixture of sand and peat and germinated at a temperature of 18-20 °C.

With the appearance of 3-4 leaves, the seedlings are planted in separate pots in fertile soil. Derain is planted in open ground after 2 years of growing in a pot.

Problems in growing turf

1. The most common fungal disease of decorative turf is anthracnose. The disease begins with the appearance of brown spots with purple edges on the leaves, which subsequently turn brown, and the leaves curl and dry out.

Secondary signs of the disease are necrotic brown areas on the bark of branches and trunk. Treatment is effective if the disease is detected before the branches begin to die.

Symptoms of anthracnose in white variegated turf

2. In dense plantings with high humidity and poor air circulation, plantings can be affected by powdery mildew, most often at the end of summer.

Its symptom is a white-gray powdery coating on the leaves, which discolor and curl over time. Warm, dry days and cool, wet nights favor the development of the disease.

Powdery mildew

3. Leaf spot is caused by Cercospora cornicola and Septoria fungi. The disease is most common during the wet summer months and can affect entire foliage, which falls prematurely. Usually the disease does not have much effect on the growth and overall health of the bush, but repeated years of early abscission can weaken the plant.

Leaf spot

Control of all fungal diseases consists of proper tree care, timely removal and burning of affected parts of the plant, improving air circulation, and treatment of plantings is carried out using repeated treatments with fungicides.

4. Darkening of the tips and edges of leaves, wilting, curling, and the appearance of a pinkish tint on the back of the leaf blade are the result of stress caused by drought, heat stress or prolonged flooding of the soil. Similar symptoms may also be a sign of excessive feeding.

Leaf wilting as a result of heat and water stress

5. Leaf burn. It looks like a disease, but the cause lies in environmental conditions that are too dry, causing severe stress to trees and shrubs.

Leaf burn

The leaves dry out and turn yellow along the edges. Due to their shallow root system, young seedlings that are susceptible to drought are most susceptible to scorch.

Decorative turf in landscape design

Each garden composition passes a difficult exam in late autumn, when the snow has not yet fallen and the plants have withered and their leaves have fallen. It is during this period that we can appreciate all the beauty of the tree with its decorative shoots, which become a bright accent of the garden, creating a festive atmosphere until spring.

The shrub looks most advantageous in a group composition with varieties of different stem colors: red, chocolate and yellow. A few plantings of 1-3 bushes are spectacular against the background of coniferous crops and cereals.

A good place for growing derain in the garden is in areas near artificial reservoirs. Compositions with other decorative deciduous shrubs and low-growing weeping trees allow you to get an interesting color effect throughout the season.

Canadian turf is ideal for creating carpets under tree canopies and in shady corners of the garden.

The culture fits perfectly into a rustic or English landscape style and is an ideal backdrop for evergreen vines, primroses, early flowering bushes and trees: azaleas, forsythia, sakura and others.

Derain is often used to create hedges and as a tapeworm against a green lawn. The decorative effect of a single planting is especially impressive in the Couse tree in the spring landscape of the garden.

Description

The vary species from low, ground-hugging shrubs less than 10 cm (3.9 in) tall, up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) tall, or, in the case of G. fragrantissima

from the Himalaya, even a small tree up to 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall.
The leaves are evergreen, alternate (opposite in G. oppositifolia
from New Zealand), simple, and vary between species from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) long; the margins are finely serrated or bristly in most species, but entire in some. The flowers are solitary or in racemes, bell-shaped, with a five-lobed (rarely four-lobed) corolla; flower color ranges from white to pink to red. The fruit is a fleshy berry in many species, a dry capsule in some, with numerous small seeds.

Wintergreen: care and reproduction

Wintergreen (lat. Gaultheria) - compact shrubs 20-25 cm high from the Heather family.

The stems are erect, slightly woody at the base, and higher up they are covered with reddish skin, which effectively contrasts with the rich green leaves. These are evergreen plants. The leaves are oval-shaped, whole, 1-4 cm long, the tips are sharp or rounded. The veins are clearly visible on the leathery glossy surface.

By layering

This method is suitable even for beginners. In the spring, make a depression next to the bush, bend the outermost branch there, secure it with a bracket and lightly sprinkle it with earth, with the top of the shoot being above the soil surface. Water moderately throughout the season. By autumn, the root system will have formed and the cuttings can be separated from the mother bush. Immediately replant to a permanent place of growth.

Wintergreen planting and care in open ground, wintering, propagation

Wintergreen is a genus of shrubs belonging to the Heather family. Its representatives grow in the mountainous regions of America, Asia and Australia. These shrubs are evergreen, their height is generally no more than 20-25 cm, but predominantly tall species are common in cultivation, in addition to Wintergreen.

Natalya Category: Garden plants: February 28, 2019Added: August 19, 2020

Wintergreen (lat.

Gaultheria, or wintergreen, or gotheria, or golteria , is a genus of the Ericaceae family, consisting of about 180 species native to North and South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The genus was named in honor of one of the first researchers of the flora of Canada, the French botanist and physician Jean-François Gautier. Several types of wintergreen are grown in garden culture as ornamental plants.

• Planting: in spring.
• Flowering: from early summer to September.
• Lighting: bright sunlight, partial shade, shade.
• Soil: loose, peaty, acidic (pH 5.0). The soil should not contain lime.
• Watering: 2 times a month, in drought - once a week.
• Feeding: in June with a solution of mineral fertilizer that does not contain nitrogen.
• Reproduction: by seeds, dividing the bush, sometimes by cuttings.
• Diseases: gray rot.
• Pests: do not affect.
• Properties: the plant has medicinal properties.

Read more about growing wintergreen below.

Wintergreen flower - description

The wintergreens growing in our gardens are small winter-hardy evergreen shrubs with compact branches and small, leathery, glossy, entire dark green leaves.

Resembling lilies of the valley, wintergreen flowers, white with a pinkish tint, solitary or collected in few-flowered inflorescences, are formed in late spring or early summer. They have delicate, thin petals and an exquisite aroma.

Wintergreen fruits are cranberry-like, inedible white, bright red or dark blue berries with a diameter of about 1 cm, which look very impressive against the background of foliage and do not fall off for several months. Wintergreen flower grows slowly.

Under favorable conditions, this plant can grow in one place for up to half a century.

Planting wintergreen in the garden

Wintergreen seeds must be stratified for three months before sowing. They are mixed with damp moss, placed in a glass container, sealed tightly and stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator at a temperature of 2-4 ˚C. Sow the seeds in containers with high-moor peat without covering them.

Crops are placed in a warm, bright place. Wintergreen germinates from seeds in 2-3 weeks.

When the seedlings acquire two pairs of true leaves, they are picked into pots 1-2 at a time and grown at home or in a greenhouse for 2-3 years, after which they are hardened off and planted in open ground.

In the photo: Wintergreen blooming in the garden

The site for wintergreen can be sunny, semi-shaded or even shady. The plant prefers acidic soil (pH no more than 5 units), peaty and loose.

There should be no lime in the soil. If the soil on the site is too heavy, a mixture of three parts of high-moor peat, two parts of half-rotted pine litter and one part of coarse sand is prepared to fill the planting holes.

The seedlings are planted in holes 30-40 cm deep, located at a distance of 20-40 cm from each other: the looser the soil, the greater the distance should be.

A layer of broken bricks or pebbles 10-15 cm thick is first laid at the bottom of the pits When planting, the root collar is placed flush with the surface or buried no more than 1.5 cm.

After filling the holes, the surface is compacted and watered.

How to care for wintergreen

In early spring, before shoots begin to grow, wintergreen is cut to stimulate intensive branching of the bush. At the same time, remove dry, damaged and diseased branches and shoots. At the same time, 100 g of Kemira-universal and 150 grams of Nitroammofoski are added to the soil of the trunk circle per 1 m².

How to properly plant and care for bladderwort

Wintergreen is watered twice a month, pouring up to 5 liters of water under each plant. In dry summers, the soil under the bushes is moistened every week in the evenings. After watering or rain, the soil around the wintergreen is carefully and shallowly loosened: the roots of the plant are located close to the surface.

Simultaneously with loosening, weeds should be removed from the tree trunk circles. To protect the soil from too rapid evaporation of moisture, the surface of the tree trunk circles immediately after planting is mulched with a layer of wood chips or peat 8-10 cm thick.

In June, a solution of mineral fertilizer that does not contain nitrogen is applied under the plants.

Adult wintergreen overwinters without shelter. Only young bushes need protection from frost, the root zone of which is insulated with a layer of peat or dry leaves 8-10 cm thick, and the bushes themselves are covered with spruce branches in case there is no snow in winter. With the onset of spring, the insulating layer is removed.

Wintergreen (Gaultheria trichophylla)

Or wintergreen hairy comes from East Asia - China and the Himalayas - and is a shrub up to 10 cm high with elliptical or oblong gray-green leaves 5-10 mm long and drooping bell-shaped pink flowers up to 4 mm long. The fruits of this plant are blue. The species has been in European culture since 1897.

In the photo: Wintergreen (Gaultheria trichophylla)

Wintergreen (Gaultheria ovalifolia)

A shrub up to 30 cm high native to the west coast of the USA. Its leaves are up to 3.5 cm long, the flowers are white, up to 5 mm long, and the bright red fruits reach 1 cm in diameter. This species was introduced into cultivation in 1890.

Wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa)

Also from western North America. The plant reaches a height of only 10 cm. Its leaves are ovoid or almost round, slightly jagged along the edge, up to 2 cm long. The flowers are axillary, solitary, bell-shaped, up to 5 mm long. Scarlet-red fruits reach a diameter of 7 mm. Wintergreen has been in cultivation since 1830.

In the photo: Prostrate wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa)

Wintergreen (Gaultheria adenothrix)

Comes from the Japanese islands of Shikoku, Honshu and Hokkaido, where it grows on rocks and in coniferous forests. This plant can reach 30 cm in height.

It has leathery, bare on the upper side, serrated along the edge oval leaves up to 2 cm wide and up to 3 cm long.

Single or 2-3 flowers collected at the ends of the shoots are drooping, bell-shaped, white on the inside, but pinkish on the outside, the flowers reach a length of 8 mm. The red fruits are covered with small glands. The species has been in culture since 1915.

In the photo: Wintergreen (Gaultheria adenothrix)

Wintergreen Miqueliana (Gaultheria miqueliana)

In the wild it grows in groups in Japan, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. It is an evergreen shrub with erect branches up to 25 cm high with a creeping rhizome, dense dark green leaves and few-flowered racemose inflorescences. Berries with a diameter of up to 8 mm are similar to snowberry fruits. This winter-hardy species, unfortunately, is difficult to cultivate.

In the photo: Wintergreen Miqueliana (Gaultheria miqueliana)

Wintergreen shallon (Gaultheria shallon)

A plant from North America, one of the most commonly grown in cultivation. It reaches half a meter in height. Its shoots are ascending, straight, leaves are alternate, ovoid, up to 12 cm long.

Pink or white flowers are pitcher-shaped and up to 1 cm in diameter, collected at the ends of the shoots in paniculate inflorescences. Purple, but over time blackening fruits reach 1 cm in diameter.

The species has been in culture since 1826.

In the photo: Wintergreen shallon (Gaultheria shallon)

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)

Originates from eastern North America, where it grows among tall shrubs in mixed forests. Creeping shoots of the plant up to 15 cm high form a bush with a diameter of up to 40 cm.

The leaves of the plant are almost round, shiny, bright green, up to 4 cm long. Single drooping white flowers have a pitcher-like shape. Scarlet-red fruits up to 1 cm in diameter are inedible. The species has been in cultivation since 1762.

All parts of wintergreen exude aroma. It is grown in the garden as a ground cover plant.

In the photo: Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)

Useful properties of wintergreen

Wintergreen is not only an ornamental, but also a medicinal plant that has antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, stimulating, absorbable, carminative and analgesic effects. Wintergreen contains organic acids, formaldehyde, wintergreen, arbutin and tannins, and the main biologically active substance in wintergreen is methyl salicylate.

In the photo: Wintergreen - a beautiful and useful shrub

Since ancient times, tea has been brewed from wintergreen leaves for sore throats and headaches; they were chewed to relieve fatigue. In official medicine, oil from young shoots and leaves of wintergreen and the drugs Naftalgin, Kapsin, Sanitas, Saliniment made on its basis are used.

They are used externally as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for joint pain. Wintergreen oil warms, so it is rubbed into overstrained muscles and painful areas of the body, and is also used externally in the treatment of skin inflammation, lumbago, neuralgia, rheumatism, fibrositis and cellulite.

The aroma of the oil invigorates, improves mood, relieves fatigue and stress and refreshes the smell of the room.

Planting and caring for wintergreen

Caring for wintergreen at home is not difficult, because the natural habitat for the culture is mountains. However, cultivating an unpretentious plant also has some features, on which the appearance of the garden will entirely depend.

The best option for planting shrubs is considered to be protected from drafts, well-lit areas of land near deciduous or coniferous crops.

When choosing soil, it is worth considering that pernetia prefers loose, well-drained areas with peaty, acidic soil (pH ≤ 5).

Important! Wintergreen does not tolerate lime content in the soil and excessively compacted substrates.

The plant is planted in early spring. The procedure takes place in several stages:

• dig a planting hole about 40 cm deep;
• lay a 15 cm layer of drainage at the bottom of the pit;
• fill up part of the fertile soil;
• install the seedling (the root collar should be flush with the ground);
• add soil;
• Lightly compacted.

The distance between plants on dense soils is up to 25 cm, and on loose soils - about 40 cm.

For good growth, wintergreen needs abundant regular watering (about 6 liters of water per bush, 2 times a month). In hot weather, the number of irrigations is increased, and additional spraying of leaves is introduced.

Feeding of the bush is carried out twice per season: in the spring, Kemira Universal (100 g/m2 of plot) or nitroammophoska (40 g/m2) is applied; from mid-summer they switch to nitrogen-free fertilizer complexes.

With the onset of autumn, the area is mulched with peat or wood chips (up to 10 cm layer). Young shrubs are covered with dry leaves.

The crown formation process consists of:

• removing dried or diseased leaves and branches;
• shortening very elongated shoots;
• pruning sprouts in spring.

Timely pruning (before the beginning of the growing season) contributes to more intensive branching of the bush.

Mature wintergreen tolerates wintering well in the open air. It is enough to cover the crop with spruce branches or snow.

The indoor plant is transferred to the balcony with the temperature maintained within 12 degrees Celsius, regular ventilation and moderate watering.

Pernetia is resistant to many diseases. The only problem that can arise with excessive irrigation is gray rot. To prevent disease, the soil is periodically shed with a solution of potassium permanganate.

If pests (for example, aphids) are detected, the leaves of the bush are treated with a soap solution.

Wintergreen is a genus of shrubs that amazes with its diversity. Simple conditions for caring for the plant allow even a beginner to grow it, and strict adherence to simple instructions makes it possible to admire the appearance of the crop for many years.

Pests and diseases

Basically, the culture is resistant to diseases and problems arise when wintergreen is not properly cared for.

With high humidity and poor air circulation, plantings can be affected by fungal diseases such as black mold, leaf spot and powdery mildew. As a treatment, bushes are treated with antifungal drugs.

Low acidity of the substrate leads to the development of chlorosis, which is manifested by yellowing of the foliage.

So-called “galls” on the leaf surface can be caused by mites, fungi or bacteria. Affected parts must be burned; to avoid infection, avoid damaging the plants.

Propagation of wintergreen by seeds

Seeds require a period of cold stratification for germination. Before sowing, they are kept for 4 - 10 weeks in moist peat in the refrigerator at a temperature of 1-3 °C, and then a mixture of peat and sand is sown in early March.

Germination usually takes 1-2 months, provided there is constant soil moisture and a temperature of 20 °C. Seedlings 25 mm high are picked and planted in separate pots.

Planted in open ground in early summer. When propagating by seeds, it should be taken into account that seedlings do not inherit the varietal characteristics of the mother plant.

Reproduction by cuttings and layering

An easier method of propagation is vegetative.

Wintergreen recumbent is very easily propagated by root cuttings. They dig up the ground, find the rhizome and cut off part of it with roots and ground shoots. The seedlings are immediately transplanted to a new location.

Semi-lignified apical cuttings 7-10 cm long are cut in August-September. The lower leaves are torn off. It is advisable to dip the cuttings in a special powder that stimulates root formation, and then plant them in a prepared mixture based on peat and sand. After planting, water the soil and place it in a shady place.

When growth begins, move the pot to partial shade. After a month, they are transplanted into a fertile substrate using the transshipment method. In winter they are kept in a cool room, possibly on an insulated balcony. Planted in open ground at the end of spring.

Reproduction by layering gives excellent results. In spring, the side shoots are tilted and a small groove is laid. Sprinkle with fertile substrate, leaving the apical part above the ground. Keep the soil moderately moist until the next season.

In the spring, a young plant that shows signs of growth is separated and replanted.

Application in garden design

The ground cover species is planted in places that require strengthening the soil, as a dense carpet helps protect the soil from washing out.

Wintergreen will be an excellent addition to rock gardens and alpine slides. Looks beautiful in composition with any representatives of conifers, ferns, rhododendron, Fortune's variegated euonymus, boxwood or Thunberg barberry.

Ideal for potted gardening on terraces and balconies. In winter, twigs with berries are used as Christmas and New Year decorations. To create bright autumn compositions, low bushes of chrysanthemums, heather or Erica are planted next to wintergreen.

Latin name: Gaultheria

Growing in open ground

Wintergreen recumbent has acclimatized well to Russian conditions and easily tolerates the frosts of central Russia. It does not die even after harsh winters, when the temperature drops below -35 degrees. However, it may suffer from spring frosts.

For propagation and planting in open ground, wintergreen can be purchased in an online store, flower shop, or nursery. It can be grown from seeds at home, starting in the fall, so that in the spring it can be transplanted into open ground.

Wintergreen loves rich soil fertilized with humus and peat with an acidic or slightly acidic reaction and a pH of 5.0-6.0. Does not tolerate limestone. It is better to plant it in partial shade, but it will not disappear even in dense shade.

The best place to plant wintergreen will be an area with partial shade, under deciduous or coniferous trees and shrubs.

Wintergreen recumbent in open ground

Wintergreen grows slowly, growing from 1 to 3 centimeters per year, and gets along well next to other plants. In Russia it blooms from mid-June to early July, then after the heat subsides it blooms a second time - from late August to early September. The berries ripen in October-November and remain on the bushes until next year, unless birds peck them.

Wintergreen loves abundant watering, does not tolerate prolonged drought, its root system extends to a depth of 2-3 cm, and the top layer of soil dries out very quickly. Therefore, you need to water the plant often. To protect the roots from overheating in hot weather and prevent moisture evaporation, the soil around the plant is mulched with peat or sawdust.

You need to weed the weeds with your hands so as not to damage the roots; you need to loosen the soil very carefully.

Wintergreen is propagated by seeds or cuttings. Adult plants can be propagated by root suckers, as well as layering.

The seeds are collected as they ripen from the berries. The soil should consist of turf soil and compost; it is poured into a container, moistened and seeds are scattered over its surface without embedding into the soil.

After sowing, the container is placed in a cold place with a temperature of +5 degrees for 8-10 weeks for stratification, after which it is transferred to heat and germinated at a temperature of +20 degrees.

Seeds take a long time to germinate, 30-60 days, all this time the soil is moistened, ventilated, and the containers are kept in a bright place.

To avoid the development of fungal diseases, once a week the soil is watered with a weak solution of manganese, as well as solutions of Alirin, Fitosporin, Gamaira.

When the seedlings grow to 2-3 centimeters, they are planted in cups and placed in a greenhouse - for up to 2-3 years it is better to keep them under film; in open ground they will grow poorly and may die. They are planted in a permanent place in the garden in the spring.

Semi-lignified branches cut after flowering are suitable for propagation by cuttings. The cuttings should be 4-6 centimeters long.

The cuttings are treated with root formation stimulants and placed in a substrate of peat and sand. Keep the container with cuttings in a warm place.

By dividing the bush, wintergreen is propagated in adulthood, when its roots have grown well and become stronger. Part of the rhizome with growth buds is separated in early spring and planted in the right place.

Reproduction by layering is one of the fastest methods. A long, strong shoot is pressed to the ground, dug in and watered. It is separated from the base the next year.

Description and general information

In the forests of North America, wintergreen is a creeping, ground cover plant growing in mixed forests, among shrubs and trees.

This is a low, evergreen shrub, only 10-15 centimeters high. The leaves are oval, dense, shiny. They look similar to lingonberry leaves, but have a peculiar smell; the flowers also have an aroma. The length of the leaves is from 2 to 5 cm, the width is from 1 to 2 centimeters. The flowers are white and pink, in the shape of small oblong bells, half a centimeter long.

Flowering lasts from July to September; bright red berries with a diameter of 6-9 mm ripen in place of the flowers. If they are not picked, they can stay on the branches all winter, but in the wild, birds and forest animals feed on them in winter.

Fruit.

The berries contain an essential oil consisting almost entirely of methyl salicylate. Ointments are prepared from the essential oil to treat joints with rheumatism. In addition, it has the ability to reduce spontaneous tumors. The leaves contain tannins and arbutin. Therefore, wintergreen is grown not only as an ornamental plant. The berries also grow on indoor flowers, and the tips of the leaves also turn red.

In North America, wintergreen has another name - oriental tea berry, because tasty, medicinal drinks are prepared from it, helping with headaches, rheumatism, and sore throats.

Types and varieties

The genus of culture has about 160 species, but only two of them are the most popular in garden design.

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is native to the forests of North America. It is a rhizomatous, creeping shrub 10-15 cm high.

Shoots rise vertically from rhizomes. As it grows, one bush forms a dense soil cover up to half a meter in diameter, thanks to creeping and long rhizomes.

Young, shiny chocolate-red leaves eventually turn dark green. In autumn, the leaves turn all shades of purple and burgundy. Waxy, white flowers bloom in June-July. Fruits of a coral color with a characteristic tart taste.

The “Very Berry” variety is characterized by abundant fruiting.

Wintergreen pernettia (Gaultheria mucronata) is native to Argentina and Chile. The most decorative form of culture. Autumn sweet and juicy berries are larger in shades of blue, purple, pink or pure white.

The plant is dioecious, so to produce fruit it is necessary to grow male and female bushes. The height of the shoots is about 80 cm. The leaves are small, pointed, and turn red-bronze in autumn. Due to the shape of its leaves, this species is often called “potted myrtle.”

In garden culture you can find several spectacular varietal forms:

"Mulberry Wine" - purple-violet fruits;

"Crimsonia" is a cup-shaped shrub with large crimson fruits;

"Rosea" - pink berries and "Royal Red" - red;

"Pearl" is a dwarf shrub up to 15 cm in height with tiny dark green leaves and relatively large, white or pink berries;

"Snow White" - large white berries with a pink spot;

The Bell's Seedling variety is self-pollinating.

Description

The plant blooms in mid-summer. The flowers are small, bell-shaped, fragrant, white or pink, and their appearance is very similar to Erica or lily of the valley flowers. In October, shiny spherical fruits ripen, which represent the main decorative value of the crop.

Bright berries abundantly decorate the bush until spring next year. The fruits are edible, but their taste is low. The leaves of the plant are small, shiny, dark green. In autumn they turn red, purple and crimson.

All parts of the plant contain essential oils that are saturated with methyl salicylate, a compound with strong analgesic, anti-inflammatory and disinfectant properties, similar to all known aspirin. Wintergreen oil with the camphor aroma is used in folk medicine, cosmetics and the food industry.

The North American Indians were well aware of the properties of the plant - they used the fruit for food, chewed the leaves and roots to strengthen the gums, and brewed medicinal and tonic tea.

Therefore, many gardeners grow wintergreen not only for its decorative appearance, but also as a powerful natural medicine with a wide range of uses.

Preparing to plant a house

Selecting a location

When choosing a place for wintergreen, you should remember about its poor tolerance to the sun and high temperatures. Therefore, southern windows are not for this graceful “winter lover”. The universal plant will be comfortable in the shade, in partial shade, and even in not very hot sun.

Soil preparation

When preparing the soil, you need to know about the preferences of this elegant flower. The roots of the plant have mycorrhiza, which does not allow the flower to grow on calcareous soils. Wintergreen needs acidic, loose soils with good drainage; the pH level should not be higher than 5. Red peat can be used as soil for the flower. If it is not there, then for the soil we stock up:

• humus;
• coniferous litter;
• coarse sand.

The finished mixture is poured with an acidic solution, for the preparation of which citric or oxalic acid is used. Mix a teaspoon of acid in three liters of water. If the acid is acetic, then you need to dilute it in 10 liters.

Photo: plantsam.com

Preparing the pot

When choosing a pot, take into account the following features of growing wintergreen:

• the plant is harmed by stagnant water, so you need enough space in the pot for good drainage;
• the flower grows slowly and does not tolerate transplantation well, so there should be free space at the top for adding fresh soil;
• the bush is often transferred to a balcony or even a garden plot, so it is better to take a container for the plant in the form of a container.

Photo: casaegiardino.it

White dogwood in landscape design

White dogwood is often used to create hedges, as it is very flexible and tolerates cutting well. Beautifully flowering and variegated forms and varieties look very attractive alone and in groups.

This plant is also often used to strengthen the banks of an artificial reservoir, since it does not suffer from stagnation of liquid in the soil, and looks good next to hostas and other coastal perennials. This shrub is also often planted in areas with multi-level complex terrain. Also, such a plant is often planted in the shade of large trees.

White derain also looks advantageous against the backdrop of evergreens, as it has spectacular foliage and stems. This crop retains its attractiveness throughout the entire growing season, which is its main advantage.