The purple tree is a prominent representative of deciduous trees living in China, Japan and other Asian countries. This tree is very light-requiring and loves well-drained soil, moisture, therefore, abundant watering. It grows up to thirty meters, lives up to three hundred years, therefore it is considered a long-liver tree. It is planted both by seeds and cuttings. Most often, this tree can be found in mixed Japanese or Chinese forests. As noted above, the purple can reach a height of thirty meters, and under favorable climatic and general conditions, up to forty-five meters.
If we talk about the plant in more detail, it is worth mentioning its appearance. A scarlet grows with several trunks from the base, due to which its crown has a pyramidal appearance, looks powerful. The bark of the Japanese scarlet is dark gray with cracks. Shoots are gray-brown. The leaves resemble the shape of a heart, rounded five to ten centimeters in diameter, the front side is dark green, the inner side is gray or light green with red veins. When the leaves are just blooming, they have a pink tint, towards autumn they turn yellow, then crimson. As for the flowering of crimson, it is not very noticeable and inconspicuous, therefore it does not bear aesthetic and decorative effect.
The growth of the tree is fast, adding up to forty centimeters a year. Fruiting from the age of fifteen. Fruits are prefabricated, pod-shaped drop-down leaflets.
Planting Japanese scarlet
Planting Japanese scarlet should be in a well-lit area. The soil, as noted, must be fertile, well-drained and moist. Watering should be abundant, since the plant does not tolerate drought well. Direct rays of the sun are also harmful. During frosts, young shoots may freeze slightly, but they have the ability to recover. Better not to risk it and cover the scarlet for the winter.
Japanese scarlet seed rarely propagates by seeds; for successful reproduction it is better to use cuttings. Cuttings are best harvested at the end of July, about 15 centimeters in size with two internodes. Plant in a summer greenhouse at a temperature of at least twenty-five degrees. The soil should always be moist.
Japanese scarlet Pendula
The most common form of Japanese scarlet is Pendula. It gained popularity due to its unusual decorative appearance, reminiscent of a weeping willow. Pendula reaches a height of six meters.
The external characteristics of the tree are as follows: the bark is dark gray in cracks, the leaves up to 10 centimeters, blooming, have a red color, then green, turn yellow by autumn, then turn bright orange and red. Pendula blooms inconspicuously, has small bright fruits that ripen by September. The plant is drought tolerant.
The use of Japanese scarlet
Japanese scarlet, due to its characteristics (frost resistance, beauty, unpretentiousness) is widely used in landscape design. It is grown in botanical gardens for landscaping parks and streets. It is a wonderful decoration due to the unusual shape and color of the foliage.In the autumn period, the scarlet seems to turn into a bright fountain of color.
Unfortunately, in Russia it is rare to see this plant, the reason is that not every gardener has the skills to grow scarlet, and it is not easy to find this plant. This plant has reached the greatest popularity in European countries, North America and, of course, in its homeland. In autumn, Japanese scarlet exudes a sweet aroma, for which in Germany it was nicknamed the gingerbread tree, as the leaves fall, the aroma of the tree disappears.
