Dogwood: the best varieties
Dogwood is a tree-like deciduous shrub whose fruits are valued for their beneficial properties. It is found almost everywhere where the climate is warm and sunny - these are the countries of Central Asia, Crimea, the Caucasus, South-Western Europe and even South Africa. There are varieties that successfully bear fruit in our area. This article offers a brief overview of such dogwood varieties with a description of the characteristics, appearance and features.
Dogwood varieties: characteristics and descriptions
Dogwood is grown on sites both as an ornamental shrub and as a fruit tree. Its peculiarity is that in any "image" this plant has a decorative appearance. The culture attracts attention with beautiful flowering, unusual leaves, smooth shoots of a red hue and bright fruits. If you add here the great taste of jam, which is obtained from its berries, then dogwood may well claim the role of one of the favorites among garden crops.
Dogwood drupe berries are usually round or elliptical and can be painted in different colors, from bright red to white, depending on the variety. The shrub received its name from the Turkic "Kyzyl" ("red"), and the fruit color played an important role here.
Did you know? Dogwood has been known since ancient times: according to archaeologists, in the Bronze Age, the arms of swords and arrows were made of its solid wood. And the inhabitants of Rome are sure that the legend of the foundation of their city is connected precisely with a cornel tree, which grew and flourished from the spear of Romulus, the founder of this city.
The genus Kizil of the family Kizilovye includes 50 species, of which 13 are found in the CIS countries. In Russia, culture grows in the South-Western part, on the Lower Volga, in the environs of St. Petersburg, in the Moscow Region, as well as in suburban areas of the entire middle zone of Russia.
Drug
Dogwood (cornea) is medicinal, it is also medicinal dogwood, often reaches a height of 10 m. The shoots are cylindrical in shape, brown or brown in color. The arrangement of leaves is opposite, that is, they grow on the stem in pairs, opposite each other. The leaves themselves are bright green, oval in shape, pointed at the ends. Fruits of red color, elongated, ellipsoidal, on average have 15 mm in length and 6 mm in diameter. The bone size is 12 mm.
Medicinal dogwood blooms in March - early April, and the fruits ripen in late summer. The plant is cultivated in China, Taiwan, South Asia, Europe (everywhere except the northern one), as well as in the southern regions of Russia.
- Based on the name of the variety, it is not difficult to guess its purpose: medicinal dogwood in different countries is known for its properties for treatment:
- diseases of the liver and kidneys, bladder;
- diabetic collapse;
- diarrhea, enuresis;
- rheumatism, joint pain;
- skin diseases, gout, etc.
Important! Contraindications to the intake of cornel fruit include individual intolerance, gastrointestinal tract diseases with high acidity, a tendency to constipation, and an excitable nervous system. The recommended daily intake is not more than 150 g of fresh berries.
Swedish
This variety grows in the north of the European part of Russia, the Far East, North America, on the northern coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is a low shrub (up to 25 cm) with a woody rhizome . Very beautiful in the flowering phase: the umbrella-shaped inflorescence consists of small black flowers that surround 4 white bracts.
The fruit of the Swedish dogwood is a red berry-like drupe. The berries of this species are potentially edible, but they are mealy and tasteless, with hard large bones. Once they were consumed by the Eskimos and Canadian Indians.
Present
Real Dogwood (Common or Male) in the form of a deciduous tree grows up to 5–6 m in height, and in the form of a multi-stemmed shrub - up to 3–4 m. The trunk diameter is from 10 to 25 cm or more. Opposite leaves are bright green, oval in shape, from 3.5 to 10 cm long. Small golden flowers are collected in umbrella inflorescences and surrounded by a yellow corolla of 4 petals. Flowering begins in early spring, then the leaves bloom, and in August-September the fruit ripens.
Fruits can have different shapes: oval, pear-shaped, spherical. They may also differ in color: there are both light red and dark purple, and even almost black. The weight of the berry ranges from 2-6 g. You will be interested to know why dogwood does not bear fruit. This is a drought-resistant and winter-hardy plant. Lives for a long time - 100-250 years. Productivity is high: a 12-year-old tree can produce up to 30 kg of berries, and a 25-year-old tree can produce up to 100 kg. Drupe juicy, with a sweet and sour tart taste. They make various preparations (jam, jam, jam) and home-made drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. And from the leaves of dogwood tea is brewed.
Nutalla
Also known as mountain dogwood. The inflorescence, consisting of many flowers, is surrounded by 6 pale pink or white petals. Fruits are elliptical in shape, up to 10 mm long and 6 mm in diameter. It blooms in May. It grows in North America. The variety is noteworthy in that it costs a lot of money when buying, so it is specially grown for sale as an exotic plant.
Japanese
Japanese Dogwood, or Dören Coase, is a 3–6-meter bush or an 8–12-meter deciduous tree with small edible pink fruits. This plant is native to East Asia, including Korea, China and Japan. It is widely cultivated as a decorative dogwood, as it looks very impressive during flowering.
The snow-white bracts around the flowers create the illusion of large flowers that adorn the entire bush or tree. It begins to bloom in June, and this period lasts 6 weeks, until mid-summer. Fruits are most often round in shape and grow from 2 to 4 cm in diameter. The variety is included in the list of "75 of the best plants for American gardens." Important! Despite the frost resistance of dogwood, a temperature below –30 ° C is dangerous for it, as it can damage young shoots. Therefore, in regions with cold winters, the plant needs additional preparation for winter and shelter with warm materials.
Flowering
Blooming Dogwood, or Cornus Florida, grows in North America and the northern regions of Mexico . The tree is usually grown for decorative purposes in adjoining areas and in residential premises due to its spectacular flowering and original bark structure.
It is a deciduous tree reaching a height of 10 m and a trunk diameter of 30 cm. The maximum life span is 80 years. The flowers are small, surrounded by 4 greenish-yellow bracts. About 20 flowers develop in a dense, rounded umbrella-shaped inflorescence with a diameter of 1-2 cm. The inflorescence is surrounded by 4 large white, pink or red "petals", and each of them reaches 3 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width.
The fruits of this variety are clusters of 2–10 drupes 1–1.5 cm long and about 8 mm wide, ripening in late summer . They have a bright red, sometimes yellow color with a pink blush. Serve as food for many species of birds. Not being poisonous to humans, the fruits of this variety are nonetheless extremely acidic and unpleasant in taste.
Capitate
Dogwood Golovchaty, or a strawberry tree, hails from the wild forests of the Himalayas in China and India. Over time, the plant was cultivated in other countries, including the Caucasus and Russia. It can also be found on the Black Sea coast. This is an evergreen tree growing up to 12 m in height. Blooms in summer with white flowers.
The strawberry tree got its original name because of its large (up to 3 cm in diameter) fruits, which really look like strawberries both externally and in aroma. Only the taste is different, which is far from the taste of strawberries, so most often this variety of dogwood is grown for decorative purposes.
Dogwood varieties for Moscow region
In the gardens of the suburbs you can rarely meet dogwood. Among gardeners there is an erroneous opinion that the culture is not intended for cultivation in climatic conditions of central Russia. In fact, among all southern plants, dogwood has the highest frost resistance and is least susceptible to disease. You only need to know the rules of planting and caring for it and choose the right variety. Next, popular dogwood varieties that can be grown in the specified region will be considered. Did you know? Due to its longevity (100–250 years), endurance and strength, dogwood is considered a sacred plant in some peoples. Caucasians revere him as the patron saint of the family and home, and in Bulgaria on Christmas you can hear a knock on the door with a cornel stick, personifying vitality and longevity.
Semen
Semen refers to late-ripening dogwood varieties. The approximate fruiting period is mid-September. It was bred in Crimea in 1985. Pear-shaped fruits upon ripening acquire a rich dark cherry color, close to black. Their average weight is 6 g. The taste is sweet and sour and slightly tart, the pulp is dense. Perfect for canning, preparing drinks, jam, jam, etc.
Firefly
This variety produces some of the largest berries (7–7.5 g) and has a high yield (50 kg per season). The shape of the fruit is pear-shaped, the color is dark red, the flesh is very juicy. Ripening occurs in late August - early September. Firefly is very popular due to the variety and pleasant taste of dishes and preserves that can be prepared from it.
Amber
The medium-late variety of dogwood Amber differs, perhaps, by one of the smallest fruits (3–3.5 g) and their yellow color. Berries ripen during the month - from mid-August to mid-September. From the fruits of this plant, wonderful desserts are obtained with a delicate yellow pulp, astringent aroma and a sweet and sour taste.
Elegant
The variety is represented by a low neat tree up to 2 m tall with a cup-shaped crown. Elegant Dogwood bears fruit in early August with small fruits (4–5 g) of cherry color, bottle-shaped with delicately curved narrowed necks. The pulp is juicy, aromatic, kilo-sweet. If you leave the berries on the tree longer, then they become more sweet.
Vladimirsky
It is considered the largest and most fruitful variety. The mass of berries reaches 7–8 g, and the yield of an adult plant is 55–60 kg. Ripens long enough in the second half of August, and at the end of the month you can harvest from berries of dark red, almost black color with a delicate, sweet taste with sourness.
The positive property of Vladimir dogwood is that its fruits do not crumble for a long time and are firmly attached to the branches. Good for use both fresh and in processed products. Shelf life of fresh berries - 1 week. Read more about the description of varieties of dogwood Vladimirsky.
Bilda
The Bilda cultivar is distinguished by a thick oval crown and the same size of pear-shaped fruits, smooth and large (an average of 7 g). Dense and juicy sweet and sour flesh is easily separated from the bone. Berries ripen in the second half of August, and do not fall for a long time, hang until the first frost. It is characterized by winter hardiness and resistance to summer hot weather.
Lukyanovsky
Kizil Lukyanovsky is characterized by high productivity (up to 70 kg per adult plant), a compact round crown and bottle shape with dark scarlet fruits . The crop ripens in late August, tentatively from the 20th. The ripe berry weighs 5–6 g, has a characteristic dogwood aroma and a juicy, dense flesh of sweet and sour taste. A sign of full ripening is an almost black color of the berry.
Vydubitsky
Stably high productivity, large berries firmly attached to branches, annual fruiting and resistance to diseases and pests are the advantages for which the dogwood varieties Vydubitsky are often chosen for planting in the Moscow Region and beyond. From 1 bush, an average of 60 kg of berries is harvested per season. The maximum weight of the fruit is 7.6 g. Smooth and shiny on the outside, they have a delicate cornel aroma and juicy tasty pulp.
Helena
The early variety Elena bears fruit in early August and ripens in just 4–5 days. It was bred by crossing other dogwood varieties in 1975, especially for regions with severe frosts down to –35 ° С. Therefore, it is characterized by high winter hardiness. Fruits are one-dimensional, weighing 5 g, when ripe, they do not blacken, but remain saturated red. From 1 plant, 40 kg of crop is harvested per season.
Mikhailovsky
Large-fruited variety with pear-shaped fruits of bright red color, which begin to ripen in the first decade of August. The tree is medium-sized with a compact crown. The variety is praised for its productivity, versatility in processing, excellent taste of berries and excellent transportability, as it tolerates any transport well.
In addition to the varieties described above, varieties of dogwood such as Volgogradsky, Nikolka, Korallovy, Vyshgorodsky, Fedorovsky, Primorsky and a number of varieties are generally suitable for the Moscow Region and Russia. All of them are similar in that they are undemanding in care, tolerate frost and drought well, bear fruit well and bring a high yield. And the main advantage of them is that their fruits are very tasty and healthy.
