2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Shrub leucophyllum (Latin Leucophyllum frutescens) - compact evergreen shrub of the genus Leucophyllum (Latin Leucophyllum), belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family. It is the most common species of the genus Leucophyllum, native to the arid lands of southwestern North America. The shrubs are distinguished by dense pubescence, which turns the plant into a very spectacular silvery-velvety creation of nature. All year round, single flowers with a pink or purple-purple corolla are born in the leaf axils.
What's in your name
The plant owes its generic difficult-to-pronounce name "Leucophyllum" to the French botanist Aimé Bonplan (1773-22-08 - 1858-04-05), who was conquered by the luxurious and powerful nature of the tropical regions of the New World. It seemed to him that the inexhaustible wonders of this soft, cheerful and light nature would drive him crazy with their diversity and beauty.
For five years of traveling across the American continent, Aimé Bonplan collected a herbarium of 6 thousand plants. He described more than 3, 5 thousand plants, among which were species and genera, at that time not familiar to European scientists. Therefore, we had to give them names.
Thus, the name for the picturesque plant genus "Leucophyllum" was born. In it, with the help of two Greek words meaning "white" and "leaf", the silvery-white color of the leaves of the spectacular plants was reflected.
The specific epithet “frutescens” (“shrub”) gives an idea of the external form of the aboveground part of the plant.
Description
As a rule, Leucophyllum shrub is a compact shrub with a height of 0.6 to 1.5 meters, sometimes reaching a height of 2.5 meters.
Its evergreen leaves, soft to the touch, are densely covered with silvery hairs radiating out in the form of a star. The shape of simple leaves is obovate or elliptical, with a smooth edge. The length of the leaves does not exceed 2.5 centimeters. The hairy cover of the leaves makes them silvery-gray with a greenish tint.
Shrub leucophyllum is a monoecious plant with unisexual flowers. Single flowers, appearing in the axils of the leaves, almost all 12 months of the year with small temporary interruptions, have an almost bell-shaped shape and are painted in white, pink, pink-lilac or violet-purple colors. The dimensions of the flower in length and width are equal and reach a mark of 2.5 centimeters on the ruler.
It is interesting that the new appearance of flowers in some plant varieties is associated with rains, and therefore they choose spring and autumn for their birth. This plant's reaction to rain was expressed in one of the popular names - "Texas barometer bush" ("Texas bush barometer").
The fruit is a small capsule.
Growing
Shrub leucophyllum is a drought-resistant and heat-resistant plant. The shrub also tolerates low temperatures equally well, but prolonged cold winters can lead to the loss of some of the evergreen leaves.
For Leucophyllum shrubby, a very important condition for a successful life is good soil drainage. It tolerates dry soil better than excess moisture in it. If the soil remains moist for a long time, without good drainage, then the roots of the shrub begin to rot, bringing the plant to death.
However, in the first year of life, the plant requires deep watering for the development of the root system. In the future, it does not need watering.
Provided good drainage, the shrub grows successfully on medium loam, limestone soils based on sand and even clay soils.
The place for the plant is preferably sunny, or with a light shade.
Usage
The flowers of Leucophyllum shrub are rich in nectar, and therefore attract beneficial insects.
This is a very effective compact shrub that looks great both in single planting and can serve as a natural silvery green fence. Easy to trim to form a compact bush.
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