White derain Elegantissima is a deciduous shrub that belongs to the Dogwood family. This plant received its name for the spectacular appearance of the crown and the variegated colors of the leaves. This decorative crop is often used in landscape design. It is used for the design of plots, gardens and urban landscaping. This plant looks beautiful in any ensemble.
- Description of the white tree Elegantissima
- Appearance and characteristics
- Differences between white Sibirika Variegata and Elegantissima
- Comparison of white tree varieties
- Derain Elegantissima in landscape design
- Using Elegantissima tree in garden design
- How to form a tree from Elegantissima wood
- Methods for forming the crown of the Elegantissima tree
- Elegantissima tree hedge
- Creating a hedge from Elegantissima wood
- Planting and care of white Elegantissima tree
- Terms and rules for planting Elegantissima tree
- Watering, fertilizing and pruning Elegantissima tree
Description of the white tree Elegantissima
Derain of this variety is a hardy ornamental shrub. It is considered one of the most popular varieties of white wood. Among other garden crops, this plant is distinguished by its decorative properties and unpretentiousness. The lifespan of the plant exceeds 25 years.
Appearance and characteristics
This plant is a fairly tall bush that reaches 3 meters. Moreover, the width of their crown is 3-5 meters. After planting, the crop develops rapidly and actively grows. The crown is characterized by a spreading dome-shaped shape, which can grow, forming real islands.
This tree is characterized by elastic and flexible shoots. As they develop, they begin to lean towards the ground and take root. In spring, the branches are olive green in color. With the onset of autumn, the bark turns burgundy-red.
The leaves of this variety are large in size and have a slightly wrinkled surface. Moreover, they are ovoid in shape and reach a length of 8 centimeters. In the central part the foliage is dark green in color, and white along the edges. Derain of this variety is characterized by pronounced decorative qualities. The structure of the root system includes many small and thin roots.
The inflorescences reach a diameter of 10 centimeters and are distinguished by an umbrella shape. They are white in color with a pinkish tint. The fruits have a small spherical shape.They have a white or blue-gray tint. The fruits of this plant should not be eaten.
Flowering of the tree begins in May and continues until June. Sometimes a second wave of flowering is observed. It starts in August and lasts until September.
Differences between white Sibirika Variegata and Elegantissima
These cultures have many common properties. However, they also have some distinctive features.
Comparison of white tree varieties
The features of the varieties under consideration include the following:
- Derain Sibirika Variegata is slightly smaller. An adult bush does not exceed 2 meters in height. At the same time, the Elegantissima variety reaches 3 meters by the age of 10 years.
- The Sibirika Variegata variety is characterized by dark green foliage. Derain Elegantissima has lighter leaves. In addition, the surface of the first grade leaf blades often has spots or stripes of cream color.
- With the arrival of autumn, the foliage of the Sibirika Variegata culture becomes pink-violet, while Elegantissima does not change its color.
- The Elegantissima variety has white flowers, while the second variety has cream flowers with a green tint.
- Sibirika Variegata develops more slowly than Elegantissima and forms shoots less actively.
- With proper care, the Elegantissima variety actively bears fruit. The second crop is characterized by less abundant fruiting.
Derain Elegantissima in landscape design
This culture has pronounced decorative properties. That’s why it is often used to decorate plots. To obtain a harmonious composition, it is necessary to take into account a number of distinctive features.
Using Elegantissima tree in garden design
The main properties of this variety include unpretentiousness and a high degree of decorativeness.This is due to the rich color of young branches and the unusual shade of foliage. These features have made Elegantissima turf very popular in the field of landscape design.
The plant is used in single plantings and group ensembles. An important advantage of the culture is the ease of crown formation. Derain Elegantissima looks attractive near trees with an openwork crown. It also goes well with birch trees.
How to form a tree from Elegantissima wood
This bush lends itself well to shaping. However, in the absence of regular pruning, its decorative properties quickly decline. To maintain the attractiveness of the shrub, it must be pinched by hand or trimmed with pruning shears.
Methods for forming the crown of the Elegantissima tree
Since culture can grow rapidly, it can be given almost any shape. It is recommended to take into account the following features:
- To give the tree the appearance of a column, it is recommended, first of all, to remove all side branches. In this case, powerful central branches must be left. It is not recommended to make the column too narrow. If you remove too many branches, the plant may fall over in strong winds.
- The Elegantissima variety is perfect for creating an arch. To do this, it is recommended to attach the bush to a special arched structure. In this case, you need to tie the ends of the branches to it.
- Another common wooden figure is a hemisphere. To obtain this shape, it is recommended to prune one- and three-year-old shoots. This must be done 10 centimeters from the surface of the earth. As a result, young shoots begin to actively grow.In the same way, the crop is rejuvenated, making it more decorative, since young shoots are distinguished by a bright red hue.
Also white derain Elegantissima Can be used to form balls and cubes. At the same time, you can make different figures every year. This does not harm the bush.
Elegantissima tree hedge
Derain Elegantissima is a common crop that is used in various ways in landscape design. In particular, it can be used to create hedges.
Creating a hedge from Elegantissima wood
To form a hedge of white wood, it needs to be trimmed in time. The shrub quickly forms new shoots. If they are not removed in time, there is a risk of thickening the plantings. In order for the hedge to remain decorative, it is important to systematically remove overly protruding or broken shoots throughout the year. Deeper pruning is recommended in August or September.
Planting and care of white Elegantissima tree
In order for the cultivation of a plant of this variety to be successful, it is important to carry out planting work correctly and provide it with high-quality care.
Terms and rules for planting Elegantissima tree
The culture develops best in well-lit areas. When planting a plant in the shade, there is a risk of stunting the growth of the bush. In addition, with a lack of lighting, the decorative quality of the leaves decreases. At the same time, the wide white edges narrow, and the foliage becomes invisible against the background of the rest of the green vegetation of the garden.
The perennial grows with difficulty in sandy and clayey soil. Heavy substrate prevents air from reaching the roots. This negatively affects the development and height of the plant. In clay soil its height will be no more than 2 meters. In this case, you shouldn’t count on lush flowering either. When planting a crop in heavy soil, you need to dig up the bed and add sand, peat and compost to it.
The timing of planting is affected by the propagation option. In October, it is recommended to plant freshly harvested seeds. At the same time, with the arrival of spring it is worth using stratified seeds. Layerings, as a rule, are recommended to be replanted in the fall, and cuttings in the spring.
When planting in the fall, it is important to strictly adhere to the deadlines. Derain seedlings must be planted 30 days before frost. If planting is carried out later, the plant will not adapt and will freeze.
To plant dena, it is recommended to do the following:
- A couple of weeks before planting, prepare a hole. The selected area needs to be dug up and organic and mineral fertilizers added to the soil. With such preparation, the plant can be left without feeding for 3-4 years.
- The size of the recess should be twice the size of the soil ball with roots.
- Fertilizers and organic matter must be poured into the prepared hole.
- Before planting, the root system of the seedling must be watered and placed in a hole after 15 minutes. It is important to ensure that the lump of soil does not lose its integrity.
- After this, you can sprinkle the plant with soil, compact the trunk circle a little and water it.
- Cover the tree trunk circle with a mulch layer. To do this, you can use chopped bark and straw.
Watering, fertilizing and pruning Elegantissima tree
Derain of this variety does not require frequent watering. However, in the first year of life, the crop requires abundant moisture. It is important to maintain moderate soil moisture. For 1 bush you need to use 2 buckets of water.
The irrigation procedure should be carried out only early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun begins to set. If you do not follow this rule, there is a high probability of burns on the leaves.
It is not necessary to apply fertilizers, since the crop grows normally in almost any soil. However, to increase its decorative properties, it is necessary to apply fertilizers from time to time. 2 weeks before planting it is necessary to add nutrients to the soil. In addition, fertilizers must be placed in the recesses for planting. This will be enough for several years.
Additional nutrients need to be added only when the crop is weakened as a result of pruning or disease. Many summer residents fertilize the soil around young crops with humus.
Every 3 years the plant needs to be fed with a complex composition. It is permissible to mix fertilizers with wood ash. Around mid-July, the turf needs to be fed with peat or compost. At the same time, the plant does not require a large amount of organic matter. Only 100 grams is enough for him.
For the first time, the turf needs to be cut only 2 years after planting the bush on a permanent site. At this time, the shoots need to be cut by a third. It is also worth carrying out sanitary cleaning, during which it is worth removing broken, diseased and old shoots. At the same time, the crop can easily withstand pruning, starting from the 4th year of life.
This procedure can be carried out at any time. In this case, you cannot choose a period of active sap flow. The work process is affected by time.In spring, it is recommended to trim the branches quite strongly, leaving only 20 centimeters. With the onset of autumn, the formation of the bush is carried out in such a way that the plant acquires a maximum of inflorescences. In this case, you need to remove 3-4 leading shoots.
White turf of the Elegantissima variety is a spectacular crop that fits perfectly into any composition on the site. In order for the plant to retain its decorative properties, it must be properly cared for.