Content
- 1 What is scumpia and how does it grow
- 2 The use of leather skumpia in landscape design
- 3 The healing properties of scumpia
- 4 Reproduction of a tanning skumpia
- 5 Planting and caring for a skumpia outdoors
- 6 Rules for growing scumpia
- 7 Why scumpia does not bloom: causes and possibilities for elimination
- 8 Pests and diseases
- 9 Conclusion
- 10 Testimonials
Zheltinnik, Venetian sumac, tanner, paradise-tree - under all these names there is an amazing tanning skumpia. Until recently, this unusual plant was undeservedly deprived of attention by gardeners, but with the spread of the art of landscape design, interest in it increased significantly.
What is scumpia and how does it grow
Skumpia tannery belongs to the perennial deciduous plants of the Anacardia family, or Sumach. This culture is a branchy shrub or tree, the height of which ranges from 1.5 to 5 m, depending on the variety. In the wild, scumpia is common in South Asia, Western Europe, India and China. It is also found in Russia, in particular, on the lands of the Voronezh and Rostov regions. As a garden culture, this plant gained popularity in the 17th century. and since then has been actively used in perfumery, dyestuffs and leather production.
Gardeners appreciate the tanning skumpia, first of all, for its decorative effect. All types of this plant have a compact spherical or umbrella-shaped crown, which looks very advantageous on a personal plot. The leaves of the culture, bright green or dark purple in summer, attract the eye with a rich palette of colors in autumn, acquiring red, crimson and orange hues. This property of the yellowberry, as well as its unusual flowering, make it a very popular crop in landscape design.
How scumpia blooms
Many plant lovers prefer leather skumpia because of its spectacular flowering. In late May - early June, the culture is densely covered with paniculate inflorescences 15 to 30 cm long, consisting of small flowers of burgundy, white, greenish or pale pink flowers. The airiness and delicate color of the scumpia inflorescences, such as in the photo above, give the impression that the shrub is shrouded in haze. For this reason, the plant got its English name - "smoke tree", or "smoky tree". The Russian-speaking population calls the leather skumpia a "wig tree", as a flowering shrub evokes associations with a lush wig.
How fast the scumpia grows
Skumpia tannery lives in its natural habitat for about 100 years. The impressive lifespan of this plant is combined with rapid growth. Since the yellowberry has a powerful superficial root system, it has a peculiarity in a short time to grow violently in breadth, therefore, by the 2nd - 3rd year of cultivation, you can count on getting a beautiful ornamental shrub.But scumpia begins to bloom much later, at 6 - 8 years old, when it reaches maturity. By this time, the plant slows down its growth somewhat, which makes it much easier to maintain its shape.
Winter hardiness of leather skumpia
Winter hardiness of tanning skumpia often becomes the reason why breeders refuse to cultivate this plant in their plots. The fact is that young shrubs and scumpia trees tolerate low temperatures very poorly and can die during the first stable frosts, if you do not worry about their shelter in time. This is especially true for imported seedlings. Specimens grown in the same country where the planting will subsequently be carried out are less sensitive to frost, but it is not always possible to find such in central Russia.
At the same time, seedlings 3 - 5 years old have a fairly high frost resistance and quite successfully winter in cold regions with minimal cover at temperatures down to -15 ° C. Winter-hardy varieties can boast even greater endurance and, when properly protected, thrive in colder climates. So, among connoisseurs of scumpia, there are gardeners who have experience in growing this plant in the Urals and in other areas with similar weather conditions. Such varieties of leather skumpia as Young Lady or Grace not only do not suffer from the Ural winter frosts, but also retain their aesthetic appearance in the summer.
Is the scumpia poisonous or not
Skumpia leather itself is not poisonous, however, the leaves of this culture contain large quantities of essential oils and tannins, which in large doses can be toxic. Untreated yellow leaf plates are not recommended for people to eat, as this can provoke poisoning. In addition, if possible, you should limit the access of pets to the bush, otherwise an inadvertently swallowed sheet of leather skumpia can lead to death of the pet.
Types and varieties of scumpia with a photo
The beauty of the tanning skumpia has inspired many breeders to experiment, thanks to which new varieties of this unusual plant appear with enviable frequency. Below are descriptions of the most common types of tanning skumpia and their photos.
Golden Spirit
This variety, reaching 2 m in height, owes its high decorative effect to its golden-green leaves. In clear weather, the sun's rays passing through the leaf plates give the shrub a glowing effect, which is why Golden Spirit is happy to grow even in cold regions. Despite not too high winter hardiness, the culture is quite capable of surviving the frosts of central Russia with proper shelter.
Young Lady
The Yang Lady variety is considered the least whimsical of all known varieties. In addition to its luxurious appearance and lush flowering, during which the shrub seems to drown in the dawn fog, the variety has an enviable frost resistance, which makes it possible to plant and leave the leather skumpia, including in the Urals and Siberia.
Grace
This shrub 2.5 -3 m immediately catches the eye with its dark purple foliage, which in autumn is complemented by shades of scarlet, orange and crimson. The plant blooms with airy inflorescences of burgundy color.
Velvet Cloak
No less attractive to the eye is the Velvet Cloak variety of leather skumpia, which is remembered for its relatively small size - from 1 to 1.5 m - and blue-violet, almost black leaf plates. The inflorescences of these plants are dark pink in color.
Royal Purple
The leather variety Royal Pearl, popular among connoisseurs of scumpia, dates the shrub to a height of up to 2 - 3 m and a compact silhouette with dark purple leaves and crimson sultans of inflorescences.The culture does not tolerate frost and in cold dry winters tends to freeze to the root collar.
The use of leather skumpia in landscape design
Looking at the neat silhouette of the tanning skumpia, we can say with confidence that this plant was simply created to decorate gardens, parks and green areas. Both shrubs and tree varieties of yellowberry look appropriate in gardens of different styles. Sumpies stand out very effectively in contrast with conifers and surrounded by other deciduous perennials. Often, different varieties of these plants are planted in groups against the background of mixborders: in this form, they not only do not overshadow each other, but, on the contrary, complement the composition.
Leather skumpies also look beneficial in single plantings, in particular, in zones that imitate the natural growing environment of these plants. For this reason, zheltinnik shrubs fit especially organically into the atmosphere of rocky gardens, coniferous rockeries and rock gardens.
Below are photos showing the tanning skumpia in landscape design.
The healing properties of scumpia
In addition to its decorative effect, tanning skumpia has a number of medicinal properties. Tannins in its composition, as well as flavonoids and essential oils provide the plant with the following properties:
- wound healing;
- antibacterial;
- choleretic;
- anti-inflammatory;
- expectorant.
Almost all parts of the yellowberry, including leaves, young shoots and roots, are used in folk medicine for the preparation of drugs for a wide range of diseases. According to the reviews of connoisseurs of alternative methods of treatment, lotions from the infusion of leather skumpia help with burns, bedsores and wounds, and foot baths - with increased sweating. Inside, the infusion is taken for food poisoning, disorders of the intestinal microflora and intoxication with salts of heavy metals.
Reproduction of a tanning skumpia
Reproduction of tanning skumpia is carried out using seeds or vegetative methods, which include:
- cuttings;
- reproduction by layering;
- division of the bush.
The choice of the optimal breeding method for tanning skumpia depends on weather conditions, soil quality and other environmental factors. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, which should be considered before carrying out the procedure.
How to propagate scumpia by cuttings
Reproduction of leather skumpia by cuttings gives good results if you know the nuances of this cultivation method:
- Planting material is prepared at the end of June - early July.
- Before planting, the cuttings are soaked in a solution of heteroauxin for 12 hours. The solution is prepared at the rate of 20 mg of the product per 1 liter of water.
- After that, the cuttings are planted in a summer greenhouse or cuttings in prepared soil of peat, turf and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1.
- To increase the chances of rooting, the soil under the seedlings must be kept moist. The ideal watering interval is 20 minutes.
Under such conditions, the first roots of the tanning skumpia will appear after 3 - 4 weeks. After that, you can think about transplanting the plant into open ground.
Layers
A higher percentage of rooting is found in scumpies obtained with the help of cuttings. This breeding method is also considered the least labor intensive.To implement it, they are guided by the following actions:
- On a tanning skumpia bush, a healthy lower branch is selected and the bark is incised on its outer side.
- The branch is tilted to the ground so that the incision in the bark touches the soil, fix it at this level and sprinkle it with soil.
- The place of attachment is regularly watered until young shoots and roots appear on the branches.
- As soon as rooting occurs, the branch is cut from the mother plant and planted in open ground.
Seeds
Reproduction of tanning skumpia using seeds requires a certain amount of experience and skill. The seeds of the plant have a very dense shell and germinate with great difficulty without certain manipulations. So, before planting in spring, they need to be stratified for 5 - 6 months at a temperature of 3 - 5 ° C. If planting is carried out in the fall, it is not necessary to additionally withstand the seeds, since wintering in the ground will successfully replace this procedure.
Seeds are sown at a depth of 2 cm, while the autumn seedlings are not covered for the winter. The first shoots will appear a year after planting, moreover, the germination rate of seeds planted directly into the ground is several times higher than that of those that germinated at home
Planting and caring for a skumpia outdoors
Skumpia is not a very pretentious shrub that will feel good enough in almost any climate and on any soil, if you follow certain requirements for planting and caring for it.
Timing
Spring is considered the optimal time for planting tanning skumpia, however, if the seedling has a closed root system, then it is placed in the ground at any time of the year, except for winter. The only condition that should be remembered when planning a planting: the plant needs 2 - 3 weeks for rooting before the cold weather comes. Otherwise, the roots of the yellowberry will freeze and it will die.
Leather skumpia seeds are often sown in early spring, but early autumn is also suitable for this. In this case, after the procedure, seedlings germinate only the next year, regardless of when the plant was planted.
Site selection and soil preparation
As a thermophilic crop, the tanning skumpia prefers well-lit areas, so it is worth choosing a place for it with a lot of sun. The shrub growing area should be protected from drafts and away from tall trees that provide abundant shade.
As for the soil, the tanning skumpia is rather unassuming to its composition, but acidic soils are not the best choice for this plant. Healthy growth and lush flowering shrubs will provide slightly alkaline light soils with moderate moisture. If the planting site is in a lowland or groundwater lies in the immediate vicinity of it, you should consider moving the plant to a more favorable area.
How to plant a skumpia
The procedure for planting leather skumpia differs little from region to region and is carried out according to the following scheme:
- The recess for planting must be larger than the earthen coma of the plant.
- Before planting a seedling in open ground, soak it in water or Kornevin's solution.
- The planting hole should be watered generously using 2 buckets of water per hole.
- At the bottom of the recess, it is necessary to place a drainage layer with a height of 20 - 30 cm
- A small elevation should be poured over the drainage and a plant should be placed on it.
- After that, the planting hole must be covered with earth and carefully tamped
Rules for growing scumpia
After planting, the tanning skumpia does not bother gardeners with too burdensome care and can delight with abundant, as in the photo, flowering with minimal watering, periodic pruning and feeding.
Watering
Skumpia tannery is a fairly drought-resistant plant, however, a prolonged lack of moisture negatively affects the growth and flowering of the shrub, so you should not ignore its timely watering. As a rule, the yellowberry is watered as needed, when the soil around the trunk circle dries out. In this case, water is poured as close as possible to the base of the plant so that moisture does not get on the leaves. You can reduce the frequency of watering by mulching the trunk circle, which is carried out in early spring. Mulch will help distribute water evenly and prevent roots from drying out during dry season.
Top dressing
Although skumpia leather is quite capable of growing without any additional fertilizers, it responds well to feeding and actively uses the introduced nutrients to enhance flowering. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to apply complex mineral fertilizers to the plant in early spring, before the leaves appear: this way the shrub will recover faster after winter. In June, before flowering, the yellowberry can be fertilized again, this time replacing the phosphorus-potassium fertilizing with organic, for example, a solution of mullein or bird droppings. The plant does not need more frequent feedings.
How to prune a skumpia
Growing and caring for tanning skumpia involves periodical pruning of the plant, which is carried out every 2 to 3 years. As a rule, this is done in the spring, before leaves appear on the bush. In this case, a hygienic procedure aimed at removing frozen or old branches is combined with formative pruning. Annual shoots of a young yellowberry are cut to 2/3 of the length - so the bush will become more luxuriant and form more branches. On older plants, branches can be safely cut to fit a stump. Scumpia will quickly recover from such pruning and form a more compact spherical crown, and the leaves on it will be larger.
How to cover a leather skumpy for the winter
Although there are frost-resistant varieties among the varieties of tanning skumpia, the first few winters young plants need protective shelters. So, lutrasil or other non-woven material is suitable for warming the zheltinnik, which is wrapped with cling film for reliability. So that in the winter months the root system of the plant is not damaged by frost, it is worth mulching the shrub with peat or humus.
Why scumpia does not bloom: causes and possibilities for elimination
It so happens that when cultivating skumpia tanneries, gardeners are faced with a situation where the shrub refuses to bloom. The flowers either do not appear at all, or after a short time they crumble, not having time to form beautiful paniculate inflorescences. Most often, the reason for this lies in insufficient care. So, flowering may be absent:
- due to an unsuitable planting site (the shrub grows in the lowlands or is too shaded);
- acidic heavy soils in the place of cultivation;
- excessive moisture due to the influence of groundwater or watering more often than 1 time in 2 to 3 weeks;
- fertilizer overdose (scumpia grows better in soil with natural nutrient levels).
In these cases, the situation will be corrected by correcting the conditions in which the plant grows.
If the flowers of the tanning skumpia quickly fall off after the appearance, without having time to please the colorful clouds of inflorescences, you should pay attention to their structure. There are two types of scumpia flowers:
- monoecious;
- dioecious.
The first variety is more common and implies that the flowers of the plant have both pistils and stamens. Such scumpies are self-sufficient, since pollination occurs within one bush.
Dioecious crops are divided into male plants, whose flowers have only stamens, and female plants, which have only pistils. For pollination of such skumpies, both specimens must be present. At the same time, shrubs with male-type flowers cannot boast of lush flowering and look quite modest.
Pests and diseases
Skumpia leather is quite disease-resistant and easily resists the most common diseases. However, some insects can still be dangerous to the plant. Such pests include the skumpia leaf beetle and fawn leaf beetle.
By eating the leaves of the plant, they weaken the scumpia and spoil its aesthetic appearance. Treatment with various insecticides, for example, Decis or Karbofos, will help against these insects.
Conclusion
Skumpia tannery is a wonderful plant that is worth spending a little effort on caring for it. With proper cultivation, it will become a real decoration of the site and will serve as an exquisite decorative element for creating unique landscape compositions.
