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Viburnum foliage was brought to Europe in the 19th century. from the American continent. In the wild, the plant is found along river banks and in mixed forests. Bladderwort Purpurea is one of the types of deciduous shrubs, popular among gardeners because of its unpretentiousness and high decorative qualities.
Description of vesicular carp Purpurea
Botanists classify the vesicular carp as a member of the Rosaceae family. Purpurea is one of one and a half dozen species of this beautiful shrub.
Bushes of viburnum-leaved bladderwort are spreading. The drooping arrangement of the branches of Purpurea makes the shape of the crown look like a ball, reaching a diameter of one and a half to two meters. This type of bladderwort received its name for the reddish color of the foliage. The purple color of the leaves, consisting of three or five lobes, does not change throughout the summer and autumn.
The relatively low (up to 2 m) shrub blooms in May-June.Small simple white or light pink flowers with many stamens are collected in inflorescences - scale insects.
Purpurea seeds are no less decorative. The swollen reddish leaflets do not fall from the branches until late autumn.
Bladderwort Purpurea in landscape design
The fast-growing Purpurrea shrub with amazingly beautiful foliage color is used in landscape design to create hedges.
To create contrast, different types of bladderwort are planted. The combination of red, green and red colors allows you to create spectacular plantings. The Purpurea vesiculus looks unusual in group plantings of shrubs and trees of different heights, shapes and colors.
A low, bright shrub is used as a border for zoning a garden. This unpretentious plant lends itself well to pruning, which allows you to give the crop incredible shapes.
Growing conditions for the viburnum-leaved variety Purpurea
When choosing a place to plant Purpurea, you should take into account that in the shade the leaves of the shrub turn pale and acquire a green color with a touch of purple. The shrub is not too picky about soil. The shrub will show its decorative qualities fully on well-fertilized loam.
Planting and caring for Viburnum foliage Purpurea
It is better to plant the Purpurea vesiculus in the fall. However, if the seedling is purchased with a closed root system, then it can be planted in a permanent place at any time.
Preparing the landing site
The pits for planting bladderwort must be prepared in advance.It is important that the root collar of the plant is at ground level. About 2 weeks before the planned planting of the shrub, the holes need to be filled with a mixture of peat and turf soil. River sand and compost should be added to them. Coarse drainage must be laid at the bottom of the hole. If the soil is acidic, then you definitely need to add lime. Bladderwort grows well in neutral soil. By the time the bladderwort is planted, the soil in the hole will have settled, which will allow you to correctly calculate the depth of installation of the seedling
Landing rules
The seedling should be installed in the prepared hole along with a lump of earth. The space needs to be filled with prepared soil mixture and moistened. Mulch the top with peat, compost or a special cloth.
The distance between plants should be about 2 m. If you plan to install a border or hedge, then the holes need to be prepared at a distance of about half a meter. When planting in two lines, 45–50 cm should be left between rows.
Watering and fertilizing
The soil in the tree trunk circle must be moist until the shrub takes root. In the future, watering should be done as it dries. Purpurea bladderwort does not tolerate drought. In summer, watering is recommended at least 2 times a week. An adult plant requires up to 40 liters of water.
When watering, you need to make sure that moisture does not get on the leaves, flowers and fruits. In bright sunlight, water droplets may cause burns. You should water the bladderwort in the evening or early in the morning.
Fertilizing is carried out in the spring during the period of swelling of the buds and in early autumn. In April, you can use a nutrient solution consisting of mullein and urea or ammonium nitrate.For an adult plant, one and a half buckets of nutrient liquid is enough, which is prepared at the rate of 10 liters of water, 0.5 liters of fresh cow manure and 20 g of nitrogen fertilizer.
For autumn feeding, it is recommended to use nitroammophoska in a proportion of 50 g per 10 liters of water. This amount is enough to fertilize two bladderwrack bushes.
Trimming
The formation of the bush is carried out after flowering has completed. In this case, you should remove excess shoots at a height of half a meter.
In the spring, it is necessary to carry out a sanitary trimming of the bladderwort. To do this, it is recommended to remove all frostbitten or diseased branches with pruning shears or a sharp knife.
The older the plant, the more often rejuvenating pruning of branches is required. To do this, it is necessary to completely remove old shoots. And cut the rest to a side branch.
Formative trimming of Purpurea hedges should be done at least 2 times a month. The first can be done before the buds swell around the beginning of April.
Preparing for winter
Bladderwort Purpurea tolerates winter cold well. But young branches may suffer without shelter. Therefore, it is important to properly prepare shrub seedlings for hibernation.
First of all, it is necessary to insulate the tree trunk circle. To do this, in the fall, a thick layer of mulch from mature compost or peat is laid around the bush: it should be about 10 cm. Sequence of actions:
- Trim overgrown branches.
- Tie the bush with twine.
- Cover with a cover made of lutrasil or roofing felt.
Young Purpurea seedlings can be covered with pine spruce branches, having previously tied them, along with adult bushes.
Reproduction
To propagate bladderwrack in a garden plot, you can germinate ripened seeds. This process is quite complicated. For germination it is necessary to carry out stratification (cold treatment). But this method has a significant drawback. After its use, vesiculus Purpurea rarely retains the color of its leaves, which is why it is valuable.
Experienced gardeners advise propagating ornamental shrubs by vegetative methods.
Cuttings
Cuttings are harvested before the bush begins to flower. Fresh shoots are cut, making sure that each shoot has up to three internodes. The height of the cutting can be 15 - 25 cm. It is necessary to remove all the lower leaves and shorten the upper ones by half.
For speedy rooting, it is necessary to keep the prepared planting material in a root-forming solution (Kornevin or similar).
To obtain healthy seedlings, cuttings are planted in a mixture of sand and peat for the entire season. It is advisable to use small film shelters. Throughout the summer, rooted cuttings must be ventilated and the soil moisture monitored.
Young bushes are covered for the winter. The plant should be planted in a permanent area in the spring of next year.
Reproduction by layering
The method of propagation by layering is suitable even for beginners. It is important to clear a healthy young branch of the bladderwort from foliage, leaving only the topmost leaves. After this you need:
- Prepare a trench 10 - 15 cm deep and the length of the branch.
- Place in the groove.
- Secure with a wooden pin.
- Sprinkle with nutritious soil mixture.
During the summer, you should regularly water the area with the buried branch. By autumn, young shoots of the Purpurea vesiculus will appear, as shown in the photo.They can be separated from the mother part and planted in place. Young seedlings must be covered for the winter.
Dividing the bush
You can propagate the Purpurea vesiculus by separating part of the root along with the shoots with a sharp spatula or knife. It is very important to carry out the procedure in a short time. If the root system of a new seedling dries out, the plant may die. You can divide the bush in both spring and autumn.
Diseases and pests
Bladderwort Purpurea is almost not susceptible to disease. With improper care and lack of microelements, it can suffer from chlorosis. But this problem is easy to deal with. If the leaves begin to change color and light spots appear on them, then it is enough to feed the bush with iron-containing preparations.
To treat a bush, a teaspoon of iron chelate per 5 liters of solution is enough. The preparation can be sprayed on the shrub on the foliage or applied to the roots.
Conclusion
The Purpurea vesica is deservedly loved by gardeners. Bright foliage, delicate flowers that change color throughout the season, and interesting fruits allow the shrub to be used to create beautiful garden compositions.
