Yasenets - perennial from the Rutaceae family. People call ash tree, bergenia or wild star anise. Yasenets is considered a rather unpretentious plant and very common throughout Russia.
The ash tree grows up to one meter in height, the stems of the ash tree are densely pubescent with glandular hairs, they are erect. Thanks to the hairs of the ash tree, it received its second name: burning bush. And all because when they come into contact with the skin, these hairs release a substance that, under the influence of sunlight, can cause burns. When working in a flower garden where ash trees grow, be careful.
There is an opinion that if you bring a burning match to this plant in dry, hot weather, a flame will ignite.
Otherwise, the ash tree is very attractive. White or pink flowers ash trees with red veins, fragrant, collected in tall racemose inflorescences.
Immediately after the ash seeds are ripe, they are sown in open ground. Ash seeds can also be sown in spring or before winter.
The ash tree blooms at a “mature” age, usually in the fourth year. The ash tree will not cause you any more problems. It will grow in one place for many, many years. Also, ash trees can be propagated by dividing the bush. Its roots are divided in autumn or early spring. In summer, ash trees can be propagated by green cuttings. For better rooting, cuttings can be treated with rooting stimulants and covered on top plastic bottle before rooting.
Ash tree can grow well in sunny areas and in the shade. In particular, it grows and develops well on neutral or alkaline soils. It is necessary to remember that ash tree does not tolerate damp soil, and if there is close underwater groundwater on your site, then when planting the plant, do not forget about drainage.
Caring for ash is not very difficult. Watering, weeding the soil, loosening the soil. During the flowering period, it is recommended to feed with complex fertilizers.
The ash tree blooms in June within 30-45 days. The ash tree looks great in group plantings. In flower beds, ash looks good with heuchera, daylily, monarda, and liatris.
A variety of flowers grow in our gardens. Some of them are obligatory inhabitants, others are fashionable “stars” of the season, there are favorites, but there are also exotic “curiosities”. The last category also includes the dangerous beauty - the burning bush. The plant is widespread in the Caucasus and Crimea, but here in middle lane, its garden forms are still rare. Why is this flower dangerous, and why does it have such a strange name? How to propagate, grow and safely care for it? We will try to answer all questions in this article.
Why is it called that?
Burning bush - this plant is also called dictamnus and ash. The scientific name Dictamnus is the result of a merger Greek words- thamnos - “bush” and the name of one of the Cretan mountains - Dicte. This flower was nicknamed the ash tree for the similarity of its foliage with the leaves of an ash tree, but they began to call it the “burning bush” because of its unusual properties. This beautiful plant does not burn in fire, since the flame burns a cloud of poisonous ethereal vapors surrounding the bush without damaging the plant itself.
Botanical features
Burning bush is a plant of the Rutaceae family with a branched root system and beautiful flowers.
The slightly pubescent slender stem of this perennial decorative flower can grow up to 1.5 meters. The leaves of the ash tree are medium-sized and usually imparipinnate. Top part the stems and leaves are densely covered with special glands that secrete strong-smelling essential oils. The racemose inflorescences of the burning bush are different color, from light pink to violet-lilac. Each five-petaled flower is decorated with blue-violet or red veins. The ash tree blooms closer to mid-June - in July, and this can be recognized by the bright and not very pleasant “pharmacy” smell that spreads throughout the entire district. In August, the plant's fruits already ripen and fall, smelling of freshly ground cinnamon.
Features of care
Burnt bush grows well both in the sun and in the shade, is resistant to drought and undemanding to soil. The plant “refuses” to grow and bloom only in very shady places, as well as on waterlogged soils. This flower needs to be watered very rarely in the middle zone.
When choosing a place for planting, you must remember that the ash tree will demonstrate all its beauty in a sunny place protected from northern winds, best of all - in the eastern or southern elevated area of your garden. This flower has no special requirements for the composition of the soil; the main thing for it is good drainage and the absence of excess water. A bush can grow in one place for about 10 years. The burning bush is a plant whose care is somewhat unusual for us: you don’t need to water it, you can fertilize it, but only in very small doses. The plant overwinters well, but in particularly harsh or snowless winters it is better to cover it with spruce branches or leaves.
How to grow?
Burning bush is a plant that can be propagated by sowing seeds in spring and autumn, dividing a bush, or in spring, by cuttings with a “heel”.
Despite the fact that ash can self-sow, the germination rate of its seeds is rather weak. Flower growers note that sometimes when winter sowing They germinate only after a year. Small seedlings that have sprouted from seeds are transplanted into mini-greenhouses or small boxes, leaving 10-15 cm between plants. In such conditions, seedlings are grown for three years, after which they are planted on permanent place. Such plants will bloom in a few years. The easiest way to propagate ash is by dividing an adult bush in spring or autumn. The seedlings obtained in this way take root better and begin to bloom earlier.
Propagation by cuttings
For getting planting material In spring or early summer, young shoots that have not yet had time to lignify are taken from an adult plant. After they are treated with a root formation stimulator, they are planted, initially covered with spunbond or cut plastic bottles. Burning bush is a plant that does not tolerate transplantation well, so it is better to immediately root the cuttings in the place where they will grow permanently.
Why is it dangerous?
You should not smell, much less touch, ash bushes found in nature. The burning bush is very insidious. The plant leaves a burn, but a person does not feel it immediately, but after 8 - 12 hours, when blisters filled with liquid appear. Over time and without proper care, they rupture and a long-healing wound opens. If you treat the wound correctly, it will heal over time, leaving a dark spot as a “memento” that gradually disappears by next summer.
As already mentioned, the burning bush is a flowering plant that produces a sharp and bad smell. Inhalation may cause headache, passing in a few hours. Garden forms of ash are less dangerous than wild ones, but when processing it, especially on hot summer days, you must wear gloves, long sleeves and trousers covering your legs to avoid accidental burns. This plant should not be planted along paths or in areas where children may be. It should be remembered that the seeds of the plant are also unsafe, so gloves should be used when collecting them in the fall.
What to do in case of a burn?
As with any chemical burn, first of all, you need to wash the affected area of skin well with soap. If you did not notice the touch, but later found bubbles, they should be treated with any antibiotic gel and try not to open them for as long as possible. If the blisters do burst, then the wound must be treated with hydrogen peroxide every day, and then apply a bandage with ointment containing antibiotics and cover it with several layers of bandage.
Fraxinella, or dictamnus, (Dictamnus) is a perennial plant of the Rutaceae family. The most famous types of ash: dittany(Dictamnus albus) and Caucasian ash tree(Dictamnus caucasicus). People call ash tree, bergenia, wild star anise. Yasenets is a rather unpretentious and very common plant throughout Russia.
The ash tree can grow up to one meter in height, its stems are densely pubescent with glandular hairs, and are erect. By the way, thanks to these hairs the ash tree got its second name: burning bush. The thing is that when they come into contact with the skin, these hairs release a substance that, when exposed to sunlight, can cause burns. Therefore, when working in a flowerbed where ash grows, be careful and wear gloves.
They say that if you bring a burning match to an ash tree in hot, dry weather, a flame will break out. The ash tree is even written about in the Bible. During Moses' wanderings through the desert, the bushes of the burning bush that he encountered on his way flared up on their own. This is, of course, very possible under scorching sun deserts.
Otherwise, the plant is very attractive. Ash tree blooms in June. Pink or white ash flowers with red veins, very fragrant, collected in tall racemose inflorescences.
Growing ash
Seeds ash Sow in open ground immediately after the seeds are ripe. In this case, seed germination is higher. Seeds can also be sown before winter or in spring. When sowing in autumn, seeds can germinate only after a year. Small seedlings are planted in a small school (or a greenhouse where the seeds are germinated), maintaining a distance of 10-15 cm between the nearest plants, grown for 3 years, and only then planted in a permanent place.
The ash tree blooms at a “mature” age, usually in the fourth year. He won't cause you any more problems. It will grow in one place for many, many years. In addition, ash can be propagated by dividing the bush. Its clumps are divided in early spring or autumn. In summer, ash tree can be propagated by green cuttings. For better rooting, cuttings can be treated with rooting stimulants and covered with a plastic bottle on top until rooting is complete.
Landing location. Ash tree can grow well both in sunny areas and in partial shade. Ash tree grows and develops especially well on neutral or alkaline, moderately fertilized soils. Remember that ash tree does not like damp soil, so if you have a close location of underwater groundwater, then when planting ash in a permanent place, do not forget about drainage so that ash roots always remained in a dry layer of soil.
Ash tree care
Caring for ash is not difficult. Watering, weeding the soil from weeds, loosening the soil. If the soil under the plant is mulched, then both loosening and weeding will no longer be necessary. And in this case, watering will also be reduced. During flowering, it is recommended to fertilize with complex fertilizers with an alkaline reaction. .
Ash tree bloomsin June - July for 30-45 days. Ash curtains look very good in group plantings. In prefabricated flower beds, the ash tree needs to find the same drought-resistant plants as itself: for example, kermek, heuchera, daylily, monarda, liatris.
Dittany can be grown in the garden and as a plant with beneficial properties. All parts of the plant, including the fruits, smell like lemon when crushed. The ash tree does not require any shelter for the winter.
By the way, photos of ash flowers can be used in the design of photo books. Do you know,
Yasenets (Dictamnus) – perennial herbaceous plant from the Rutaceae family. It is popularly known as the “burning bush.”
It has a characteristic and dangerous feature - in hot and dry weather, the stems and leaves release volatile, flammable substances into the air. If you bring a burning match to a plant, it will momentarily burst into flames without being harmed by the fire.
Refers to poisonous plants. This must be taken into account when planning to plant a flower on your site. If you touch the stems and leaves in hot weather, you can get a chemical burn that does not heal for a long time. Inhaling the aroma of dictamnus, there is a risk of getting burns to the respiratory tract.
The most common types of ash in flower beds are white and Caucasian. This unpretentious plant, which does not cause much trouble in growing, in the middle zone of our country and in particular in the Moscow region.
Dictamnus forms bushes with erect shoots up to one and a half meters high. The stems are covered with hairs with glands that secrete a burning substance. When working with the irresistible bush, you only need to wear gloves and closed clothing!
Ash inflorescences are a raceme, 20–30 cm long, consisting of large white with pink stripes, dark pink or lilac flowers, shaped like orchids or lilies. The aroma of blooming dictamnus is pronounced lemon. Ash flowering occurs at the beginning - mid-summer, and lasts 35 - 40 days. The seeds ripen in August and are enclosed in a fruit capsule.
Kinds
- White ash is common in Siberia and Europe. Forms bushes up to 150 cm high. Blooms with pink or red flowers with a cinnamon scent.
- Caucasian is found in southern Russia. It reaches a height of 80 cm. The flowering is white or lilac. May cause allergies and dermatitis, should not be touched with bare hands and sniff.
- Holostolbikovy grows in the Crimea, in the Lower and Middle Volga. The height of the stems is slightly more than 100 cm, the flowers are large white or pinkish, with a dark red longitudinal stripe on the petals. May cause skin burns when touched, especially in hot weather. Winter-hardy and drought-resistant.
Choosing a site in the garden and preparing the soil
Ash grows well in sunny places and in light shade, because in nature it is found mainly at the edge of the forest. Dictamnus is undemanding to soils and can grow in poor sandy soils, put up with excess humidity. But in order for the plant to demonstrate the beauty and splendor of flowering as much as possible, it is worth choosing fertile soils with moderate humidity.
Loams or sandy loams filled with humus and sand, with the addition of rotted manure or compost, are suitable. If groundwater is close to the groundwater, drainage (crushed stone, expanded clay, pebbles and sand) must be poured into the planting holes.
An ash tree can grow in one place for 20 years, so you need to prepare the area for the flower with the utmost care.
Reproduction of the burning bush
Ash tree can be propagated by seeds or by dividing the bush. The last method is the simplest and most often used by gardeners. At the beginning of summer, a part of an adult dictamnus bush is cut off with a sharp shovel and transplanted to a new place. The resulting hole near the mother bush is filled with humus. It is important to carry out the operation quickly, without allowing the roots to dry out. For better survival, ash divisions are watered with a solution of Kornevin or Heteroauxin. Plantings are mulched to retain moisture in the ground.
Ash seeds do not always have time to ripen in the climatic conditions of the Moscow region, therefore, it is better to purchase them from large producers. You need to take fresh ones, as the ash tree quickly loses its viability.
Sow before winter in a prepared bed with loose, weed-free soil. The burning bush can sprout even a year or a year and a half after sowing, so you should be patient.
Spring sowing of ash is carried out as soon as the soil has warmed up a little (around April). Place the seeds at a distance of 15 cm, cover the crops with film or lutrasil.
Seedlings emerge and grow very slowly, and bloom only in the third or fourth year. At the entire stage of ash tree growth, they strictly monitor the cleanliness of the soil from weeds and regularly water the plantings.
Caring for mature plants in the garden
Ash tree is an unpretentious plant. It requires watering only during the dry period; in a normal summer in the middle zone there is enough natural precipitation. Responds positively to mulching the soil surface with humus, tree bark, and mown grass. Under the cover, the soil does not dry out or overheat, and the growth of weeds is inhibited.
The plant does not require fertilizing. It is enough early in the spring to sprinkle the soil around the bush with rotted compost or manure. In mid-summer, it is useful to scatter 250 - 300 g of wood or grass ash under the bushes.
Faded shoots from the plant are cut off so that the bush retains its decorative appearance.
The ash tree does not suffer from any diseases. Pests also bypass poisonous plant side.
In the middle zone it winters well under snow cover; no additional shelter is required. Aboveground part The flowers are cut before the onset of persistent frost.
Ash tree in a flower garden
Overgrown flowering bushes Burning bushes look beautiful in single plantings on the lawn. Ash trees are planted in rock gardens, rock gardens, and in the background of mixborders. Good partners will be: heuchera, daylilies, gypsophila, monarda.
Do not forget about the toxicity of the plant. Dictamnus should not be placed near paths, playgrounds or recreation areas. Ash peduncles are not cut for bouquets, although the flower remains decorative for a long time. It is better to admire the beautiful blooms from afar.
IN folk medicine all parts of the plant are used as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic and anthelmintic agent.
