Moliny is a large perennial cereal that grows from a single root in a lush bush. Thin and thick leaves resemble a lion’s mane, which from juicy green turns to golden in autumn. Such a lawn decoration effectively diversifies the usual design.
Description
Moliny is widespread in wild wastelands and mounds of the entire Northern Hemisphere. In her genus, there are only three varieties and several hybrids, so most of the botanical characteristics are universal. The plant has fairly superficial creeping roots that nourish a sprawling crown with a height of 40-200 cm. The stems are straight, bare, leaves gather at the base of the bush and do not cover the stems.
Shoots form a dense bunch in the middle of which it is simply impossible to find free space. Leaf plates are cirrus, strongly elongated and have a pointed edge. Coloring is bright green, some varieties have variegated edging of leaves.
Peduncles thin, fragile, 1-2.4 m high. An inflorescence in the form of a panicle crowns the top of the stem. Flowering begins in mid-summer and lasts more than two months. In late August and September, seed ripening occurs.
The bush is growing gradually, annual growth is negligible. This allows the lightning to retain decorative properties for a long time without division.
Varieties of lightning
Most popular blue lightning. Perennial bushes in the first year grow up to 40 cm in height and gradually increase to 1.5 m. The stems are long, upright, rise above the main mass of foliage. Leaves are pointed, long, bent back. The sheet plate is 8-50 cm long and 3-10 mm wide. The leaf endings are so thin that they resemble hair. Spikelets have a silver, slightly purple hue, which enhances decorative qualities. Blue lightning has several varieties:
- Heidebraut (narrow bushes with sparse foliage and strictly straight stems);
- Rotschopf (narrow bushes, straight stems, green foliage with burgundy border);
- Dauerstrahl (wide bush with slightly curved stems);
- Moorhexe (bush narrow, but very dense, stems straight);
- Variegata (miniature bushes 30-50 cm tall have very decorative leaves - green with yellow veins);
- Strahlenquelle (green wide bush with arched stems).
The second most popular and prevalent in the wild is reed moliny. She lives in the light deciduous forests of Europe. Perennial bushes acquire a golden color closer to autumn. Lush plants quickly grow to 70 cm, the maximum growth of this species is 110 cm.
Inflorescences are unattractive, they are brown or brown loose panicles. Peduncles straight or slightly inclined, without knots. The bushes are dense, the finest foliage sways beautifully in the wind. The bushes reach their maximum beauty at the age of 2-3 years, then they remain attractive for a long time, without requiring external intervention. Among the most spectacular variations of reed lightning are noted:
- Skyracer (a real giant up to 2.4 m in height, the bush is not sprawling, the stems are brittle and thin);
- Windspiel (bush height up to 2.1 m, the stems are thin but flexible, the crown sways beautifully in the wind);
- Fontane (a two-meter bush is decorated with spikelets in the form of a fountain directed in different directions);
- Staefa (relatively low columnar bushes up to 1.5 m in height);
- Transparent (beautiful wide bush up to 2 m in height with a gap between the bulk of the leaves and the shock of upright spikelets).
Breeding
Lightning is often propagated by dividing the bush, but some species plants can be sown. A light, slightly acidic soil is prepared for crops. It is convenient to use small pots so as not to damage the fragile rhizomes of seedlings. Sowing begins in April, seedlings appear quickly and in unison. Fortified bushes are planted by the end of May without diving, so that the plants take root and grow faster. In warm regions, seeds are sown immediately in the ground in October.
Adult bushes tolerate transplanting and division, so this method of reproduction is preferable to lightning. The lush bush at the beginning of summer is divided into several parts, up to individual shoots and transplanted to a new place. It should be remembered that it increases in breadth slowly and a lush fountain is formed only 3-4 years after planting. Separate shoots can be carefully separated without completely digging out the root. This method is also used to rejuvenate and thin out thickets.
Cultivation and care
This cereal is considered a full-fledged inhabitant of a temperate climate, therefore it does not like too sunny and arid areas, but it tolerates dampness and shadow well. In hot places and in dry weather it begins to dry quickly and loses its decorative properties. In the natural environment, molinia lives at the edge of swamps or in flooded meadows.
In the garden, shaded or moderately sunny areas with moist, fertile soil are chosen for planting. Water the plant periodically so that the ground always remains slightly moist. Foliage dries at the end of the season and requires pruning. It is best to transfer this procedure to May, because new shoots appear late.
It is not necessary to fertilize lightning; it is completely lacking nutrients from the soil. Moreover, variegated varieties grow only on depleted soil.
Despite the thin stems and leaves, the plant does not require garter, it easily restores its original shape after gusts of wind or heavy rains. You should periodically inspect the base of the bushes for rot damage. If this is found, then it is necessary to ruthlessly remove part or all of the plant to prevent the spread of the disease.
Using
Spreading fountains of lightning are good to use to decorate the coastal territory and small reservoirs. She also looks good in the design of tracks or rock garden. It is effectively combined with flowering or ground cover plants, such as aster, rudbeckia, gelenium, tenacious, periwinkle and others. Inflorescences are cut and dried, after which they are used for bouquet compositions.
