2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Shoots, leaves, flowers of deciduous Calicantus exude a pleasant persistent aroma. A shrub native to North America is not as common in our gardens as it deserves. It is easy to grow, not picky about the soil, withstands frosts down to minus 25 degrees
Rod Calicantus
Tall (up to 3.5 meters) root-sucking deciduous shrubs of four species represent in nature the genus Calicantus (Calycantus).
Often, under the name "Calicantus", which blooms throughout the summer, it is sold to a relative of the Calicanthus family, belonging to the genus Himonanthus. This plant is called "Early maturing Himonanthus". Originally from East Asia, Himonanthus blooms when winter reigns in our yard. By purchasing such a "calicantus-himonanthus", which is an evergreen shrub in the homeland, you will never get a fragrant flowering. Therefore, when purchasing seedlings in a horticultural center, you should clearly explain that you want to buy a summer-flowering plant, since you are not destined to enjoy the winter flowering of a plant in the open field.
Calicantus, which is sometimes called the shorter name "Calicant", or the understandable Russian name "Chashetsvetnik", is characterized by green leaves with an even edge. In fragrant large flowers of the plant, the petals and sepals are painted in the same, chestnut or reddish-chestnut color.
Varieties
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Fertile calicantus (Calycantus fertilis) or
Calicantus gray (Calycantus glaucus) is a deciduous shrub with glossy elongated oval leaves with a sharp tip. Reddish-chestnut flowers bloom throughout the summer. Variety "Purple" has a purple underside of the leaves.
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Blooming calicantus (Calycantus floridus) is a deciduous shrub with a rounded crown. The branches are covered with elliptical or oval leaves with a pointed end. The underside of the leaves is lighter due to light pubescence. A pleasant aroma emanates from the dried, crushed leaves. Reddish-chestnut single large flowers bloom from May to September.
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Calicantus western (Calycantus occidentalis) is the largest shrub among its relatives. Rough oval leaves with a pointed end are decorated with dark red large flowers all summer long, preferring to grow in groups of three.
Growing
During the first three to four years, Calicantus can be grown in pots, decorating balconies, terraces and verandas, and then planting them in open ground as ornamental shrubs.
Unpretentiousness to soils does not exclude better shrub growth on fertile, organic-rich, moist soils, equipped with good drainage. It can also grow on calcareous soils. When grown in pots, they are filled with a mixture of fertile soil and peat in a ratio (2: 1), adding a little clean river sand and complex fertilizer.
Water regularly, maintaining constant soil moisture, but avoiding the formation of stagnant water. Once a month, watering is combined with mineral fertilizing of the plant.
Calicanthuses love sunny places, sheltered from the cold wind. Withstand heat and frost up to minus 25 degrees.
Pruning is needed to give the bush the desired shape. It is carried out after flowering. With excessive density of the shrub, separate branches are removed.
Reproduction
You can propagate by sowing seeds, but then flowering can be seen in four years. It is much faster and easier to use young shoots or cuttings for reproduction.
Enemies
It is very rare to see a disease of our time on the branches of a bush - a cancer that affects not only people. Diseased plants are removed, and the remaining healthy plants are treated with preparations containing copper for prevention.
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