Description of the loosestrife plant, how to plant and care for it in the garden, how to propagate it, how to deal with diseases and pests, facts to note, species.
The loosestrife (Lythrum) is attributed by scientists to the genus of herbaceous perennials included in the family Lythraceae. The territory of natural distribution falls on the lands of Russia (there are up to 15 varieties of botanists there), Ukraine and Belarus. This plant is also found in Central Asia and the Caucasus. If we take all areas of the planet, then loosestrife grows everywhere, except for the Arctic, desert and tropical places. They prefer to settle in swamps, flood meadows and rice fields, decorate coastal strips, often growing on the sea sandy shore (both in group plantings and singly). The most famous is the species Lythrum salicaria.
| Family name | Derbennikovye |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth characteristic | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed, division of an overgrown bush into parts |
| Landing period in open ground | Planting of seedlings is carried out at the end of May or at the beginning of summer. |
| Disembarkation scheme | About 35-40 cm is left between the seedlings |
| Substrate | Lightweight yet nutritious |
| Soil acidity, pH | Neutral - 6, 5-7 |
| Illumination | Partial shade, but can tolerate a brightly lit and windy area |
| Soil moisture | Watering is plentiful and regular, the soil must not be allowed to dry |
| Special care conditions | Unpretentious |
| Plant height, m | 0, 8–1, 5 |
| Coloring flowers | Bright crimson |
| Type of inflorescences or flowers | Spicate or whorled |
| Flowering time | Summer-autumn |
| Decorative period | Summer-autumn |
| Application in the garden | Wetlands, shores of artificial or natural reservoirs, rockeries |
| USDA zone | 4–8 |
Among the people, the loosestrife is often found under the names "plakun-grass" or "candles of swamps". The first name came from the fact that as soon as it gets light after a wet summer night at the ends of the foliage, you can see large drops of dew, resembling tears. The second term directly speaks about the natural preference of the plant and the type of its inflorescences. There are also such names as God's grass, podberezhnik, grandfather's grass, upland reed and plakun-root. The scientific name of the genus is rooted in the Greek word "lytron", meaning "spilled, clotted blood", as it is believed that the loosestrife has the ability to stop bleeding. Well, in the Slavic language, the term "derba" meant a swampy area.
All types of loosestrife are plants with stems that can reach a height of 0.8–1.5 m. The stems of plakun grass grow straight, the woody root has thick outlines. Leaf plates, devoid of petioles, unfold on the shoots. The color of the foliage is saturated bright green, there is a sharpness at the top of the leaves, while the length reaches 10 cm. The back side of the leaf plate has stomata, through which excess moisture is removed from the plant if the weather is humid and warm.
During the flowering period, whorled or spike-shaped inflorescences are formed, crowning the flowering stem. Their length can reach half a meter. They are made up of small, star-shaped flowers. Their petals are bright crimson. The flowering process stretches from mid-summer to early September. Pollination is carried out by bees, bumblebees and butterflies, while the boletus is an excellent honey plant.
In order for the plakun-grass to please with its flowering in the garden, it is better to plant it on the banks of reservoirs (both natural and created by designers). If shading is provided, then with candles-inflorescences of the plant, you can decorate the central parts of the flower beds, form alleys and group plantings.
Planting and caring for a loosestrife in open ground
Choice of location
Since in nature the plant prefers shading, it is recommended to find a similar place in the garden - a warm (protected from wind and draft), humid zone. Of course, the loosestrife can adapt to any indicators of heat and soil, but in direct sunlight, foliage and inflorescences will lose their rich shade. It is best that the site for planting plakun-grass is located in partial shade, it will be especially comfortable for it to be near a stream or reservoir. But if you plan to land directly into the water (for the summer period), then the immersion depth should not exceed 30 cm.
If there is a plot in the garden with the proximity of groundwater, prone to flooding or stagnation of moisture during the period of melting snow or rains, you can plant a loosestrife on it without worrying about decay of the root system. Possessing high shoots, the podberezhnik in the summer heat will perfectly develop not only in highly moistened soil, but even with stagnant water.
Soil for planting loosestrife
should be light, but at the same time rich in nutrients. Although in nature such plants can grow on sands, loams, very dry soil, it is not recommended to use such a substrate in the garden. Florists noticed that the color of plakun-grass flowers changes from acidity indicators. It is better to select a soil mixture with neutral acidity - pH 6, 5–7.
Planting tips
Even a novice gardener can handle this. When seedlings or divisions are planted in the spring, the distance between the holes in the first case is kept about 35 cm, and in the second - up to half a meter. But before planting loosestrife plants, it is necessary to perform pre-planting work:
- before digging up the soil, organic fertilizers (for example, compost) are applied in the fall in the places where the pits will be placed;
- in the spring the landing site is dug up;
- if the hole has already been dug, then organic matter (the same compost) is placed on its bottom.
Since the loosestrife is not at all afraid of waterlogged soil, the drainage layer in the holes is not used. After the plant is set in the hole, the soil mixture is poured to the top and abundant watering is performed.
In one place without loss of decorativeness, clumps of plakun-grass can grow for a long time (more than 10 years) and they do not need transplants. Such operations are performed in the case when the size of the bush began to exceed all the norms allowed for the site, or old plants no longer serve as a decoration for the flower bed, but only spoil the view.
Watering when caring for a loosestrife
is the most important point. All varieties of podberezhnik prefer abundantly moist soil and there will be no normal development on dry soil. After the substrate dries up, the plant will struggle for its survival for some time, but if there is no watering or rain, then the death of the weeping grass is inevitable. It is recommended to moisturize abundantly and regularly, and in a dry summer, do not allow the clod of earth to dry out. If the curtains are next to a reservoir, then you do not need to water.
Weeding and mulching the soil
When caring for a loosestrife, it is important to remove weeds in a timely manner, since weeds not only spoil the aesthetic appearance of the curtains, but also become a suitable environment for the spread of pathogenic microbes and fungal spores when growing. Also, due to weeds, pests are attracted and absorb a large amount of moisture from the soil, leaving nothing for the loose. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly (once a week) weed out the weeds and at the same time to loosen the soil. The latter aspect will facilitate the penetration of air and water to the root system of "swamp candles", making it difficult to form a dense earth crust.
To prevent the soil surface from hardening and staying wet longer, the root circle must be mulched using peat, compost or sawdust.
Fertilizers when caring for a loosestrife
brought in for the purpose of enriching the soil on the site. To do this, every year with the arrival of spring, it is necessary to apply peat mulch (which was mentioned above). Such a layer is spread immediately after the seedlings of plakun-grass have been planted, and then it is replaced every year with a new one.
In order to increase the decorative effect of the bloom at the beginning of the formation of buds, it is fed with any complex mineral preparation (for example, Kemira Universal), this will also contribute to the formation of new flowering stems. But it is very important not to make fertilizing with a large amount of nitrogen-containing substances. Because of this, the growth of deciduous mass will not occur to the detriment of flowering, as is the case with other plants, on the contrary, the plakun-grass under the influence of such fertilizers lays down, and subsequently simply dies.
Application in landscape design
The loosestrife is recommended to be used for decorating the background of flower beds or flower beds. Because of the tall shoots, curtains can be used to mask fences or other unsightly places. Also, designers place plantings of "swamp candles" at the entrance to the site or next to a stream or pond, planting trees at the foot of the rockery.
The best "neighbors" for plakun-grass will be irises and hyssop, loosestrife and delphiniums, astilbe and lemon balm, goldenrod and foxglove, geleniums, aconites and rudbeckia also look good next to them. The lower part of the reed bushes can be covered with hosts and a soft cuff.
Additional rules for the care of a loosestrife
consist in timely pruning of the aboveground part of the plant for the winter and preventing the spread of adult clumps beyond the borders of the flower bed. There is no need to transplant the plant, Lythrum does not need rejuvenation.
Pruning Swamp Candles
performed with the arrival of autumn. Using a sharpened gardening tool or a simple knife, remove all stems. This prevents self-seeding (because of this, the culture becomes very aggressive). It is also important that the loosestrife curtain does not grow beyond the limits of the area allocated for it. They try to cut the shoot close to the soil surface. According to the recommendations of some gardeners, you can leave dried spike-shaped inflorescences that look spectacular next to autumn flowering plants (asters or chrysanthemums). But in this case, with the arrival of spring, it will be necessary to cut off all the shoots above the soil surface, in anticipation of young stems. Some designers use a shaping haircut to give the conceived silhouette of a curtain of plakun-grass, but if you adhere to a natural style, then this can not be done.
Loose grass care in winter
Plants, even young ones, do not need to be covered for the winter months. Since the podberezhnik easily adapts to conditions corresponding to central Russia and tolerates frosts without problems, the curtains are not sheltered even from dry foliage.
How to propagate a loosestrife flower?
To get new weeping grass plants, you can sow seeds or divide an overgrown bush.
Seeds can either be sown directly into the ground or grown seedlings. In the first case, a bed is prepared, and the seed is placed in the period from September to October. The seeds are distributed on the surface of the substrate, then it is watered and covered with a film on top. The first shoots will appear after 20 days, the shelter is not immediately removed, you need to wait for the strengthening of young shoots. For these plants, the same care is carried out as for adult bushes of plakun-grass. With this sowing, the seedlings will bloom after two years.
If you want to admire the inflorescences of the loosestrife in the same year after sowing, it is better to grow seedlings. At the same time, the sowing of the seeds of the beard is carried out in March. Peat-sandy soil is poured into the seedling box, the seeds, as in the first case, are carefully distributed over its surface, and then they are sprayed from a finely dispersed spray gun. For successful germination, it is recommended to create conditions for a mini-greenhouse by covering the container with plastic wrap or placing a piece of glass on top to create increased humidity. You should also maintain the temperature in the range of 15-18 degrees.
Crop maintenance will consist in airing for 10-15 minutes every day. If it is noticed that the soil has begun to dry out, spraying with warm water is needed. After the shoots appear (after 20-30 days), it is recommended to remove the shelter. When unfolding 2–3 true leaf plates in young loosestriders, a pick is performed (seating in separate pots with a diameter of no more than 7 cm). When the threat of frost has passed (around the end of May or the beginning of June), then you can transplant the seedlings to a permanent place in the open ground. The optimal distance between them is about 35–40 cm.
The simplest way of reproduction is considered to be the division of an oversized loosestrife bush. The period from mid-spring to early May is suitable for division. Old plants are distinguished by the presence of powerful lignified rhizomes. Division is carried out using a sharp shovel or ax. To do this, you need to dig in the root system of the plakun-grass a little so that it becomes clearly visible, cut it with a sharp movement vertically downwards so as to separate a part of the required size. After that, all the cuts are sprinkled with crushed charcoal, and the pit is covered with the excavated soil. The delenka is immediately planted in a prepared place in shade and watered abundantly, and the near-trunk circle is mulched with peat.
There is information that some gardeners are planting loose loot in the autumn, but it is important to mix compost into the soil mixture and place the plants at a distance of at least 0.5 m from each other.
How to deal with diseases and pests when growing psychoberage?
The plant is quite resistant to the attack of harmful insects or the development of diseases. However, if there are plantings of rose bushes nearby, then aphids may appear, which can be easily detected on the back of the leaf plates. These small green bugs cover the stem, preventing the loosestrife from developing fully. And since the pest can quickly fill the surfaces of other representatives of the flora planted in the flower bed, then because of the honeydew (sticky plaque, which is a product of the beetles' vital activity), massive diseases appear, provoked by spores of fungi or bacteria. To combat aphids, they resort to spraying with insecticidal preparations, such as Aktara, Fitoverm or BI-58.
Facts to note about the loosestrife
For a long time, the willow loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) has been used by folk healers because of its properties to heal wounds, soothe pain, fight bacteria, and relieve inflammatory processes. It also has diuretic and astringent properties.
Doctors prescribed drugs made on the basis of plakun-grass for dysentery and diarrhea, they helped with fever and chronic catarrh of the stomach and intestines, relieved colic. If the patient suffered from a cold, general weakness, headache, then loosestrife remedies were also used. The plant has been used to relieve toxicosis in pregnant women and to treat sexually transmitted diseases. The loosestrife was used for snake bites, encephalitis ticks or attacks of rabid animals.
If you make tea from loosestrife grass, it will cope with depression, cure hysteria and normalize your mood. You can add the decoction to the bath to relieve diseases associated with nerves, childhood cramps or bleeding. If a torn loose leaf is attached to a wound or cut, the blood will stop very quickly.
However, with all the advantages of using a loosestrife, there are contraindications:
- predisposition to blood clots;
- increased blood clotting;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, with constipation present (atonic or senile);
- hypertension.
Foliage plakun-herbs stuff the pillow with sleeplessness.
Description of the types of loosestrife
Willow loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria),
which is popularly called plakun-grass. It is used not only as a raw material for folk remedies, but also as an excellent honey plant, ornamental culture.
According to one version, the name comes from the fact that the loosestrife first appeared at the place where the tears of the Mother of God fell, shed when Jesus Christ suffered death. And a simpler version of the name is from the property of the formation of droplets at the tips of the leaves, so the plant removes excess moisture.
Places of natural distribution include the northern regions of the African continent and the eastern part of the Australian continent, found throughout Europe and Asia. On the lands of Russia, this species grows everywhere, except for the Arctic regions. It was introduced to North America and New Zealand, but the local ecosystem was severely damaged there because of this. It prefers to grow close to bodies of water, swamps and very damp places.
It has a straight stem with four edges on the surface, its height is in the range of 0.8–1.4 m. There is a branching at the top of the shoots. The root of the plant is thickened, woody. Foliage in the lower part of the stem grows oppositely, occasionally gathers in whorls. At the top of the stem, the leaf plates are arranged in a regular sequence. The length of the leaf is 10 cm, the color is dark or bright green.
During flowering, which stretches from mid-summer to the end of August, a large number of flowers are revealed, which have the shape of an asterisk. The diameter of the flower at full disclosure is 1 cm. Compacted inflorescences with spike-shaped outlines are collected from the buds. Inflorescences are located in the bracts. The corolla of the flower has a purple hue, the length of the petal is 14 mm.
From August, after pollination of the flowers, the fruits ripen, which are an oblong-oval box. Its length is measured 3-4 mm, there are small seeds inside.
Three-flowered loosestrife (Lythrum tribracteatum)
An annual with a herbaceous form of growth, with an erect, branched stem, reaching 0.3 m in height. Leaf plates with oblong outlines, their length reaches 2.5 cm. The arrangement is opposite in the lower part, and alternate at the apex. In the axillary racemose inflorescences, small flowers are combined with bright red sepals and lavender petals.
The native distribution area falls on European lands, and the western North American regions, since this species appeared there by introduction. Prefers wet and wetlands.
Loosestrife (Lythrum virgatum)
may occur under the name Loosestrife pruteiform. Perennial with herbaceous growth. The surface of the stems has four faces, they are devoid of wings, the upper part has branching. The height reaches 1, 2 m. The foliage is mainly sessile and opposite, the shape of the leaf plates is narrow lanceolate, there is a sharp point at the apex, the leaf is narrowed at the base. In the inflorescence, there is a gradual transition from leaves to bracts.
Pedicels of axillary flowers are shortened, a pair of bracts are drooping. The inflorescence at the top of the flowering stem has the shape of a spikelet. The calyx in the flower is 4–6 mm long, there are three pairs of sepals. There are six petals, their shape is ovoid, reaching 7 mm in length, their color is red.
When fruiting, an egg-shaped capsule ripens, which opens up into a couple of valves. The size of the seeds is up to 1 mm, their color is brown.
The species is widespread in Europe and Asia in regions with a temperate climate.
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