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Skumpia Lilla is a new variety, distinguished by its original non-standard appearance, dwarf growth, and unpretentious care. For the first time, the culture was presented by breeders in 2011 at the Dutch Plantarium exhibition, where it received a bronze medal. The decorativeness of the plant is actively used to decorate the site at any time of the year, especially since its survival rate is quite high throughout the entire central zone of Russia.
Description of Lilla's scum
Scumpia Lilla bears other names - smoky tree, yellowberry, wig bush. In natural conditions, the plant is found in southern and central Europe and is a miniature version of the Royal Purple variety. Unlike the latter, Lilla's scumpia grows more slowly, but it has much more colors and shades of leaves. In early spring, they have a rich wine color. Later, in the summer, the foliage turns purple, and in the fall - yellow, scarlet or orange.
Scumpia Lilla is compact, the bush reaches 1 m in height, 1.3 m in width. The annual growth is about 30 - 50 cm. Treelike shoots of the culture, densely covered with rounded leaves about 7 cm long, are arranged alternately.
The plant profusely gives delicate panicle-shaped inflorescences during flowering in early summer. Their length is about 30 cm. Fruits are small drupes.
Lilla's scumpia root is highly branched.
The plant belongs to winter-hardy, drought-resistant crops, capable of tolerating environmental pollution.
How the scumpia Lilla blooms
Scumpia has bisexual, staminate flowers, but more often - sterile, underdeveloped, a few shades of which vary from yellowish to greenish. Flowering begins in June and lasts two months, in the southern regions it can be multiple per season.
During this period, Lilla's scum looks very impressive. Small flowers are collected in panicle inflorescences. Most of them fade quickly, while sterile ones fall off, and a peduncle remains in their place, which, expanding, forms long pink filaments covered with hairs. They make the plant look like a cloud or a fluffy wig. At this moment, it is difficult to take your eyes off Lill's scum: she looks so decorative, light and delicate. During the flowering period, the bush has the shape of an umbrella or a ball.
Landing rules
According to the description, the skumpia tannery Lilla is a shrub that prefers lighted and sun-warmed places. It is unpretentious to the quality of the soil. It can well grow on rocky slopes, it is good to plant it in loamy or sandy loam soil. Thanks to the branched root system, the plant is used to strengthen the slopes. With an excess of moisture, it develops poorly. To remedy the situation, soil drainage will be needed. Despite the winter hardiness of the Lilla skumpia, in the first years after planting, young seedlings are sheltered for the winter. The best time to plant an ornamental shrub is spring. In this case, he will have time to prepare for winter and will be able to avoid damage.
Plant propagation is most successfully carried out by layering and root shoots.
Recommended timing
Lilla skumpia seedlings, especially if they have a closed root system, can be planted at any time of the year, except for winter.A distinctive feature of the shrub is its long growing season. For this reason, the plant may not have time to take root before frost during autumn planting. In the spring, there is a possibility of the death of the shrub, since the rooting time coincides with the peak of the summer heat.
According to reviews, Lilla leather skumpia is best planted in early spring. In this case, when choosing the right place, the engraftment will be guaranteed to be successful.
Site selection and soil preparation
Despite the fact that scumpia Lilla is an unpretentious plant, it is worth carefully choosing a planting site for it. The space should be spacious, sunny, protected from winds and drafts. Slight shading of the area is acceptable.
The shrub is undemanding to soil fertility.
Thanks to its developed root system, it is able to extract nutrients both from great depths and from the surface of the earth by widely spreading its roots along it. Light, alkaline, permeable soil is considered the ideal soil for Lilla skumpia. High moisture levels are detrimental to the plant. Places where melt or rain water stagnate are not suitable for him. In such conditions, it develops slowly, blooms poorly.
Landing algorithm
After choosing a seedling and a site for planting it, it is necessary to act according to the algorithm:
- A day before disembarkation, remove the skump from the container and place in water.
- Examine the root system, cut off damaged, dry or diseased roots.
- Treat the cuts with a fungicide and sprinkle with crushed charcoal.
- Dig a planting hole that is larger than the root system of the Lille scumpia.
- Pour 20 liters of water into the pit and wait until it is completely absorbed.
- Pour a mound of soil to the bottom.
- Place the seedling in the center, straighten its roots.
- Fill the pit with earth, compact carefully.
- The root collar should be 2 - 3 cm above the ground.
- Water the planting thoroughly.
Follow-up care
Caring for Lill's skumpia is very simple. In the first years after planting, the young plant must be protected from frost. To do this, it is recommended to mulch the root system with compost and cover the branches of the culture. Later, winter protection is not required.
The bush develops rapidly, growing in diameter and height. Sometimes the branches of the Lilla skumpia are partially frozen, therefore, with the arrival of spring, it is worthwhile to carry out sanitary pruning, which stimulates the growth of new branches, thanks to which the bush becomes even more beautiful.
If the Lilla skumpia is planted on poor soils, then top dressing should be done. Watering at first should be regular, later moistening is carried out only during a prolonged drought. The shrub is very resistant to diseases and pests, however, if protection and treatment is necessary, special methods and preparations are used.
Watering
Until the seedlings are fully rooted, watering should be regular and abundant. Mulching the soil around the shrub allows you to retain moisture longer, get rid of weeds, keep the soil loose, and increase its air permeability. Compost, grass cuttings, straw, leaves are used as mulch. After complete rooting, a year later, watering is reduced, since excess moisture is detrimental to the plant: measures are carried out only in extreme cases.
Top dressing
Skumpia Lilla does not need special fertilizing, since it successfully develops on any soils, except for swampy soils. But at the initial stage, to build up the leaf mass, it is fed with nitrogen fertilizers. For this purpose, organics are suitable. In the summer, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied under the plant. It is believed that the use of top dressing on fertile soils can lead to a lack of flowering.
How to trim
Scumpia Lilla does not require frequent pruning.It is considered optimal to carry out the procedure once every two to three years. The best time for this is May, before bud break. During this period, damaged or frozen shoots are removed and a crown is formed. In young plants, annual shoots are shortened by two-thirds, old ones can be removed entirely. With regular pruning, the bush branches well, the leaves increase in size, their color becomes brighter.
It is possible to carry out curly pruning, with the help of which the bushes are given any shape. It must be remembered that Lilla's scumpia blooms on the shoots of last year, so you should not completely remove them.
Preparing for winter
Young scumpia Lilla seedlings require special preparation for winter. First, it is necessary to mulch the trunk circle with the help of rotted compost, peat. The plant itself for the winter is tied with spruce branches or non-woven material. In adulthood, the bushes do not require protection from frost; in the middle lane, they successfully overwinter.
Pests and diseases
Skumpia leather Lilla has a low susceptibility to diseases and pests. Excess moisture can cause root rotting problems, causing them to stop functioning. In such cases, the ornamental plant loses its attractive appearance and may die.
Leaf beetle and leaf beetle infect shrubs extremely rarely. Lilla's beautiful scumpia leaves can be attacked by aphids and spider mites. Folk remedies should be used against them - spraying with a solution of soap or ammonia. Experts recommend the use of insecticides - Pure flowers, Skor, Fundazola.
In winter, the bark of Lilla's scumpia bushes can be damaged by hares or mice. To protect against animals, the bases of the bushes are tied with spruce branches.
Conclusion
Scumpia Lilla is spectacular and sophisticated. Its exotic appearance amazes gardeners who, acquiring plants and planting them on their site, are convinced of the unpretentiousness of the culture, its ability to quickly develop on any soil. The unusual appearance acquired by the Lilla scumpia in the second half of summer attracts the interest of everyone who sees it for the first time. In combination with ornamental shrubs, perennial flowers, coniferous and deciduous trees, you can create unique compositions characterized by bright contrasting combinations of foliage, needles and inflorescences.
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