Poskonnik is a beautiful flowering plant that forms sprawling and tall thickets in the garden. It is indispensable for creating perennial flowering compositions, however, domestic gardeners are still not very familiar with the plant. Botanists call the flower "Eupatorium" (Eupatorium) by the name of one of the ancient kings - Mithridates Eupator. The plant belongs to the Astrov family and is found mainly in the bright and humid forests of Eurasia, Africa or America. Poskonnik attracts with beautiful and long flowering, which, with proper care, will delight you to frost.
Botanical Description
Sapling is a perennial shrub plant with developed rhizome. In nature, grassy annual forms are rare. The height of the shoots is from 30 cm to 2 m. On the straight, slightly branched stems are petiole leaves. They are mounted opposite or whorls. The elongated leaf plate assumes a lanceolate or ovoid shape. Each leaf has a pinnate or palmate-lobed shape. Small cloves are visible on the sides of the lobes. Most often, the foliage is painted in dark green. Sometimes there are burgundy veins or dark purple stains on it.
Flowering begins in August and lasts until late autumn. During this period, dense paniculate inflorescences consisting of many small flowers bloom at the tops of the shoots. The diameter of one “cap” can reach 25 cm. Corollas are pink, cream, white or purple. They consist of short, rounded petals and a bunch of long, filiform stamens. Flowering is accompanied by a rather intense, pleasant aroma.
After pollination, the fruits ripen - achenes with a small crest. Inside are small elongated seeds with a gray-black rough surface.
Plant species
In total, there are about 600 varieties in the family of poskonnik.
The bosom is purple. This rhizome perennial grows to a height of 1.5 m. Oval-lanceolate, pointed leaves are covered with a short pile. Leaflets are painted in bright green color. Above them, white-pink corymbose inflorescences stand out spectacularly. Flowers bloom in mid-July and last more than a month. The variety is resistant to frost. The popular Little Red variety grows to 1 m in height and forms compact, slender thickets. Dense burgundy pink inflorescences bloom upstairs.
The sap is spotted. The view is distinguished by powerful, somewhat rough features. Erect stems up to 1.8 m high are covered with whorled, short-leaved leaves. Dark green or bluish leaf plates are ovoid with a pointed edge. The tops of the stems are decorated with elongated, more loose inflorescences. Popular varieties:
- Atropurpureum - purple-pink flowers bloom on stems up to 2 m high;
- Large umbrellas - large silver-pink inflorescences on burgundy shoots 1.6-1.8 m high;
- Gateway - a slender shoot about 1.5 m high is crowned with lilac-pink domed inflorescences;
- Riesenschirm - almost black stems 1.5-1.8 m high end with huge purple inflorescences.
Hemp hemp. A compact plant up to 50 cm tall has an upright, branched stem from the base. Around the thickened root are thin, cord-shaped processes. Three- or five-fingered leaves are attached to short petioles. The lobes are bright green and have serrated edges. Inflorescences in the form of dense baskets are located on the tops of the shoots. Silver-pink flowers bloom from mid-summer. Varieties:
- Flora Peno - larger, double flowers bloom on shoots up to 1.6 m high;
- Variegata - on stems 75 cm high there are bright pink flowers and leaves with a white border;
- Album - the bush is covered with white inflorescences.
Wrinkled brow. A shrub with a height of 75-150 cm along the entire length is covered with oval or ovoid dark green leaves. Leaflets with serrated edges are mounted opposite. Shoots and young foliage are painted in brown shades. On the tops, corymbose inflorescences with white buds bloom. Flowering continues from August to October. Varieties:
- Braunlaub - buds, shoots and young leaves are painted brown-burgundy;
- Chocolate is a frost-resistant variety with a purple hue of foliage and snow-white inflorescences.
Breeding
For propagation of the window sill, seed and vegetative methods are used. Seeds are pre-sown on seedlings. To improve germination, it is recommended to carry out cold stratification for a month. In early March, the soil is prepared in a greenhouse or in pots on the windowsill. Seeds are kept in a potassium permanganate solution during the day, and then distributed in the soil to a depth of about 5 mm. Crops are covered with a film, but daily aired and sprayed. Shoots appear after 15-20 days, they are released from shelter. When 4-5 true leaves are formed on the seedlings, a pick is carried out. In open ground seedlings are planted in the second half of May. Flowering seedlings are expected in the third year of life.
Bushes from the age of five can be divided into several parts. The procedure is carried out in early spring or late autumn. The bushes are dug up and cut into a rhizome into several parts so that at least 3 buds remain in each dividend. Plants must be immediately planted in the ground and watered abundantly.
Rooting cuttings carried out in June. Use young shoots without flowers with 3 leaves. Rooting is carried out in moist sandy peat soil under a hood. In August, cuttings are planted in the garden. In the first winter, seedlings need additional shelter.
Garden cultivation and care
An unpretentious window sill does not require much effort from a gardener. However, in order to achieve abundant flowering, a number of rules should be followed.
Lighting. The plant prefers sunny, open areas. It can adapt to the shade, but then the flowering will not be so long and magnificent.
Landing. You need to plant and transplant the bushes in the early spring, until the plant begins to actively develop. For a large bush, dig a fairly deep hole. The distance between plants should be about 1 m. Before planting, it is recommended to add ash, humus and some bone meal into the pit. The roots are cleaned of old soil. The earth is tamped and watered abundantly.
The soil. Poskonnik prefers loose, nutritious soils with neutral acidity. Loams and loamy soils are contraindicated for him.
Watering. Poskonnik loves water. If there is a pond nearby, the plant can be planted off its shores. Watering the bushes is recommended abundantly and often. The rhizome is resistant to slight stagnation of water, so do not be afraid to pour liquid under the bushes, but the plant does not tolerate drought well. So that the soil surface does not compact, it will have to be loosened periodically. You can also mulch the earth.
Fertilizer. For more active growth and flowering, the window sill needs to be fertilized. It is convenient to use mineral complexes. For the season, diluted top dressing is applied under the root three times.
Pruning. Pruning is not necessary for pruning. It is recommended to remove wilted inflorescences to prevent self-seeding. High grades should be tied up or planted along walls and fences. Before wintering, the shoots are cut to the root.
Diseases and pests. The bog is resistant to diseases and parasite attacks. Only occasionally do insecticide-resistant miners settle on it. You can get rid of pests only by pruning damaged leaves and shoots.
Garden rafter
Poskonniki are often used in group plantings; they are excellent tapeworms. Flowering thickets in the middle of the lawn will decorate the garden and attract honey insects. With the help of high varieties, you can create a background for the lower inhabitants of the flowerbed. The window sill looks spectacular in the vicinity of the dolphinium, rudbeckia, echinacea, cereals or astilbe.
