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Dubious jeffersonia (stonefly) is a primrose that produces buds in the second half of April. The inflorescences are white or soft lilac, the leaves are beautifully shaped, painted in reddish-green shades. These are undemanding plants. It is enough to water them regularly and feed them occasionally. In design they are used as ground covers.
General description of Jeffersonia
Jeffersonia is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants from the Barberry family. The name is associated with the name of the third US president, Thomas Jefferson. The characteristic “dubious” is associated with disputes between Russian scientists of the 19th century, who for a long time could not decide which family to include the plant in.
Jeffersonia is low: the completely bare stem-peduncle reaches 25–35 cm
All leaves are located in the root zone.The color of the leaf blades is green, with dark red hues, the veining is palmate. The rhizomes are underground.
Jeffersonia has single flowers, a pleasant light lilac or pure white hue. They consist of 6 or 8 petals, overlapping. They partially cover each other. As the petals open, they move away somewhat and leave a small interval of 1–2 mm. The diameter of the inflorescences is about 2–3 cm. The stamens are free. There are 8 of them on each flower. The color is yellow and contrasts well against the general background. The fruit type is a capsule with a falling lid. Seeds are oblong shaped.
Under natural conditions, the flower is distributed in North America (USA, Canada) and East Asia (China, Far East of Russia). Thanks to its unpretentiousness, it is also grown in other places, used to create interesting landscape designs.
Sanguinaria (left) and Jeffersonia bifolia (right) have similar inflorescences but different foliage
Kinds
The genus Jeffersonia has only two species of plants - Jeffersonia equivosa and bifolia. They have long been used to decorate the garden.
Dubious jeffersonia (stonefly)
Jeffersonia dubia is also called stonefly in the literature and in reviews from gardeners. The fact is that it blooms in the spring - from mid-April to early May (2-3 weeks). The seeds ripen in June. The buds begin to open even before the flowers appear, which is very rare among flower crops.
The foliage remains on the stems until the first frost in mid-October.Despite the fact that Jeffersonia dubica fades before the beginning of summer, it continues to remain decorative throughout the season.
The leaves have an original round shape and are located on long petioles. The color is light green with a bluish tint. Young leaves are purple-red, after which they begin to turn green. Closer to the beginning of summer, the red color remains only at the edges, which gives the dubious Jeffersonia a special attractiveness.
The flowers are light lilac, bluish, the height of the peduncles is no more than 30 cm. They appear in large numbers, the inflorescences alternate with leaves. Thanks to this, a beautiful flower carpet appears in the garden.
Jeffersonia dubious is one of the best groundcovers that blooms in early spring.
The plant can withstand frosts up to 39 °C.
Jeffersonia diphylla
Bifolia is another variety of Jeffersonia. Unlike the dubious one, this species has a more compact bush. At the same time, the height of the peduncles is the same - up to 30 cm. Flowering dates are later - the second half of May. The buds also open before the leaves are completely formed.
The flowers of Jeffersonia bifolia vaguely resemble chamomile: they are snow-white, consist of eight petals, and reach 3 cm in diameter.
Flowering duration is 7–10 days. The seeds begin to ripen much later - towards the end of July or early August. The leaves consist of two symmetrical lobes with a constriction in the center. Thanks to this feature, Jeffersonia received the name bifolia.The color is rich green, without red or purple hues.
Jeffersonia in landscape design
Jeffersonia dubious and bifolia are excellent ground covers that will fit well into trunk circles under trees and next to bushes. They decorate unattractive places in the garden, cover the ground and fill space. Flowers are also used in different compositions - mixborders, rockeries, borders, multi-tiered flower beds.
Below are several options for using dubious jeffersonia (stonefly) in landscape design with photos and descriptions:
- Single landing.
- Ground cover on an open lawn.
- Decoration of the tree trunk circle.
- Planting next to a fence or building wall.
- Decorating a remote place in the garden.
Features of reproduction
Jeffersonia dubious is easily propagated by dividing the bush. The plant can also be grown from seeds. Moreover, two methods are practiced - direct sowing in the ground and the classic version of growing seedlings.
Dividing the bush
To propagate doubtful Jeffersonia by division, you need to select only mature bushes older than 4–5 years. It is better to start the procedure in late summer or early autumn. The instructions are as follows:
- Dig up the bush and shake off the soil.
- Divide the seedling into 2-3 parts so that each of them has healthy rhizomes and 3-4 shoots.
- Plant in new places at a distance of 20 cm.
- Water and mulch with peat, humus, straw or sawdust.
Seed propagation
You can collect Jeffersonia dubious seeds as early as the second half of June.The capsule fruits gradually acquire a brown color - the main sign of ripening. They are carefully cut off or plucked off with your fingers and laid to dry in the open air or in a ventilated area for 24 hours. Then the oblong-shaped seeds are removed.
Seed material quickly loses its viability. It cannot be stored for a long time even in the refrigerator, in wet sand or in peat. Therefore, at home, you should start growing Jeffersonia from seeds immediately after collecting them. At the same time, germination is not very high. It is better to plant more material than you plan to grow in the future.
Sowing directly into the ground
Jeffersonia dubious is resistant to different weather conditions, so it is possible to sow stonefly seeds directly into open ground, bypassing the seedling stage. Planting is carried out at the end of June or at the beginning of July. Sequencing:
- Clear and dig up the planting area in advance.
- If the soil is heavy, be sure to add sand or sawdust (800 g per 1 m2).
- Smooth the surface well and water.
- Scatter the seeds over the surface (do not deepen).
- Sprinkle wet peat on top.
In the future, no care is required for seedlings of Jeffersonia dubious. Periodically you need to moisten the soil with a thin stream or using a sprayer. Shoots will appear in a few weeks. They consist of only one leaf. For the winter they are left in the ground - you can mulch with leaf litter, and remove the layer in early spring. In the same season, the dubious jeffersonia will begin to bloom. Although there are often delays of 3–4 years, which is acceptable for this plant.
Seedlings of Jeffersonia dubious consist of only one leaf
Growing Jeffersonia seedlings from seeds
You can grow jeffersonia dubica (stonefly) from seeds using the classic seedling method. In this case, the material is planted in boxes or containers at the end of January. The soil mixture can be purchased at the store or made independently from light (loose) turf soil with peat and humus in a ratio of 2:1:1.
Algorithm of actions:
- Scatter the seeds over the surface. Pre-moisten the soil.
- There is no need to bury it - just sprinkle it lightly with soil.
- Cover the container with transparent film.
- After the appearance of a full-fledged leaf, the seedlings dive into different containers.
- Water periodically.
- They are transferred to the ground at the end of summer, planted at intervals of 20 cm, and mulched with leaf litter for the winter.
Planting doubtful jeffersonia in the ground
Caring for Jeffersonia dubious is very simple. The plant adapts well to different conditions, so seedlings can be placed almost anywhere.
Deadlines
It is best to plant Jeffersonia equivosa (by dividing the bush or seeds) in early August. This corresponds to the natural cycle of the plant: the seeds ripen in July, spread by self-sowing and have time to germinate in August-September.
Site selection and preparation
The planting site should have partial shade. A near-trunk circle next to a tree or bush is suitable. Also, Jeffersonia dubious can be planted on the north side, not far from buildings.The flower does not like bright light, although it does not tolerate full shade well: it may stop blooming profusely.
The area should also be well moistened. The best place is on the shore of a reservoir. In other cases, moisture retention is ensured by shade and a layer of mulch. If the soil is fertile and loose, then it is not necessary to prepare it. But if the soil is depleted, you need to add compost or humus (3–5 kg per 1 m2) in the spring. If the soil is clayey, then fill it with sawdust or sand (500–800 g per 1 m2).
Jeffersonia dubious prefers partial shade
Landing rules
Landing is easy. In the prepared area, several shallow holes are marked at a distance of 20–25 cm. A small layer of stones is laid, a seedling of doubtful Jeffersonia is rooted and covered with loose soil (turf soil with peat, sand, humus). Water and mulch.
Features of care
Jeffersonia dubious can withstand temperature changes in spring and summer, as well as winter frosts, but requires moisture. Therefore, it is especially important for gardeners to monitor watering.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Moistening is carried out only as needed, making sure that the surface layer of soil remains slightly moist. If it rains heavily, then additional moisture is not needed. If they are small, then water is given at least once a week. In case of drought, the volume of watering is doubled.
As a top dressing, use a classic complex fertilizer (for example, azofoska). The granules are scattered on the soil and then watered. Application schedule: 2 times (May, June).
Weeding
Jeffersonia dubious looks beautiful only in a clean, well-groomed area. Therefore, all weeds must be removed periodically.To ensure that they grow as little as possible, the soil surface is mulched when planting.
Wintering
The plant tolerates winter well, so it does not need special shelter. In summer, it is enough to remove the faded shoots of questionable jeffersonia. There is no need for pruning. In October, the bush is sprinkled with leaves or other mulch. In early spring the layer is removed.
In the southern regions it is not necessary to cover Jeffersonia
Even minimal care guarantees lush flowering of the crop.
Diseases and pests
Jeffersonia dubious has good immunity. Due to severe waterlogging, the crop may suffer from fungal diseases. If spots appear on the leaves, they must be removed immediately and the bush treated with fungicides:
- "Fitosporin";
- "Maksim";
- "Fundazol";
- "Tattu."
The flower can also be attacked by slugs and snails. They are collected by hand, and for prevention, nut or egg shells and finely chopped chili peppers are scattered around the plantings.
Conclusion
Doubtful jeffersonia (stonefly) is an interesting ground cover plant that is one of the first to bloom in the garden. It does not require special attention: it is enough to water the bushes regularly without over-wetting the soil. You can grow the crop from seeds. Often sowing is carried out directly in open ground.
