Do you want ornamental plants to not only decorate your garden, but also bring practical benefits? Plant Chinese lemongrass! Its edible fruits are very useful and have tonic properties.
There are several popular names for this unusual creeper: Chinese schizandra, Manchurian lemongrass and wu-wei-tzu (translated from Chinese means "berry of five tastes"). And indeed, first of all, Chinese magnolia vine is valued for its healing and tasty fruits, but not only this fact helped the plant become a frequent "guest" in our gardens.
Climbing shoots
The bark of the wrinkled stem of a young plant is yellow, and with age it becomes dark brown. The shoots of the vine wrap around the support in a spiral, twisting clockwise.
Rich leaves
In spring and summer, Schisandra chinensis shoots are strewn with juicy bright green leaves with a glossy sheen. They hang on pinkish-red petioles 2-3 cm long.
In autumn, the leaves turn yellow and become even more bright and showy. They remain on the shoots until frost.
From the leaves and bark of Schizandra chinensis, a delicious tea with lemon flavor is brewed. This drink is very popular in Korea, where it is called omija hwachae.
Fragrant flowers and bright fruits
In May, small flowers (up to 1.5 cm in diameter) of a white or pinkish hue bloom on the vine. They are located on thin pedicels 1-4 cm long.
After the end of flowering, the receptacle grows, and by September, a spike-shaped polyberry brush up to 10 cm long is formed from each flower. In such brushes, there are 20-25 juicy red berries. And these bright fruits adorn the vine even after leaf fall.
Despite the fact that the berries of the Chinese magnolia vine are edible and very healthy, they are not to the taste of birds. Therefore, bright clusters remain on the plant almost all winter, if they are not picked off by a strong wind.
Kissel, jam, soft drinks, candy fillings are prepared from lemongrass berries, and the juice is used in the production of wine.
- Lemongrass is shade tolerant, but only bears fruit in partial shade or full sun.
- The plant needs moderate, but fairly frequent watering, because it does not like stagnant water and drying out of the soil. Also, during a drought, spraying with warm water is necessary.
- For creepers, you need to choose a place that is warm and well protected from cold winds. In the middle lane, it is better to plant it on the western side of the buildings, and in the southern regions - on the eastern side.
- Lianas begin to bloom and bear fruit for 5-6 years of life.
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