Silver goof - Elaeagnus commutata - ornamental tree or shrub. Silver scales give an amazing color to this plant: flowers, fruits, and leaves. Hailing from North America, now it grows everywhere, even in mythical lands. I immediately recall the fabulous Old Forest at the outskirts of the Shire, the possession of the good-natured Tom Bombadil, where a malicious sucker nearly killed the ring keeper Frodo and his friends.
But look at
this fragrant tree - and you will be surprised at such strange fantasies of Tolkien. Such a beautiful tree - silver goof! Planting and care almost do not require the care of a gardener. The berries are edible, very similar to olives, some people even suggested that the goof is one of the wild species of this tree.
Decorative and useful
A tree is especially beautiful in compositional contrast, when the light silver of its trunk and leaves is combined with red and yellow leaves of neighboring trees, as well as with conifers. For hedges is not very suitable, there are many shoots from the roots, some crawl out at a distance of eight to ten meters from the mother plant. However, this is a wonderful, best breed for securing slopes, coasts, ravines. Its roots are so powerful that it gives the impression of a slow growth of the aerial parts of the tree. Right by the proverb: all went to the root.
Silver goof - landing and care
Seeds are stored without harm for one to two years, remaining able to germinate. It is most convenient to propagate the goof by dividing the rhizome. An unpretentious plant, however, in good light grows much faster and better, but can also grow in partial shade. Frost-resistant - can withstand up to minus forty degrees in winter. The shoots sometimes freeze, but the tree is restored almost instantly. Unpretentious silver goof does not choose the soil either. He practically does not need leaving. Even special pruning is not necessary, except that dry branches are cut.
Flowering features
And how it blooms in late May and almost all of June! Flowers with a sweet and strong aroma, intoxicatingly fragrant, are also very attractive in appearance: gold inside, silver outside. Not a malicious tree at all - the sucker is silver. Landing and care are the most basic. And what a thank you for your attention! See for yourself - do villains look so noble? In autumn, the color does not change until the leaf fall, the tree is so silver that it seems that it even rings subtly and cleanly in the wind. Fruits in the age of seven to eight years. The taste of berries is very interesting, like sweet lingonberries. Good, but not enough: the stone is almost larger than the berry itself, you get tired of spitting and you don't overdo it.
Often, silver goof is confused with the appearance of a narrow-leaved goof, which grows in large numbers in Russia. Silver goof is not found so often and mainly singly in gardens and squares. But the enterprising beekeepers liked the name, and already tons of honey "silver goof" is sold. Photo blooming sucker - in the article.
Planting and caring for seedlings
Seeds are sown in the year of collection. The grown seedlings perfectly tolerate transplanting and pruning. Resistant to frost, but hygrophilous; small ones need to be watered. But silver goof does not need feeding. Planting and care are limited to sowing and watering. Suckers themselves improve the soil on which they grow.
Healing properties
Alcohol, water, as well as oil infusions of silver sucker flowers help with colds, it is also a good tool for the prevention of hypertension and cardiotonic. In the form of tea, goof is indicated for the elderly.