Siberian Kandyk, Erythronium, Is A Beautiful Primrose

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Siberian Kandyk - the earliest flower in your garden

That magical time is about to come when, after a long winter, gardeners will return to their plots with a quivering heart. The first visit to a native piece of land is a holiday of the soul for every farmer. And what is a holiday without flowers?

But what colors can we talk about when there is still snow in some places, when the thawed patches are shiny with greasy mud, and the green brush of young grass has not cleaned last year's withered lawn.

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Tulips and daffodils will not appear soon, there are not even primroses: crocuses, redwoods, muscari, primroses. But if Siberian kandyk (erythronium) grows in your garden, then do not hesitate - it will be waiting for you in full glory.

This is the earliest flower. The snow has not yet melted, and the tight bud of the kandyk is already breaking through it. Barely warmed up in the sun, it opens into a large (about 8 cm in diameter) flower with six mauve petals. Its high (up to 30 cm) peduncle is gracefully curved, like a swan's neck. The drooping flower has large golden anthers swaying at the slightest breeze. Like a jewel in a setting, the flower is framed by two beautiful leaves with a marble pattern of green and burgundy spots.

Kandyk is a classic decoration of an alpine slide; it is also excellent in flower beds, in rockeries, on lawns and in rabatki; The kandyka jacket looks like a picturesque spot on the lawn. Spring bouquets of kandyk are surprisingly tender, even in winter it will bring joy, as it lends itself to distillation.

The advantages of kandyk are not limited to beauty. Its large (up to 6 cm long) cylindrical bulbs contain starch, sugar, biologically active substances. They taste good. They can be eaten raw, dried, or in starch form. In folk medicine, kandyk bulbs are used as an antidote for poisoning, as a stimulator of heart activity, enhancement of sexual function, regulator of the gastrointestinal tract, as a remedy for epilepsy and other diseases.

There was a time - in the suburb of Tomsk it was impossible to take a step without stepping on a kandyk flower. Alas, now it is listed in the "Red Book" and has survived in nature only in remote "bear" corners of the taiga. Most often it can be seen in amateur gardens.

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The kandyk turned out to be surprisingly unpretentious in culture. Its agricultural technology is extremely simple. The bulbs hibernate in the soil. They are transplanted every 4-5 years. The best time for a transplant is a dormant period (July-August). Planting is best placed in the shade of trees.

The growing season for the kandyk ends early, and after the dying off of the aerial part of the plant (kandyk, like most primroses, belongs to ephemeroids), the bulbs in the shade will be protected from overheating and drying out. The soil should be loose, moisture-consuming, well filled with organic and mineral fertilizers. The bulbs should be planted every 15-20 cm to such a depth that there is a 5-8 cm layer of soil above the bulb.

Winter frosts are not terrible for a Siberian. Not afraid of kandyk and spring frosts. It happens that a flower will bloom in April, and night frosts will hit -10 ° C. In the evening, the flower petals will fold into a tight bud, and the leaves will spread on the ground. In the morning you will look, and the poor kandychok is covered with frost, standing dejected. Well, you think that's all - bloomed. No, no! The sun will rise a little, the frost will melt, the flower will wash with dew, spread the petals and smile at the new day, and it will wink at you: "Do not worry, life will improve!"

In addition to the Siberian, the Carpathian kandyk, called "dog's tooth", is also known. However, neither in beauty, nor in size, nor in medicinal properties, nor in winter hardiness, it can not be compared with the Siberian one.