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Golden rhododendron, or, as it is called in Siberia, kashkara or blackmane, belongs to perennial, frost-resistant, low shrubs from the Heather family. Thanks to its beautiful and long-lasting flowering, the plant has found wide application in the design of personal plots. In addition to being highly decorative, golden rhododendron has medicinal properties. A decoction of the leaves and medicinal tea are used in the treatment of infectious and pulmonary diseases.
Description of golden rhododendron
Golden rhododendron is an evergreen, perennial plant that grows in the Far East and Siberia. Prefers moist soil, rocky slopes and areas under the cedar canopy.
Golden rhododendron is a small plant, no more than 1 m in size.The spreading crown is formed by brown shoots covered with leathery, dark emerald leaves. At the beginning of summer, large flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm, collected in groups of 3-5, appear at the ends of the shoots. The cherry red or orange stigma is surrounded by pale lemon mottled petals. This combination of colors makes the golden rhododendron even more decorative. Flowering is long lasting, lasting 30-45 days.
After flowering, seed pods with small seeds appear on the golden rhododendron. To extend the flowering period, faded inflorescences must be removed in a timely manner so that the plant does not waste energy on ripening the seeds. All the beauty of golden rhododendron can be seen in the photo:
What are the benefits of golden rhododendron (kashkara)
Golden rhododendron has medicinal properties and is widely used in home life:
- rhododendron petals help get rid of stye on the eye and eliminate diaper rash;
- tincture of leaves is recommended for use for migraines, insomnia and neuroses;
- essential oils with a pleasant aroma are obtained from the plant, which are used in aromatherapy;
- golden rhododendron is used in the shoe industry as a tannin;
- In households, flowers are used as a remedy for moths.
Applications of rhododendron aureus
Golden rhododendron is used in folk medicine. But before using a medicinal medicine, you need to know the medicinal properties and contraindications of golden rhododendron.
To prepare medicinal infusions, tinctures and decoctions, flowers and leaves are collected from a 2-3-year-old plant, from late May to mid-June.The workpiece is carefully removed from the bush and dried in the fresh air under a canopy. The raw materials are laid out in 1 layer, stirring periodically for uniform drying.
Preparations prepared from rhododendron have bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and tonic properties. Infusions, tinctures and decoctions are recommended for use for the following diseases:
- hypertension;
- stomatitis and gum diseases;
- with cervical erosion;
- colds;
- skin diseases;
- colitis, enterocolitis and enteritis.
In homeopathy, rhododendron aureus is used:
- with severe symptoms of gout and rheumatism, which appear in hot weather before a thunderstorm;
- for headaches and joint pains that worsen in cold and rainy weather;
- with hearing loss with ringing in the ears;
- for trigeminal neuralgia, toothache, gum inflammation;
- with stabbing pain in the spleen area, which intensifies with fast walking;
- for joint pain that worsens when walking or when the weather changes.
Recipes for using golden rhododendron in folk medicine:
- Infusion for colds and infectious diseases – 1 tbsp. l. crushed dried leaves are poured into a glass of boiled, hot water and left for about 1 hour. Use 1 tsp. 4 times a day for 3-5 days. The same infusion can be used to treat purulent wounds, treat boils and carbuncles.
- Tincture for radiculitis - add 3 tbsp to 500 ml of vodka. l. dry leaves. The bottle is put in a dark place and left for about 2 weeks. Take 3-4 times a day after meals, diluting the tincture with water in a ratio of 1:4.
Contraindications to rhododendron aureus
Despite the large number of beneficial properties, we must not forget that golden rhododendron is a poisonous plant and therefore has a number of contraindications.
Honey obtained from rhododendron flowers is very toxic, so when consumed 2-3 tbsp. l. Diarrhea, vomiting, fever and heart failure may develop, including loss of consciousness.
Medicine from golden rhododendron is contraindicated:
- pregnant and lactating women;
- hypotensive patients;
- people with chronic kidney and liver diseases;
- children under 15 years old.
An overdose of a natural medicine may cause headache, nausea and vomiting, characterized by a decrease in blood pressure, cardiac dysfunction, shortness of breath and suffocation. If one of the symptoms appears, you must urgently call an ambulance. Before the doctors arrive, the patient must be laid down, unbuttoned with constrictive clothing, open the windows for fresh air, and give activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet per kg of weight.
Growing golden rhododendron
In order for golden rhododendron to grow and develop well and not be subject to diseases and pest attacks, you need to know the rules of planting and care. If the rules are followed, the low-growing golden rhododendron will go well with coniferous crops, in rock gardens, in rocky gardens, in single and group plantings.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Golden rhododendron prefers to grow in fertile, well-drained soil without stagnant water, in a shaded area with diffused light.Rhododendron will grow well among apple and pear trees, since fruit trees have a taproot system and will not take away nutrients and moisture from the bush.
Seedling preparation
It is better to purchase golden rhododendron seedlings at 2-3 years of age. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the root system; it should be well developed, without signs of rot or mechanical damage. When purchasing a seedling with open roots, before planting, it is soaked for 2-3 hours in warm water with the addition of a root formation stimulator.
Landing rules
Golden rhododendron can be planted in spring and autumn. Spring planting is suitable for regions with an unstable climate, since during the summer season the rhododendron will grow its root system and better withstand the cold winter.
14 days before planting a young rhododendron, it is necessary to prepare a planting hole. To do this, dig up the place with a shovel, add rotted compost, conifer bark and turf soil. If the acidity is high, slaked lime or dolomite flour is added when digging. If several specimens are planted, the interval between holes is maintained at 1-1.5 m. Planting golden rhododendron:
- A 15 cm layer of drainage (expanded clay, broken brick or small pebbles) is laid in a planting hole measuring 60x40 cm.
- The drainage is sprinkled with nutritious soil in the form of a mound.
- The root system of the seedling is carefully straightened and placed on a prepared mound, so that the root collar is located at the level of the ground surface.
- The rhododendron is sprinkled with earth, compacting each layer so that there is no air space left.
- The planted plant is abundantly watered and mulched. Mulch will retain moisture, save the root system from overheating and stop the growth of weeds.
Without timely care, you cannot achieve beautiful and lush flowering. Care lies in timely watering and fertilizing, sanitary and formative pruning, as well as taking preventive measures against diseases and pests.
Watering and fertilizing
To lay flower buds, rhododendron needs enough moisture to moisten the soil by 20-30 cm. Irrigation is carried out in the morning or evening hours. Each adult plant consumes up to 10 liters of warm, settled water. To make the foliage shine and look decorative, the bush must be sprayed in dry summers, after sunset.
To obtain lush flowering, golden rhododendron needs nutritious soil. To do this, in the second year after planting, liquid fertilizers are applied to the bush 2-3 times per season:
- in the spring, before the buds open, use nitrogenous fertilizing;
- during flowering - complex mineral fertilizers;
- 2 weeks before frost - phosphorus-potassium fertilizing.
A lack of nutrients, as well as an excess, negatively affects the growth and development of golden rhododendron. Nutritional deficiency can be determined by the appearance of the bush:
- the leaf plate becomes discolored;
- growth and development slows down;
- bud formation is minimal;
- the bush loses its attractiveness.
Trimming
Golden rhododendron does not need formative pruning, since the plant can independently form a spherical crown.But so that the bush does not lose its decorative appearance and fungal diseases do not join it, it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning. In spring and autumn, they get rid of frozen, dry and overgrown shoots.
In order for the golden rhododendron to show lush flowering year after year, all faded inflorescences must be broken out in a timely manner so that the plant does not waste energy on ripening the seeds.
Preparing for winter
Kashkara blackmane or golden rhododendron is a frost-resistant plant that can withstand cold temperatures down to - 25 °C. But in order not to lose a beautifully flowering specimen, the young plant must be covered for 3 years after planting. For this:
- 2 weeks before frost, rhododendron is watered generously and fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
- To protect the root system from frost, the tree trunk circle is mulched.
- After the air temperature drops to below zero, the branches are arranged with spruce branches and tied with twine.
- The crown is covered with burlap or agrofibre.
- The shelter is removed after the snow melts, in cloudy weather.
Reproduction
Golden rhododendron is often propagated by cuttings, cuttings and dividing the bush.
Bends – in spring, the lower branch is placed in a trench, leaving the top above the surface. Cover with nutritious soil, water generously and mulch. After a year, the shoot will take root, it can be separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a prepared place.
Cuttings – after flowering, shoots 10-15 cm long are cut from the top of the bush.The planting material is kept in a root formation stimulator and planted at an acute angle in nutrient soil. For rapid rooting, cuttings need to create a greenhouse effect. When new foliage appears, the cuttings are planted in separate containers of larger volume. For the winter, the plant is transferred to a cool room, not forgetting to irrigate regularly.
Dividing the bush – after rejuvenating pruning, the plant is carefully dug up, trying not to damage the surface roots. The bush is divided into divisions, so that each part has healthy roots and a growth bud. Young plants are planted, and if agrotechnical rules are followed, they will quickly grow and at the end of spring they will show themselves in all their glory.
Diseases and pests
Golden rhododendron is immune to diseases and pests. But if the rules of care are not followed, the following may appear on the plant:
- Rhododendron bug – the pest often appears on the inside of the leaf blade. Without treatment, the foliage dries out and falls off. Treatment consists of spraying the bushes with broad-spectrum insecticides.
- Spider mite – appears on the plant in hot, dry weather. The pest sucks the juice from the plant and covers the entire above-ground part with a thin web. You can get rid of the insect by spraying it with Aktar 2-3 times.
- Chlorosis – the disease appears when care rules are not followed and when the plant is grown on acidified soil. The first signs of the disease are the appearance of red or yellow spots on the leaf blade.
For preventative purposes, the shrub must be treated with Bordeaux mixture twice a season, and timely care and sanitary pruning must be carried out.
Conclusion
Golden rhododendron is a godsend for gardeners, as the plant will decorate the garden plot and help against many diseases. The shrub is unpretentious, frost-resistant and, thanks to its low height, looks great in rock gardens, rocky gardens and among conifers and ornamental plants.
