Derain white Elegantissima - ornamental shrub for the garden

Derain is a plant of the Cornel family. It has about 50 species, both deciduous and evergreen. But not all of them are frost-resistant. Therefore, when purchasing a plant for growing in freezing temperatures, you need to wonder if it can survive the winter.

Content:

• Derain white
• Derain white Elegantissima: description
• Reproduction and planting
• Tree care
• Crown formation
• The use of the white Elegantissim deren

Derain white

White Derain is a popular species of this plant that easily tolerates frost. In the wild, it is found on forest edges. It has several more names - white svidina, white dogwood or reddish. Sod wood is dense and heavy.

The last of the names is considered folk. Derain white got it for the color of the stems. They can range from red to brown. There are bushes with bright red branches. They look especially beautiful in autumn and winter, when bright colors are in short supply in nature. Some varieties have very beautiful orange, cherry or brown leaves in autumn. Leaf shape is oval, with a pointed top.

It is called white because it has white flowers and berries of the same color.

White dogwood blooms twice a year. The first time this happens in May or June (depending on the weather conditions of the area). The second flowering occurs in late summer and early autumn. The flower has two ways of pollination. Cross-produce insects. When the supply of nectar is depleted, the base of the column of the nectar disc turns red. But there is another way, self-pollination occurs when the flowers of one inflorescence come into contact with each other, and the pollen from the stamens of one falls on the pistil of the other.

An ovary appears soon after pollination. The fruits of the white turf are rounded berries up to 8 mm in diameter. They ripen at the time when the flowers of the "second harvest" begin to open. Soon, the leaves of many varieties of deren, preparing for autumn, change their color to orange, burgundy or crimson with a bronze tint. Derain white has variegated varieties. Some of them are white-finned, others are golden-finned.

Derain white Elegantissima: description

The variety has another name, Argenteomarginata White Derain. Features of the structure of the bush:

• The white elegantissim deren bush is distinguished by its relatively low growth (up to 3 m). In width, it can also grow up to 3 m.
• Branches are spreading, flexible. They intertwine beautifully.
• Young shoots have olive green bark. Closer to autumn, it turns red and becomes burgundy red. A bluish bloom is noticeable on them. On older branches, it can be brown or gray.
• The variety differs in leaves. They are slightly wrinkled, gray-green, with a wide white stripe running through the entire leaf. Below, the color of the leaves is grayish. Derain white Elegantissima practically does not change the color of leaves in autumn.
• The flowers of the Elegantissim deren are white with a pink tint. They are collected in inflorescence shields. They do not always bloom again.
• Fruits, globular drupes, are white with a yellow or bluish tinge. You cannot eat them.

The name Elegantissima speaks for itself. The bush looks very elegant.The bush begins to bloom in the third year. The bush lives for over 50 years.

Reproduction and planting

White grass of Elegantissima propagates by seeds, green and lignified cuttings, layering:

• Seeds are harvested in autumn, after ripening. They have a high germination capacity. You can sow in the fall, but it is better to lay them on stratification in a cold place (cellar, refrigerator) at a temperature of about 4 degrees Celsius. In the area where white turf bushes grow, birds carry the seeds, so they sprout in the most unexpected places.
• Green cuttings do not take root well. And those that nevertheless started to grow, some of them freeze out in the first winter. A significantly better result is obtained by rooting two-year-old lignified cuttings. This is because the root buds are located along the entire length of any branch. Therefore, even sticks sprout, which are used to tie up other plants. Ornamental varieties of deren are best propagated vegetatively, because the seeds do not allow preserving the best properties of the mother bushes.
• The easiest way to propagate the Elegantissima is by layering. To do this, in the spring, it is enough to dig in one of the young branches to a depth of 10 cm, fix it, water it constantly or keep the soil moist in this place. The roots are formed in about six months. The next year or in autumn, the young bush is planted in another place. Better yet, leave it for a year, form a beautiful bush, and then transplant.

Best of all, the white lawn of Elegantissima grows in dry, sunny areas. But he feels good in partial shade. It can grow in the shade, but then the white border on the leaves becomes narrow. This slightly reduces the decorative properties of the bush. He is not afraid of underground waters, which are close to the roots of the plant.

Prefers fertile and moist soils. But it can grow on the poor. In this case, he needs feeding. It grows slowly on sandy loam dry soils, decorative properties are low. But clay soils are also not very suitable for growing turf. They are too heavy, do not allow oxygen to pass to the roots of the plant. Therefore, it grows slowly.

The turf planting pit is prepared in advance, at least 2 weeks before planting. They bring in humus compost, mineral fertilizers... These substances will be enough so that the plant does not need feeding for several years.

Tree care

Derain white does not require special care. It tolerates frost well, in spring it does not get wet in melt water. A young plant is protected from weeds.

Fed with humus or mineral fertilizers every few years. You can add a couple of handfuls annually wood ash.

Derain white Elegantissima tolerates drought well, but in especially dry periods it needs watering.

At a time, pour 1.5-2 buckets under one bush. Derain white Elegantissima is quite resistant to diseases and pests. Pests do not like the taste of turf juice, so no one but aphids, does not encroach on him. Aphids are destroyed by spraying with insecticides or a solution of laundry soap. Then washed off with a stream of water.

Crown formation

The bush of white turf tolerates trimming of any complexity well. They begin to conduct it at the age of three. Up to a third of all branches are removed. When forming a bush, remove old and broken branches, young growth. Cut off those that grow "in the wrong direction." Pruning during the formation of the crown, it is possible to spend almost the entire year, with the exception of periods when the juice is actively flowing.

The bush quickly grows, so you need to correct its "hairstyle" regularly, at least twice a year. Bushes, the shape of which does not change much, can be pruned every two years.

You can form a shape of any shape from it:

• It can be a column, the backbone of which consists of several strong branches. To give the appearance of the column, part of the growth is left, periodically cutting it off.The column should not be made too narrow, because it can collapse under the gusts of wind.
• An arc formed from branches growing in one direction looks original. In order for them to keep their shape, the ends of the branches are fixed to a fence, structure, or another bush.
• The bush of white Elegantissim deren in the shape of a hemisphere looks beautiful in the garden or on the lawn. In order to obtain such a shape, one to three-year branches are cut off in the fall or early spring at a height of 10 cm above the ground. This causes rapid growth of young shoots. The same technique is used to cover the lower part of the bush with branches, which is prone to bare, or to completely rejuvenate the bush. Young branches have red bark, so cutting off old trunks makes the bush more decorative.
• You can form a deren bush in the form of a ball, cube, or other geometric shape. You can change its shape every year by experimenting with pruning.
• The bush, formed in the form of a panicle or a ball on a leg, looks original. For this, only one trunk is left. Cut it off, limiting it in height. Tie the bush to the support. New shoots are constantly removed from the trunk. Form a crown in the form of a ball.

The use of the white Elegantissim deren

Derain white Elegantissima is appreciated for decorativeness and unpretentiousness in cultivation and care. Its crown is easy to give the desired shape. Planting of white Elegantissim turf is used for single, group plantings. Looks good undergrowth against the background of birch plantings, or under tall single trees with an openwork crown.

Shape hedges... But without regular pruning, they quickly lose their decorative appearance, forming impassable thickets. With the help of such a bush, you can drape an ugly building or an object that needs to be hidden from view.

Derain white Elegantissima is used to create a color accent in a garden or park.

The area where these bushes grow is always bright and joyful. Designers use the property of white turf to easily tolerate city conditions. It goes well with red-leaved shrubs: barberry, weigeloy, as well as conifers - juniper... Perennial flowers with red and purple foliage are planted near the bushes: stonecrops, geyher.

More information can be found in the video: