Misty Skumpia

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

For lovers of needlework, nature has created a shrub tree called "Skumpia". Its leaves, bark and roots have been used since ancient times to obtain dyes for silk and wool, as well as for the manufacture of leather. Having such a shrub in your garden, you can not spare the yellow and orange colors for your crafts

Rod Scumpia

The Latin name of the genus sounds like

Cotinus (Cotinus), although some botanists call it that. In different countries, deciduous shrubs or small trees are given all sorts of names that reflect the abilities of the plant (for example, “

Dyewood"), Or belonging to a territory ("

Svyatogorsk leaf"), Or external appearance ("

Smoking bush ). We have stuck with the name “

Scumpia ”, Although the exact meaning of this word is unknown.

Habit

The umbrella-shaped or spherical crown of shrubs or trees is formed from shiny, glabrous, or pubescent shoots. Short petioles connect simple, glaucous, alternate ovoid leaves with shoots.

Cone-shaped apical panicle inflorescences are collected from yellowish small flowers that are not of interest for design.

The peak of the plant's decorative effect occurs at the time of fruiting, when glossy oval poisonous drupes appear, sitting on overgrown pedicels. The pedicels, covered with greenish or reddish protruding and long hairs, create the effect of a lush cloud descending from the heavens onto the crown of the bush.

Varieties

*

Skumpia koggygria (Cotinus coggigria) or

Skumpia leather - has other names, such as “

Zheltinnik », «

Wig tree », «

Misty tree . The most common species in culture. Flowering takes place in June, and by the end of summer pubescent, smoky-gray fruits appear.

Light green oval-shaped leaves form a rounded crown, which dresses up in bright clothes by autumn. Numerous decorative forms compete with each other in the color of flowers and leaves, among which there are pink, purple, orange, violet shades.

*

American scumpia (Cotinus americanus) is a large shrub or upright small tree. In the middle of summer, pink flowers bloom on hairy pedicels, giving the tree a smoky look. To rejuvenate the plant, it is subjected to strong spring pruning, which increases the size of the leaves by autumn, but the tree will not be able to present "smoky trails" this summer.

Bluish-green ovoid leaves, forming a rounded crown with the shoots, acquire a bright color by autumn, turning the garden into a work of art.

Growing

Scumpia is photophilous, and therefore the place for it needs a sunny one. The plant is drought-resistant and relatively cold-resistant. There are examples of growing Skumpia in Abakan (southern Siberia), it also grows in St. Petersburg.

Undemanding to the soil, Skumpia still prefers well-drained fertile soils. Organic fertilizers are applied to the soil in the fall. Young plants need watering, which is combined with mineral feeding once a month.

Species with lush purple inflorescences are especially decorative, and foliage shows its beauty in autumn, dressing up in crimson-purple, pink or yellow tones.

In early spring, the plant is examined, removing frozen, dry, randomly growing or weak shoots.

Reproduction

All methods are good for breeding Skumpia.

For patient people, the method of sowing seeds with excellent germination is suitable. But the seedlings grow rather slowly at first.

A faster effect is obtained when propagated by cuttings, layering or shoots.

In horticultural centers or nurseries, you can buy ready-made seedlings, it is only important to choose healthy specimens.

Enemies

Loves to infect the leaves of Scumpia with powdery mildew, covering them with white spots.

Fungi living in the soil provoke a serious disease "Verticillary wilting", which causes the branches to dry out. The branches affected by the disease should be removed immediately.