This culture is not connected with the laurel by family relations, despite the name and external similarity. Lavrovishnya is one of the types of cherry known to everyone, a representative of the Pink family, which includes peach, almonds, cherries and apricots. The eloquent name of the plant was given due to the characteristic shape of the leaves.
Botanical Description
Areas of natural habitat of laurel cherries: Caucasus, Balkans, Iran, subtropical territories of Asia Minor, North America.
This is a thermophilic evergreen shrub 4-10 m high with thin long shoots forming a narrow pyramidal crown. Oval, with pointed tips and even edges, the leaves have a leathery smooth surface with cirrus veins, are arranged alternately on the branches. In size, they are noticeably larger than ordinary cherries, and more fleshy. Leaf plates reach a length of 17–20 cm and a width of 5–6 cm. Life expectancy is 2 years.. Seasonal discharge, as in many broad-leaved species, does not occur, the greens are renewed gradually, therefore the branches remain “dressed” in the winter. This is a common occurrence for tropical and subtropical crops. Winter temperatures in these areas are rarely low. Usually in temperate latitudes, this property of plants is an insurmountable obstacle to cultivation in open ground. Lavrovishnya is an exception to the rule. Some of its varieties calmly tolerate frosts down to –20 ° C, and under protection - up to 25–30 ° C. In regions with a more severe climate than in the subtropics, shrubs grow lower - up to 1.5–2 m.
May culture blooms. Small five-petalled white corollas with many stamens are collected in fragrant panicle inflorescences 5–15 cm long. In summer, cherries are tied and ripened on tassels. Fruits with a diameter of 8-10 mm have a recognizable round shape, smooth thin skin of black or maroon color, juicy pulp and hard bone. They are edible, but sweeter in taste than the usual cherry. Bushes begin to bear fruit at the age of 4-5 years.
Bones and leaves of laurel cherry contain amygdoline and hydrocyanic acid. These toxic compounds in various concentrations are present in almost all Pink. If it enters the gastrointestinal tract and is absorbed into the blood, a large number of them causes acute oxygen starvation and death from suffocation.
Application
Lavrovishnya is valuable as a decorative, fruit-bearing and medicinal crop. In favorable conditions, its yield reaches 100 kg per adult plant. The pulp of cherries, although completely edible, is too sugary and does not retain freshness for long after harvest. Most often it is used as raw material in the wine and confectionery industries.
The leaves of the plant contain fragrant essential oils. After processing, they are used as a natural spice, flavor food products and pharmaceuticals.
In medicine
Greens, seeds and laurel bark contain a complex of biochemically active substances. In addition to hydrocyanic acid and amygdalin, these are:
- benzaldehyde;
- steroid compounds;
- vitamin C;
- phenol carbolic acids;
- catechins;
- tannins.
In pharmaceuticals, fresh plant leaves are used. Laurel cherry water, tinctures and homeopathic preparations are prepared from them. Pharmacy dosage forms have a bactericidal, antiviral, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, moderate analgesic effect. Hydrocyanic acid, contained in them at a microscopic dosage, dulls the excitability of nerve endings, eliminates irritation of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract, and helps to weaken the cough of respiratory diseases.
In folk medicine, infusions of leaves and bark of a shrub are used to treat: headaches, insomnia, neurosis, arrhythmias, gastritis, tuberculosis, cancer, gynecological diseases, helminthiases.
Self-prepared preparations from laurel cherries must be treated with great care. Exceeding their dosage can cause intoxication: severe dizziness, swelling of the mucous membranes of the larynx and trachea, difficulty breathing, jumps in blood pressure. Particularly dangerous are the fresh parts of plants in which the concentration of hydrocyanic acid is high. As the raw materials dry or soak, this compound decomposes.
Due to severe toxicity, laurel cherries cannot be used for medicinal purposes by pregnant women, children, people prone to allergic manifestations.
In landscape design
Spectacular glossy leaves, compact dense crowns, dense fragrant brushes of inflorescences and bright clusters of fruits are the advantages of laurel cherries over many garden plants. It can be grown not only for harvesting, but also as a decorative culture. It is good in single and group plantings, and in areas with mild, snowy winters it can be used as hedges. The dense foliage of closely planted shrubs forms solid green walls, the shoots lend themselves well to cutting and retain their given shape for a long time.
Dwarf varieties look great in combination with coniferous shrubs, they can be used to decorate flower beds or borders.
In regions with cold winters, laurel cherries complement the collection of garden plants, providing shelter from frost and strong winds. It is convenient to breed it as a container greenhouse crop - to keep it on heated loggias, terraces.
Kinds
Popular cultivated varieties of berry shrubs:
- Rotundifolia (Prunus Rotundiflora). Compact medium-high grade with vertically growing shoots. The leaves are dark green, shiny, 10-15 cm long. The berries are black in color. It tolerates drought, can grow on sparse rocky soils, loves bright sunlight.
- Herbergerie (Prunus Herbergii). It grows in the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Black Sea coast. A shrub 3-4 m high with a crown width of up to 3 m. It blooms in May. Fruits abundantly, egg-shaped berries with elongated tips, maroon. Heat-loving variety, tolerates extreme heat, but is afraid of frost and strong winds.
- Mount Vernon (Prunus Mount Vernon). Decorative dwarf variety with long creeping shoots. The width of the bush reaches 1.5 m, the height is not more than 50 cm. The leaves are leathery, 7-8 cm long, with serrated edges. The mount can grow in deep shade and in sunlit areas. Does not bear fruit. In winter, it requires additional shelter from frost.
- Portuguese laurel. A compact tree 4–5 m high with a wide dense crown and bright green glossy leaves. Blooms late - in mid-June. Inflorescences are smaller than other varieties. The fruits are saturated burgundy.
- Luzitanskaya laurel. Tall shrub with a dense conical crown. The variety is very thermophilic and capricious, does not tolerate excess moisture, acidified soils, quickly dies with improper care.
- Medicinal laurel. The most common, thanks to its decorative and unpretentiousness, variety. In the subtropics it grows in the form of a compact tree, in temperate latitudes - in the form of bushes up to 2 m high. It develops well on any herbs, tolerates extreme heat and frosts.
- Otto Luyken Dwarf shrub with a spherical dense crown up to 80 cm high. The leaves of a dark green color, elongated, glossy, inflorescences are large, lush. The variety has moderate winter hardiness, grows in partial shade and in the sun.
Landing
For growing in the middle ground in open ground, it is necessary to choose the most cold-resistant varieties, for example, medicinal laurel cherry. Plants brought in from the south run the risk of dying in the first frosty winter.
For planting, select areas protected from the through wind - near tall fences or trees. The soil is preferred nutrient, neutral, slightly alkaline and loose. Work is carried out in April. Wells for seedlings are prepared wide, with a depth of 70–80 cm. Mineral top dressing for flowering plants and horse peat are added to the soil. A drainage layer of small stones must be placed at the bottom of the pits. The root necks are left at the surface level during planting. Then the plants are watered.
Care
During the active growing season - from April to October - the shrubs must be regularly moistened: at least 1 time per week, pouring 10 liters of water under each root. In dry weather - after 2-3 days. In the absence of rain for a long time, it is recommended to refresh the leaves with spraying.
Laurel cherries can be fed with a solution of rotted manure, compost and complex mineral fertilizers. You need to bring in food every month from the first warm days until September.
It is desirable to carry out sanitary pruning of the plant twice a year: in March and October. Crones exempt from sick, drying, freezing branches. Shaping haircut is used as desired, if the bushes are planned to fit in a certain style.
The soil around the seedlings is kept clean and loose, weeds are removed. With the onset of cold weather, watering and top dressing is stopped, preparing shrubs for a dormant period. For winter, the roots are insulated with a thick layer of peat or agrofibre. Crowns need to be covered only in severe frosts.
Breeding
During seed reproduction of laurel cherry, the material is preliminarily kept in the cold at a temperature of + 4–6 ° C for two months. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for a day in hot water, then planted in containers with a mixture of peat and garden soil. The seedlings are kept indoors, caring for them for up to a year, then transferred to permanent places.
Cuttings are the most successful way to preserve all plant species. For rooting, lignified shoots are cut, they are cleaned of leaves and planted in boxes with a mixture of sand, peat, humus and soil. They are kept in a greenhouse at a temperature not lower than +24 ° C. Rooted cuttings are grown in pots throughout the year.
To obtain 1-2 new specimens of laurel cherries, air layering is used.. The selected branch is cut and pinned to the soil, sprinkled with soil. Prior to rooting, the layering is watered and fed along with the donor. At the end of summer, the shoot can be cut off and transplanted to a new place.
Renew old plant and basal shoots. After removing the bush, it is necessary to leave a low stump about 3-5 cm. Next year young shoots will go up from it. When they reach a height of 25-30 cm, you can spud and start watering. By autumn, the offspring will acquire their own roots, it is enough to extract the plants from the soil and plant them.
Pests and diseases
Whitish spots on the green laurel cherries may be signs of powdery mildew. You can help the plant by washing the crowns with soapy water or fungicidal preparations containing sulfur. When attacking the leaves of scale insects or powdery worms, the bushes are treated twice a week with insecticides: Aktar, Aktellik, Fufanon. It is recommended to purchase several types of funds and alternate them. The soil around the trunks also needs to be sprayed. Eroded parts of the shoots must be removed.