Prince

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

Prince (lat. Atragene) - a genus of shrub vines of the Buttercup family. The genus includes eight species. Natural area - Northern Hemisphere. In Russia, there are only three species - the Siberian prince, the large-petal prince and the Okhotsk prince. Among the European species in Russia, the Alpine prince is the most common.

Characteristics of culture

Knyazhik is a woody shrub vine with double or triple pinnate leaves that cling to the support with their petioles. Flowers are solitary, axillary, broadly bell-shaped, up to 10 cm in diameter. Sepals are petal-shaped. Fruits are small, numerous, pubescent. Outwardly, the prince is similar to clematis, the differences in plants are insignificant. Many gardeners note that the princes are more elegant than clematis, but so far the first genus has not received proper distribution. In many European countries, as well as in Canada, an active selection of princes is being conducted today. For several years, many varieties have been bred, characterized by increased winter-hardy properties.

Common types

* Prince of Okhotsk (lat. Atragene ochotensis) - the species is represented by shrub vines with three-triple leaves, equipped with long petioles. The flowers are large, broadly bell-shaped, azure or violet-blue, pubescent with soft hairs, up to 8 cm in diameter. The prince of Okhotsk blooms in June, the fruits ripen in August-September. Accepts the climate of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. Plants are used not only for ornamental gardening, but also in folk medicine. It develops well in semi-shaded areas with well-moistened, fertile and loose soil.

* Alpine prince (lat. Atragene alpina) - the genus is represented by lianas up to 3 m long with trifoliate or dvazhdytrychatye leaves, the petioles of which are attached to the support and hang with beautiful dense garlands. Flowers lazarus-blue or violet-blue, broadly bell-shaped, consist of 4 large sepals and small petals. Alpine prince bloom occurs in May-June (depending on the climatic zone). The fruits ripen in late August and early September. Currently, on the counters of garden outlets, forms with flowers of white and pink color are presented. The species is thermophilic, does not tolerate cold winds. In Russia, it is grown in the southern regions and the Moscow region. Suitable for vertical gardening, grows well both in sunny and shaded areas.

* Large-petaled prince (lat. Atragene macropetala) - the species is represented by lianas up to 2.5-3 m long with flowers of a pronounced saturated color. Sepals are blue-purple or black-purple, pubescent with fine soft hairs. The leaves are purple, linear. The prince blooms in May-June, the fruits ripen in late July-mid-August. It has quite a lot of abundant flowering varieties, bred mainly in Canada. It grows well both in the southern regions of Russia and in the Urals. Plants are actively used for landscaping garden and suburban areas.

Growing conditions

The prince is photophilous, although he has a negative attitude to the action of direct sunlight. Semi-shaded areas, as well as eastern, southeastern or southwestern slopes are optimal. The culture does not put forward special requirements for soil conditions, it develops normally on almost all types of soils. Light, loose, fertile, drainage, permeable soils are welcome. Larger flowers are formed on plants growing on loamy, neutral or slightly alkaline, fertile soils.

Subtleties of reproduction

Princes are propagated by seeds and cuttings. Before sowing, seeds are mixed with fine-grained sand in a ratio of 1: 3, after which they are thoroughly moistened and placed in snow or in a refrigerator. This procedure promotes rapid germination. Sowing seeds is carried out in seedling containers filled with fertile soil mixed with sand. After sowing, the seeds are rolled up, moistened and covered with glass. Diving of seedlings is carried out in the phase of 3-4 true leaves. Young princes are planted in open ground next spring. Ridges for culture are prepared in advance: the soil is dug up, humus, sand and peat are added. After planting, the soil in the aisles is regularly loosened, freed from weeds and watered. For the winter, the plants are cut and mulched with a thick layer of fallen leaves or peat.

The most promising for the princes is the vegetative way of reproduction. The bushes are divided in early spring. Dukes aged 5-6 years dig up together with a clod of earth, divide it into parts, trying not to damage the root system. Delenki are planted in moistened wells, deepening the first shoot nodule by 7-10 cm. Often, the culture is propagated by layering. This procedure is carried out in the spring. The lower shoots of the bushes are laid in shallow trenches, covered and watered abundantly. The layers laid in the soil are systematically moistened and fed with mineral and organic fertilizers. Layers are separated from the mother plant after a year, after which they are planted in a permanent place.