Itea virginica (Itea virginica) is a shrub grown in artificial conditions, can reach about 1.5 m in length. The shoots are not capable of branching, they look in the form of arcs, the inflorescences are even, resemble the shape of a candle and cover the entire bush. The plant's peak flowering begins in July.
Translated from Greek, Itea means "willow", which characterizes the unique shape of its branches-twigs. It will blend effectively against the backdrop of other lush green neighbors and will perfectly decorate your garden. However, in order to preserve this beauty and protect it from death, the bushes must be covered for the winter.
Many shrubs, native to distant North American countries, have long become especially popular in our area. Due to their attractive foliage, unique flowering, they can often be found in personal plots. Such plants adapt well to the existing climate, are not afraid of the cold, therefore they calmly endure winter compared to representatives of tropical exotic plants. One of the most unusual and hardy shrubs of its kind, which takes up little space and has an original structure, is the Virginia Itea.
Shrub description
Itea virginskaya is an erect, low plant. In areas where severe winters prevail, it can reach a height of no more than half a meter. In the southern area with a warm, humid climate, two- or three-meter varieties grow. The shrub has rich and rich foliage, and long arched branches form a wide beautiful crown. The branchiness of the Itea resembles a similarity to the structure of spirits. The leaves have a dark green color and an elongated oval shape with jagged edges. The leaves are approximately 10 cm long. The largest of them grow on the main adult shoots and provide an attractive backdrop for spectacular flowering.
With the onset of autumn, the vegetation of the shrub turns into a brighter purple color, which makes it stand out from other plants in the garden. Sometimes it is for this reason that some gardeners like to experiment and thus create unique autumn compositions.
During the flowering period, the Itea enchants with its beauty and attracts attention. Flowers - small, graceful in shape, gather in lush straight brushes, which are white or creamy in color and resemble candles. This variety is characterized by lacy, identical inflorescences, located strictly in a certain order and not exceeding 15 cm in length. They exude a pleasant dizzying aroma. Flowering begins in mid-summer and lasts for 1.5 months. If it is wrong not to care for the shrub at this time, skip watering, it can be much shorter. The scent of flowers attracts butterflies, so the garden seems to come to life when such an exotic is on your site.
Itea Virginia care
Itea virginskaya is a perennial ornamental shrub that does not require special care and is unpretentious to use.If you are engaged in landscape design and decide to choose it as a decoration for the garden area, then you should first familiarize yourself with the features of growing a shrub.
How to grow ithea in the garden
A place for growing Itea should be chosen with moderate lighting; it is not recommended to keep it under the bright scorching sun. The soil must be fertile, have a neutral or slightly acidic environment, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow. It is necessary to constantly maintain the moisture content of the soil during the flowering period; the rest of the time, the Itea can easily tolerate drought. For the full development and growth of shrubs on the site, sandy loam and loamy soil types are suitable.
Watering
The watering regime is chosen moderate but regular to keep soil moisture constant, especially in hot summer weather. It is enough to carry out top dressing once in the spring. Then, for preventive purposes, pruning of bushes is performed, removing old and deformed branches.
Itea wintering
It is important to cover the Itea bushes for the winter, otherwise, if the temperature drops to -25 degrees, the plant may die. Inflorescences are formed exclusively on last year's branches, so the main task of gardeners is to preserve the shoots for the next year. With the arrival of the first cold weather, the branches of the bush are connected, the undersized varieties are covered with dried foliage. The soil around them is mulched.
A paddle or any non-woven material will be an excellent shelter for the Itea for the winter. If winter promises to be frosty and without snow, it is recommended to wrap the bush with material in several rows to create a kind of protective air layer. However, light spring frosts or cold snaps do not pose a serious danger to this species.
Reproduction of Itea
Itea virgin is propagated by grafting. Rooting of cuttings takes place in prepared greenhouses.
Itea in landscape design
This exotic North American representative of ornamental shrubs stands out from the rest of the green inhabitants of the garden, so it is often given priority when drawing up a landscape design plan. To emphasize the beauty of the branching of the Itea, it should be placed at a distance from other plants. If you want to demonstrate the beauty of flowering, then it is better to plant shrubs in groups. Many people place Iteya in rock gardens, rockeries, rocky hills, on terraces or along a fence. It is often used as a decoration for flower beds, beddings or lawns.
Popular types of Itea
There is a huge variety of varieties of this plant species, differing from each other in color, the external structure of the inflorescences and the degree of endurance. Some of the most resistant and adapted varieties to our conditions are Long Spire, Saturnalia, Sarah Eve, Henry's Garnet and Little Henry. The last of them are considered the most frost-resistant, stunted, have large long inflorescences and will look great due to their compactness next to other plants.
- Saturnalia - a short shrub that changes the color of the leaves in the fall to a burgundy color.
- Long spire - differs from other varieties of Itea in large inflorescences, but cannot boast of the ability to withstand strong temperature extremes.
- Sarah eve - a shrub with delicate pink flowers.
Ietya virginskaya is an unusual ornamental shrub that will certainly adorn any garden.
