Description of the plant was purchased, recommendations for planting and care in a garden, how to reproduce, possible difficulties in care, curious notes and use, types.
Kupena (Polygonatum) belongs to the numerous Asparagaceae family. This family unites in itself monocotyledonous representatives of the flora, which have a single cotyledon in the embryo. Basically, all such plants are characterized by a herbaceous form of growth, occasionally being shrubs, shrubs and even more trees. Kupins in nature have spread to the lands of the Northern Hemisphere with a temperate and subtropical climate. If we talk about Russia, then most often such plants are found in its European part, as well as in the Caucasus and the Far East. They prefer to settle in bushes, forests, on slopes and in meadows. According to various sources, the genus includes from 50 to 70 species.
| Family name | Asparagus |
| Natural growth cycle | Perennial |
| Growth form | Herbaceous |
| Breeding method | Seed, but mostly rhizome segments |
| Time to transplant to a flower bed | For seedlings - spring, for dealers - the end of summer |
| Landing rules | Distance between bulbs 20 cm |
| Priming | Nutritious and moist |
| Indicators of soil acidity, pH | Neutral soil (6, 5-7) |
| Lighting level | Better location with shading |
| Recommended humidity | Watered on hot dry days |
| Special Requirements | Drought tolerant |
| Height values | 0.3-0.65 m |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Long brush |
| Flower color | Greenish white |
| Flowering period | Spring or summer |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Application in landscape design | Decoration of shady areas of the garden, in rockeries and rock gardens, next to water bodies, used in cutting |
| USDA zone | 4th and more |
Kupena got its scientific name due to the combination of the words in Greek "polis" and "gonum", which have a translation of the corresponding "many" and "angle" or "knee", when they are combined, the phrase "multi-knee" is obtained. Apparently, the reason for this term was the outline of the geniculate rhizome of a plant with nodes. In Russian, the name is associated with the ancient Slavic term "kup" or "kupa", which meant a heap or a pile. All due to the fact that people noticed how the leaves of the kupena grow, hiding the stem. But among the people there are many nicknames for this representative of the flora, for example, kokornik and pure tears, deaf lily of the valley and raven berries, bloodstone and lupena. But the most remarkable is the name "Solomon's seal", as there is a belief that King Solomon himself marked the rhizome of the plant with his ring, indicating its medicinal properties.
All purchased are perennials and are the owners of a thickened rhizome, which is located in the soil in a horizontal plane. At the same time, its surface is dotted with the remains of dead stems, which with their round outlines resemble "seals". Typically, these markings make it possible to determine the age of the plant. Outside of the stem with grooves, in the lower part it is straight, at the top there is an arcuate bend. The height of the stems of a bloodstone can vary within 35-60 cm, but there are species, the height of the stems of which can be equal to either 10 cm or 1.5 m.
Kupena leaf plates are located either in whorls, or they can grow in the next order. There are from 3 to 9 of them on the stem. The shape of the leaves is elliptical, ovate-oblong or ovoid at the top with a pointed tip. On their surface, protruding veins with arcuate outlines running along the entire leaf are clearly visible. The color of the foliage on the upper side is saturated, green, but the opposite is with a bluish-green tint. Leaves are bare, growing facing one side of the shoot.
Flowers are bought tender, originate in the leaf axils. They can be formed on a flowering stem of 1–4 pieces, forming an elongated racemose inflorescence. They are distinguished by their bisexual and drooping outlines. The perianths are cast in a whitish-greenish color scheme, occasionally taking on a pinkish tone. They are characterized by the presence of three pairs of denticles. There is such a number of stamens in the flower, which are attached to the perianth. There is only one pistil in the flower. Pollination of flowers of "Solomon print" occurs mainly by bumblebees, but since the flowers are bisexual, the process of self-pollination is possible. A deaf lily of the valley begins to bloom in May or June, while a delicate pleasant aroma hovers over the plantings.
After pollination, the fruits begin to ripen, which in the kokornik have the appearance of small berries. They contain from one to nine seeds. The shape of the berry is spherical, the color is blue-black. The berries begin to ripen, respectively, during July-August.
The plant is unpretentious and can delight gardeners with its exquisite flowering and aroma, if you just follow the suggested rules below.
Recommendations for planting and caring for a bath in the open field
- Landing place deaf lily of the valley is selected with shading, although it has been noticed that the plant will be able to feel normal even on a sunny location, however, the height of the stems will be much lower. In the shade or partial shade, the growth rate will become higher, and the kupena will, like a ground cover crop, fill all the space allocated for it. Despite the moisture-loving nature, the bloodstain should be planted in places where moisture will not stagnate from the spring melting of snow or subsequent spring-autumn precipitation. It is also desirable that the groundwater is located deep enough in the landing location.
- The soil for planting is purchased. "Solomon's seal" does not impose special requirements on the soil, but it is most comfortable for a plant on a moist substrate rich in humus. If the soil on the site is not too nutritious, then it is necessary to introduce manure into it.
- Landing bought. If we are talking about seedlings, then they can be transplanted into the garden at the end of May, when frosts will not harm them. They try to maintain a distance of about 20 cm between them. When planting a deaf lily of the valley, it is recommended to immerse them in the soil to a depth of 8–15 cm with the same distance between them as between seedlings. Before planting, it is necessary to prepare a place: complete mineral fertilizers are applied to the substrate, for example, Kemiru-Universal, so that 15 g of the drug is per plant, or you can use the same amount of wood ash. Before planting plants or delenki bought in planting holes, it is recommended to lay drainage material (3-5 cm) on the bottom, for example, coarse sand or crushed stone. The soil (its upper layer), which will fill the pits, is mixed with compost. After planting, the substrate is slightly squeezed around the bush and moderately watered. It is recommended to mulch the soil next to the "solomon seal" using peat chips. This mulch will help keep the substrate moist for a long time and will serve as protection from weeds. It is important to remember that after planting for the first few years, the growth rate of the kupena will be very low.
- Watering. Of course, it is better when the soil in which the kupin grows is wet, but if this is not the case, it is recommended to irrigate once a week in hot and dry weather. Adult plants are drought tolerant.
- Fertilizers for kupena, you can not make it annually if the plant is planted in fertile soil. But if the soil is poor or if you want to support the "Solomon print", then every year it is necessary to pour organic matter under the bushes, which can be compost or manure. The use of mineral fertilizer according to the manufacturer's instructions is also suitable.
- General advice on care. In one place of planting of a deaf lily of the valley can be 12-15 years and if there is no purpose to propagate them, then the location of the bushes can not be changed. It is necessary to regularly inspect such "colonies" in order to identify slugs and snails in time, which spoil the foliage and quickly destroy the plants. You will also have to track the appearance of sawflies and take quick action. Weeds will rarely have to be weeded, since such "green pests" simply do not survive under the leaves of the kokornik. It is also not recommended to loosen the soil, since the rhizomes lie very close and there is a possibility of their damage.
- Bloody wintering. When autumn comes, it is recommended to cut off all shoots of the kupena, leaving only 5 cm from the soil surface. It is not necessary to cover a deaf lily of the valley, as it easily copes with frosts in our latitudes. If the plants are still young, then they must be covered with a mulch layer - fallen dried leaves.
- The application is bought in landscaping. These plants are recommended for rock garden or rockery. Nearby, you can plant such representatives of the flora as woodruff and tiarca, as well as dicentra with hellebore. Planting a deaf lily of the valley next to shrub plantings or under trees will look good, since they are not afraid of even strong shading. Because of the hygrophilia, you can place a kokornik along the banks of natural and artificial reservoirs, decorate mixborders and any flower beds with it. Even after the flowering of the kupena is over, its curved stems look very impressive. Therefore, landscape designers use them to create a background for flowering plants such as pansies and asters, tulips and daisies can also be planted nearby, but also higher decorative flowering forms - lilies and irises. The main thing when planting any plants is not to place under the crown of the "Solomon seal", as it can oppress neighbors, and they will get sick. The plant "pure tears" in cutting shows itself well and is often used by florists to compose bouquets and other phytocompositions. Delicate flowers such as a kokornik are suitable for forcing during the winter months. At the same time, it is recommended to plant the rhizome cuttings in pots filled with nutritious soil and bring them into the room.
See also tips for growing furkreya at home.
How to reproduce kupena?
In order to breed a "Solomon seal" plant in the garden, it is recommended to sow seeds and divide the rhizome.
Seed propagation is purchased
This process will not be easy and requires patience, since the germination rate of the seeds that are in the berries is small. To begin with, the seeds are separated from the pulp. Then they are sown in a container filled with a light peat-sandy substrate. Before sowing, it is recommended to carry out a long-term stratification of the seed:
- 1st stage - you need to keep the seeds for 3-4 months at a temperature of no more than 2-5 degrees Celsius (this may be the bottom shelf of the refrigerator).
- On 2nd stage for the next three months, these indicators rise to the range of 18–20 degrees - for example, a window sill.
- 3rd stage consists in repeating over the next 3-4 months the same conditions as in the 1st stage.
It is during the third stage that Kupena seeds germinate, after which it is required to move them to a well-lit place, where the temperature will be 20-22 degrees. Young kokornik seedlings are not demanding, but their growth rate is very low. With the arrival of spring heat, the seedlings can be transplanted into the garden. Flowering in such plants can only be expected by 3-5 years from the moment of sowing. Therefore, when growing deaf lily of the valley, it is best to carry out winter sowing in open ground on a flower bed.
Reproduction is bought by pieces of rhizomes
August will be a good time for such an operation. Usually, the plant should be split every 3-4 years. The mother bush of "pure tears" must be removed from the soil and its root, using a sharpened knife, cut into several parts so that each division has a bud of growth. So that the parts of the blood man do not dry out, it is recommended to quickly plant them in a previously prepared place. Watering after planting is moderate. Such young plants of the "Solomon print" will very quickly undergo rooting and give new stems.
Important
The division of the rhizome of the kupena allows you to keep the plant under control, since it often happens that with mixed plantings, growing too much, it begins to aggressively oppress the garden plantings planted nearby.
The next pests that can destroy all the foliage of the kupin in a matter of days are the caterpillars of the sawfly beetle. It is important, when symptoms of the presence of pests appear, to carry out immediate treatment with insecticidal agents, such as, for example, Aktara, Karate, Confidor or Karbaphos. After 2 weeks, it is recommended to repeat the treatment in order to finally destroy the new "intruders" and their eggs.
Since adult plants of the deaf lily of the valley cope well with drought, they become a kind of protection of the site from weeds, so it will be necessary to weed it rather rarely.
Read also about pests and diseases in the cultivation of lachenalia
Curious notes about the purchase and application
If we talk in general about the plant "Solomon's seal", then it is worth remembering the variety of fragrant (Polygonatum odoratum), which is found in sources under the name Pharmacy Kupena or Medicinal Kupena. For a long time, the plant has been used to stop bleeding, reduce fever, relieve pain symptoms and can stop inflammation.
Interesting!!
Despite the toxicity, young shoots are bought, as well as its rhizomes, you can eat, since they contain a large amount of starch.
Usually, for medicinal purposes, cranked rhizomes are used, which are recommended to be dug up with the arrival of autumn days. Drugs based on them are able to help with rheumatism and diabetes mellitus, eliminate back pain, heal hemorrhoids and hernias, help purify the blood and have an emetic effect. In addition, such funds have an expectorant and enveloping effect.
Important!!
Do not self-medicate. All drugs made on the basis of the purchase are taken only under the supervision of a doctor.
In case of bruises, folk healers advised making decoctions from kokornik, poultices based on them help to heal wounds. For cosmetic purposes, the kupena has long been known to women and girls who wanted to get rid of spots or freckles on their face. For this, juice obtained from fresh rhizomes was carefully applied. Also, the plant can help with abscesses and manifestations of dermatitis. It is important to remember that this liquid can cause burns.
In ancient times, it was believed that kupena and preparations based on it are able not only to help with various diseases, but also to extend the life span, which is why the plant was actively used by Tibetan healers.
Types of purchased
Pharmacy bought (Polygonatum odoratum)
may appear under the names Medicinal bought and even Fragrant Kupena … Perennial with a herbaceous form of growth and a height not exceeding 0.3–0.65 m. The stem with a bare surface has edges. The foliage grows alternately, the sheaths of the leaves embrace the stems. The shape of the leaf plate is oblong-elliptical, but occasionally takes on an ovoid shape. The length of the leaves is 10–12 cm, the width is about 4.5–5 cm. The color of the upper side is green, the back is grayish-green. The surface is matt.
During flowering, which occurs at the end of May and stretches for 4–5 weeks, flexible peduncles form in the leaf axils. On them in an elongated racemose inflorescence are collected 1-4 flowers with hanging perianths. They resemble small bells. Their color is whitish, but at the same time there are 6 ovoid teeth with a greenish tint. After the flowers are pollinated, blue-black spherical berries ripen.
Whorled Kupena (Polygonatum verticillatum)
characterized by a thin bare faceted stem of green color. It grows vertically, stretching to a height of 30–60 cm. Leaves in the lower part are sessile, they attach to the stem one by one, whorls are usually collected from the upper ones, containing 2–4 pairs of leaf plates. The shape of the leaves is lanceolate with a pointed tip at the top. The length of the foliage is 7–17 cm, while their width is no more than 1–2, 5 cm. The color of the leaves is a rich pale green color. Flowering falls in June-July, then flower stalks are formed, on which flowers hang in a hanging shape. There can be 2-3 of them. The perianth has tubular-bell-shaped outlines, its color is snow-white. At its apex, at the denticles, pubescence is present on the inside. After the flowers are pollinated, a berry with a violet-red tint and a spherical shape will ripen.
Kupena multiflorum (Polygonatum multiflorum)
under comfortable conditions it can have a stem height of about a meter, usually its parameters are 30-60 cm. Stem with a bare surface, rounded. It can easily form thickets with slender outlines. Leaves are large, oval or oblong in shape, growing at the top of the stem. At the base they have a smooth narrowing, their surface is bare. The petioles of the leaves are short. The length of the leaf is 10–11 cm with a width of about 4–4.5 cm. The size of the lower leaf plates is larger - 14–15 cm. The color of the foliage is green above, the reverse side is gray-green. During flowering, which begins in early summer, flower stalks grow from the leaf sinuses, bearing 3–6 buds in whorls. When opened, the flowers take on a whitish hue and begin to hang on thin pedicels. The surface of the perianth is bare. After pollination, a spherical berry with a blue-black tint ripens.
Squat Kupena (Polygonatum humile)
also found under the name Kupena low … Its natural distribution falls on the eastern lands of Russia (Siberia and the Far East) and Asia (China and Japan). Protected by law in the Tyumen region. It prefers to grow in nature in pine or birch forests, as well as on their outskirts, and occasionally can be found on steppe meadows and meadow slopes. Perennial, not exceeding 12–30 cm in height. The rhizome is 2–3 mm thick, cord-like, whitish. The stem grows straight, has an almost bare ribbed surface. The foliage on the stems is alternate, the shape of the leaf plate is in the form of an ellipse or oblong-lanceolate. The length of the leaf varies in the range of 3–85 cm, its average width reaches 4.5 cm. The leaves are semi-stemming, characterized by a pointed tip. They are painted on both sides in a rich green color scheme. The upper side of the leaf is glossy, smooth, the reverse side has hairy pubescence along the veins. During flowering, which occurs in May-June, bare flower-bearing stems with an arcuate bend grow from the leaf sinuses. They are crowned with a single flower. Flowers with drooping outlines. The perianth has the shape of a bell, the color is whitish, they are greenish on the teeth. The perianth is 1.5–1.8 cm long and no more than 4.5 mm wide. The fruit is a spherical berry of a bluish-black hue.
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Video about growing bought in the garden:
