Maple is a common plant in Russia and Belarus, although pure maple trees are found only in very small areas, in Bashkiria, for example. Two species grow naturally in Belarus. Maples are widely used for landscaping cities, since in the fall they are extremely decorative due to the bright color of the foliage. In total, about twenty species of maple are recommended for landscaping, but in practice, five or six species are grown for this purpose.
© Bruce Marlin
Description.
The most commonly used species in landscaping are Tatarian maple (Acer tataricum) and box elder (Acer negundo), highly ornamental woody plants with foliage that turns yellow in autumn. Less well known is the ginnala maple (Acer ginnala), a small bush up to 6 meters high with dark green foliage. In early autumn, the leaves of this species acquire an intense crimson color, which stands out well against the background of the lawn. Almost as bright in autumn are the foliage of the red-leaved form of the Norway maple (Acer platanoides) – Crimson King. But especially attractive are the Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) and the palmate maple (Acer Palmatum), whose homeland is Japan, Korea and China. These species sometimes freeze in winter, but they can also be grown in large tubs, insulating them for the winter.
© Willow
Breeding.
Maples prefer sunny places, humus-rich neutral soil. Stagnant water is undesirable for them. Trees are propagated by sowing seeds before winter, and garden forms – vegetatively, semi-woody cuttings are cut in March, green cuttings are carried out in June. June cuttings are best rooted in artificial fog, in any case, when rooting, it will not be superfluous to use growth stimulants.
© MPF
Application in landscape design.
In autumn, the yellow foliage of the Tatarian maple goes well with the crimson leaves of the Thunberg barberry and the solidago, and the latter also goes well with the ginnal maple. Maple (Scotch and ginnal) combines well with euonymus. Crimson King maple goes well with Bessey cherry. Their foliage is of a contrasting color. In addition, the lower trunks of the cherry cover the trunks of the maple. Japanese maples are used in rockeries and alpine slides. Plant growth is regulated by pruning.
© KENPEI
