Characteristics of the myrikaria plant, how to plant and care for it in the garden, advice on reproduction, possible problems with care, curious notes, species.
Myricaria is a plant belonging to the Tamaricaceae family, or, as it is also called, Grebenschekov, whose representatives mainly take the form of shrubs or, occasionally, semi-shrubs. The greatest distribution of these representatives of the flora falls on the Asian lands, and only one single species is found in the European territory. In the genus, scientists have 13 species. Plants prefer woodlands in mountainous areas and can form low-growing clumps with creeping outlines. They are able to "climb" to a height of 1, 9 km above sea level, growing on plateaus and elevated areas.
Despite the indicated number of species, scientists still have not come to the conclusion about the full composition of the myrikaria genus. Even the studies that have been carried out on this score have not clarified this issue.
| Family name | Tamarisk or Grebenschekov |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Vegetation form | Shrub or semi-shrub |
| Breeding method | Seed or vegetative (dividing a bush or grafting) |
| Landing period in open ground | When will return frosts take place (May-June) |
| Landing rules | Saplings are planted at a distance of 1-1, 5 m |
| Priming | Nutritious, medium or light loam with an admixture of peat |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5-7 (neutral) or 5-6 (slightly acidic) |
| Lighting degree | Brightly lit place |
| Humidity parameters | In the absence of precipitation, watering once every two weeks |
| Special care rules | Drought tolerant |
| Height values | 1-4 m |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Racemose, panicle or spike-shaped, can be terminal or lateral |
| Flower color | Purple or pink |
| Flowering period | May-August |
| Decorative period | From May to the first frost |
| Application in landscape design | Single plantings, the formation of hedges |
| USDA zone | 5–8 |
This plant bears its generic name from the simplified form of the term "myrica", which is used to refer to the representative of the flora of the same name - Miriku (or wax tree). The foliage has the same leafy plates of small sizes, resembling scales, as in tamarix or heather, so "myrica" in Latin also refers to their name. Because of the fluffy decoration that appears in the fruit, the bush is often called "fox's tail", although this nickname is true only for one species - Myricaria alopecuroides.
All types of myrikaria have a perennial form of growth (as already mentioned, shrubs or semi-shrubs). The height of branches in nature rarely exceeds four meters, but when cultivated in a temperate climate, these indicators fluctuate within 1–1.5 m. At the same time, the width of the shrub can also be 1.5 m in diameter. Shoots can grow both straight and creep along the surface of the soil. Usually in a bush, their number varies within 10–20 units. The branches of plants are characterized by a reddish or yellowish-brown bark. The foliage of the plant is quite peculiar, it resembles scales, under which the branches are almost completely hidden. The leaf plates are arranged in the next order, they can grow sedentary. The outlines of the leaves are simple, they are devoid of stipules, their color is grayish or bluish-green.
In the process of flowering, buds with elongated bracts are formed. Small flowers are bisexual, from which inflorescences are formed, crowning the tops of the branches or their lateral ramifications. The shape of the inflorescences is racemose, paniculate, or in the form of a spikelet. Inflorescences are attached to elongated flowering stems, which reach 40 cm in length. The life of each flower is only 3-5 days. Flower petals can be painted in purple or pinkish hue. This shrub begins to bloom in mid-May and can last up to two months. This process lasts so long, because the buds tend to open gradually, and not all at once. At first, flowers formed on the lower branches of the shrub bloom, and by the end of the summer season, the upper shoots begin to decorate the inflorescences.
The fruit of myrikaria is a pyramidal box filled with a large number of seeds. Each seed has a whitish-hairy awn at the top, the surface also has white villi that completely or half cover it, which is why the entire bush becomes fluffy during the fruiting period. The tissue that is usually present in the seeds of many flowering and gymnosperms of the flora (endosperm) is absent here.
The plant does not require too much effort to grow and can become a real decoration of the garden plot.
Rules for planting and caring for myrikari in the garden, application in landscape design
- Choosing a landing site. The plant will be grateful for choosing an open and brightly lit location. And although in partial shade myrikaria can also grow, but this will negatively affect its flowering and the duration of this process. It is desirable that the place be protected from cold gusts of wind and drafts. However, it has been noticed that young plants can burn under the scorching midday rays of the sun. The plant is quite hardy; in adulthood, it will be able to endure both frosts at -40 degrees and intense heat, when the thermometer is approaching 40 units.
- Myricaria soil should be selected fertile and loose. Garden and loamy soil (light or medium), saturated with peat chips, is suitable. Soil acidity indicators should be neutral (pH 6, 5-7) or slightly acidic (below pH 5-6). To improve the composition of the substrate, organic fertilizers are mixed into it, such as wood ash or nitroammophos.
- Planting myrikaria. Bushes can be planted as in spring, when the growing season is just beginning, or when it comes to an end (in autumn), when the leaves on the branches have not yet unfolded. A hole for planting is dug in length, width and depth of about 50 cm. A layer of drainage material (expanded clay, broken brick or crushed stone) of about 20 cm is laid on its bottom, which is sprinkled on top with a prepared substrate. A myrikaria seedling is placed in a hole in such a way that its root collar is flush with the soil on the site. After that, the hole is filled up to the top with a substrate, which is slightly compacted and watering is carried out. It is recommended to immediately mulch the trunk circle with humus, tree bark or peat, which will retain moisture and prevent weed growth. The thickness of the mulching layer should be at least 10 cm. For planting, it is better to use seedlings up to two years of age, while the transshipment method is used when the earthen lump is not destroyed. The distance between the seedlings of myrikaria is maintained at about 1–1, 5 m, since the bushes tend to grow.
- Watering carried out in the absence of precipitation every 14 days. A bucket of water is used for each bush. If the precipitation is normal, then the soil is moistened once a week. This is because the fox tail plant can cope well with drought. But too waterlogged soil for a short time will not be a problem for the root system.
- Fertilizers for myrikaria it is recommended to apply 1-2 times per season, using preparations for heather flora representatives, for example, Vila Yara. You can pour organic matter under the bushes every year (for example, peat or humus), which will stimulate the growth and color of the foliage. Her color scheme will become more saturated and green. Gardeners use a mullein-based solution, to which the plant will respond with a lush deciduous mass. The solution is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 to avoid scalding. At the beginning of spring, you can feed with a full mineral complex, like Kemira-Universal or Feritki.
- Pruning. Since over time the shoots of the "fox's tail" bushes begin to lignify, their attractiveness is greatly reduced, especially when the plants reach 7–8 years of age. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended that you perform regular pruning of the branches. It is performed in two steps: in the autumn (to give a decorative look) and in the spring (to remove all dried and damaged shoots during the winter). Pruning can be carried out throughout the growing season, but until early fall. The plant perfectly tolerates a haircut from a very young age, while giving the bush a spherical shape will be the best molding.
- General advice on care. Since myrikaria has spreading branches that can suffer from strong gusts of wind, it is necessary for the rhinestone to provide the right place for planting or organize a shelter. It is recommended to tie up the bushes before winter so that the branches are not broken by a snow cap or stronger gusts of wind. If the shoots are still young and their shoots are not lignified, then they can be bent to the soil surface and covered with spruce branches or non-woven material (for example, spunbond). After each watering or rain, it is recommended to loosen the soil in the near-trunk zone, and engage in weeding from weeds.
- The use of myrikaria in landscape design. Since even without inflorescences, the branches of "fox tails" look attractive, they will look spectacular, both in single plantings and in group plantings. Tall shoots will serve to form hedges with their help. Because of nature's love for coastal zones, myrikaria can be planted next to water bodies, both natural and artificial. These bushes will look beautiful next to roses or conifers. Stonecrops and tenacious plants, as well as periwinkles and euonymus, will be good neighbors.
Read more about the conditions for growing allamanda at home.
Myricaria breeding tips
To obtain such an unusual ornamental plant, it is recommended to use both seed and vegetative propagation methods. At the same time, the latter in itself includes the separation of an overgrown bush, the jigging of root shoots or the rooting of cuttings.
Propagation of myrikaria by seeds
When growing new bushes of "fox tails", the seedling method should be used. Since the collected seed material very quickly loses its germination properties, it is necessary to carefully follow the rules for its storage. After harvesting, the seeds are placed in an airtight package (for example, a plastic bag or plastic container) and stored at moderate temperatures - 18–20 degrees.
Sowing of seeds is carried out with the arrival of the next spring, but stratification must be performed before sowing. So for seven days it is recommended to keep the seeds on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature is within 3-5 degrees. This is done in order to increase the germination of the seed, after stratification, its rate reaches 95%. If stratification is not carried out, then only 1/3 of the seedlings will be able to germinate.
For sowing, seedling boxes are used, which are filled with nutritious and loose soil. You can take a special, intended substrate for seedlings or mix it yourself from peat and river sand, the proportions of which should be equal. The seeds are distributed on the surface of the soil, while due to their small size, it is not recommended to sprinkle them with earth or deepen them. It is preferable to water the soil from the bottom, so that the moisture rises or drips. Otherwise, the seeds may be washed out of the soil mixture. In less than 2-3 days, you can see the first shoots of myrikaria. In this case, a small root process is formed, but it will take almost a week to form a shoot above the soil surface.
Seedling care should consist of timely soil moisture and maintaining moderate temperature conditions. When the seedlings are strong enough, they can be transplanted, but not earlier than stable warm weather is established (average temperature 10-15 degrees). All due to the fact that even short-term slight frosts will immediately destroy the seedlings of the "fox's tail".
Propagation of myrikaria by dividing the bush
When the bush grows very much, then it can be dug out of the soil at the end of spring and carefully divided into parts. Only the division should be carried out in such a way that each division has a sufficient number of shoots and roots. After dividing, it is necessary to immediately plant the divisions in a prepared place in the garden, preventing the roots from drying out. Before planting, it is recommended to sprinkle all sections with crushed charcoal.
Propagation of myricaria by root shoots
Since a large amount of root growth is formed from the stump of the fox tail plant, with the arrival of spring you can excavate such seedlings and, following the rules for planting delenok, move them to a new place in the garden.
Propagation of myrikaria by cuttings
For harvesting, it is recommended to take both lignified (last year and old) and green (annual) branches. Cutting blanks for grafting can be done throughout the growing season. The length of the cutting should be at least 25 cm, with the thickness of the lignified shoots about 1 cm. After the cuttings are cut, they are placed in a growth stimulator for several hours, which can be, for example, Kornevin, Epin or heteroauxinic acid. After that, planting is immediately carried out in previously prepared containers with peat-sandy soil. A plastic bottle should be placed on top, the bottom of which is cut off or a glass jar.
Important
Despite the fact that the roots of the cuttings appear quite quickly, the seedlings will be ready for planting only next year, since they will not be able to survive the winter period.
When the soil warms up enough in the spring months, you can safely move the seedlings of "fox tails" into the open ground.
Potential problems with caring for myricaria
You can please gardeners with the fact that this plant, due to its toxic properties, is practically not susceptible to damage by harmful insects, but diseases when growing this shrub are very rare.
The only thing that should not be carried away by abundant watering of the soil, since waterlogged soil can ruin the root system.
Curious notes about myrikaria
It is interesting that, despite the many studies carried out, the chemical composition of Myricaria is not fully understood today. But it became known that the plant contains not only tannins and flavonoids, but also vitamin C. Therefore, folk medicine men have known for a long time about the medicinal properties of this representative of the flora.
If you prepare a decoction based on the foliage of myrikaria, then it was prescribed to patients suffering from edema and polyarthritis, this remedy helped with epilepsy and intoxication of the body, acting as an antidote. The same remedy has the ability to relieve inflammation and can be used as an antihelminthic drug. If such a decoction is added to the bathroom, then you can cure a cold and remove the manifestations of rheumatism.
Important
Mirikaria is a poisonous plant, which must be taken into account when taking medications based on it, as well as when working with it in the garden.
Since the bark, which has a yellowish-brown color, is filled with tannins, the volume of which reaches 15%, this material is used for tanning in tanning or black dye is made with it.
It happens that inexperienced gardeners confuse myrikaria with such a representative of the flora as tamarix, since they belong to the same family. However, the latter cannot cope with the cold and caring for it is a rather laborious process.
Description of myrikaria species
Of all the species of this genus, only a few are used in ornamental gardening.
Mirikaria daurskaya (Myricaria longifolia)
also called Myrikaria longifolia or Tamarix dahurica … The plant is found on the lands of Altai and in the southern regions of Eastern Siberia, it is also not uncommon in Mongolia. It prefers to grow both singly and to form groups on the coastal zones of waterways (rivers or streams) along pebbles. In height, such shrubs do not exceed 2 m. The crown of the shrub has an openwork appearance. On old branches, the bark has a grayish-brown color, and young annuals are covered with greenish-yellow bark. The color of the foliage is greenish-gray or pale greenish. At the same time, on the primary shoots, the leaves have an elongated ovoid shape, sessile, on the secondary ones, the foliage is linear-lanceolate. The length of the leaf plate is 0.5–1 cm with a width of approximately 1–3 mm. Their surface is dotted with glands in the form of dots.
The flowering process takes place from May to August. At the tops of the branches of the last and the current year, as well as on the lateral (last year), inflorescences are formed in the form of brushes, which have simple or complex outlines. The shape of the inflorescences can be paniculate or spike-like. The length of the inflorescences is 10 cm, while this indicator increases during the flowering period. Bracts reach 5–8 mm in length. They have a broad-ovoid shape, whole-edged with a slight sharpening at the apex, broadly filmy. The flower calyx is 3-4 mm, its size is smaller than the petals. The lobes of the calyx are lanceolate, widening to the base, and there is a sharpness at the apex. Filthiness goes along the edge. The petals are pink, elongated-oval, 5–6 mm long and about 2–2.5 mm wide. The ovaries have an elongated ovoid outline, while the stigma is capitate. The stamens have splicing for two-thirds of their length.
After pollination of flowers, fruits ripen, which look like narrow bolls. When they are fully ripe, they open with three doors. The size of multiple seeds filling it is not more than 1, 2 mm. Moreover, each seed has an awn, which is covered by long whitish hairs until the middle. Since the flowers open in waves, the ripening period of the fruits coincides with flowering - May-August.
The plant has been cultivated as an ornamental plant in European territory since the 19th century.
Myricaria foxtail (Myricaria alopecuroides)
or Foxtail Miriucaria the most common species among gardeners. In nature, the growing area covers the territory of the European part of Russia, it is also found in Western European regions and in the southern Siberian regions. It can grow in Central and Central Asia, not uncommon in the Middle East. It has a shrubby form of growth, the shoots are wide and graceful in shape. The height of the plant is no more than two meters. All branches are covered with leaf plates arranged in the next order. The surface of the leaves is fleshy, the color is bluish-green.
Flowering takes place in the last month of spring and lasts until the end of summer days. A large number of small flowers bloom, they form inflorescences, concentrated on the tops of the branches. Inflorescences have spike-like outlines, rather dense and slightly drooping. The color of the flowers in them is pale pink. The buds begin to bloom in the inflorescences from the bottom, gradually moving towards the top. The length of the inflorescences over the entire period can exceed their initial parameters (about 10 cm) by 3-5 times. The final length of the inflorescences varies in the range of 30-40 cm.
This flowering process explains the non-simultaneous formation of fruits. In the middle of autumn, when the seed pods reach the climax of ripening, they will open. Due to the fact that the seeds are characterized by the presence of awns covered with hairy pubescence, the branches begin to resemble fox tails, which gave the plant its specific name.
Myricaria elegans
is a rather rare species in our gardens. It has the outline of a shrub or a low tree, the height of which is no more than five meters. Older branches have a reddish brown or dark purple tint, current shoots are green or reddish brown. The leaf plates on the twigs of this year grow sessile, characterized by narrow elliptical, elliptical-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate outlines. The size of the leaf plate is approximately 5–15 cm with a width of 2–3 mm. The base of the leaf is narrow, the edge is narrowly filmy, the apex is obtuse or sharp.
Bracts ovate or ovate-lanceolate, sometimes narrow-lanceolate, pointed apex. Pedicels are 2-3 mm. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, triangular-ovate or ovate, combined or not at the base, obtuse apex. Petals are white, pink or purple-red, ovoid, ovate-elliptical or elliptical, narrowly ovate or obovate-lanceolate. Their dimensions are about 5-6 x 2-3 mm, the base gradually narrows, the apex is obtuse. The stamens are slightly shorter than the petals; threads connected at the base; anthers are oblong. Flowering occurs in the period from June to July.
The shape of the fruit is narrow-conical, its length is approximately 8 mm. The seeds are oblong, their size is 1 mm long; there is an awn with white villi throughout the surface. Ripening of fruits takes place during August-September. Growth occurs on the banks of rivers, sandy places near the shores of lakes; distribution height - 3000–4300 m above sea level in the territories of India and Pakistan.
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Video about growing myrikaria in a personal plot:
