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Virgin bird cherry is an ornamental crop recommended for growing in personal plots, it looks great both as a single plant and in a group planting. In landscape design it is used for landscaping and decoration of alleys, squares, park areas.
History of breeding
The birthplace of the virgin bird cherry is North America, Virginia, from where its name came from. In the wild, the culture grows in the forest-steppe zone along the banks of rivers on soft, fertile soils. Likes sunny, spacious places.
In Our Country, an ornamental shrub variety is popular in the southern regions and the middle lane, less common in the Far East and Siberia.
The mention of the virgin bird cherry as a culture growing in the Crimea and Central Asia has been found since 1724. It was officially recognized as an ornamental shrub in 1937, when the first garden specimens were grown from 4 seeds of wild virgin varieties in the State Botanical Garden (GBS). Already in 1950, the red-leaved variety of Schubert’s bird cherry was cultivated with a delicate pink bloom and dark, purple leaves.
In the photo you can see what the Schubert bird cherry variety looks like during the period of active flowering.
Description of the virgin bird cherry
Virgin bird cherry (red, red-leaved, lat. Prunus virginiana) is an ornamental multi-stemmed bush or tree, up to 5-7 m high with a wide, spreading crown. It is classified as a garden ornamental plant of the Plum genus.
The bark of young plants is dark brown, adults are grayish, sometimes with dark purple veins. The kidneys are cone-shaped, 3-5 mm long, from yellowish to dark brown.
The leaves are dense, glossy, serrated at the edges. The outer side is a rich green color, the inner side is a little lighter. By autumn, the foliage becomes burgundy.
Pure white flowers of 15 – 30 pieces are collected in tassels-inflorescences up to 15 cm long. The flowering period begins in May-June and lasts up to 2 weeks on average. The flowers of the virgin bird cherry are odorless.
The fruits are large, reach 1 cm in diameter, have a slightly astringent, sour taste. The color varies from dark red to burgundy black, which is why varieties of virgin bird cherry are often called red. Berries ripen at the end of summer. Ripe fruits in winter do not fall off the branches, slightly drying out, but retaining their color and shape until the next spring.
Breeders have bred several subspecies of the plant, differing in the type of crown, shade of leaves and flowers, and the presence of fruits. The most common varieties of virgin bird cherry:
- Schubert (Schubert);
- Canada rev (Canada red).
Description of the virgin bird cherry Schubert (Schubert)
The variety of virgin bird cherry Schubert (Prunus virginiana “Shubert”) is characterized by a wide crown, purple leaves and resistance to pests. Great for decorating alleys, edges, shrub groups.
The plant is unpretentious, shade-tolerant, tolerates pruning, decorative haircut, transplant.
Description of bird cherry variety Schubert:
- tree height – up to 10 m, on average 5 – 6 m;
- crown diameter – up to 5 m; shape – pyramidal;
- the bark has a dark brown color, excised with small cracks;
- young leaves are green, by the middle of summer they become red-burgundy, purple; sheet plate dense, glossy;
- flowers – pale pink, bloom in the first decade of May;
- the fruits of bird cherry variety Schubert are spherical, first red, then maroon, closer to black, shade, fleshy; ripen by the end of summer;
- the variety grows well in the shade or in diffused light, but prefers free, sunny space;
- bird cherry is unpretentious to the ground; the greatest decorative effect is achieved when planting in moist nutrient soil.
In the photo you can see the fruits of bird cherry Schubert, collected in a brush.
Bird cherry Canada red (Canada red)
Virginia bird cherry varieties Canada red (Canada red) is one of the most sought-after and popular ornamental multi-stemmed shrubs. Its height does not exceed 5 m, which allows landing even in small suburban areas.
The young spring crown is green, by the beginning of summer it acquires a purple hue.
The period of active flowering occurs at the end of spring. Snow-white small flowers, practically odorless, are collected in tassels. The fruits are glossy, maroon in color.
According to its characteristics, appearance, description, bird cherry Canada red is similar to the Schubert variety. Photos of trees and fruits are almost identical:
- Variety Schubert.
- Canada ed.
A feature of the variety Canada red is increased frost resistance, which allows it to be cultivated in the northern latitudes, in the Far East, and in steppe regions with low winter temperatures.
The variety can grow in shaded areas with any kind of soil, but the sun and well-drained, fertile soil is preferable.
Main characteristics
Red-leaved virgin bird cherry, regardless of variety, is a fast-growing, frost-resistant, unpretentious shrub with lush beautiful flowering and tart, fleshy berries.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Varieties of red virgin bird cherry have high rates of drought resistance and frost resistance – largely due to the fact that they are not susceptible to infections and diseases. Well preserve the integrity of the leaf and bark.
Bird cherry is most vulnerable to drought during the period of active flowering. During fruiting, the heat resistance of the variety increases.
At an air temperature reaching +30 – 35 oC, and insufficient moisture, the plant begins to gradually throw off the leaves, burns appear on them – whitish, brown or black spots.
The least favorable conditions for the variety are observed during the dry period from July to early August. During this period, gardeners are advised to pay increased attention to sufficient soil moisture.
Virgin varieties are characterized by increased frost resistance. Bird cherry safely tolerates frosts down to -35 oC.
Yield and fruiting
With proper care and favorable weather conditions, experienced gardeners can harvest up to 6-8 kg of fruit from one developed bush of virgin bird cherry. On average, the variety produces about 2 – 4 kg of berries per season.
Good fruiting rates are due to late flowering – in late spring, when the likelihood of return spring frosts is minimal. Late ripening of the berries of the variety at the end of summer provides them, in comparison with bird cherry, with a sweeter, softer taste with moderate astringency and sourness.
Virgin varieties are characterized by active growth – up to half a meter per year. Annually, a young plant begins to bear fruit in the 4th year, if it was formed from the root process. A bush formed from green cuttings brings a crop in the 3rd year. On a plant grown from seeds, berries will appear no earlier than 5 years after planting.
The fruits of the virgin bird cherry are dense, elastic, and tolerate transportation well. If the crop is not removed from the tree on time, the berries will dry out slightly, but will not crumble, and will remain on the branches until the next flowering.
Scope of fruits
Red bird cherry is rich in vitamin C, due to which it is widely used in therapeutic and preventive nutrition, as well as in cooking.
The fruits are frozen, dried, ground, canned, consumed fresh. Bird cherry is good for making fruit drinks, compotes, jelly, decoctions and tinctures, as a filling for baking.
In home medicine, berries speed up metabolism, normalize digestion, lower sugar levels, and help fight colds.
Disease and pest resistance
High resistance to diseases and pests has made virgin bird cherry varieties one of the most popular not only among amateur gardeners, but also among landscape designers. Red bird cherry is planted everywhere in urban park areas, squares, alleys.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Gardeners who planted virgin bird cherry on their plots note certain advantages and disadvantages of its cultivation.
In addition to the high rates of drought and frost resistance of the variety, other advantages can be noted:
- unpretentiousness in care;
- undemanding of soil composition;
- beautiful dense crown, lush flowering;
- ease of reproduction;
- resistance to pests;
- fast growth.
In addition, the variety easily tolerates pruning, allows you to form any kind of crown.
The variety also has disadvantages:
- due to rapid growth, the plant requires frequent pruning, uprooting of root processes;
- carrion in the spring gives lush shoots, which also requires some thinning.
There are definitely more benefits. Virgin bird cherry is an excellent choice for landscaping and ennobling the local area.
Planting and caring for virgin bird cherry
Virgin bird cherry seedlings are planted in sunny areas in spring or autumn at a distance of 5 m from each other.
Varieties are undemanding to the composition of the soil. Ideal conditions for growth are created on loamy soils with a neutral, slightly acidic or slightly alkaline environment. It is desirable that groundwater should not be deeper than 1,5 m from the surface.
Landing algorithm:
- Dig a hole 40-50 cm deep in the area chosen for planting.
- Add drainage to the bottom: a layer of sand and peat.
- Pour 300 g of superphosphate, cover with a layer of excavated soil so as not to burn the roots of the plant.
- Moisten the soil.
- Place the seedling in the hole, carefully straighten the roots.
- Sprinkle tightly with earth, moisten.
- Mulch the trunk circle. Straw or sawdust is ideal for this.
At the final stage, the top of the seedlings can be cut at a height of about 50 – 70 cm to form the skeletal frame of the future tree. But this procedure is not mandatory, it is carried out at the request of the gardener.
Aftercare
Regular care for the virgin bird cherry includes one-time watering in extreme heat, crown formation, removal of young shoots, top dressing.
An adult, strong tree does not need frequent watering. The developed root system provides uninterrupted power even in dry times. Generous soil moisture may be required when fruits ripen at high average daily temperatures and the complete absence of precipitation.
Caring for the root hole of a young bird cherry consists of regular weed removal, mulching, and loosening.
A grown tree is less demanding. The only task of the gardener is to dig up the young shoots sprouting from the roots of the mother tree or from fallen seeds.
For abundant flowering, top dressing is applied under the bird cherry: in the fall – manure or wood ash, in the spring – liquid mineral supplements.
Bird cherry virgin does not require special preparation for the winter period. The high frost resistance of the variety allows you not to cover the tree.
Pruning bird cherry
The first pruning of a seedling of virgin bird cherry is carried out immediately after planting, if the tree has reached a height of 60 – 80 cm. It is shortened to about half a meter in order to lay strong lower branches. Further pruning is carried out annually, it can be decorative (to form a crown) or sanitary.
Formative pruning is carried out in early spring once a year, before the start of sap flow. To create a decorative look, the tree trunk is shortened by 50 cm, forming skeletal branches. The shoots growing inward, as well as thickening the crown, are removed.
Sanitary pruning is carried out not only in spring, but throughout the year: damaged, rotten, pest-infested shoots are cut off, the saw cut is treated with garden pitch or ordinary whitewash.
Breeding methods for virgin bird cherry
Gardeners do not have any difficulties with the reproduction of the virgin bird cherry. A young tree can be obtained from a seed, root shoots, green cuttings.
Propagation by seeds is an inefficient method that requires a lot of time. Such a bird cherry will bloom no earlier than 5 to 7 years after planting. In addition, some varietal features of the mother tree may be lost.
A more reliable and popular method of propagation is by green cuttings. For seedlings, strong young shoots that have completed growth are cut, the leaves are removed, leaving only the top 2. After soaking the cuttings (any growth stimulant is used for this), they are transferred to nutrient soil, watered well. In autumn, the shoots are planted in a permanent place.
Good results are obtained by grafting bird cherry. The variety begins to bear fruit already in the 3rd year, retaining all species features and characteristics.
Diseases and pests
Most often, the variety is susceptible to infection by bird cherry moth, marsupial fungus, and suffers from fusarium desiccation. Less often, aphids, weevils, silkworms can colonize. Treatment of the plant with insecticides in early spring – before flowering and in early summer – after, as well as timely pruning, helps to avoid extensive damage to the bark and leaves.
Advanced cases require immediate action: damaged shoots are completely removed, the tree is treated with chemicals.
Folk methods also help to scare away insects: spraying with soapy water or tobacco infusion. But they are more related to preventive measures.
Conclusion
Virginia red bird cherry is an unpretentious plant that adorns green spaces from mid-spring to late winter. Resistance to frost, drought and pests makes the variety loved and desired in garden plots, city parks and squares.
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