Description of the maklura plant, how to plant and care in the open field, recommendations for reproduction, difficulties arising from cultivation, interesting facts and applications, types.
Maclura (Maclura) is part of a small genus of representatives of the flora, which botanists attributed to the Mulberry family (Moraceae). Its closest relative is the well-known mulberry. Scientists closely associate the Maclura genus with the Cudrania genus, and today there are a large number of hybrid forms obtained by crossing plants from these two genera. Also, some botanists recognize a broader definition that includes Maclura species formerly found in Cudrania and other Moraceae genera. Today the genus has united 15 different species. Their growing territory falls on the lands of Central Asia, the southeastern regions of the United States, the Crimea and the Caucasus. This plant can be found in the regions of Stavropol and Krasnodar.
| Family name | Mulberry |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Vegetation form | Shrubs, trees or vines |
| Breeding method | Vegetative (rooting of cuttings and layering, deposition of root shoots) and seed |
| Landing period | Seeds are sown before winter, seedlings are planted after the cessation of return frosts |
| Landing rules | The depth of the seed is 3–5 cm, for the seedlings the hole is larger than the size of the earthen coma |
| Priming | Any garden |
| Indicators of soil acidity, pH | 6, 5-7 - neutral |
| Lighting level | Open sunny place |
| Humidity parameters | Drought tolerant |
| Special care requirements | Protection of young plants in the early years for the winter period |
| Height values | 14–20 m |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | On female plants, spherical, on male plants, elongated brushes. |
| Flower color | Light green |
| Flowering period | The beginning of June |
| Fruit shape and color | Compound fruits are green at first, but when they ripen, they are orange. |
| Fruiting time | September October |
| Decorative time | Spring-Autumn |
| Application in landscape design | Hedges, single and group plantings, windbreaks, fruits as medicinal material |
| USDA zone | 5–8 |
The genus is named after Scottish-born American geologist William McLure (1763–1840), who was also an educational reformer and President of the American Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for 22 years. Due to the unusual shape of the fruit, among the people, as soon as they do not call maklura: Adam's apple, inedible orange, monkey bread, Indian orange or false orange, you can also find dye mulberry. The first French settlers called the plant exotic "bois d'arc", and the British called "bow-wood", which in both cases means "wood for bows", since the wood is especially durable.
In nature, mackerel is presented in the form of a perennial, which has a tree-like, shrub or liana-like shape. The size that the plant can reach is 14 m. Occasionally there are specimens whose height approaches 20 m. If the form is tree-like, it is characterized by the luxurious outline of the crown and a slender trunk. Its surface is covered with flesh-colored bark. All branches of a plant of any growth form have rather frightening thorns that originate in the leaf axils. In length, such spikes can reach 2.5 cm. The root system is deeply embedded in the soil and therefore the plant is used to strengthen the slopes.
Foliage appears on the branches throughout April-May. The whole-edged leaf plates of the Adam's apple are characterized by oval outlines with a pointed top. On the branches, they are characterized by an opposite arrangement. The length of the leaf can reach 13 cm, while the width is 7 cm. The foliage has a dark or rich emerald hue, which becomes bright yellow with the arrival of autumn time.
During flowering, which occurs at the beginning of summer and lasts up to 10 days, the buds bloom, turning into flowers of a very nondescript look. Moreover, they are monoecious, since on female plants spherical inflorescences are collected from flowers, and male specimens flaunt with inflorescences in the form of elongated brushes. The color of the flowers is light green.
After the female flowers undergo pollination, the formation of seedlings occurs, which are the real value of the bakery. All due to the fact that the fruits are represented by small fruits spliced together into a ball. Such fruits are similar in shape to green oranges. At first, the color of the fruits is yellowish-green, but by autumn it is replaced by orange. In fact, the fruits are light brown nuts, reaching a length of 1 cm. They are surrounded by the axis of the inflorescence, which has grown greatly and become fleshy. Connecting with nuts, this axis forms a wrinkled fruit of a light green hue. The cross-section of fruit can vary in the range of 7-15 cm.
At first, the color of the fruits is green, but in autumn they take on an orange hue, the skin becomes wrinkled. In this case, the outlines of the fruit resemble an apple. All this gave the synonymous names of this plant. The fruits are very juicy, while the juice is saturated with a large number of useful elements and active substances, therefore "false oranges" are used to prepare various medicinal compositions.
When the seedlings are fully ripe, they are harvested between September and October. Since they are covered with a liquid of oily consistency, which sticking to the hands is very difficult to remove, it is recommended to use cloth gloves when collecting.
The growth rate of "monkey bread" is quite high. So 1–2-year-old seedlings in height can reach 0, 5–0, 9 m. At the same time, it is observed that a high growth rate in female plants. With proper care, they are not problematic and they can be grown even in central Russia. But only adult specimens will normally tolerate frosts, younger false oranges can suffer from a significant drop in temperature. But, in general, Maclura is undemanding and even an inexperienced gardener can cope with its cultivation.
Growing maclura, rules for caring for a plant in the garden
- Landing place plants need to be selected taking into account its natural growth. But, despite all efforts, such height indicators, which an Adam's apple can reach in its natural territory, cannot be reached in the middle lane. Usually maklura takes the form of a bush in our country. In this case, it is necessary that the location is warm, well open to the rays of the sun. If the cultivation of false orange will be in a hot area, then the plant will need a little shading at noon hours.
- Soil for maklura picking up is not difficult, because the root system is branched and delivers nutrients, moisture from the great depth of the soil, which it reaches. It also helps to withstand heat and cold, but only in adult specimens. Soil acidity - neutral pH 6, 5–7.
- Planting mackerel. It is recommended to carry out the operation of planting monkey bread seedlings in the garden by next spring or when they reach 1-2 years of age and become more than a meter. Planting in open ground is carried out in the spring, when return frosts have passed. A hole is dug slightly exceeding the root ball of the seedling. Then the plant, without destroying the earthen coma, is placed in it so that the root collar is not deeper than the soil level on the site. After the edges of the seedling are covered with soil and watered.
- Watering. Since over time, the root system of maklura goes very deep into the layers of the soil, the plant is not afraid of heat and drought. But still, regular soil moistening once every 20–25 days will be most acceptable.
- Fertilizers for maclura in principle, they are not too necessary, but if fertilizing is applied during watering of the soil, the plant will respond with flowering and a large number of formed seedlings. It is recommended to use a complete mineral fertilizer, for example, nitroammofosku or Kemiru-Universal. The first can be taken for 1 m2 20-40 g, the second - following the manufacturer's recommendations.
- Cutting maklyura. It is recommended to shape the crown of the plant only once every three years, since cutting off the branches annually, you can only achieve a thickening of the crown (all due to the fact that the false orange has a rapid growth). However, at the same time, fruiting will be scarce. In this case, only dry, old, diseased or inwardly directed shoots should be removed.
- General advice on care. Despite the seemingly general unpretentiousness of the plant, maklura has a very negative attitude to gas-polluted and polluted air, so you should not plant it next to roads. It is necessary to carry out regular weeding of the weeds from the near-trunk circle and loosen the soil in this place after watering and rain, preventing it from compaction. Young plants need to be protected in the first few years for the winter, providing shelter. All trunks and branches must be wrapped in burlap or special non-woven material (it can be lutrasil or spunbond). Care must be taken when caring for maclura, since only live plant thorns will not harm, drying the thorns become poisonous.
- The use of maklyura in landscape design. Not only fruits are attractive to gardeners. Since the leaves also adorn such plants, with the help of false oranges, you can form protective stripes from the winds. Because of the thorny branches, a hedge made from such plants will become almost insurmountable not only for people, but also for hares and other small animals trying to get into the site. The Adam's apple will look good in group and single plantings. You can use these plants to create partial shade for other garden shrubs or trees with lower heights.
See also the rules for caring for willow, growing in the garden.
Recommendations for breeding maclura
When propagating false orange, it is possible to use different methods, both seed and vegetative, including rooting cuttings and layering, or jigging root suckers.
- Reproduction of maklyura using seeds. In order to obtain seed, you need to have a ripe seed. Nuts are removed from its pulp and immediately planted. Since the fruits ripen completely in the autumn, planting is carried out in the period from September to October. The fruit is cut and nut-like seeds are selected from it. Then, before sowing, they need to be kept soaked in warm water for at least 6-8 hours. Since maclura seeds are characterized by low germination, it is better to take more of them. Seed material is sown in seedling boxes filled with a nutritious substrate, you can take a peat-sand soil mixture or special soil for seedlings. The distance between the seeds should be maintained at least 20 cm. If planting is carried out in rows, then the row spacing is measured by 30 cm. The depth of seed placement should not exceed 3-5 cm. Then the soil is moistened and the boxes are placed in a warm, well-lit place. The container with crops is covered with a plastic transparent film. It will take a long time to wait for seedlings, so it is important to carry out proper care, which consists in watering the soil, if it has dried out, and daily airing. Although the waiting time will be long, when the young maklura plants appear, their growth rate will delight the gardener. When a pair of leaves opens, you can dive the seedlings into individual pots with the same substrate. In just a year, the height of the plants will become close to meter indicators, and in this case, it is allowed to transplant false orange seedlings into open ground. The transplant is carried out in the spring, after the return frosts have receded. For the first time, it is very important to protect the seedlings from frost. So it is recommended to either carry out a thorough covering with a special non-woven material (for example, lutrasil or spunbond), but it is better to move them to greenhouse conditions.
- Reproduction of maklyura by cuttings. In the spring, you can cut blanks for cuttings from the shoots. Only in this case, the difficulty will be that there are long thorns on the shoots. The length of the stalk should not measure 8-10 cm. Then they are planted in pots filled with nutritious soil, a plastic bottle is placed on top, the bottom of which is cut off. Before planting the cutting, its lower cut is dipped in a root stimulator (such as Kornevin or heteroauxin). It is necessary to take care of the cuttings so that every day airing for 15–20 minutes is provided and the soil is moistened if it begins to dry out. When the cuttings take root and a new spring comes, they can be planted in a place prepared in advance in the garden.
- Reproduction of maclyura by root shoots. Since the root system of the plant makes it possible to form a large number of shoots next to it, in spring they can be carefully separated from the parent specimen of the false orange and planted in a new place in the open field. At first, it is necessary to provide shading so that the seedlings take root normally. Also, for the first winters, you will need to carefully wrap them up, protecting them from freezing.
- Reproduction of maklyura by layering. The same operation is carried out in the spring, while the strongest branches are selected that grow near the soil. They are carefully bent to the surface of the soil and where there is contact, a groove is dug into which the branch is placed. Before placing the shoot in the groove, the bark is removed in a circular way exactly where it will be in the ground. After the layering is placed in the groove, it must be fixed there. To do this, use a piece of stiff wire or a hairpin. Then the branch is sprinkled with a substrate so that its tip is above it. Care for the layer is the same as for the parent specimen. The next spring, the layers can be carefully separated and transplanted into a prepared new growing area.
See also the rules for breeding viburnum with your own hands.
Difficulties arising from growing Adam's apple and ways to solve them
Due to the fact that any damage to the false orange leads to the release of a rather caustic juice, which is even used to prepare glue, the harmful insects do not particularly favor the broker with their visit. However, if the rules of agricultural technology are not followed and the soil is frequently flooded, powdery mildew (ash or leucorrhoea) may appear. Then the leaves and branches can be covered with a bloom, reminiscent of a calcareous, whitish color scheme. If measures are not taken, then it will gradually change to black and brown dots, and then in the places of their formation the foliage will begin to die off. To save the Adam's apple, it is recommended to carry out an inspection on time, to maintain a normal watering regime. Also, if symptoms of ashtrays are noticed, treatment with fungicidal preparations, such as Topaz, Fundazol, or Bordeaux liquid, should be performed.
Interesting notes about maklure, application
The plant in ornamental gardening has found a special place because of the unusual species of fruit. But since the fruits contain a lot of useful substances in themselves, they are used in the pharmaceutical industry in many countries of the world. On the basis of the fruits of false orange, means are made that help stimulate heart activity and inhibit harmful bacteria. Even in ancient times, folk healers noticed the properties of maclura seed fruits and actively used them for the preparation of medicinal compositions. With their assistance, wounds healed quickly, rheumatism was treated. Since the milky sap, which is released during any damage to the plant, is quite caustic, it was used to remove warts. When applied topically, it can easily stop bleeding.
If we talk about the quality of maklura wood, then it turns out to be denser than oak, has a wonderful amber hue, which over time acquires a golden color. Typically, this wood is used as a material for the manufacture of furniture. In the old days it was used by craftsmen, making bows and clubs, so the people called the plant "the tree for bows". The roots and bark served as a source of yellow dye, hence the nickname - dye mulberry.
In everyday life, a variety of orange maklura (Maclura aurantiaca) was mainly used and its durable wood was the best suited for the work of an engraver. Its surface is easily polished, but at the same time it is practically impossible to drill, it is difficult to plan and saw. Compound fruits were a source of quality glue due to the sticky consistency of the juice. However, it is better not to use fruits in food, as this can provoke poisoning, which is accompanied by vomiting. However, they are excellently used for feeding livestock and horses. Seeds are very much loved by forest squirrels.
Due to the fact that the root system is deeply penetrating into the soil and very ramified, the planting of makliura serves as a good anti-erosion protection and as a barrier from the winds in the fields and in gardens.
Types of maklyura
Orange Maclura (Maclura aurantiaca)
also bears the name Maclura orange … Native lands are in the US states located in the southeast. In our latitudes, it is not uncommon on the lands of the Crimea. The maximum height of this deciduous plant is 10 m, but some of its specimens are 20 meters in height. The trunk of their slender outline, covered with fissured dark brown bark, topped with a spreading crown. On the ropes, pointed thorns of a frightening look are formed, which are close to 2.5 cm in length. Such thorns originate in the leaf axils.
Shiny foliage is characterized by an oblong or ovoid outline, but there is a sharp point at the top. The leaves are dark green on top, the reverse side is slightly lighter. With the arrival of the autumn period, the foliage takes on a bright yellowish-golden color. The size of the leaf is about 12 cm long and 7.5 cm wide. The leaf plates are arranged alternately.
When spring comes, flowers, collected in cluster inflorescences, so reminiscent of earrings, begin to hang colorfully on the branches. Such inflorescences are found only on masculine plants, on females - the inflorescences take the form of a ball. The color of the petals in the flowers is pale greenish. After pollination of female flowers, the formation of very exotic fruits occurs, which are compound fruits, inside which there are walnut seeds.
The shape of the fruit is reminiscent of an apple or orange, the surface is pimply. Their size is large, and their weight can reach 1 kg. The fruits are clearly visible on the branches bared from the foliage. Maturation occurs during September-October, when their color becomes rich orange (orange) color. You can store the harvested fruits for a long time, since they do not lose either their appearance or qualities. The fruits are not applicable to food, but since they contain many active substances in themselves, they serve as material for the preparation of medicines.
Apple maclura (Maclura pomifera)
may also be called Maclura orange or Maclura orange … It is a dioecious plant (female and male flowers are formed on different plants). In places of natural growth, the height can fluctuate in the range of 10–18 m. The trunks are shortened, crowned with a crown of rounded outlines. If any part is damaged, then a rather caustic milky juice is released.
The leaves on the branches grow oppositely, their outlines are oval and pointed at the top. The average length of leaves is 13 cm with a 7 cm width. The base is characterized by the shape of a heart or wedge. The surface of the leaves is glossy, in the spring-summer period it has a dark green color, which in autumn changes to canary (bright yellow). The sinus of each leaf becomes the source of a long, spiny spine that can grow up to 2 cm in length. Since the growth rate of the branches is quite high and their length will subsequently be 90–120 cm, and the thorns are located along the entire length of the shoot, the spectacle is truly frightening.
Flowering does not differ in beauty and showiness, since the color of the flowers is a delicate greenish hue. On male plants, inflorescences are elongated, racemose, somewhat reminiscent of earrings. Hard trees are characterized by the formation of globular inflorescences. After pollination of female flowers, seedlings appear with a peel in pimples. The maximum diameter of the fruit is 15 cm. Fully such "false oranges" will ripen from September to mid-autumn. The fruits are unsuitable for food. With even the smallest damage, the fruits exude milk juice. If the pollination of female flowers does not occur, then the fruits will be of the same pimpled appearance, but devoid of seeds.
Maclura cochinchinensis (Maclura cochinchinensis)
Natural areas of distribution stretch from China, through Malaysia to Queensland and in the north to New South Wales. In the same place, in its native lands, it is known under the name "cockspur thorn" or "thorny thorn". There the plant prefers to settle in tropical or monsoon forests. Ripening fruits are sweet and edible, and they were included in the diet of the Australian aborigines. The color of the fruits is yellow or orange, the shape is spherical.
The species is represented by a branched shrub with thorny branches. It can grow, as if climbing, like a climber, on steep slopes. The stems are 10 m long and about 15 cm in diameter. Elongated thorns originate in the leaf axils.
Maclura tinctoria (Maclura tinctoria)
can be found under the name "old yellow mulberry" or "dyeing mulberry". The area of distribution in nature stretches from Mexico to Argentina. Medium to large tree. Serves for the production of a yellow dye called fustic, mainly used to dye khaki fabrics for US military clothing during the First World War. This dye contains the flavonoid morin. The foliage can be used as food for silkworms.
Video about growing maklura in a personal plot:
