2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Ailant (lat. Ailanthus) Is a genus of deciduous trees of the Simarubov family. Representatives of the genus are found in Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia and Australia.
Characteristics of culture
Ailant is a fast-growing deciduous tree with an ovoid crown and a trunk covered with gray-brown furrowed bark. Leaves are compound, pinnate, consist of 13-40 leaflets, arranged alternately. When blooming, the leaves give off a not very pleasant smell. Flowers are small, five- or six-petalled, unisexual, collected in paniculate inflorescences. Fruits are prefabricated, consist of 1-6 elongated lionfish. The seeds are located one at a time in the middle of the lionfish.
Common types
* Ailant the highest, or Chinese ash (lat. Ailanthus altissima) - the species is represented by trees, the height of which varies from 10 to 25 m. The trunk is slender, cylindrical. The crown of young trees is broad-pyramidal, of adults it is hip-shaped, spreading. Leaves are compound, palm-shaped, rather large, up to 60-70 cm long, consist of 13-25 ovate-lanceolate leaves, have an unpleasant odor. The flowers are small, bisexual and male, yellowish-green, collected in large paniculate inflorescences. Ailant the highest is distinguished by its rapid growth, in 5 years the plants reach a height of 4-6 m. The sun-loving species, unpretentious to soil conditions, can develop without problems on sandy and gravelly, stony and even saline soils. Has a more decorative appearance when grown on moist, deep, loamy soils. It is drought-resistant, but it cannot boast of frost-resistant properties, it cannot stand temperatures below -20 C. At a temperature of -25C, the shoots freeze out strongly, but with the onset of heat they quickly recover.
* Ailant ordinary (lat. Ailanthus excelsa) - the species is represented by trees up to 25 m high with a strong branched trunk covered with grayish-brown bark. The leaves are twisted, up to 30 cm long, equipped with coarse veins. Flowers are small, green, panicles are collected. Ailanthus is propagated mainly by seeds.
* Ailant three-leafed (Latin Ailanthus triphylla) - the species is represented by tall trees up to 30 m high with a slender silynym trunk. Crescent-shaped leaves, opposite, up to 12 cm long, pubescent underside. The flowers are small, greenish, as in other representatives of the genus, they are collected in paniculate inflorescences.
Reproduction
Ailanth is propagated by seeds, root suckers and grafting. Seeds remain viable for 1, 5-2 years, they are stored in paper bags or burlap in a dry, well-ventilated area. The germination rate is average, reaching 50%. Before sowing, the seeds are pretreated: they are soaked in warm water for 24-36 hours. Ailanth is sown in early spring or autumn. The embedment depth is 2-3 cm.
The seed method is quite lengthy and painstaking, it is impossible to be sure that most of the seeds will sprout. You should also not hope to get strong and healthy trees, because seedlings need careful care. Ailant shoots appear in 3-4 weeks. It is difficult to imagine, but under optimal conditions, plants can grow up to 3 m.
The soil for the culture is prepared in advance: it is carefully dug up, removing weeds, rotted manure, mineral fertilizers and wood ash are introduced. It should be remembered that Ailanthus has a negative attitude towards transplanting, it does not adapt well to new soil and completely different lighting, therefore, when planting seedlings and seedlings, this fact must be taken into account.
Care
Ailanth is watered moderately and regularly. It is recommended to use only warm water for irrigation. The use of cold water can be detrimental to the development of culture. Every six months, the near-barrel zone is dug in. Ailant has a positive attitude to feeding. The first feeding is carried out in the spring during the snow melting, using organic matter and mineral fertilizers, the second - in the summer or late autumn. Mulching the near-trunk zone for the winter is mandatory. You should also protect tree trunks from attack by rodents.
Application
Ailant is used for landscaping personal household plots, alleys and city parks. They look harmoniously both in a single copy and in groups. Aylant wood is used for the manufacture of paper and various joinery. Flowers, fruits and young shoots are used in folk medicine. The bark of some species is used to get rid of worms and some intestinal diseases.
