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Princeberry varieties developed in recent years have made this berry popular among gardeners. Breeders managed to tame a wild plant and improve its characteristics. Today it is also possible to grow it on an industrial scale. The article provides descriptions of princely varieties with photos and reviews about it.
Types and varieties of princelings
Knyazhenika is a perennial subshrub of the Rosaceae family with an average height of about 20 cm. It is also known by many names, including clearberry, drupe, midday or arctic raspberry. In the wild it is found in the Urals, the Far East and Siberia, covering the northern and middle climatic zones. Taste qualities are considered the best of all berries.
The leaves are trifoliate, covered with wrinkles, have petioles and two stipules. In mid-summer, pink flowers appear on the bushes. The fruits can be collected in late August and September; they are a drupe that looks like raspberries. Weight is within 1-2 g. Color varies from cherry to purple. The taste is sweet and sour, there is a pineapple aroma. The above-ground part of the bush dies off every year.
Wild princess (Rúbus arcticus) is found in forests and meadows, along river banks, and in swamps in the northern regions. The bush reaches a height of 20-25 cm. The yield is extremely low. The flowers have a violet-purple color.
The cultivated princess, which gardeners grow on their plots, also bears little fruit even with abundant flowering. This prevented its wide distribution. Quite a lot of experiments have been carried out to increase its productivity.
Swedish and Finnish hybrids of princelings produce a little more berries. Breeders managed to preserve the taste of the berry, but at the same time increase fruiting. Since their breeding, the princely plant has been successfully cultivated in summer cottages and has gained popularity among gardeners.
The best varieties of princelings with descriptions and photos
To date, quite a large number of varieties of princelings have been bred. This allows it to be grown in different climatic conditions. Below are descriptions of popular varieties of princesses.
Astra
Princely bushes of the Astra variety reach 25 cm in height. The fruits are red, weighing about 2 g. Ripens in July. This is a hybrid of knyazhenika and kostyanika. When the bush is planted in spring and summer, it is already gaining strength, the rhizome becomes woody and is located at a depth of 15 cm. The stem is erect, triangular, and has scales at the base. The leaves are trifoliate, wrinkled, quite thin, reminiscent of raspberries.
Flowering is abundant and begins at the end of May. There are usually five petals, they are colored reddish-pink. The flowers are bisexual, apical, solitary, collected in racemes of three. The fruits are dark cherry or red in color, similar to blackberries, and have a strong aroma.
Princess variety Astra in the photo:
Aura
The bush of this hybrid of stonewort and princeling is considered large, its height is about 1 m. The plant is unpretentious and easily takes root after transplantation. The fruits are bright red, weigh about 2 g. They ripen late in September, but the berries continue to appear until October. The yield is high, like that of stone fruit, but at the same time the taste is like that of prince fruit. Caring for the bush is quite simple. Frost resistance is lower than that of wild berries.
Anna
It is a hybrid of knyazhenika and kostupnik, compact bushes up to 15 cm in size. The leaves are trifoliate, with a wrinkled surface, and have two stipules. The end of June marks the flowering of the Anna variety. The fruits are red, ripen in September, weigh between 1-2 g. The flowers are bisexual, 2 cm in size, pink in color. The berry is very aromatic and similar to raspberries, consisting of 30-50 small fruits. The taste is sweet, with sourness.
The photo shows a berry of the prince variety Anna, the description of which is given above:
Sofia
Knyazhenika variety Sofia has small bushes 10-15 cm tall. It is similar in size to wild strawberry. Grows well in sunny places. Flowering begins at the end of June and continues for 20 days. The buds are bright pink, on average 1.5 cm in diameter. The berries ripen by the end of August. The fruits of Knyazheniya Sofia are round, red in color, and have a sweet and sour taste. They are consumed both fresh and processed. The leaves can be dried and then brewed into tea.
Beata
Hybrid of princelings and early ripening stones. The bush reaches 30 cm in height. The Beata variety is large-fruited, the average weight of berries is 1.5 g. It blooms from the end of May, buds appear on the plant, colored purple. Princess Beata is easy to care for. The main condition is the choice of location - on the sunny side and with protection from the winds.The berries ripen in July, they taste sweet and are suitable for any type of processing.
Mespi
The plant has an erect stem 20 cm in height. The Mespi variety is distinguished by early ripening and large fruits. The berries are sweet and have a pineapple aroma. Their color varies depending on their location on the bush - in the open sun they are bright crimson, under the foliage they are light yellow with a reddish side. Grows well in moist soils in sunny places. In the wild, these are edges, thickets of low bushes, swamps, and damp forests.
Linda
Large-fruited hybrid of knyazhenika and early ripening stone fruit. Bush 15 cm, leaves trifoliate, long pubescent petioles. The flowers are apical, singly planted, bisexual with pink petals. The buds appear at the end of June, and the fruits at the end of July. The berries have a pronounced sweet taste with notes of pineapple; their color can range from red to purple, with a bluish coating. The weight of the fetus is on average 1.2 g.
Susanna
High-yielding variety of princesses of Finnish selection. The average ripening period is July-August. The fruits are large and sweet in taste. The plant is quite unpretentious and adapted to growing in various climatic conditions.
OLPEE (Elpee)
One of the new productive varieties of Finnish selection. It is resistant to pyrenosporosis and does not require much effort in care. The average height of the bush is 35 cm, the rhizome is long, thin and creeping. Flowering occurs in June. The taste of the fruit is high. The berries themselves are large, ripen in August, and are colored purple with a bluish tinge.
Prefers slightly shaded places, protected from open winds.
Nectar
By crossing raspberries and princelings, Finnish breeders obtained the Heisa nectar raspberry. The bush is large, grows up to 1.5 m in height. Caring for the plant is the same as for ordinary raspberries, including cutting out shoots in the spring. It is best to place the Nektarnaya variety in open sunny places.
The fruits do not ripen simultaneously, but at intervals of two weeks. The berries look like raspberries, but the taste corresponds to the princely fruit with a characteristic pineapple aroma. Nectar raspberry has retained all the beneficial properties of the northern berry.
Pima
The variety has long been known and has proven itself well among gardeners. The large-fruited princess variety Pima is of early ripening, the berries appear as early as July. The bush grows up to 25 cm. The leaves are trifoliate, ovoid, equipped with two stipules.
When flowering, it is quite decorative; the petals can be painted white, pink or crimson, depending on the shape and location of growth. This allows you to plant the princess in flower beds and borders, and decorate your area with it. The fruits are red, the intensity of their color depends on the degree of illumination. The taste of the berries is sweet, the characteristic aroma is present.
Knyazheniki varieties for regions
Knyazhenika is a northern berry, but breeders have successfully adapted it for warmer climates. A large number of varieties allow you to choose the right one. The difference in taste between them is small, all of them are very high.
For the Moscow region and central Russia
In the climate of the Moscow region and the middle zone, the princely varieties Beata, Anna, Sofia, and Linda will grow well. These hybrids have high yields and are easy to care for. The soil should be acidic and drained.
For Siberia and the Urals
The varietal princess differs from the wild one in its abundant fruiting, but at the same time its frost resistance suffers. For northern regions, cold-resistant hybrids are chosen. The Astra and Aura varieties have good yield indicators. Nectar raspberries can also be grown in northern climates.
How to choose the right variety
In order for the princess to grow well and bear fruit abundantly, there are several tips:
- it is necessary to have at least 2 varieties on the site for cross-pollination by insects;
- to attract bumblebees and bees, it is recommended to plant bushes so that they form a continuous flowering carpet;
- experienced gardeners recommend fencing off each variety so as not to confuse them later;Advice! The ripeness of the berries is indicated by their rich color and bluish bloom.
- varieties Astra, Aura, Elpee, Susanna, Mespi, Pima, Linda, Beata, Anna, Sofia are resistant to heat up to + 40 ° C, so they are suitable for growing in the southern regions;
- For industrial scale, high-yielding varieties are suitable - Linda, Beata, Elpee, Susanna, Pima.
Conclusion
Princeberry varieties, with all their diversity, retain their main quality - the unique taste and benefits of the berries. With proper care, you can get quite a large harvest. The wild berry bears very little fruit with abundant flowering, but in the garden princess this figure is increased.
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