Archive | 2011

Polygonum baldschuanicum

18 Oct

Polygonum baldschuanicum flower (15/10/2011, London)

Polygonum baldschuanicum flower (15/10/2011, London)

Position: Full sun to partial shade

Flowering period: Summer to early autumn

Soil: Well drained 

Eventual Height: 15m

Eventual Spread: 12m

Hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Polygonaceae

Polygonum baldschuanicum is a vigorous, twining deciduous climber. The plant has pointed oval to triangular leaves up to 10 centimeters long. They are borne on petioles and are dark green in colour. The flowers of the plant appear in panicles of tiny, funnel-shaped, pink tinged white flowers in summer to early autumn. The flower cluster reaches a length of 15 centimeters long. They hang on short pedicels, and each 5 lobed flower is just under a centimeter long. The fruit is a shiny black achene about 2 millimeters wide. The stems are woody.

Polygonum baldschuanicum, commonly known as the Russian Vine, Bukhara Fleeceflower, Chinese Fleecevine, Mile-A-Minute or Silver Lace Vine, is native to Asia, particularly western China and Tibet. P. baldschuanicum is synonymous with Fallopia baldschuanica. It can be found growing in the wild in parts of Europe and North and Central America as an introduced species. This plant is used as a fast growing ornamental plant but it does have the capacity to become an invasive species. There are ecological concerns at the invasive nature of this plant.

The etymology of the binomial name Polygonum is derived from the Greek polys meaning ‘many’ and gonia meaning ‘knee’ in reference to the many swollen jointed stem nodes. Baldschuanicum is derived from the Latin meaning ‘from Baldschuan’ or Bokhara, Uzbekistan, the region of the provenance of this plant.

Polygonum baldschuanicum (15/10/2011, London)

Polygonum baldschuanicum (15/10/2011, London)

The landscape architect may find Polygonum  baldschuanicum useful when vigorous self twining climber is required. Care should be taken in the location of this plant due to it’s extremely vigorous nature, it requires a lot of space.

Ecologically Polygonum baldschuanicum is attractive to a wide range of moths, also bees like it due to its generous supply of nectar and pollen. It can form excellent nesting site for birds.

Polygonum baldschuanicum will tolerate most soil types, including acidic, loamy and chalky soils.

Polygonum baldschuanicum requires little maintenance. It may be pruned at any time of year.

Davis Landscape Architecture

 

Prunus avium

17 Oct

Prunus avium autumn leaf (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

Prunus avium autumn leaf (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

Position: Full sun 

Flowering period: Spring

Soil: Well Drained

Eventual Height: 12m

Eventual Spread: 8m

Hardiness: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Rosaceae

Prunus avium, is a medium sized, native, deciduous tree with a bushy habit and neat rounded crown. It’s foliage is green in Spring and Summer, becoming orange and red in Autumn. The leaves are alternate, simple ovoid-acute, up to 14cm long and 7cm broad, glabrous mat or sub-shiny green above, variably finely downy beneath, with a serrated margin and an acuminate tip. The leaves have a green to reddish petiole 3cm long.  The bark of the tree is smooth brown, bearing the distinctive Cherry rings around the trunk, becoming more fissured on older trees. The trunk of this tree may achieve a diameter of 1.5m. A profusion of hermaphrodite flowers are produced in early spring, at the same time as the new leaves. They are borne in corymbs  of two to six, with 5 pure white petals, yellowish stamens and a superior ovary. The fruit is a drupe 1-2 cm in diameter, becoming bright red to dark purple when mature in mid-summer and contains a hard shelled stone which contains the seed. The trunk is straight in appearance.

Prunus avium,  commonly known as the Wild Cherry or Sweet cherry, is native to Europe, west Turkey, northwest Africa and western Asia, including the UK. There is also a small disjunct population in the western Himalayas. The early history of its classification is somewhat confused. In the first edition of Species Plantarum, published 1753, Linnaeus treated it only as a variety. It was then changed from a variety, to the Species Prunus avium in the second edition of his Flora Suecica in 1755. P. avium has long been cultivated for the production of the edible Cherry; 800BC in Asia Minor. All parts of the tree are slightly toxic apart from the ripe fruit.

The etymological root of the binomial name for Prunus is the classical Latin name of the plum tree. Avium is derived from the Latin avium meaning ‘wild or wilderness’. There are numerous references to avium being derived from the Latin avis meaning ‘bird’ but I believe this to be incorrect. I would welcome reader feedback on this topic.
Prunus avium (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

Prunus avium (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

The landscape architect may find Prunus avium useful as an attractive flowering native parkland tree. Care should be taken when locating this tree as some of it’s roots are shallow and may deform tarmac or be hit by lawn mowers, which will encourage this tree to sucker. P. avium is also useful in a wildlife garden or community allotment due to it’s native provenance and edible fruit.

Ecologically the fruit of Prunus avium are eaten by numerous birds and mammals; which disperse it’s seed. The leaves provide food for some animals including species of Lepidoptera.

Prunus avium has been awarded the RHS award of garden merit 1993.

Prunus avium prefers well drained fertile soils. It will tolerate most soils but has a preference for neutral to lime rich soils.

Prunus avium requires little maintenance. Pruning should be carried out after flowering, from April to July to minimise the risk of Silver leaf infection.

 

Pinus sylvestris

16 Oct

Pinus sylvestris (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

Pinus sylvestris (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

Position: Full sun

Flowering period: Summer

Soil: Well Drained 

Eventual Height: 25m

Eventual Spread: 10m

Hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a

Family: Pinaceae

Pinus sylvestris is a large,long lived, conical, native, evergreen coniferous tree which eventually spreading into a broad dome . It has a distinctive habit when mature due to its long, bare, straight trunk and branches, which branch horizontally. It’s needle like leaves are stiff and serrated, have a 360 degree twist and are green to blue hue. They are 2.5 – 5 cm long and 1 -2 mm broad. They are produced in fascicles of two with a persistent grey 5-10 mm basal sheath. On younger trees the leaves can be twice as long, occurring in fascicles of 3 and 4 on the tips of strong shoots. The mature trunk of this tree may achieve a diameter of around 1m. The bark is thick and scaly, with a dark grey brown colour on the lower trunk, with thin flaky and orange bark on the upper trunk. The trees shoots are light brown with a spirally arranged scale pattern. The seed cones of the tree are red at pollination, eventually becoming pale brown, globose and 4-8mm in diameter in their first year, they then become yellow at maturity and are 3 – 7.5 cm in length. The seeds are blackish, 3 – 5mm long with a pale brown 12 -20 mm wing, they are released when the cone (i.e. the fruit) is opened. The roots can form deep tap roots or a shallow rooting pate.

Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as Scots Pine, Riga Pine and Norway Pine, is native to Europe and Asia,including the UK. It is the most widely distributed conifer in the world. It occurs in the north of its range up to a sea level of 1000m, while in the south range it is a high altitude mountain tree growing up to 1200m to 2600m. Pinus sylvestris is the only pine native to northern Europe, forming either pure forests alongside Common Juniper, Silver Birch and Norway Spruce. In Great Britain it occurs naturally in Scotland, but archeological records indicate that it had also occurred in Wales and England until about 300 – 400 years ago, eventually becoming extinct due to over exploitation and grazing. It is the national tree of Scotland, and it formed much of the Caledonian Forest which once covered a lot of the Scottish Highlands, it also formed large parts of forest throughout Britain until 8000 years ago. The trees needles are sharp pointed with some trees being weak growers, developing a yellow needle colour. The native conifer is grown commercially for timber.

Pinus sylvestris cone (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

Pinus sylvestris cone (08/10/2011, Horní Bečva, Czech)

The etymological root of the binomial name Pinus is derived from the Latin name for Pine tree. Sylvestris is derived from the Latin silva meaning ‘wood or forest’ referring to this trees preferred growing location.

The landscape architect may find Pinus sylvestris useful a native specimen tree. It is also use as part of a native woodland mix scheme. It is able to withstand  maritime climates and is suitable for planting in coastal locations, it can also tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Ecologically Pinus sylvestris is excellent for wildlife. Lichens and insects grow around in the cracks on the trunk. Ants also are attracted to this tree. Birds such as the Siskin, Spotted Woodpecker and Crossbill can feed well around a Scots Pine. The level branches make good nesting places for birds of prey such as the Golden Eagle, Osprey and Goshawk. Red Squirrels are particularly fond of the seeds and cones of the Scots Pine.

Pinus sylvestris tolerates most well drained soil but prefers an acidic pH. It will tolerate infertile, dry soils.

Pinus sylvestris requires little maintenance.

Davis Landscape Architecture

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