Content
Basil is a perennial plant that belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and has up to 200 species. The main distribution of the culture is observed in the Northern Hemisphere. There are 19 representatives of the family growing on the territory of Russia and the former CIS countries, 7 of them are found in Altai. Varieties and types of cornflower with photos and names will help you get a general idea of the culture and its biological characteristics.
General description of basil
The main distribution of cornflower in the natural environment is meadows, thinned forests, banks of reservoirs, and tundra. It occurs in the form of a herbaceous shrub, growing up to 2.5 m; there are also low-growing and creeping varieties.
Plant characteristics:
- Dwarf forms of basilisk reach a height of 5-20 cm; these include the alpine species. The tall ones are formed by numerous bare stems of a rigid structure.
- The main cluster of light green leaves can be seen at the lower part of the plant, they can be simple or pinnate with two to four sections. The leaves are thin, alternately arranged.
- The shoots end in dense or sparse inflorescences in the form of a panicle or brush.
- The flowers are small; decorative varieties of basilisk have larger ones with numerous long stamen filaments.
- The color of the inflorescences is yellow, pink, white lilac or beige with a greenish tint.
- The root system is superficial, creeping type.
Basil blooms from early June to mid-July, buds bloom alternately
Basil is grown in the garden as a medicinal plant and for landscape decoration.
Winter hardiness of cornflower
The culture of the Northern regions tolerates maximum temperature drops well; wild-growing forms of the plant are not afraid of frosts down to -400C. Alpine species growing in arctic conditions can withstand -450From and below. The culture is characterized by early sap flow, so the growing season begins already at zero. Due to its high winter hardiness, the above-ground part of the plant is not damaged by spring frosts, and cornflower calmly reacts to sudden changes in temperature.
Type and variety of basil
Based on wild species, varieties of cornflower have been specially created for ornamental gardening. The general characteristics of plants found in the gardens of the Siberian regions, the Middle and Central zones will allow you to choose the optimal species for breeding.
Dipterygoid
Dipterocarpum (Thalictrum dipterocarpum) is a medium-sized shrub 70-80 cm high. Pyramidal panicle inflorescences consist of four-petaled flowers of medium size. In the shade the color is pink with a lilac tint; in the sun it fades to white. The leaves of the plant are bright green, three-toothed. Flowering begins in mid-July and lasts 1 month.
Basil foliage is used for bouquet arrangements
Yellow
Yellow (Thalictrum flavum) cornflower - a wild species, is taken as the basis for decorative varieties. The plant is up to 1.8 m high. The bush is dense, the upper part is completely covered with lush corymbose paniculate inflorescences. Stamen filaments with bright lemon anthers give the flowers a yellow with a green tint. The leaves have a silvery coating, are located on long petioles, the plate is toothed and thin.
The flowering period of yellow cornflower is June-July, the duration of the period is 30 days.
Alpine
This type of basilisk, Thalictrum alpinum, is widespread in the high mountainous regions of Siberia, and also grows in the Arctic tundra conditions. The plant is low-growing, maximum height is 20 cm. In the landscape it is used as a ground cover species for decorating rock gardens. The leaves are trifoliate, formed at the base. The flowers are drooping, arranged singly on long peduncles (on the upper part of the stems).
The petals of alpine basilisk are light purple, the stamens have a brown tint, the flowers react poorly to high humidity
Light
The plant species is also known as narrow-leaved or shiny (Thalictrum lucidum), the most sought after in design due to the decorative shape of the bush. The leaves are pinnate, located throughout the stem, the leaves are thin, long, narrow, with a glossy surface.The height of the crop reaches no more than 1.5 m, the bush is compact, the stems grow upright, with lush, due to the long staminate filaments, inflorescences of a golden hue at the ends.
Light basilisk is characterized by a long flowering period from mid-June to the end of July
Delaway's Basil
Delavay's Basil (Thalictrum delavayi) is native to China. Presented in two varieties with purple and white flowers. The inflorescences are dense, densely arranged, paniculate. The stems have a reddish tint and reach a height of 2 m.
Decorative forms are widely used in garden design
columbine
Basil foliage (Thalictrum aquilegiifolium) has a stem completely leafy with complex, alternately arranged leaves consisting of small rounded leaflets. Plant height is within 140 cm. Flowers with long staminate filaments and purple anthers are collected in corymbose panicles.
Basil foliage is cultivated as a garden plant and used in floristry.
Anemone-like
A low-growing crop up to 30 cm high. The stems are bare, grow straight, and are rigid. On one plant there are single flowers and 4-6 flowers collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences. The flowers are simple, round, consist of 8 oval oblong petals of white or lavender color.
The staminate filaments of the anemoid cornflower (Thalictrum thalictroides) are white and the core is green; they do not protrude beyond the perimeter of the flower
Small
Common or small cornflower (Thalictrum minus) grows up to 1 m, the stems are evenly leafy, the lower leaves on long petioles are triple pinnate, closer to the top they are sessile, small, with a leathery structure.Wide pyramidal drooping inflorescences consist of greenish perianths that fall off immediately after blooming. The filaments are long, beige, with a green tint; the anthers are elongated and brown.
Small cornflower is a poisonous plant; its chemical composition contains cyanide glycoside
Kiuzsky
Kiuzsky (T. kiusianum) is a rare ornamental variety. The plant is dwarf in shape, its height is 25 cm. The bush is compact with curved dark burgundy stems. The leaves are trifoliate, wide, leathery, located only at the base of the plant. The inflorescences are light pink, round, large, paniculate, densely located on the tops of the stems. The variety is used for decorating rockeries. The plant blooms at the end of May, the duration of the period is until mid-July.
The Kiuz variety is suitable for growing in flower pots as an hanging plant.
Rohebrunsky
Thalictrum rochebrunianum is a popular horticultural variety with a highly decorative habit. The height of the bush is 2 m. The leaves are carved, bright green, trifoliate, located on long petioles at the base. Flowering is abundant, the plant looks like a bright purple ball. The largest flowered variety. It has clearly marked sepals and long lemon stamens.
The flowering period of Rochebrunn Basil begins in mid-June and lasts until the end of August.
filamentous
Herbaceous shrub with thin stems 40 cm long. Sepals with pointed tips, small, up to 2.5 mm in length. The filaments are thin, numerous, light pink in color, with curved tips. The leaves are hard and dark green. Used as a ground cover plant. Flowering duration is 3 weeks, the cycle begins in mid-May.
The filamentous basil (Thalictrum filamentosum) has large, corymbose inflorescences, up to 6 cm in diameter
Basil in landscape design
Basil is often used in monoplanting to fill empty territory. Dwarf forms of the plant are used to decorate a rock garden on an alpine hill. Ornamental varieties of basil with lush flowering are included in mixborders with shrubs and herbaceous plants with all kinds of leaf colors. You can create a hedge to separate areas of the garden. If you cut the stems after flowering, you will get a border of carved leaves.
A few simple solutions for using cornflower in the landscape:
- for staking plants;
- planted in flower beds;
- included in a variety of designs;
The Japanese-style garden design uses different varieties of cornflower with yellow and lilac flowers.
- create mixborders with decorative herbaceous specimens;
- decorate urban areas;
- decorate lawns and lawns.
Peculiarities of reproduction of basil
In its natural environment, cornflower quickly occupies empty areas, displacing nearby plants. The plant also spreads by self-sowing in mild climates. Reproduction in the garden can be done generatively and vegetatively.
Cuttings are one of the most common methods. The material is obtained from the middle part of the stems (in the spring before budding). The cuttings are treated with an antifungal agent and placed in a fertile substrate on the site. A structure of arcs is installed on top and covered with film. The material takes root well; in the fall it can be placed in a permanent place; it should be covered for the winter.
Basil is also propagated by dividing the bush or by root shoots.This event can be held even during flowering.
The shoots are cut off from the main bush along with a fragment of the root and transferred to a designated place.
Planting and caring for basil in open ground
The plant is not demanding on the composition of the soil; it can be adjusted with mineral and organic fertilizers.
Shade-tolerant cornflower loses its decorative effect during flowering in the open sun, so the place for the plant is allocated under the crown of large-sized plants so that the crop is not exposed to ultraviolet radiation at midday.
Deadlines
Planting work is planned in early spring, when the soil has warmed up enough to dig a hole. The culture quickly takes root and, if the material is obtained by dividing the mother plant, it blooms in the same year. It is recommended to plant seedlings at the beginning of the growing season; by autumn the root system will become stronger and the cornflower will quietly overwinter.
Autumn work is carried out a week before the onset of frost; planting material in the form of cuttings, root shoots or plots from a bush is suitable for this time.
Planting cornflower seeds for seedlings
At the end of July or beginning of September, planting material is collected from the plant. In the second half of November the following work is carried out:
- The seed material is treated with a manganese solution.
- Low containers are filled with a mixture of peat and compost.
- Make small grooves and pour out the seeds.
- The substrate is moistened, the container is covered with film or glass and placed in a room with a temperature of +15 0WITH.
When shoots appear, remove the film from the container
- After seedlings are obtained, the photoperiod is increased and lamps can be used. Maintain temperature 20-22 0WITH.
- When the seedlings rise by about 10-15 cm, they are dived into separate containers.
The plant will bloom in the second year of the growing season.
It is possible to grow seedlings not in stationary conditions. After collecting the seeds, they are immediately placed in a mini greenhouse.
For the winter, the structure with basilisk is covered with straw and covered with snow.
Dig a trench approximately 20 cm deep and the same width. A fertile mixture is placed at the bottom and the material is placed. Cover with film and insulate. In the spring, when the daytime temperature reaches above zero, the shelter is removed and returned to its place at night. Picking the basil plant in this case is not necessary.
Seedling care
Special care for seedlings is not required: make sure that the soil does not dry out, but also do not allow it to become waterlogged. Seedlings grow quickly if they are irrigated with a spray bottle. Before planting (approximately mid-April), fertilize with a nitrogen-based product, this is necessary for the formation of above-ground mass. Before taking it out into the open area, feed it with liquid organic matter.
Transplantation into the ground
The bed is dug up and the weed roots are removed. Carrying out landing work:
- The hole is made 10 cm deeper and wider than the root system.
- A mixture of turf soil and compost is placed at the bottom, and complex mineral fertilizers are added.
- To fix the bush, a rail is driven in (if the cornflower is tall).
- The plant is installed vertically, the roots are distributed along the bottom and covered with soil.
How to grow basil
In order for the plant to withstand stress more easily and to build up its underground mass well, the soil moisture is maintained after planting. An adult crop is more drought-resistant, because its root system is prostrate, quite powerful, and fully compensates for the lack of seasonal precipitation.
Water the cornflower once every 10 days (in drought conditions)
Cover an area of about 2 m in a circle near the bush.
No feeding is required before the first flowering. In the third year of the growing season, complex mineral fertilizers are applied in the spring, and during flowering they are watered with liquid organic matter. In this case, the dosage and frequency are not limited; the more nutrition, the longer and more abundant the flowering of the cornflower. In autumn, compost is laid out near the plant.
A mulched bush does not require loosening the soil, the covering material retains moisture and prevents crust formation, aeration for the root system will be satisfactory. If there is no mulch, carry out surface loosening. Large weeds do not grow under the cornflower, small ones do not harm it, so weeding is of an aesthetic nature.
Wintering
After the temperature drops, the above-ground mass of the cornflower dries and dies. The plant is pruned at the root. An adult crop is water-recharged and the area is covered with a layer of mulch. No additional action is required. Young annual plants do not need fertilizing. They are watered abundantly, covered with leaves, burlap or any covering material on top.
Diseases and pests
Wild species of cornflower and its ornamental varieties do not get sick even in conditions that do not meet biological requirements.During drought, in the open sun, the flowers fade and dry out, which shortens the flowering period. Very wet soil slows down the growing season, but does not cause fungal infections.
Among the pests, aphids parasitize the plant.
The main accumulation of parasites is observed in the lower part of the bush on the leaves and stems
Less commonly, cutworm butterflies and bronze beetles appear on the crop. Pests are eliminated by treating the bush with insecticides, but this measure is resorted to very rarely, only when there is a massive spread of insects in the area.
Medicinal properties of cornflower herb
The rich chemical composition of cornflower allows the plant to be used in folk and traditional medicine. The pharmaceutical industry produces alcohol tinctures containing extracts from the plant; folk recipes recommend decoctions and infusions. The medicinal properties of cornflower are due to the presence of:
- lithium – a substance that helps relieve emotional stress by stabilizing the excited state of the nervous system;
- talmin, which allows you to lower blood pressure;
- berberine, which eliminates cramps by relaxing smooth muscles.
Basil-based products have the following properties:
- diuretics;
- bactericidal;
- antitumor;
- laxatives;
- anti-inflammatory.
In folk medicine, the plant is used as a wound healing agent. The decoction promotes tissue regeneration and stops the proliferation of bacteria.
The medicinal properties of cornflower appear when the dosage is observed; if there are contraindications, it is better to refuse to use the plant.
Do not use for bradycardia, hypotension, constipation.It is not recommended to give basil medicine to children and pregnant women.
Conclusion
Varieties and types of cornflower with photos and names will help you decide on the choice of crop. Proper agricultural technology will be the key to a good growing season and a decorative appearance of the plant. The culture is poisonous, but in small doses it is considered a medicine, so some gardeners grow it in their garden plots.
