Ledum

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Ledum (Latin Ledum) - a genus of the Heather family (Latin Ericaceae). In Western countries, species of the genus are referred to as the genus Rhododendron. In nature, wild rosemary grows in countries with a temperate climate. Currently, the genus has 10 species, of which only 4 are cultivated in Russia. According to other sources, the genus includes only 6 species. Other common names are bagun, bedbug, or forest rosemary.

Characteristics of culture

Ledum is a semi-shrub or shrub with branches that have a pungent and not entirely pleasant smell, which is explained by the presence of essential oil in the plant. Leaves are whole-edged, evergreen, alternate, leathery, sometimes with curled edges, also emit a strong odor. The flowers are white, bisexual, collected in corymbose or umbellate inflorescences that form on last year's shoots. The fruit is a five-celled capsule containing small winged seeds. When ripe, the capsule opens from the base.

Common species in Russia

* Marsh wild rosemary (lat. Ledum palustre) - represented by strongly branched evergreen shrubs up to 120 cm high with tomentose-pubescent rising shoots, lanceolate shiny leaves and white or pinkish flowers collected in umbrellas. The species is often found in nature, grows in Eastern and Western Siberia, North America, South, North and Western Europe, as well as China and Korea. The following names are popular among the people - marsh stupor, oregano, bedbug grass, wild rosemary, godmother, marsh hemlock, bugun, kanabornik, etc.

* Greenlandic ledum (Latin Ledum groenlandicum) - represented by shrubs up to 1 m high, found in peat bogs in the northern and western regions of North America. It is rarely used in culture, but it is available in botanical gardens in large cities of Russia and European countries. Decorative appearance, forms oblong leaves and white flowers in the process of growth, collected in umbellate inflorescences.

* Large-leaved wild rosemary (Latin Ledum macmphyllum) - is represented by evergreen shrubs up to 1.5 m high, growing in sphagnum bogs and in the undergrowth of coniferous forests in Japan, North Korea, the Far East and Eastern Siberia. The species is distinguished by abundant flowering and an average growth rate.

* Creeping wild rosemary (Latin Ledum decumbens) is represented by evergreen shrubs up to 30 cm high, found in sphagnum bogs, shrub tundra, rocky placers and sandy hills in the Far East, in Eastern Siberia, northern regions of North America, as well as in Greenland. The species blooms poorly for 20-30 days. Do not bear fruit annually. Slow growth, annual growth of only 1 cm.

Application

Representatives of the Ledum genus are highly decorative plants, outwardly they look graceful, therefore they will be an excellent decoration for any garden. They accept as allies a variety of crops that prefer acidic soils. It is important to remember that wild rosemary emits a strong odor, so it should not be planted near playgrounds and recreation areas. Ledum will ennoble the shaded and swampy area, and the shore of an artificial or natural reservoir. Also wild rosemary will be appropriate in medicinal plant gardens, eco-gardens and heather gardens. The essential oil obtained from wild rosemary is used in the perfumery and perfumery industry. The pungent smell of wild rosemary branches and leaves scares away insects, including moths.

Growing features

Ledum, like other members of the Heather family, are adherents of acidic soils. Some species are able to develop normally on poor and sandy substrates. Ledum are hygrophilous, they need moist soils. On dry soils, the culture will feel defective. When planting, the pits are filled with a special soil mixture composed of coniferous soil, high peat and sand, taken in a ratio of 2: 3: 1. For greenland rosemary, the amount of sand is increased. Also, good drainage is very important for plants, which can be the same sand or pebbles. The location is preferably illuminated, but protected from direct sunlight. Penumbra is also possible.

Ledum grows without any problems on poor soils, but this does not mean at all that the plants do not require feeding. The abundance of flowering and growth activity depend on them. One feeding is enough per season, it is best to carry it out in early spring. It is recommended to apply complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 50 g per 1 sq. m. Also, plants cannot do without watering, loosening, weeding and mulching. The latter procedure is not necessary, but mulch will keep the foot of the shrub wet for a longer period. Sanitary pruning is of no small importance; it is carried out in the spring. The wild rosemary are resistant to diseases and pests, they do not need processing.