2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Mahonia / Mahonia / is an evergreen shrub native to North America and East Asia. It belongs to the Kiseltrunov family.
Although the origin of mahogany is so far away, it feels very good in us and is widely used for landscaping. Mahonia is popular in Bulgaria because in addition to being beautiful, it is sustainable and unpretentious.
Just one bush in the garden is enough to change and refresh it for a long time. Large leathery and shiny leaves may turn brown or fall off in harsher winters, but in spring they appear in all their glory, thanks to the hardy roots.
Types of mahogany
There are several types mahogany, but only two are grown in Bulgaria:
Mahonia aquifolium - it is more suitable for our climatic conditions. It blooms in spring / April-May /, with very beautiful yellow flowers. In winter, the leaves change color to brown and red. The shrub reaches a height of 100-150 cm.
The fruits are grainy, juicy and sticky because of their grainy coating. They begin to ripen in late July and early August. They have not only decorative values - they are rich in vitamins and are used to make juices and jellies. With its beautiful leaves, mahogany is used to make dry bouquets, wreaths and decorations.
Mahonia japonicum - this type of mahogany is considered more elegant and beautiful, but on the other hand it is much more capricious. In our country it is less common because it requires a milder climate.
Mahonia japonicum also has non-falling leaves, but they are wider and look like fans. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and stem cuttings.
Growing mahogany
Mahonia prefers moist and shady places. Withstands cold, but with prolonged cold and retention of sub-zero temperatures, the leaves darken, and at below - 18 degrees, the younger branches even freeze.
Therefore mahogany is grown more often in the warmer parts of the country - the southern regions and the Black Sea coast. The powerful root system helps in the spring to quickly kill new shoots around the frozen twigs. Damaged parts must be cut.
The single mahogany not very spectacular, especially after the flowering period. Therefore, it is planted in groups to cover the areas under large trees near buildings.
It can be combined with other smaller species that grow well in the shade, but in this case it should not be pruned so as not to suffocate them.
Benefits of mahogany
In addition to decorative, mahogany is also a medicinal plant. European settlers and Indians used its roots to make tonic tea.
The healing effect is due to the ingredients contained in the bark of the stem, which have a very high biological activity - these are alkaloids with choleretic and hemostatic action.
The fruits of mahogany they also have healing properties because they are rich in vitamin C, pectin and monosaccharides, which improve the body's metabolism.
In the United States, the fruits are used to make jellies, wines, and cocktails. Dried fruits are ingredients in muesli, and juices are used to make ice cream.
