In Crimea, a tree grows with very beautiful flowers, resembling acacia. However, the correct name for this miracle is Lankaran albicia.
Albica Lenkoran Pampadur
In vivo grows only in the southern regions of Russia. Different varieties of plants are found in India, China, Taiwan, Japan, southeast Azerbaijan and other places.
Blooming albica Lankaran
Although there are rare cases of acclimatization of albition in central Russia, it is better to use greenhouses to grow it in these regions. The flowering period is the end of May and the beginning of June.
Origin and appearance
In Europe, this plant has been known since the 18th century. Its name consists of two parts. The first part, “albitsia,” is named after the Florentine Filippo del Albizzi, who brought the plant to Europe in 1740. In Latin, the plant is called "Albizia julibrissin", "julibrissin" is translated from Farsi as a silk flower. Therefore, albition is also called silk. It is also called silk acacia.
Deciduous tree belongs to the legume family. Its height can reach 12 m, the diameter of the crown - 9 m. The life span of albition is 50-100 years. The openwork leaves of the albomia Pompadour have a bright green color, in shape resemble at the same time the leaves of acacia and fern. Grow up to 20 cm in length.
Albicia Pompadour, or Acacia
The fruits of the tree are multi-seeded beans, reaching a length of 20 cm. Initially painted in green, eventually acquire a light yellow or brown color.
This variety of albicia is grown at home. This is a photophilous plant, loving high humidity and in need of drained loamy soil. It does not tolerate low temperatures, when grown, it should not be below -15 ° C.
Attention! Direct sunlight on the tree in the spring and summer is not allowed, as this can cause sunburn.
Plant flower description
Albitsia flowers are the main decoration of the tree. They are large, white or white-yellow, collected in panicles. The stamens of the flowers are long, painted in pink and white.
Other types of albitsii
Albicia flowered (Albizia lophantha)
The birthplace of the plant is Australia. This variety is a bushes or trees up to 5 meters high.
Albicia is flowered
Leaflets double-pinnate, pubescent on the underside. The number of leaf pairs in the first order is 8-10 pieces, in the second - 20-40. Flowers are yellow in size, 5-9 cm in size. They look like ears of corn. It blooms in the spring months.
Albizia adianthifolia
The natural range of the species is from South to Tropical Africa. It blooms in natural conditions in winter or spring. The albition tree reaches a height of 40 m.
Sandy soil is best suited for cultivation. Abundant watering and warm, moist air are preferred.
Flowers form large hemispheres. Petals are white or greenish-white. The fruits are thin pods.
The trunk of the tree is twisted, prickly. Has soft wood golden yellow color.
Interesting! Traditional medicine uses bark of albition for the treatment of skin diseases, bronchi, headaches, sinusitis and as an anthelmintic. Extract from the roots of the tree is used to treat eye diseases.
In Africa, a tree is planted in erosive areas to preserve the soil cover.
Albizia amara
It grows in countries of South and East Africa, India, Sri Lanka. The shrub reaches a height of up to 5 m. Like all albitsias, it has a spreading crown and openwork leaves. Inflorescences have the appearance of heads with a diameter of 3-5 cm. The edge of the orange. The beginning of flowering is May. Flowers have a pleasant aroma. Prefers sandy soil.
Silk tree in landscaping
Due to the decorative acacia silk, the tree is often used in the work of landscape designers.
The crown of silk acacia is not very thick, so decorative flowers can be planted under it. Leaves retain their green color until frost.
Landscape Albition
Acacia albicia can be used to create compositions in urban environments, as it is not afraid of polluted air.
Growing albitsiya for bonsai at home
Lankaran albacia, or silk acacia, can be grown independently. For reproduction use:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- root shoot.
Growing albitsia from seeds
Acacia seed is a flat brown bean. The length of the bean is 7-10 cm. They can be assembled independently or purchased in a specialized store.
Albition seed cultivation at home is best done between February and July. When planting seeds at this time, they give the highest percentage of germination.
Before planting, seed should be stratified. You can use both hot and cold methods, but flower growers prefer hot.
Silk Acacia Seeds
For hot stratification, the seeds are placed for several hours in warm water with a temperature of + 60 ° C.
Then the prepared seeds are planted in moist soil, consisting of sand and peat. Seeds germinate for several months. All this period, the air temperature should not be lower than 20 ° С, the soil should be moist all the time.
Growing from cuttings
As cuttings, semi-lignified side shoots are used, which are cut into pieces 10-15 cm in size. They should have at least 2-3 buds. Then they are placed in a sand-peat substrate. Before rooting the seedlings, the container is kept in a cool place.
Caring for a bonsai from Lankaran albitsia
The tree is very well molded, so it can be used to create a bonsai or bonsai.
For transplanting a seedling, it is best to take a ceramic small pot, which has large drainage holes. The soil can be prepared independently from turf land, peat and sand, taken in a ratio of 3: 2: 1. The place intended for growing bonsai should be well lit. For this, windows facing southeast or southwest are suitable.
Attention! You can not obscure the lower branches of albition. This can lead to their death.
To form a crown, a part of the branches is wrapped with wire. In this condition, the tree can be kept for no longer than 4 months, to carry out this operation no more than 1 time in 2 years. Periodically, pinching of the side shoots is performed. This will allow you to give the desired shape to the trunk and crown, and also inhibit the growth of the tree.
After the flowering period ends, the crown and flowers are pruned. To grow a bonsai, you need to control the volume of the root system. After trimming the roots, the places of the slices are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon, the soil is not watered much. Usually a tree is grown no longer than 1 meter.
Watering mode
Acacia watering rates depend on the time of year. Albicia is a tropical plant, therefore it develops well on moist soil, so during the growing season it is necessary that the soil be well moistened. Drying of the soil can lead to disease and even death of the plant.
Albion Bonsai
Top dressing
Fertilize silk acacia from spring to autumn once a month, starting from the second year of the tree's life. As a top dressing, a liquid complex mineral fertilizer is used for indoor plants.
During flowering
The most comfortable temperature during flowering is + 22-25 ° C. At room conditions, albition blooms very rarely, so it is recommended to take the pot with the plant in the spring and summer to the balcony. During this period, it is important to monitor soil moisture. It should not dry out.
During rest
In winter, the tree discards foliage; a period of rest sets in for it. At this time, the plant slows down all physiological processes. Therefore, albition is not fed with mineral fertilizers. To keep the bonsai alive after wintering, watering is reduced, but not stopped.
However, acacia also needs good lighting during this period. Therefore, they arrange artificial lighting for her. In winter, the plant is kept at a temperature of + 10-15 ° C.
Additional Information! The plant can spend wintering on an insulated loggia. You can additionally insulate the pot and place it in a box with sawdust.
Winter preparations
For a successful wintering of a plant, several rules must be followed:
- Starting in August, the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen is stopped so that the tree does not release young shoots. Fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus can be used;
- In the fall, crown molding is not carried out, since any pruning leads to the growth of new shoots;
- The intensity of irrigation is reduced, as this will contribute to the lignification of shoots.
Thus, growing albitsia at home is simple. With proper care, a bonsai from Albica will delight the owners of the house with bizarre shapes and beautiful flowers.
