Bubble - a decorative shrub with a dense crown. It belongs to the family Pink and lives in the vastness of East Asia and North America. In culture, it has been used for several centuries for decorative purposes. It serves as a decoration for parks, gardens and malls. In spring, thickets delight with fragrant dense inflorescences, and by autumn seed boxes of an unusual shape appear. Plants are unpretentious in care, lend themselves well to haircut and successfully tolerate frosty winters. They are very diverse, which allows you to choose a separate bush or create an interesting group composition.
Botanical characteristics
Bubble - a perennial deciduous plant in the form of a powerful, sprawling shrub up to 3 m high. Its shoots form a domed crown. They bend at the ends in an arc. The stems are quickly lignified and covered with a gray-brown thin bark, which eventually cracks along and peels off with plates.
Regular petiole leaves are bare or pubescent. The palm-lobed leaf plate consists of 3-5 segments with an elongated central part. The sides of the leaves are serrated. The color of the main species is dark green, but there are many varieties with light green, purple, pink and brown leaves. In autumn, the leaves of most varieties turn red, later they turn yellow, and before the fall fall they acquire a brown hue.
In May-June, dense corymbose inflorescences with a diameter of 5-7 cm appear at the ends of shoots. They consist of small white or pinkish flowers with five separate petals and a bunch of long stamens (20-40 pieces). Between the stamens, up to five fused pistils are located. Flowering lasts 3 weeks.
After pollination, the same small fruits of an unusual shape are formed. The leaflet consists of several parts and resembles a swollen, angular pillow, inside of which solid shiny seeds are hidden. The color of the fruit matches the color of the leaves. The clusters remain in a dense bunch, which adorns the bush until late autumn.
Popular types and varieties
The genus of the vesicle is not too numerous. In total, 10 species are registered in it. Of these, only 2 are used in culture. At the same time, plants abound in decorative varieties that differ in size, shape and color of the leaves.
Bubbleweed. The plant lives in forests in eastern North America. Most often, it settles on the high banks of the rivers. The crown forms an almost regular ball with a diameter of 3 m. It is very thick and impermeable. Dense leathery leaves with a lobed shape have 3-5 protrusions. Outwardly, they are very similar to the foliage of viburnum. The edges of the leaves are serrated. The reverse side is lighter, there is a rare pile on it. In June, corymbose inflorescences appear in the form of a hemisphere. They consist of pale pink or snow-white corollas with a diameter of up to 1.2 cm. Over time, they are replaced by swollen leaflets with a reddish-green surface. Varieties:
- Diablo (red vesicle). A sprawling shrub with very dark, reddish-purple leaves. With a lack of light, the foliage turns green. Coloring persists until late autumn.
- Darts Gold. A dense spreading bush up to 1.5 m in height is covered with light yellow-green foliage. It blooms with pinkish buds.
- Red Baron. A sprawling shrub up to 2 m in height is covered with narrower, bare oval-shaped leaves. They have 3-5 lobes and serrated edges. Between the leaves pink-white inflorescences bloom in the form of an umbrella up to 5 cm in diameter. Leaflets are painted red.
- Lady in ed. A compact bush up to 1.5 m in height grows bright red leaves. Gradually they become burgundy. Among the foliage lush white and pink inflorescences are visible.
- Aurea. Spreading shrubs up to 2.5 m in height before flowering blooms bright yellow leaves. Later they become light green. White flowers bloom by the end of June, and later give way to reddish leaflets.
- Shuh. A shrub up to 2 m tall grows dark red broad foliage.
- Luteus. A large dense bush with a height of up to 3.5 m and a width of up to 4 m in spring blooms orange-yellow foliage, greening in the summer.
- Andre. A wide shrub up to 2 m high is covered with purple lobed leaves with an elongated central part. It blooms with small white flowers and ties red-brown leaflets.
- Little angel. A compact bush up to 50 cm tall is suitable for growing in flowerpots. It is covered with bright purple or burgundy leaves with a wavy surface. In June, small creamy flowers appear.
Bubble Amur. This species lives in forests in the north of Korea and China. It forms a large shrub up to 3 m high. Red-brown shoots grow vertically. On them are located next petiolate leaves of a lobate form with a heart-shaped base. The length of the sheet reaches 10 cm. Its surface is painted in a dark green shade. On the back there is a silver felt pile. Flowers with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm consist of white petals and pinkish stamens. They are collected in corymbose inflorescences. Then in their place appear bloated fruits of red color.
Propagation
Bubble is well propagated by vegetative and seminal methods. However, during seed propagation, it should be remembered that the resulting plants will have classic species characteristics. Crops are produced immediately in open ground in mid-autumn or early spring. After natural stratification, shoots will appear in April-May. When the seedlings grow up, they are transplanted to a permanent place. The first years of development are quite slow.
To propagate the vesicles by cuttings, in the spring, before the appearance of flowers, young shoots are cut 10-20 cm in length with 3-4 nodes. The lower leaves are removed completely, and the upper ones are cut in half. After processing the lower cut in Kornevin, the cuttings are planted in pots with sand and peat soil or on "training beds". Cuttings are covered with jars or bags to maintain high humidity. Airing and watering is carried out several times a week until sprouts and strong roots appear. Until next spring, the seedlings are kept in a warm place.
The most popular and easiest way to propagate is rooting cuttings. It is enough to bend the lower branch to the ground, fix it with a slingshot and support the top. Watering should not only the bush itself, but also the soil near the lay. In the fall, the plant will take root and be cut off. The seedling should be more carefully protected from frost. The final transplant is planned only for next spring.
Some gardeners practice dividing the shrubbery bush, however, when working with a large plant, significant physical effort will be required. During the spring, the bush is completely dug up and cut into pieces. Each should have a root section and several shoots. Landing at a new place is carried out as quickly as possible so that the roots do not have time to dry.
Outdoor Care
It is best to plant a vesicle in an open, well-lit area. The sun is especially important for plants with red foliage. Classic varieties can grow well in partial shade. Landing work is recommended in autumn or spring. Slightly acidic or neutral soils in which there is no lime are suitable for plants. The vesicle on fertile loams develops well.
For planting, prepare a pit commensurate with the rhizome. A layer of drainage and a mixture of turf, peat and sand are poured into the bottom. The root neck is placed a few centimeters above the surface so that when planting it is level with the ground.
Bubble need regular watering. In the absence of precipitation on hot days, up to 4 buckets of water are poured under the bush twice a week. The volume of fluid can be changed so that it does not stagnate near the roots. It is undesirable to spray the bushes, especially during the flowering period. Through the drops, the sun's rays leave burns.
The earth is regularly loosened and weeds are removed. They especially bother young plants.
During the season, feeding is enough to make 2 times. In spring, the bushes are watered with a solution of mullein (500 mm), ammonium nitrate (20 g) and urea (20 g). In autumn, plants are fertilized with nitroammophos (40-60 g per bush).
To maintain the beautiful appearance of the vesicle, pruning should be done regularly. In the spring dry and broken shoots are removed. They also shape the plants. To make the bush more spreading, cut the stems at a height of 50-60 cm. This stimulates the awakening of the kidneys and young shoots will grow in cascade. In autumn, the branches are shortened by one third to prepare the plants for wintering. Old bushes rejuvenate every 5-6 years. To do this, cut the vegetation completely, leaving only small stumps.
In a temperate climate, the bladderwinter winters without shelter. Young plants and those that have suffered an autumn transplant are recommended to be protected. Their crown is pulled together with twine and wrapped with lutrasil. The basal circle is mulched with peat to a height of 8 cm, and then covered with fallen foliage and spruce branches.
Bubblebear has good immunity and is resistant to parasites. On calcareous soils and with regular flooding, leaf rot or chlorosis may develop. Correct the situation will help the correct watering and fertilizing with iron salts. A good result is shown by fungicide treatment.
Garden use
Bubble is good in single and group plantings. A large, sprawling shrub with bright leaves is defined in the center of the lawn or in the corner of the garden. It can become a background for a flower garden. With a tape planting, plants are good as hedges, for zoning the site and for designing borders.
Bubble-tree withstands gas contamination well, therefore it is suitable for large cities. Even near roads, it will grow rapidly, creating protection against dust and exhaust. Since it tolerates pruning well, they give any shape to the bushes (ball, cylinder, continuous tape). Perfectly combined with varieties of purple and yellow leaves.
