General characteristics of albition, conditions for growing indoors and in the garden, recommendations for transplanting and reproduction, diseases and pests, interesting facts, species. Albizia is a genus of plants originating from tropical regions, which are part of the legume family (Fabaceae) or as it was previously called Mimosaceae (the family has now been disbanded). He prefers to settle on the lands of the Australian continent and the territories of Africa, where the natural climate allows. Albizia can be found in large numbers in urban areas in the central and western regions of Argentina. But today this tree-like beauty has conquered many areas of the globe, even with a moderately warm climate, and not only tropical and subtropical territories, it grows in Europe and the Mediterranean, you can find its thickets in the Crimea and on the Black Sea coasts of the Caucasus. The southern regions of Ukraine are also not deprived of the attention of albition, where it is one of the abundant and flowering plants, delighting with its inflorescences and foliage from mid-summer to mid-autumn. In India, the plant settles at altitudes up to 1200 meters, in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas.
This legume bears its name in honor of one of the members of the genus Albizia - Filippo del Albizzi (in Italian it sounds like Filippo degli Albizzi), who lived in the first half of the 18th century. Filippo belonged to a very ancient and powerful family, which even rivaled the Medici in the lands of Florence. He then brought Albizia from Constantinople to Europe in 1740, so the flower received the name of its discoverer - Albizia julibrissin (that is, Albizia of Lenkoran).
Often among the people, the plant is called "Mimosa" or "Acacia", it really is very reminiscent of the well-known flowering species. And also taking into account its coming from the lands of today's Istanbul (and this is how ancient Constantinople is now called), Albizia is called "Constantinople acacia". Another name was given to it in ancient times by the Persians "gul-i abrisham" - combining the words gul-i, which meant "flower" and abrisham, translated as "silk" and as a result, "silk flower", "silk acacia", "silk tree" "Or" silk bush ".
Representatives of this family are characterized by spherical inflorescences, the flowers that are included in them are distinguished by elongated stamens. Basically, the plant has a tree or shrub form of growth. The height of albition can reach 10 meters with a width of 7 meters. There are specimens that live up to 50-100 years. Mature trees have a spreading crown with umbrella shapes. Shoots are slightly pubescent. The bark casts a dark brown tone.
Leaf plates with double pinnate outlines, they are decoratively openwork, shaded with light green tones. The length of the leaf can reach 20–30 cm. With the arrival of the autumn-winter period, the leaves of the albicia fall off.
The flowering process occurs in July-August. From the flowers, inflorescences are collected in the form of corymbose panicles (they have a spherical shape) or bottle-shaped spikelets, from afar, seeming fluffy. Inflorescences are located in the leaf axils. The color of the buds is yellowish-whitish. Stamens protruding beyond the pink petals. Flowers can be a source of light-colored fragrant honey.
After flowering, leguminous fruits ripen. Their length can be close to 20 cm, they usually grow from 6 to 12 seeds-beans. The dry pods swaying under the gusts of wind produce a characteristic sound, similar to a whisper, and because of this, in Burma the tree is called “talkative tongue” or in the English variation “woman’s tongue”.
Agrotechnics for growing albicia
- Lighting. Planted in a place with bright lighting, and shading from the midday sun. Grown in cool southeastern and southwestern rooms or conservatories, greenhouses.
- Temperature. Withstands moderate heat indicators of 20-25 degrees. Albizia should be taken outside in the spring and summer. In the winter months, the plant is kept in a well-lit room and the temperature is reduced to 8-10 degrees.
- Air humidity and watering. The plant copes well with low to medium humidity. In spring and summer, abundant watering will be required, and in winter it is necessary to moisten the soil carefully, especially with a cool content. The main thing is that the soil is not waterlogged. Water is taken warm and soft, tap water can be filtered and defended.
- Fertilizer. Top dressing is applied from spring to August using complex mineral solutions. During the dormant period, fertilization is not necessary.
- Transplantation and selection of a substrate. The best time for this is when albicia is peppers. Since the growth rate of the "silk acacia" is high, the new container must be spacious and deep. Young bushes should be transplanted annually, and for adult specimens, the pot and soil changes only once every 2-3 years.
The soil mixture should be light, rich in nutrients, a substrate made up of sod soil mixed with leaf soil in equal parts or humus, peat and river sand, in a ratio of 2: 1: 1, is suitable.
Recommendations for self-propagation of albition
You can get a new plant Gul-Ebshirim from seeds, cuttings and planting root shoots.
Albizia seeds must be sown from late winter to mid-summer. Before planting, it will be necessary to stratify the seed, and a "hot" method is needed - if the seed is large, then before planting it is recommended to file it with a file or a nail file on one side, and then the seeds are soaked for 5-6 hours in water with a temperature of about 60 degrees so that they swell. After that, it will be necessary to sow to a depth of 3 mm and the container with crops is placed in a mini-greenhouse with bottom heating. The germination temperature from seeds should vary between 20-25 degrees.
Some flower growers recommend to carry out the usual "cold" stratification before planting.
When the sprouts grow up enough and they have a couple of true leaves, then picking is carried out in separate pots with a diameter of 7.5 cm. In winter, it is necessary to keep the seedlings at a temperature of 5 degrees. As soon as the threat of spring frosts has passed, it will be necessary to plant the albition plant in open ground at a distance of 2 m from each other. The site for planting young shoots should be sunny and sheltered from the wind. The soil is selected light, nutritious and well-drained.
Sometimes shoots appear at the roots of trees, which can be carefully separated and planted. For this, the time is selected when albition is at rest.
When grafting albicia, you can use both lignified and green twigs. If the shoot is lignified, then it should be from last year's growth with 2-3 buds located in the middle of the twig. The cut is treated with a root growth stimulator and planted in a permanent place with a loose and fertile substrate. After 3-4 months, up to 70-80% of the branches are usually rooted.
Not lignified cuttings are cut in July. Branches for planting are taken from the middle of the shoot containing 2-3 buds, the existing leaves are cut off, leaving only 1/3. The lower cut is also treated with a root stimulant. They are planted in loose and fertile soil, keeping an eye on its moisture content. The number of rooting cuttings is 70–80%.
The plant can easily reproduce by self-seeding.
Difficulties in Cultivating Gul Ebshirim
Of the problems associated with the cultivation of "silk acacia" can be distinguished:
- wilting of foliage, occurs when waterlogging or overdrying of an earthen coma - it is necessary to adjust watering, or change the soil to a lighter one;
- with low humidity or insufficient watering, the tips of the leaves begin to dry and brown in albitsia;
- bud fall occurs from drying out of the earth;
- if the plant has been exposed to a draft or hypothermia, then dark spots appear on the leaf plates;
- when the illumination is low, the foliage of the albicia loses its color and turns pale - it is necessary to adjust the light and teach it to increase the illumination gradually.
If the air in the room is very dry, then the plant is affected by spider mites. In this case, the edge of the leaf plates turns out to be, as if pierced by needles, and the surface of the foliage, as well as the internodes, are covered with a thin cobweb. For treatment, insecticidal preparations are used.
Interesting facts about albition
Silk albitsia contains a lot of useful substances. It was included in the lists of medicinal plants in pharmaceutical directories as an effective remedy for many diseases since the middle of the 19th century. All its properties are actively used in cosmetology, since the parts of the plant contain a large amount of minerals, essential oils and amino acids, as well as a large amount of elements useful for the human body (among them: iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and others).
Tinctures containing albition act as an antioxidant agent, and have the property of completely neutralizing the actions of molecules that can cause premature aging of skin cells. Extracts from parts of the Lenkovan albicans are successfully used to provide a diuretic and choleretic effect (the properties are the same as those of extracts from the Opuntia cactus). It is possible to cure bronchitis with them, and by its properties the plant can compete with other medications providing expectorant, anti-inflammatory and heat-lowering action. And as a remedy, these solutions are indispensable for the treatment of young children.
If you take albicia extract with depletion of the body and general loss of strength, it works as a general tonic.
The bark of the tree and preparations based on it can help with gastritis or peptic ulcer disease. And also on the basis of powdered bark, ointments and rubbing are made, which are used for varicose veins, osteochondrosis or radiculitis. This is all due to the tannins that the bark of the "silk bush" is full of; they have a very positive effect on problems caused by inflammation of the internal organs (gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary and respiratory systems). If you apply applications from the bark crushed into powder, you can get rid of abscesses, boils, etc.
Albitsia wood is very popular in furniture and handicrafts. It has textured characteristics, hardness, amenable to polishing and is not subject to decay. Also, paint is produced from the bark of the albition trunk, which is used in the dyeing industry.
It is interesting that when planting albition in a personal plot, its growth will help to refine the soil and enrich the substrate with nitrogen.
If you collect teas in which there will be silk albition flowers, then they are good to use to relieve stress, eliminate insomnia and sclerosis, as well as squeezing sensations in the chest. Can these tips help with digestion, robotic heart and stimulate the intestines.
Extracts and extracts of albition are injected into toothpastes, and this helps to strengthen the gums and prevent tooth loss.
However, there are contraindications in which it is necessary to abandon the use of infusions, extracts and solutions based on albition:
- pregnancy;
- all acute conditions;
- lactation period;
- childhood.
"Constantinople acacia" has always been considered a sacred tree in India, it is dedicated to the deity Brahma. In those areas, there are whole albic thickets, which help to save from the heat and reduce the ambient air temperature in areas with an arid climate. Since there are no toxins and tannins in the leaf plates, they are fed to livestock in India and this solves the problem of a lack of animal feed. Under the wide umbrella crowns of albition, the soil always remains moist and thanks to this, the grass growth becomes of higher quality and juiciness, and is used for harvesting.
According to Ayurvedic connoisseurs, albitsia fruits have an astringent taste and a bitter aftertaste, but they have a cooling, light and dry properties and are one of the main plants included in the Ayurvedic system.
Almost all parts are used in the plant: bark, flowers, leaf plates and seeds.
Types of albition
- Albizia lekoranskaya (Albizia julibrissin). Often found under the synonym of Silk Albizia or Gul-Ebshirima. The native habitat extends to the territories of Iran, Turkey, southeastern regions of Azerbaijan, and is found in the Far East (this includes China, Japan, and Taiwan). If you look at the lands of the former USSR, then this species in the wild is settled in the lower mountain belt at altitudes up to 200 meters above sea level - these are the Talish Mountains (southern lands of Azerbaijan), as well as Crimea and Uzbekistan. Deciduous tree-like plant with a height of 10-15 m, sometimes it reaches 20. The crown is umbrella-shaped, the bark of the trunk is brown. The leaves of albicia are unpaired, doubly pinnate, the length can be up to 18–20 cm, in rare cases up to 25 cm. There are 8–12 pairs of first-order leaves and 15–30 pairs of second-order leaves, with a length of about 8 mm to a centimeter. The edge of the leaf is ciliate, the color of the upper surface is dark emerald, and on the back they are whitish. If the weather is very hot or the sun sets, then the leaves begin to curl up and droop. The resulting inflorescences have paniculate outlines, and the flowers are collected in rounded heads. Sterile stamen flowers have a yellow corolla, and if the buds are bisexual, then pinkish. The flowering process begins at the end of the summer months and lasts until autumn. In the process of ripening the fruit, a bean with a brownish or green color is formed, filled with flat, oval-shaped seeds. The plant is a highly decorative crop and has a pronounced dormant period, which occurs during the winter months. Also, the flowers of this variety are considered an excellent honey plant. Albizia silk bark in ancient times successfully dyed silk and six in brown and yellow shades. Wood, which has a high density, is suitable as a finishing material due to the fact that it has a beautiful woody pattern and is perfectly polished.
- Bundle-flowered albition (Albizia lophantha). The western territories of the Australian continent are called their native habitat. The plant has a shrubby form of growth, but if it differs in tree-like outlines, it can only reach a height of up to a maximum of 6 meters, and usually 2–4 meters. Shoots are pubescent. The leaves are double-pinnate with 8-10 pairs of first-order leaf lobes and 20-40 pairs of second-order linear leaves. Their length reaches 6–7 mm, the leaf surface is bare or has pubescence on the back side. From the flowers, spike-shaped inflorescences are collected, with a cylindrical shape, reaching up to 3-6 cm in length (maximum indicators 8 cm). Their color is yellow. The flowering process takes place throughout the spring.
How albitsia blooms, see this video:
