Content
Alder leaf cletra is a beautiful ornamental plant that is very popular in landscape design. An additional advantage of the shrub is its unpretentiousness to growing conditions; caring for the plant is quite simple.
General description of alder cletra
Alder clethra is a perennial deciduous shrub from the Ericaceae family. North America is considered to be the birthplace of the plant; it grows mainly on the banks of reservoirs, but as an ornamental form the shrub is bred all over the world and grown in private gardens.
The height of the plant can reach 2 m or more; the crown of the shrub at a young age is vertical, and as it matures it becomes spherical or oval. The leaves of the plant bloom late - the bush becomes completely green only at the end of May. Photos and descriptions of cletra show that in autumn the crown of the shrub becomes bright yellow and very beautiful to look at.
When and how does alder clethra bloom?
Clethra is a shrub with late flowering periods. The first flowers appear on the shoots in July, and flowering continues until August-September. Alder clethra produces vertically pubescent panicles 5-16 cm long, formed by large white or pink flowers 8 mm in diameter. The plant is a good honey plant, which increases its value when grown in a summer cottage.
The use of alder cletra in landscape design
The clethra alder shrub is highly valued in landscape design because it allows you to decorate the garden at a time when most perennials and shrubs have already bloomed and lost their decorative appearance. Unlike most garden plants, alder-leaf clethra only gains maximum decorative value in mid-summer; it is completely covered with foliage and produces abundant bright flowers.
The plant looks attractive in single plantings. But it is no less often used in artistic compositions; for example, the shrub looks good next to wild rosemary or azalea.Also, amateurs often create groups of several different varieties of cletra and use the bush in alpine hills and rock gardens.
Common varieties of alder cletra
There are several dozen varieties of shrubs. But several varieties of ornamental plants are especially popular among gardeners.
Pink Spire
This variety is the most popular because it demonstrates high unpretentiousness. For example, the frost resistance of Pink Spire cletra allows the plant to withstand temperatures down to -29 °C.
Cletra alder Pink Spire produces inflorescences of a very pleasant soft pink color, and its flowering begins towards the end of July.
Hummingbird
Another popular variety is the Hummingbird alnifolia, which blooms in dense panicles of bright white. The variety is also characterized by increased frost resistance and is suitable for cultivation in gardens throughout the entire central zone; it tolerates frosts down to -29 ° C.
Ruby Spice
The Ruby Spice variety shrub is distinguished by its beautiful flowering; the plant produces short fluffy panicles of dark pink flowers at the end of July or August. The foliage of Ruby Spice is dark green, very dense, and in the fall it turns bright yellow and does not fall off for a long time.
September Beauty
The variety Beauty of September is a late variety - this variety of cletra blooms in September. The photo of alder leaf cletra shows that the flowers of the plant are white, small, and look great against the background of the dark green foliage of the bush. After flowering, closer to cold weather, the plant acquires a bright yellow crown color.
How does alder cletra reproduce?
To propagate shrubs in a summer cottage, mainly 3 vegetative methods are used:
- Cuttings. Green shoots are cut in the spring, first rooted in temporary containers and grown at a temperature of about 18 ° C, and at the end of May they are planted in open ground on the site.
- By layering. This method is suitable for propagation from an adult plant - one of the low-lying branches is bent to the ground, placed in a shallow trench, fixed and sprinkled with soil. The cuttings are watered for a month, usually this time is enough for rooting. Then the shoot is separated from the main bush and planted in a permanent place for growing.
- Root shoots. Since mature alder cletra produces many root shoots, they can be separated and used for propagation. It is recommended to cut the shoots in the spring after the very first leaves appear; the shoots are usually planted in temporary containers, followed by transplantation into the ground in early summer.
Alder cletra is rarely propagated using seeds. Planting material is sown in the soil in indoor pots or in greenhouses, usually in December. After 3 weeks, shoots should appear, and then the sprouts will only need to be looked after until spring comes and the plant is transferred to open ground.
Landing rules
In order for alder leaf clethra to delight you with beautiful flowering and a lush crown in your summer cottage, it must be planted correctly. You need to take into account the landing site and soil composition, as well as other nuances.
Recommended timing
The growing season for alder cletra begins quite late; the plant begins to leaf out only towards the end of spring.Therefore, it is recommended to plant shrubs in the ground in May, when the soil has completely warmed up and the clethra is ready for active development.
Site selection and soil preparation
Alder cletra is a shrub that needs good shade. The plant should be planted under the cover of taller bushes or trees, in the shade or in a place where shade is established at least in the afternoon.
As for the soil, alder clethra prefers loose and acidic soil; it cannot be planted on alkaline and fertile soils. The following soil mixture will be optimal for shrubs - forest soil and sand are mixed in equal proportions, and then more peat and a little sawdust are added.
Landing algorithm
The site for planting alder cletra is prepared as follows:
- the upper part of the soil is removed to a depth of about 10 cm;
- dig a planting hole; it should be approximately twice the size of the plant’s root system;
- a drainage system is organized at the bottom of the hole, and a prepared soil mixture of sand, peat and forest soil is poured from above to half of the hole;
- water the soil with water with dissolved citric acid or apple cider vinegar - add 100 ml of solution to a bucket of water;
- The seedling is carefully lowered in the center of the hole and covered with earth until the end.
Features of cultivation
Growing Pink Spire alder cletra or any other variety is quite easy.The shrub does not require any special measures; it is enough to adhere to the watering regime and trim the plant regularly.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Alder leaf clethra does not tolerate drought well, so it needs to be watered frequently and abundantly. You need to especially carefully monitor soil moisture on dry summer days - the soil should not dry out. It is recommended to water in the early morning or late afternoon, in the absence of bright sun, and the water for the plant should be well-settled and slightly warm.
Ornamental shrubs almost do not need fertilizing - this is one of its advantages. In the first year, alder clethra has enough acids and sulfur added to the soil during planting. Subsequently, the shrub can be fed annually before flowering with liquid complex fertilizers.
Pruning rules
Pruning for the plant is carried out mainly for sanitary purposes; every year in early spring or autumn, all dried and broken shoots must be removed. It is also recommended to remove root shoots, which grow very quickly, and pinch the tops of young shoots. This allows you to achieve maximum decorativeness of the bush, since it forces the cletra to produce new branches.
Preparing for winter
Reviews of Pink Spire alderfolia and other varieties claim that the plant has excellent frost resistance - it is not afraid of cold temperatures down to -29 °C. Therefore, alder-leaf clethra in the Moscow region can only be mulched with peat or sawdust for the winter, this will prevent the roots from freezing.
In more northern regions, during the winter, the bush can be bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches or lutrasil.
Pests and diseases
The plant is rarely affected by diseases and insects.Of the fungal diseases, late blight, which develops in conditions of high humidity, is mainly dangerous for it. The main symptom of the disease is the appearance of gray spots on the leaves and drying out of the branches. Late blight is treated with fungicidal agents or copper sulfate; all diseased parts of the bush are removed.
Among the pests that are dangerous for alder cletra, the scale insect is an insect that damages leaves and shoots. When a pest appears on a plant, it is necessary to treat it with a regular soap solution or use insecticides in case of severe infestation.
Conclusion
Clethra alnifolia is a beautiful flowering shrub that is undemanding to grow. The plant becomes especially attractive in mid-summer and remains decorative until autumn, for which it is valued by gardeners.
