Kalopanax

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

Kalopanax (lat. Kalopanax) - a genus of deciduous trees of the Aralievye family. Another name is Dimorphant. It occurs naturally on the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, China, Japan and Korea. Natural habitat - seashores, river valleys, mountain slopes and deciduous forests. Cultivated Kalopanax grow very slowly, often suffer from frost and prolonged dry periods, therefore, they are rarely found on personal backyards and in parks.

Characteristics of culture

Kalopanax is a tree up to 25 m high with a straight, slightly branched trunk. The bark of young specimens is smooth, covered with large thorns; the bark of adults is fissured, black in color. Leaves are long-petiolate, dark green, five or seven-lobed, up to 30 cm long. In autumn, the foliage turns bright yellow.

The flowers are whitish-yellow, collected in large inflorescences that form at the ends of the shoots. Kalopanax blooms in August, but not annually. Flowering depends on climatic conditions. Fruits are small, globular, inedible, rather juicy, black, contain two triangular seeds. The fruits ripen in September-October.

Reproduction

Kalapanax is propagated by seeds and cuttings. The seed method is ineffective, since the seeds have a low germination rate. As a rule, they emerge 1-2 years after sowing, and sometimes they do not emerge at all. In addition, the seeds need preliminary stratification, which lasts about three months. Before laying seeds for stratification, the seeds are treated with sulfuric acid. Cuttings are also difficult, all attempts to propagate the culture with semi-lignified cuttings were unsuccessful. In nature, Kalopanax produces self-seeding, due to this it continues to exist.

Care

Good grooming is essential. Compliance with optimal conditions has a positive effect on the growth and development of Kalopanax and its winter hardiness. During a prolonged drought, regular watering is necessary. Sprinkling is not prohibited.

It is advisable to mulch the soil in the near-trunk zone with wood chips or any other organic material. Mulching will prevent weeds and retain moisture in the soil for a longer time. The culture also needs feeding, such a measure contributes to better ripening of the shoots before the onset of stable cold weather.

Application

Kalopanax is a highly decorative plant that looks great both in single and group plantings. Excellent allies for trees can be heart-leaved hornbeam, Manchurian flax, whole-leaved fir and other ornamental shrubs and trees. Kalopanax is ideal for autogenies (autumn gardens).

The wood of plants is strong, lightweight, soft, with a beautiful golden hue and an unusual pattern, which is why it is widely used in joinery production. It is used to make parquet, hunting rifle bed and other items. Leaves, roots and bark of plants contain a large amount of biologically active substances, so these parts of plants have found their application in folk medicine.