Content
Buddleia Davida Black Knight is a breeding variety of Buddleia vulgaris from the Norichnikov family. The historical homeland of the tall shrub is China, South Africa. Through hybridization, more than 100 varieties of ornamental plants with a variety of colors, shapes and bush heights have been obtained. Buddleia Davida Black Knight, shown in the photo, is the darkest representative of the species based on the color of its inflorescences. Widely used for landscape decoration.
History of selection
The new type of ornamental shrub was noticed by the wandering missionary and naturalist monk David. The plant, native to China, has not previously been described in any botanical reference book. The monk sent a herbarium version to England to the researcher of new specimens, biologist Rene Franchet. The scientist made a complete description of the plant and gave it a name in honor of the rector of the university in the town of Essex (England) Adam Buddle, a botanist of the 8th century.
Nowadays, buddleia bears a double name in honor of the discoverer and outstanding researcher in the field of biology.Subsequently, selection work was carried out, on the basis of a wild crop, new species were obtained, adapted to the weather conditions of Europe and then Russia. The Buddleia variety Davida Black Knight is one of the relatively frost-resistant representatives of the species grown in the Russian Federation.
Description of Buddleia David Black Knight
The deciduous plant is cultivated for its decorative value and long flowering period. The spreading shrub reaches 1.5 m in height and 1.2 m in width. Flowering begins in the third year of growth. External characteristics of Buddleia Black Knight:
- The medium-sized bush forms upright branches of medium thickness with drooping tops, and shoot formation is intense. The structure of the stems is rigid, flexible, perennial shoots are colored light green with a gray tint, young shoots are closer to beige.
- The root system of buddleia is superficial, widely spread, the central root is deep within 1 m.
- Buddleia variety, densely leafy with oval-lanceolate leaves arranged oppositely. The leaf blade is pointed, 20-25 cm long, the surface is smooth with a small, sparse edge. The color is light green with a blue tint.
- The flowers are about 1.2 cm in diameter, lilac or dark purple with an orange core, collected in spike-shaped plumes 35-40 cm long, erect inflorescences are formed at the tops of the shoots.
The perennial blooms in one place for more than 10 years. Outwardly it resembles lilac, flowering time is from August to October. The variety is a honey plant and attracts insects with its aroma. Frequent guests on the inflorescences are butterflies and bees.According to reviews from gardeners, the Buddleia Davida Black Knight variety can be grown almost throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation with a temperate and warm climate. Buddleia is widely used in design in the Caucasus and Central Russia. The plant is not suitable for cultivation in cold climates.
Frost resistance, drought resistance
Buddleia's natural habitat is in warm, humid climates. The variety safely tolerates frosts down to -20 0C, the decrease causes shoots to freeze. In spring, buddleia quickly forms a replacement, restoring the crown. Inflorescences form on the tops of young shoots in the same season.
In the climatic conditions of the Moscow region, the Urals or Siberia, where winters are long and cold, the Davida Black Knight buddleia variety is grown in compliance with winter shelter technology. The plant will restore damaged stems, but frozen roots will lead to the death of the buddleia.
The crop is highly drought-resistant; light-loving buddleia does not tolerate shaded areas. A sufficient amount of sunlight is required for full vegetation and photosynthesis. Young shrubs need constant watering; mature bushes need seasonal rainfall twice a month.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Buddleia Davida variety Black Knight is a hybrid with high immunity to fungal and bacterial infection. There are practically no parasitic garden insects on the plant. In prolonged heat without sprinkling the bushes on the buddleia, aphids or whiteflies may spread. If the soil is waterlogged, the root system rots, and the pathological process can affect the entire plant.
Reproduction methods
In the wild, buddleia reproduces by seeds and self-sowing, covering quite impressive territories.The Buddleia David variety Black Knight can also be propagated on the site by seeds or cuttings. The difficulty of seed propagation for temperate climates is that the planting material does not have time to ripen before the onset of frost. It is better to use the cutting method.
Technology for growing Buddleia David variety Black Knight with seeds:
- In early spring, planting material is mixed with sand.
- Prepare low containers and add peat mixed with organic matter 2:1.
- Seeds are sown on top and sprinkled with soil.
- The surface is moistened and covered with film.
- Containers are placed in a room with a temperature of +18 0C.
After 2.5 weeks, the buddleia seedlings germinate, the film is removed from the container, and they are fed with complex fertilizers. If the top layer is dry, moisten the soil. When the young shoots of buddleia form 3 leaves, they are dived into peat glasses.
In the Southern regions, seeds of this variety can be sown directly into the ground on the site.
Propagation of Buddleia Davida variety Black Knight by cuttings is a more productive method. The young plant retains its varietal qualities, the survival rate of cuttings is 98%. One-year-old shoots or woody stems are suitable for propagation. The scheme for growing buddleia by cuttings consists of the following steps. In the spring, cuttings of about 10 cm are cut from young shoots, immediately placed in the soil on the site, covered with cut plastic bottles, with the neck up for watering. By autumn the buddleia will take root.
Planting material 20 cm long is cut from perennial branches in the fall. The prepared fragments are stored in a cool place, perhaps in the refrigerator in the vegetable department, until spring.In the spring, buddleia is planted in the ground and covered with film, after 65 days the seedling will take root, the covering material is removed.
In cold winter conditions, the Buddleia Davida Black Knight variety is recommended to be planted in a permanent place at the age of two. The cuttings are placed in a large container, taken out to the site in the spring, and brought indoors before the onset of cold weather. You can propagate the buddleia variety by dividing the mother bush; this method has a serious disadvantage, since an adult plant does not tolerate transplantation well.
Landing Features
Buddleia Davida variety Black Knight is planted in the spring, when the weather has fully recovered and there is no threat of return frosts. Favorable periods for carrying out work are from May to the end of June. In autumn, buddleia can only be planted in the south. Landing requirements:
- Select a seedling with a healthy root system, without damage or dry areas. Before placement in the ground, the material is placed in an antifungal agent, then in a growth stimulator.
- The site is chosen on the south or east side, open, without shading and close proximity to groundwater.
- The soil composition is neutral, fertile, loose.
- They dig a planting hole 25 cm wide and 55 cm deep. Drainage (gravel, expanded clay, pebbles) is laid at the bottom, a layer of peat mixed with compost is placed on top, the seedling is placed vertically and covered with soil.
After planting, buddleia is watered and mulched.
Aftercare
The agricultural technology of the Buddleia Davida Black Knight variety includes watering young shrubs up to 2 years of growth once a week, provided there is no precipitation. For an adult plant, 1 time per month is sufficient. The bush needs sprinkling every evening, regardless of the growing season.
Loosen the soil as it grows weed and drying out of the top layer of soil.Young bushes of Buddleia Davida Black Knight are fed at the root in the spring, suitable superphosphate fertilizer "Kemira Universal".
To preserve the decorative appearance of the shrub, the variety requires cosmetic pruning during flowering. Faded flower stalks are removed and new ones are formed in their place. In the spring, old shoots and dry fragments are pruned, and the bush is thinned out. Trim the length and, if necessary, reduce the width of the bush. Formative cutting of buddleias of this variety is carried out at will.
In autumn, the root circle is mulched with dry sawdust, leaves or straw. In spring, the layer is replaced with peat mixed with straw or pine needles.
Preparing for winter
Young seedlings of Buddleia Davida Black Knight need crown cover; a cap is made of polyethylene stretched over arcs on top, covered with spruce branches or dry leaves, and covered with snow in winter. Mulching is indicated for adult buddleia and annual ones. For the Buddleia variety Davida Black Knight, after two years of growing season, the roots are spudded, covered with a layer of mulch (15 cm), and the trunks are wrapped in fabric.
The main task is to preserve the root system of buddleia. If the winter has low temperatures and minimal snow, the shoots will freeze, they are pruned in the spring, the variety quickly produces young shoots, and flowers form on new stems.
Disease and pest control
Buddleia Davida is not affected by infection; if waterlogging causes rotting, the variety is treated with an antibacterial agent. The drug “Actellik” and the destruction of a nearby colony of ants will help in the fight against aphids. Whitefly moth caterpillars are eliminated using the contact agent “Keltan”; buddleia treatment is carried out in sunny weather.
Application of Buddleia Black Knight in landscape design
A medium-sized perennial with a long flowering period, it is used in group and single plantings. The photo shows the Black Knight buddleia variety as a design option.
In landscape design, buddleia is used as:
- background on discounts;
- accent in the central part of the flowerbed;
- hedges;
- designing a garden path to match the visual perception of the alley;
- delimitation of parts of the garden;
- camouflage option along the fence.
In city recreation areas, parks and squares, Buddleia Davida Black Knight is planted along alleys, near sanitary zones, like a hedge. The decorative variety of buddleia looks harmonious with low-growing plants in rockeries and on the sides of an alpine hill. Combines with juniper and dwarf coniferous trees.
Conclusion
Buddleia Davida Black Knight is a variety created for landscaping. A medium-sized shrub with long-lasting decorative flowering and easy to care for. The plant's frost resistance allows it to be grown in temperate climates. The high level of drought resistance of the variety is a priority for gardeners and landscape designers in the Southern region.
