Description of species and features Purchased, planting and care in open ground

Kupena is an attractive garden plant similar to lily of the valley. It is unpretentious; even a novice gardener can plant and care for it in the open ground. In addition to being decorative, it also has healing properties, and herbalists use it to prepare medicinal tinctures and decoctions. Thanks to these qualities, the plant has become a favorite of many gardeners.

Description and features

The distribution area of ​​the kupena is the Far East, Siberia, and the Caucasus. In the Moscow region, the plant is also found in meadows and slopes, but to a much lesser extent. Externally, kupena is very similar to lily of the valley, which is not surprising - these are related plants.

The leaves of the bushes are oblong, with clearly visible longitudinal veins. Small flowers of white or cream color are bell-shaped. The edges of the buds are painted in a soft light green color. Flowering begins at the end of spring and continues for a month. People have given the plant several names: garden lily of the valley, Solomon's seal, wolf grass, crow berries.

Growing

To grow kupena at home, you need to know and fulfill its requirements.

Selecting a location

Kupena will develop best in shade or partial shade. The bright rays of the sun have a negative effect on the plant. The flower does not tolerate stagnant water, so it is not planted on wet soils.

Soil requirements

Kupena is undemanding in terms of soil composition, but it will still be better to grow on fertile soil. Before planting the bushes, drainage must be placed in the planting holes to protect the rhizomes from flooding in rainy summers. Kupena develops well under the canopy of trees, forming large clumps.

Deadlines

The period for planting in open ground is spring or autumn. But garden lily of the valley will be easier to transplant at the end of August or beginning of September. The plant will have time to take root before the onset of cold weather, and will not freeze out in the frosty winter.

Planting scheme

Kupena reproduces quickly using rhizomes, so there is no need to plant it densely. Planting is done as follows:

• the area is dug up to a depth of 20-25 centimeters;
• holes are formed at a distance of 20 centimeters from one another;
• drainage is placed at the bottom of the planting holes;
• Bushes are planted to a depth of 8 centimeters.

Note! Kupena is a poisonous plant, so after working with it you need to wash your hands thoroughly.

Reproduction

There are 2 ways to grow garden lily of the valley on your site: by seeds and by dividing the rhizomes. The first method is labor-intensive and is usually not used by gardeners.

Division of rhizomes

With the vegetative method, the bushes selected for transplantation are first dug up. In this case, the rhizomes are separated from the mother plant. Plants are dug up and transplanted to a new location. Kupena will begin to bloom in 2 years.

Seeds

This method is not very common among gardeners, since garden lily of the valley will have to wait 5 years for flowering. In addition, long-proboscis bumblebees are needed to pollinate flowers (with the exception of the broad-leaved plant). If you still choose this method of propagation, then the seeds must first be kept in the refrigerator for 2 months, then planted in a planting box.

Care

Kupena is an unpretentious plant, so caring for it is easy. In dry summers, you need to moisten the soil, mulch it to retain moisture, fight weeds in the first years of the plant’s life, and sometimes feed it.

Watering

You need to water the kupena carefully, because it does not like excessive moisture: under these conditions it is attacked by slugs, snails, and rot forms on the roots. If the summer is rainy, the precipitation will be sufficient for her. Garden lily of the valley needs to be irrigated only in dry summers.

Mulching

Usually, after watering, the plants are loosened to prevent crust formation. But in the case of kupena, this does not need to be done: it has rhizomes located close to the surface of the soil, and they can be damaged by loosening.Instead, kupena bushes are mulched with tree bark, sawdust or peat.

Weed control

In the first 2 years of its life, the kupena needs to be rid of the weeds growing around it. Young bushes are not able to resist tall weeds. Subsequently, the garden lily of the valley forms a dense clump and is capable of killing other plants.

Top dressing

Kupena does not make great demands on soil fertility, but if it is planted in depleted soil, fertilizing will be required. For this, a complex mineral composition is used, which is applied in the spring, when the plants hatch, and again when they bloom.

Diseases and pests

Garden lily of the valley is rarely susceptible to disease and pest invasion. However, due to waterlogging of the soil, the kupena can be attacked by slugs, due to whose activity the plant loses its decorative appearance. To rid the area of ​​pests, they are collected by hand, and the soil is also sprinkled with ash and eggshells.

Preparing for winter

During the winter, the above-ground part of the kupena dies off, and the underground part safely waits out the frosts. To prevent leaves from serving as carriers of diseases, they can be pruned in the fall.

If plantings are grown in northern regions, they will require additional shelter.

To do this, the ground is sprinkled with peat, sawdust, and dry leaves.

Transfer

Kupena grows strongly, forming a dense clump. The bushes begin to run out of space for nutrition and development. In this case, the plants need to be replanted. To do this, dig up a bush with at least one bud on the rhizome, transplant it to another place, and water it.

Trimming

After flowering, the kupene does not require pruning of leaves: further development of the root system passes through them.If the gardener does not need seeds for propagation, then the flower stalks must be removed. This must be done for the reason that setting a seed takes a lot of energy from the plant.

Additional Information. Because of the round, depressed scars on the rhizome, the plant is called Solomon's seal.

Kinds

There are about 50 species of kupena in nature. Below are the most popular ones.

Pharmacy

It is also called medicinal or fragrant. Pharmacy kupena produces a stem slightly bent to one side. Its height is 30-40 centimeters, with oblong leaves along its entire length. The buds are painted white or light pink. All parts of the plant are considered medicinal and are actively used in folk medicine.

Whorled

The height of the whorled kupena reaches 30-60 centimeters. The plant got its name from its leaves, which are collected in whorls of 4-8 pieces. Narrow elongated leaves are painted with a green palette, buds are painted with white.

Multiflora

This is tall type of garden lily of the valley: It reaches a height of 1 meter. The buds are collected in bunches of 3-4 pieces. Snow-white flowers hanging from the leaf axils are attached to thin stalks.

broadleaf

The bushes of this type of garden lily of the valley are medium-sized: their height reaches 50 centimeters. The leaves are oval, the buds are painted white. The plant blooms in late spring.

Squat

Unlike other species, the stem of the kupena is squat and straight. The bush grows no higher than 35 centimeters. Its leaves are green, ovate, and its flowers are white.

Hooker

This is a dwarf plant species. Its height barely reaches 10 centimeters. The leaf blades are oblong, the buds acquire a lilac-lilac hue as they grow.

Pratti

One of the decorative types of garden lily of the valley.Its stems are painted purple, the leaves are green with a touch of silver. Flowers of lilac color are collected in brushes.

Use in landscape design

Kupena is suitable for use in shady areas of the garden. It can be used to cover the base of trees and bushes. This will be a mutually beneficial symbiosis: the crown of the plantings will protect the garden lily of the valley from the scorching sun, and it, in turn, will cover the unsightly circles around the trunk.

In addition, kupena can be used in rockeries, planting it behind low-growing plants: daisies, tenacious, pansies. It will serve as a background for irises, daylilies, and garden geraniums. It will go well with the same shade-loving plantings as itself: hosta, ferns, dicentra, primroses, heuchera.

Florists use garden lily of the valley for bouquets and flower arrangements. It can also be used for forcing. To do this, pieces of rhizomes are planted in pots and kept in a warm room.

As a medicinal plant

In folk medicine, all parts of the plant are used to prepare infusions, decoctions, and compresses. It can relieve pain, stop bleeding, and heal inflammation. Below are a few recipes recommended by herbalists to treat ailments.

Alcohol tincture

To prepare it you will need:

• 70 grams of plant leaves;
• 100 grams of 70% alcohol.

Grind the herb, pour alcohol into it, keep it in a dark room for 10 days, then strain. The medicine is taken three times a day, 10 drops. Helps with bleeding, ulcers, impotence.

Decoction for wound healing

The product is prepared as follows:

• chop 2-3 tablespoons of roots;
• fill them with 0.5 liter of water;
• cook for 20 minutes over low heat.

The decoction is used only for lotions and compresses. The product heals bleeding wounds, removes bruises and bruises.

Anesthetic decoction

For preparation you will need the following components:

• 5 grams of garden lily of the valley root;
• 1 cup boiling water.

The ingredients are mixed in a saucepan, which is placed on low heat for 20 minutes. It is used to relieve the condition in the form of a compress.

Important! Before using kupena as a medicine, you should consult your doctor.

Decorative pot is indispensable when decorating shady places. It is unpretentious, easily propagated by rhizomes, and suppresses weeds. In addition, its healing properties are actively used in folk medicine.