Content
Willow pear (lat.Pyrussalicifolia) belongs to plants of the genus Pear, of the Pink family. It was first described in 1776 by the German naturalist Peter Semyon Pallas. The tree gives an average growth of up to 20 cm per year. It is used in furniture production, to decorate garden and park areas, and also as a rootstock for cultivated pear varieties.
Description
Willow pear is a deciduous, light-loving tree. The crown is spread out, spreading, broadly ovate. It reaches 4 m in diameter. The branches tend downward and the sides are prickly. New shoots of white-tomentose drooping. The trunk is usually somewhat curved. The height of the tree is 10-12 m. The bark of young plants has a reddish tint, but over time it darkens and cracks appear on it. The root system is deep. Usually gives lateral growth.
The leaf plate is dark green, underneath is a light gray color and slight omission. Leaf length 6-8 cm, width 1 cm, narrow lanceolate shape. The petiole is short. The foliage is collected in bunches at the edges of the shoots.
The flowers are small in size, 2-3 cm in diameter. Each has 5 white petals measuring 1x0.5 cm. Thyroid umbellate inflorescences consist of 7-8 flowers. The period of abundant flowering occurs in April-May.
Fruits are small, 2-3cm in size. The shape is round and pear-shaped; in the period of technical maturity, they are distinguished by a yellow-brown tint. Fruits ripen in September. The fruits of the willow pear are inedible.
The willow pear has a weeping shape called Pendula. The branches of this variety are thin, drooping. The tree attracts with openwork foliage and early mass flowering. With the onset of autumn and before the first frosts, it is strewn with small fruits. It looks unusual: pears grow on the willow. The plant retains its decorative properties for 35-40 years.
Spread
In the wild, the tree grows in eastern Transcaucasia, the Caucasus, and Western Asia. Willow pear is also grown in Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Armenia. This variety prefers rocky plains, slopes of mountains and hills. Quite often willow pear can be found in arid woodlands, juniper forests and shiblyaks. Protected in protected areas. Grows calmly in salty, dense, waterlogged soils. The only requirements of the tree are abundant lighting and the absence of cold gusts of wind.
Use in landscape design
Willow pear is used for ennobling urban areas, parks and squares. Suitable for adding decorative effect to backyard and garden plots. Looks impressive thanks to its voluminous, spherical shape. The photo above shows the white flowers of willow pear along with long leaves - an original combination. In gardening art, the tree is used as a single growing or as an element of landscape composition. Ornamental willow pear can be used for hedges or edging plantings. Looks great in tandem with conifers.
Feature of growing willow pear
Willow pear is a drought-resistant, frost-resistant tree that can grow in urban conditions. Undemanding to the landing site. However, it prefers moderately moist soils, the composition does not matter. The acidity level is neutral or alkaline.
Planting is carried out in autumn or spring. Saplings take one or two years. The deepening is performed with a size of 0.8x1 m. A fertile mixture of compost, sand and mineral fertilizers is poured onto the bottom.After the end of the procedure, the seedling is watered abundantly with water and the trunk circle is mulched.
In the future, willow pear needs regular care.
- Watering is carried out 4-5 times per season. The volume of water for an adult tree is 30-40 liters.
- The willow pear is fed once every 3 years. However, if the soil is severely depleted, then annual recharge will be required. Fertilizer rate per 1 sq. m: 20 g of superphosphate, 20 g of carbamide, 6-8 kg of compost, 25 g of potassium sulfate.
- The crown of an ornamental plant is formed naturally. Mandatory sanitary pruning is carried out in the spring and autumn. Remove dry, broken, damaged branches.
- Obtaining unusual and interesting tree shapes is achieved by the method of crown formation. This requires trellises with wooden lattices stretched in several rows. If you direct the central branches along an arcuate support, you get an arch of trees.
- Willow pear can tolerate frosts down to - 23 ° С. Belongs to the 5th climatic zone. Gardeners recommend covering trunks and skeletal branches with paper or other heat-retaining material for the winter. To protect the roots from freezing, the near-stem circle is mulched with peat or hay. A layer 15-20 cm thick is required.
- The willow pear is propagated by seeds and layering. Cuttings take root badly.
Diseases and pests
Willow pear in its advantage is a wild plant, therefore it practically does not suffer from ailments and pests. For preventive purposes, the tree is regularly treated with solutions of insecticides and fungicides. Common diseases of the decorative tree include:
- Bacterial burn. It manifests itself in the blackening of branches, flowers, fruits. The first signs can be seen in the spring when the flowers turn brown. This ailment is activated by the bacterium Erwiniaamylovora. A bacterial burn is treated with copper-containing preparations with the obligatory removal of the affected areas.
- Brown spotting. It appears as red spots on the surface of young leaves. After the lesions darken, occupying the entire leaf area. The disease is caused by the fungus Entomosporium. The disease is treatable with fungicides. Fundazol, Topaz copes well with it.
- Curly leaves occurs rarely in willow pear, but it happens. Young foliage thickens, deforms, becomes red-yellow and falls off. The fight against the disease consists in processing willow pear with copper and iron sulfate until the leaves appear.
Conclusion
Willow pear is ideal for giving a decorative look to the garden. Landscape designers use wood to create arched compositions. The plant blooms profusely and looks beautiful from spring to late autumn.
