Among exotic plants, there are species that can live in moderate climatic conditions. One of them is tulip lyriodendron, or lyran (lat. Liriodendron tulipifera). It is also called a real tulip tree. It belongs to the Magnolia family. The native land of the species is the eastern territories of North America.
Botanical Description
Liriodendron is a large deciduous plant with a rooted root system. The crown width sometimes exceeds 1.5 m.
The trunks are massive, straight, without branching, have a greenish-gray smooth bark. With age, it is covered with frequent shallow grooves. Lateral shoots are located at an acute angle, far from the trunk. Young branches are brownish in color, smooth, covered with a thin waxy coating. Trees from the first years of life have a neat pyramidal crown. With age, it expands, becomes spreading.
Lyran leaves are large, four-lobed, with a notched apex. Their size reaches 20 cm in length and 14 cm in width. The surface is smooth, with thin feathery veins. On the branches they are located next, hang on 7-centimeter cuttings. The leaves are light green, sometimes with bright yellow stripes.
The flowers of the lyredendron are single, regular cup-shaped, 6-8 cm in size. They look like tulip buds. The corolla petals are slightly elongated, with smooth edges, the lower ones are bent down, the upper ones are raised. The color of the flowers is pale yellow, in some varieties it is creamy. At the base, the petals are greenish, in the middle part they have a bright orange edging. Stamens numerous, elongated, yellow.
Leaves and flowers of a tulip tree produce a light, similar to cucumbersweetish aroma.
Brown cone-shaped fruits about 5 cm in diameter are formed at the place of withering flowers, have a wide base and numerous lionfish with seeds. After ripening, they come off and are carried by the wind, sometimes remain on branches until next spring.
In the natural environment, the tulip tree prefers to grow on drained, breathable soils that are sufficiently nutritious, with a high humus content. Life span of lyran reaches 450–500 years.
The high decorative qualities of the tulip tree served as an occasion for its introduction into Europe. Initially planted only in the subtropics, then they began to grow in temperate latitudes. Most specimens tolerate frosts well up to -35 ° C, adult trees are quite drought tolerant.
Growing at home
You can not be afraid to cultivate a North American tulip tree in the open ground. With proper care, it takes root perfectly. This plant is also suitable for growing as a bonsai houseplant.
Lyrodendrons stretch 80–100 cm per year. In adults, a massive, wide, dense crown, so the tulip tree must be placed away from buildings and fences. It is suitable only for owners of large areas. In small gardens, this plant will be very crowded, a wide crown will drown out other cultures over time. It is better to grow a lyran in the sun or in partial shade.
Landing
The soil should be fertile and loose. It is necessary to add chernozem to the depleted soil, dilute too heavy clay soil with peat and sand. The acidity of the soil does not matter, but lyredendrons do not tolerate large amounts of lime in the ground.
Planting is done in the spring, before the buds open. This must be done in the ground, heated to 12 ° C. A hole must be dug up in a few days. Its volume should exceed the diameter of the earthen coma of the seedling by 2 times. If you plan to drop several specimens, the holes are dug at a distance of 5 m from each other. A layer of drainage of small stones is laid at the bottom of the pits, a mixture of soil and complex mineral fertilizing is poured on top.
The root of the seedling from the container is removed along with an earthen lump.. It is recommended to moisten it first. When placing the plant in the soil, the root neck should be at the same level with the surface. The earth is neatly compacted and watered. 1 tree should account for about 15 liters of water. The trunk circle is mulched with peat, last year's grass or leaves with a layer of at least 8 cm. This will serve as a good protection against drying out and cracking of the soil.
This plant is rarely grown by seed.. Sprouts sometimes appear after 2 years. Given the rapid loss of germination, they can not wait at all. Stratified seeds are placed in containers with a soil mixture of garden soil, sand and peat to a depth of 1 cm. It will take several months to moisten the soil and weed. In summer it is advisable to take out the crates to fresh air. When the emerged seedlings reach 30 cm, they are moved to the open ground.
It is important to remember that the tulip tree does not tolerate transplants, as its roots under mechanical stress easily break.
Care
Tulip tree is winter-hardy, unpretentious to growing conditions. The main requirements for care are regular moisturizing and fertilizing. This will be especially carefully monitored in the first 3-4 years after planting in open ground. In hot, dry summers, they must be watered every other day, introducing 10-15 l under each trunk into the soil. It is useful to irrigate the crown from a watering can or pump. Water must be prepared in advance, allowing it to settle and warm to 20 ° C.
In the first year, seedlings have enough nutrition in the ground. Then you need to start feeding. This is recommended twice a season. After the snow melts, add nitrogenous compounds, during the laying of flowers - phosphorus-potassium.
With a lack of moisture and nutrition, the foliage becomes lethargic, pale, covered with stripes or dries. Greens also suffer from too hot suns. For shading, you can use wide sheets of plywood.
For the winter, young lyrans must be sheltered. To do this, the mulch layer around them is updated and thickened to 10 cm. The branches are gently bent to the trunk, covered with burlap or other breathable material and tied with twine. Young seedlings will have to be protected during spring frosts.
Flowering tree
Liriodendrons begin to bloom in early May. In the cold years, buds open later: in the middle or at the end of the month. Flowers are located on the tops of the shoots. Corollas almost always look up, which makes them look like tulips. There are relatively few buds on the tree: one per branch. Flowering continues until mid-June.
With a sufficient amount of moisture and nutrients in the soil, the buds are laid 6-7 years after the planting of seedlings in open ground. In the early years, they are formed a little, they may not fully open. With age, flowering becomes more abundant. If the buds do not appear for many years or there are very few, the growing conditions need to be improved. In spring, you can water the tree with mullein solution, increase the proportion of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers applied.
Although the buds are quite large, they can reach 8–10 cm, in temperate climates the corollas can be smaller.
The sweet, pleasant aroma that appears during flowering attracts bees and other insects. At home, the tulip tree is an excellent honey plant.
Application
In Europe, tulip lyriodendron is an ornamental plant. A dense crown with spectacular buds, good frost resistance, rapid growth and the absence of aggressiveness against native species are very appreciated by landscapers. Trees are planted in parks, squares with whole alleys. Foliage of adult specimens creates a dense shadow, protects from the summer sun, helps to clean the surrounding air.
In gardens and gardens, lyran is an exotic element of landscape design.
In North America, the tulip tree is most appreciated for its technical qualities. It is sometimes called yellow poplar, emphasizing the similarity of the wood of these unrelated species. Light soft array of lyran logs lends itself well to processing. It can be cut, peeled, glued and impregnated. Wood is used in the paper industry as a raw material for the manufacture of veneers, plywood, and particle boards. Of it make the case of musical instruments, various turning products, temporary packaging. Afforestation is quickly resuming, so there is no shortage of lumber.