2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Arctous (lat. Arctous) - a genus of semi-shrubs or shrubs of the Heather family. Sometimes arctoids are classified as belonging to the Toloknyanka genus. Natural area - the European part of Russia, Western Siberia, the Far East, Ukraine, Central Asia, Scandinavia, North America, Greenland and the Mediterranean. Typical habitats are shrub-lichen tundra, spruce and pine forests, woodlands, stony and dry sandy slopes, rocks, sphagnum bogs.
Characteristics of culture
Arctous is a deciduous creeping dwarf shrub or undersized shrub. The leaves are finely serrated, alternate, obovate and elliptical, narrowed towards the petiole. Flowers are few, collected in short, cyst-like inflorescences. The calyx is five-petal, lagging behind. The rim is jug-shaped, tapering upward, ending with blades bent outward. The fruit is a berry-shaped drupe, contains 4-5 seeds. According to some characteristics, arctous is similar to lingonberry.
The most common representative of the genus is the alpine arctous (lat. Arctous alpina). It is presented in the form of a small deciduous creeping shrub with oval leaves, serrated along the edge. The flowers are white, collected in drooping racemose inflorescences, developing on the shoots of the last year. Unripe berries are red, mealy, later they acquire a black-purple color. Alpine arctous blooms in late June - early July, sometimes earlier. The fruits ripen in August - September.
Arctous is very decorative, especially in autumn. At the end of September, the leaves of the plant acquire a bright purple-red color, and black shiny berries look quite attractive against this background. Arctous fit perfectly into rock gardens and rockeries, as well as heather gardens, which are so popular nowadays.
The subtleties of growing
Arctous is a light-loving and capricious shrub. Needs high-quality drainage in the form of fine granite gravel or broken brick. Inclined embankments made up of fine gravel, leafy soil and peat are ideal for crops.
Arctous is propagated by seed and vegetative methods. Seeds are sown in seedling containers under a film cover or glass. The transplant of young plants propagated in this way is carried out after a year.
Plants are cut in early spring. For rooting, cuttings are planted in a substrate of sand and peat, taken in equal amounts. A greenhouse for cuttings will be the best option. Plants are transplanted into open ground next spring.
The distance between the plants should be about 25-30 cm. Before planting, peat, humus and mineral fertilizers are introduced into the soil; in combination, these substances will contribute to the acceleration of survival and further growth.
Arctotis care is not difficult at all. Fertilizers are applied once every 2-3 years. Watering is rare, only during a long absence of rain. The soil in the near-trunk zone is mulched with sand, gravel, needles or crushed bark. Weeding and loosening are required.
Application
Arctous has received wide application not only in garden design, but also in folk medicine. The leaves of the culture are considered to be a surrogate for the well-known bearberry. Leaf infusions are used in the treatment of cystitis, nephritis, urethritis, gastroenterocolitis, diarrhea.
