Where does Horny goat weed grow? Horny goat weed (flower) - cultivation, care, planting and propagation

Horny goat weed (epimedium) is a plant material that is widely used in folk medicine in Korea, Japan and, especially, China. This perennial plant belongs to the barberry family.

Chinese traditional medicine has existed for thousands of years. She considers epimedium or horny weed to be the #1 effective remedy for men. Confirmation of the usefulness of the herb Horny Goat Weed in preserving men's health and strength is the population of China! It will be useful for men to “get acquainted” with such a miraculous herb.

Description of Horny Goat Weed

Horny goat weed is a common perennial plant. It belongs to a genus that includes more than 50 different species. This beautiful plant is also popularly called for its openwork foliage and weightless beautiful flowers. This name is not the last; the Chinese call this perennial “lustful goat grass.”

In the summer, walking along a forest clearing, you can see grass with blue, pink and white flowers that resemble a candle. They begin to bloom in May, their diameter is approximately 2 cm. Flowering lasts a long time, about two months or more. The leaves of Horny Goat Weed are decorative throughout the entire season; they envelop the stems and become a wedge at the base. In autumn they turn burgundy.

Horny goat weed is used to decorate parks and gardens because it is famous not only for its medicinal properties, but also for its sophistication and beauty.

Goryanka grandiflora: properties

The medicinal properties of this plant have been known for thousands of years. Modern scientists, after conducting research, have come to the conclusion that this is true. The results of their work once again confirmed the healing properties of epimedium:

has an effect on the kidneys; when used, urination is normalized;
with its help, it is possible to keep blood pressure normal, because it thins the blood, dilates blood vessels and capillaries;
helps to remove excess fluid from the body;
has the ability to improve blood circulation in the vessels feeding the liver and kidneys;
it tends to stimulate sensuality, and also takes part in preventing premature ejaculation in men;
an important property is rejuvenation of the body as a whole, preventing the formation of wrinkles and maintaining normal skin moisture;
Taking horny goat weed grandiflora helps eliminate dizziness, fatigue and stress;
Horny goat weed grandiflora has general strengthening and tonic properties.

In addition to the above, studies have shown that horny weed can increase the sensitivity of nerve endings, which in turn leads to increased sexual sensations. It has anti-inflammatory properties, tannic and astringent effects.

Horny goat weed grandiflora herb: use in folk medicine

Traditional healers in their practice use the above-ground part of Horny Weed, harvested during the period when it blooms. They make decoctions and infusions from this plant, which are used to treat inflammation of the throat and oral mucosa. Used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This is a very effective antimicrobial agent for washing purulent wounds and boils.

The use of Horny Goat weed grandiflora in folk medicine is very wide. Healers use it during the treatment of neuroses, depressive conditions, and to improve a person’s mental abilities. Chinese healers have valued Horny Goat weed grandiflora since ancient times. They use the herb extract to dilate capillaries.

But the main advantage of horny weed is to have a positive effect on the male body and eliminate sexual disorders.

Natural Viagra

After taking epimedium, an increase in adrenaline occurs in the body, which causes an increase in the level of male hormones. The consequences of this are sexual arousal, persistent erection and prolonged repeated sexual intercourse. Horny goat weed in this case acts like drugs like Viagra.

This plant is also useful because it has the ability to heighten sensations and allows men and women to receive indescribable satisfaction during intimacy. At the same time, horny goat weed preparations, unlike chemicals, have no special contraindications or age restrictions.

Consequences of the use of horny goat weed by athletes

After taking Horny Goat Weed extract, the concentration of testosterone in the blood increases. Horny goat weed preparations affect the secretion of hormones, without which it is impossible to achieve the loss of excess subcutaneous fat and normal growth of the muscular system.

Horny goat weed helps athletes to be balanced, maintain a normal psyche and not become depressed. Taking medications from this plant lifts your mood and adds strength to your workouts. The athlete’s body calms down, which is very important before the start of the competition.

Side effects and contraindications

Side effects from taking horny goat weed grandiflora drugs occur, but not so often. Sometimes this causes aggressiveness, feverish conditions and tachycardia. Scientists, conducting studies on animals, noticed malfunctions of the thyroid gland, which leads to obesity.

Very rarely, taking horny weed causes allergic reactions, nausea and vomiting. Individual intolerance is noted in isolated cases.

Pregnant and lactating women are strictly prohibited from taking medications with the addition of Horny Goat Weed. People with allergies and individual intolerances should not use this plant. In childhood, Horny Goat Weed grandiflora can affect the child's hormonal levels, which leads to incorrect formation of sexual characteristics.

The medicinal properties of Horny Goat Weed grandiflora have not been fully studied. But scientific and traditional medicine considers this plant a harmless, effective natural remedy.

Some interesting ornamental plants are undeservedly ignored by lovers of outdoor flowers, although planting Horny Goat weed in open ground in the garden could radically change their opinion. This ground cover crop has many advantages. It is better to place it under trees or bushes. The plantings will quickly grow, covering the ground with a continuous carpet of spectacular, dense foliage. The scientific name of the mountain weed – epimedium (translated as “flower of the elves”) – emphasizes the touching tenderness and weightless tremulousness of its buds. It’s as if they were created by magical fairies; they have such unreal, fabulous beauty.

Growing conditions

Horny goat weed is one of those plants that never let you down. She is surprisingly unpretentious and, despite her external fragility, simply amazes with the abundance of vitality inherent in her. Epimedium easily adapts to different lighting, but its deficiency or excess affects the formation of buds and the decorative appearance of plants. It is best to plant it in partial shade, then you can count on long and abundant flowering. But even if you place the mountain weed in an open sunny area, its foliage will remain just as beautiful and dense and will change its shade depending on the season.

Light, loose, well-drained soils mixed with sand or clay are optimal for the crop. Horny goat weed is not particularly demanding on soil quality, but it is better to plant it in fertile soil containing a lot of manure. It can be enriched with any other organic fertilizers. Her reaction should be neutral.

Excessively dry soil is not suitable for the plant, but it does not tolerate dampness either. Overwatering often leads to rotting of the tender roots of epimedium and its death. Therefore, it is not worth planting mountain weed in heavy, dense soils that retain water after snow melts, rains and watering. When deciding to grow a crop, you need to pay attention to the groundwater level. If they come close to the surface, it is better to place the epimedium on natural hills or make a high flower bed for it.

Breeding Features

A mountain weed planted on a plot will densely cover the ground in its second year of life. By this time, the root system of the perennial will have developed well, and it can be safely divided if it is planned to propagate the epimedium or if it has become old and there is a need to rejuvenate the plantings. The procedure is carried out at the end of summer, when the flowering period of the plant has ended, and the seed pods have already ripened in place of the withered buds. You can do it in the first week of September.

Dividing the rhizome is the most common method of propagating horny weed. Its segments take root best if they have 2-3 buds. Planting parts of the epimedium rhizome do not need to be too deep; the soil layer above them should be 5 cm. Since Horny Weed grows quickly, at least 35-40 cm of free space is left between the holes. After placing the rhizomes in the ground, the beds are mulched. It is advisable to use dry leaves and rotted compost for this. A layer of such mulch will protect the plantings from freezing and provide them with nutrients. In the spring, the rhizomes will sprout, which will immediately begin to actively develop.

The seed method of epimedium propagation is less commonly used. It is not very popular among gardeners because it requires more time to care for plants. Another disadvantage is that you can expect flowering from seedlings planted in a flowerbed only after 3-4 years. Seeds are pre-stratified for almost 2 months according to the following scheme:

In the first 3 weeks, they need to be provided with a constant temperature within 15-20˚C.
Then the temperature is reduced to 2-5˚C. In such conditions, the seeds must spend another 30 days.

Seedlings are placed in a flowerbed, leaving an interval of 40 cm between young epimediums.

Rules of agricultural technology

Caring for Horny Goat Weed in open ground will not take much time. The frequency of watering depends on weather conditions. In rainy summers, there is no need to specially moisten the soil; epimedium, and especially its drought-resistant species, will have enough natural precipitation. If the days are clear and hot, it is better to water the plantings. In order for the mountain weed to remain highly decorative and bloom luxuriantly, the soil must always be slightly moist. Drying out the soil will make the flower bed less spectacular, and waterlogging can lead to the death of the plants.

In terms of fertilizing, Horny Goat weed is very convenient - if you follow the rules of planting and care, it practically does not require it. Epimedium is fed once per season, in early spring. It responds equally well to fertilizers of organic origin and complex mineral compositions. Of the latter, experienced gardeners recommend using nitrophoska. In the first year of life in a permanent place, the epimedium will have enough nutrients that were added to the soil during planting. In the future, the plants will receive the elements they need from compost, which they need to mulch the beds on the eve of winter. The procedure is carried out annually.

Horny goat weed can be used not only to decorate the garden. Its leaves and stems contain many useful substances. This feature is typical for all varieties of crops: both deciduous and evergreen.

When the above-ground parts of the epimedium die off, they can be left as fertilizer under the trees or shrubs where the plantings were located, or they can be used to mulch beds with other plants. Hillworts overwinter well in the open ground; they are not afraid of frost, but only under a thick layer of snow. Autumn care in the form of mulching will help plants tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations without consequences. The protective layer of compost should be made thicker; it will protect the epimedium roots from freezing. Young mountain weeds (aged 1-3 years) are additionally sprinkled with withered leaves, not forgetting in early spring, as soon as the snow melts, to clear the beds from the shelter. It is especially important to provide them with additional protection if planting material that is not adapted to the climate of the area was purchased for growing the crop. This recommendation also applies to those varieties that do not shed their leaves in the winter.

Secrets to Getting Healthy Epimedium

When grown in the middle zone, the decorative value of evergreen varieties of bitterweed decreases in the spring. In early May, they begin to gradually get rid of the old foliage. In its natural form, this process drags on for a long time, delaying the formation and blooming of new buds. Evergreen mountain weed will reward you with abundant flowering and rapid growth of green mass if you speed it up by manually removing leaves that have overwintered under the snow. The cut is made as close to the ground as possible. It is important not to be late with the procedure. The best time for her comes when the snow melts. A layer of mulch is left on the beds until the threat of spring frosts is minimal.

There will be no problems with pests and diseases when growing epimedium. Horny goat weed is unattractive to most insects, which are the worst enemies of garden crops, and has increased resistance to fungal diseases. The only danger to her is slugs. They love to eat the tender young foliage of the plant. It's not difficult to fight them. You just need to regularly inspect the plantings and, when you detect the first signs of a pest invasion, take active action: set up special traps, collect slugs by hand, mulch the beds with straw.

Horny goat weed is an amazing creation of nature. You can admire its magnificent blooms endlessly, each time as if being transported to a world of mystical dreams and mysterious fantasies. But even after its completion, it will not lose its decorative effect, decorating the garden with an abundance of intricately colored foliage until late autumn. Epimedium is widely used in landscape design. It creates spectacular thickets under large bushes and spreading trees, good in natural flower masses, in the northern sections of alpine hills. With its help, you can complete the decorative composition by filling empty spaces, or create contrasting spots on the lawn.

The beauty and versatility of the plant are not its only advantages. Mountaineers are amazingly unpretentious, caring for them is extremely simple. It is enough to plant epimedium in partial shade, water it occasionally, cover it with a layer of mulch for the winter, and it will charm with its elegant grace for many years.

Every gardener from time to time wants to decorate his garden or plot with some unusual and interesting plant. Most of these plants are quite exotic and have a capricious character. However, with a lot of patience, you can find very bright and amazing crops on sale, which will no doubt take pride of place on the site. These include Horny Weed or Epimedium, which today are considered not such a frequent visitor to our gardens.

The horny weed plant, like an exotic elf flower, blooms with unusual colors and can delight the eye with its beauty throughout the year. At the same time, planting and caring for Horny Goat weed is not particularly difficult; even an inexperienced gardener can cope with all the processes.

In this article, we will look at the characteristics and description of Goryanka, and also note the distinctive features of the various species and varieties of this crop. We will describe all the nuances of planting and caring for Horny Goat Weed in the open ground.

Features and description of Goryanka

Horny goat weed or epimedium is a fairly ancient plant. Its distinctive feature is its predominant distribution in the Eastern Hemisphere. In its natural habitat, horny weed grass grows in the Caucasus, Japan, Turkey, China, and Eastern Europe. On a warm sunny day, the mountain weed can be found on mountain slopes or in forests under the canopy of trees. Horny goat weed is considered an ideal ground cover plant that will perfectly decorate areas under trees and shrubs. For its fabulous appearance, the mountain weed has been called the “flower of the elves.” Beautiful bushes with unusually shaped leaves and delicate flowers of various colors really produce a rather fantastic sight. Looking at such a flowering plant, you can easily believe in the existence of fairy-tale characters.

Horny goat weed is a perennial herbaceous plant that is most often used for planting under trees and belongs to the large Barberry family. In total, there are about 50 different species of mountain weeds in nature, which may differ in the thickness of the leaves, the color of the flowers and the height of the petioles.

Description of Horny Goat Weed:

Goryanka is a popular name used in Russia. In Europe, this plant is called the elf flower, and in the scientific literature the name epimedium appears.
Horny goat weed flower is a perennial herbaceous plant that does not have a stem.
The plant has a branched horizontal rhizome, which constantly grows and sprouts new petioles with leaves. Gradually, as the entire plant grows, the central part of the root system dies off.
Different plant varieties reach a height of 25 to 75 cm.
Full-fledged shrubs are bushes of different thickness and density. Instead of stems, the plant produces long petioles with beautiful leaves at the ends.
Horny goat weed leaves vary in shape depending on the specific plant variety. There are winter-green, deciduous and semi-winter-green leaves, although semi-winter-green varieties are more common in gardens.
The leaves of Horny Goat Weed are slightly oval in shape, resembling a small heart. The medium-sized leaves are double or triple pinnate.
The color of the foliage can be very different. Some varieties have bright green foliage, while others have green leaves with orange or purple spots along the veins or along the edges.
Leaves can be located at different distances from each other. If the leaves are about 2 cm apart from each other, the bushes will be dense and dense, if at a distance of 7 cm, they will be sparse and delicate.
Horny goat weed blooms around May, when delicate and small flowers bloom on the bush, reaching about 2 cm in diameter.
The flowers have a rather unusual shape; some varieties are distinguished by the presence of spurs on the flowers. The color can be white, purple, yellow.
All flowers are collected in a loose racemose inflorescence.
Horny weed seeds are arylluses that have appendages.
Horny weed can grow in one place for about 10 years, after which the plant requires replanting.

Variety of types and varieties of bitterweed

Goryanka is still a rather rare plant in Russia. Today, approximately 50 different types of this culture are known, which differ in a variety of properties. Horny goat weed is used in breeding, thanks to which new garden varieties are constantly being developed.

Alpine Horny Goat Weed. This type of mountain weed grows naturally in Eastern Europe. Alpine goat weed is a perennial herbaceous plant. This species was the first to be described by scientists. The loose bushes can reach 25-30 cm in height. They grow very quickly and well. This type of gourd blooms with small yellow flowers with red sepals. Flowers do not have spurs.
Horny goat weed grandiflora. This type of mountain weed has become the most widespread in Russia. Another name is Epimedium grandiflorum. It is a natural species whose natural habitat is considered to be the territory of Japan. The plant can reach a height of 30 cm, forming a fairly dense cover over the soil. The leaves of this species are evergreen, quite large in size, and heart-shaped. The leaves are dense, leathery, beautiful bronze hue. The flowering of Goryanka large-leaved begins in May. The flowers have a wide variety of colors: white, pink, yellow, lilac, purple. It is from this type of plant that horny goat weed extract is prepared, which is used in folk medicine to improve potency. The frost resistance of this species is not very high, so it is recommended to cover it for the winter.

Korean Horny Goat Weed. The natural habitat of this species of mountain weed is considered to be the territory of the Far East and Asian countries. It is a herbaceous perennial plant that is not very tall - only 15 cm. The petioles and leaves are located at some distance from each other, so the bushes are loose. The leaves of the plant are small in size, bright green in color, fall off in autumn. The species is distinguished by its beautiful flowers, which are quite large in size. They are purple in color with a white center. Flowering begins in May and lasts approximately 3 weeks. Korean or Chinese goat weed has good frost resistance and unpretentiousness, so it is perfect for gardens in Russia.

Horny goat weed is multi-colored. Another interesting species of mountain weed, which belongs to the hybrid category. The plant reaches a height of 25-40 cm and forms fairly dense saplings. A variety of this plant with yellow flowers is especially popular. It is distinguished by good frost resistance and unpretentiousness; it can do without watering for a long time.
Horny goat weed. It is also a hybrid plant that can reach a height of 35-40 cm. The species was bred by crossing Alpine mountain weed and Downy weed. Feels great in the climatic zone of Russia and in particular the Moscow region. The leaves are medium sized with attractive purple veins or purple edges and a green center. The flowers also come in two colors: pinkish-red or red-yellow. This species is valued for its almost 100% seed germination.

Horny goat weed Perralderi. It is an evergreen species of mountain weed that grows naturally in Africa, and more precisely in Algeria. This species is distinguished by its rapid growth, which allows it to quickly cover large areas of soil. The bushes reach a height of approximately 30 cm. The foliage has an interesting feature: young leaves have a bronze tint, which turns green over time. It blooms in May with yellow flowers with a red edge up to 1.5 cm in diameter.
Goryanka Colchis. It is a natural species that can reach a height of approximately 25 cm. It has evergreen foliage that overwinters on the plant. Flowering begins in May with bright yellow flowers.
Jung's mountain weed or lush. It is a low-growing species that can reach a height of about 25 cm. It is distinguished by beautiful feathery leaves that gradually change their color from bronze to green. The plant blooms with purple or white flowers at the very beginning of spring. The species grows very slowly, only 2-3 cm per year.

Horny goat weed. It is a hybrid species that can reach 20-50 cm in height, thereby forming dense curtains. By autumn the leaves begin to acquire a reddish tint. This plant blooms with red flowers with a bronze tint; some varieties bloom with delicate orange flowers.
Cantabrian Horny Goat Weed. A winter-green type of plant that forms loose openwork curtains. The plant reaches a height of approximately 60 cm. The flowers are very small, white-pink in color, but bloom in large quantities.

Reproduction of horny weed: the most common methods

You can grow Horny Goat weed yourself on your own property, but to do this you need to know what methods to use. This crop can be propagated in two ways: by seed and by dividing the bush. Let's take a closer look at the features of each method, after which you can quickly and easily choose the most suitable one for yourself.

Seed propagation of Horny Weed

This type of propagation of goat weed is used much less frequently, and moreover, it can only be applied to species plants. When propagating using seeds of garden hybrids, you risk getting a nondescript plant without varietal characteristics.
Seed propagation takes longer and requires more effort when growing seedlings.
First of all, you need to collect the seeds in the fall immediately after the inflorescences fade. It is not recommended to overdry the seeds of this crop, as they lose their viability.
In the future, the seeds need to be stratified. At the beginning, this is done at a temperature of 15-20 degrees - it takes about 3 weeks. Then the seeds are placed in damp sand for a month, the container with them is placed in a cool place with a temperature of 0-4 degrees. This container can be placed in the refrigerator on the vegetable shelf.
After hardening, the seeds are sown in prepared containers for seedlings.
Emerged seedlings must be watered regularly, and when they reach a sufficient height, dive into separate containers.
Horny goat weed planted from seeds will bloom only in 3-4 years, so this method of propagation is chosen extremely rarely.
Sometimes the seeds of the mountain weed are scattered throughout the area and, in the presence of fertile soil and other comfortable conditions, it reproduces by self-sowing.

Reproduction of mountain weed by dividing the bush

This method is used much more often, as it does not require much effort and quickly produces results in the form of a flowering adult plant.
All types of mountain weed grow rapidly after they reach two years of age, so at this age they can already be divided. Old plants that grow in one place for about 10 years also require division.
To divide the bushes of this plant, it is necessary to use sections of rhizomes.
Most often, division of the rhizome occurs at the end of August or at the beginning of September, when the plant has a large number of new leaves and the root system increases.
There is no need to dig up the entire plant, since the rhizome of Horny Goat Weed is horizontal and located close to the surface.
You need to take a sharp shovel or other tool and carefully separate the required number of pieces. The main thing is that there are 2-3 buds on each root segment.
After separation, each seedling must be immediately mulched to protect it from damage and drying out.

Preparation before planting mountain weeds in open ground

Horny goat weeds are fairly unpretentious plants, but given their particular exoticism, it is best to carefully prepare before planting. It is important to grow your own or buy horny weed in the form of healthy seedlings or seedlings, and it is also important to choose a suitable site for planting. Only if all the requirements are met can you grow a beautiful and healthy plant.

Selection of varieties and seedlings of Goryanka

When choosing a specific variety of bitterweed, reviews of your gardener friends can be of great help to you. Especially if your friends have already grown this fabulous plant on their site.
It is best to purchase frost-resistant varieties of goatweed, which are ideal for our climate. Give preference to red, multi-colored or large-leaved mountain weed.
the choice of variety will also depend on the planting location. Lower varieties are perfect for planting under fruit trees in the garden; tall varieties can be planted on the lawn or along garden paths.
If you have a mountain weed bush growing on your site, you can provide yourself with planting material by propagating by dividing the bush.
If you don’t have such a plant, you can ask the same friends.
In any case, at any time, ready-made planting material can be purchased at a specialized garden center or nursery that professionally breeds plants.
When buying horny weed seedlings from a nursery, you can be sure that they are adapted to the climate conditions of your region. In addition, you can get professional advice on the specifics of planting and growing a particular plant variety.
Before purchasing, it is important to carefully inspect the Horny Goat weed seedlings. They should be free of visible damage, signs of disease and pests.

Choosing a place to plant Goryanka

All mountain weeds are considered rather unpretentious perennial plants. They grow well in full sun or in the full shade of large trees. However, the optimal place for this crop will be partial shade. Pick a place on your site in the shade of small trees or shrubs, through the foliage and branches of which light will penetrate. This way your mountain weed will grow quickly and strongly, covering all the soil around it. When choosing a planting location, also consider the future size of the plant. Since they grow very large as they age, they need a lot of space, so leave some space in reserve.

It is best to select a location on a small hill where there is no stagnant water. Hillworts do not like excessively waterlogged soil. The selected area should also be protected from strong winds.

Selection and preparation of soil for planting

All types of mountain weed are considered quite unpretentious. therefore they can grow in any soil. However, it is best to provide them with a plot of loose, fertile soil. She should have a neutral reaction. Therefore, before planting, if the soil on your site is acidic, you need to add dolomite flour. It is also best if the soil allows moisture and air to pass through well.

Technology for planting mountain weed in open ground

The optimal time for planting Goryanka is late summer or autumn. It is at this time that it is recommended to divide the rhizomes of this plant.
Prepare the soil before planting. Carefully dig up the area you have chosen; the soil should be fresh and loose. You can add more sand or clay to its composition. Because the plant will grow better. When cultivating the area, add a little compost; mountain weed loves a high organic content.
Prepare small holes, which should be located approximately 30-40 cm apart. This is exactly the distance that the plant should be left to “grow”.
If you purchased seedlings in containers, before planting it is important to thoroughly water them and remove them without damaging the root system.
Place each seedling in the planting holes and cover with soil, gently compacting it with your hands.
Please note that each seedling must be buried to a depth of no more than 5 cm.
After planting, water the holes and cover well with leaves and manure. This way you will protect the plants from frost.

Agricultural technology for growing bitter goat weed in open ground: secrets and nuances of care

Caring for horny weed is very simple; this unpretentious plant is unlikely to cause you much trouble. It should be treated with special attention in the first year after planting, when the plant is just taking root in a new place.

Watering Horny Weed

All types of mountain weed prefer to grow in well-moistened soils in the shade of trees, but excessive moisture can cause the death of the plant. In summer, this plant must be watered regularly, but be strictly careful not to flood the root system. Just remember that Horny Goat Weed tolerates drought better than excess moisture.

Loosening and mulching of bitterweed

Periodically, the soil around the mountain weeds must be carefully loosened. It is important not to damage the root system. To avoid excessive evaporation of moisture and the spread of weeds, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the plants. Dry peat, compost, sawdust, and tree bark can be used as mulch.

Pruning Horny Weed

Horny goat weed does not need pruning, however, evergreen species of this plant may lose their decorative value without proper care. To prevent this from happening, immediately after the snow melts and the frost stops, tear off all last year's leaves. Soon, young ones will appear on the plant, which will be much brighter than last year's. However, this must be done strictly after the end of night frosts, otherwise young foliage may be damaged.

Feeding Horny Weed

This plant does not require excessive and frequent feeding. With proper planting and the addition of organic matter to the soil, your plant will delight you with active growth and lush flowering for a long time. Every year at the beginning of spring, one application of organic fertilizers or complex mineral fertilizer is enough, after which the mountain weed will feel great throughout the year. Horny goat weed foliage in the fall can also be an excellent fertilizer for this plant and other surrounding crops.

Preparing Horny Goat Weed for Winter

Most species of horny weed are quite frost-resistant, but at a young age and during snowless winters it is worth taking care of shelter. The root system can be covered with fallen leaves, and for young seedlings, a denser cover with compost can be used. In the spring, immediately after the snow melts, the cover is removed so as not to harm the plant.

Use of Horny Goat Weed in Landscape Design

These plants are increasingly found in landscape design. They serve as an excellent background for various trees, while creating an incredible garden composition in some fabulous and fantastic style.

Goryanka can be planted as a groundcover under trees and shrubs.
They look great in group plantings against a lawn.
Goryanka can be planted in rockeries or alpine hills that are in the shade.
With the help of these plants, you can create garden compositions along with crops such as primrose, hostas, ferns.

Photo of mountain weed in landscape design

You can more clearly see all the features of using Goryanka in landscape design in the photos below.

Goryanka are delicate and fabulous plants that fascinate with their green foliage and unusually beautiful flowers. Having planted such a plant on your site, you will admire its beauty throughout the year.

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What to do instead of a lawn? So that all this beauty does not turn yellow, does not get sick and at the same time looks like a lawn... I hope that the smart and quick-witted reader is already smiling. After all, the answer suggests itself - if you do nothing, nothing will happen. Of course, there are several solutions that can be used, and with their help, you can reduce the area of the lawn, and therefore reduce the labor intensity of caring for it. I propose to consider alternative options and discuss their pros and cons.

Tomato sauce with onions and sweet peppers - thick, aromatic, with pieces of vegetables. The sauce cooks quickly and is thick because this recipe contains pectin. Make such preparations at the end of summer or autumn, when the vegetables have ripened in the sun in the garden beds. Bright, red tomatoes will make equally bright homemade ketchup. This sauce is a ready-made dressing for spaghetti, and you can also simply spread it on bread - very tasty. For better preservation, you can add a little vinegar.

This year I often observed a picture: among the luxurious green crown of trees and shrubs, here and there, like candles, the bleached tops of shoots “burn.” This is chlorosis. Most of us know about chlorosis from school biology lessons. I remember that this is a lack of iron... But chlorosis is an ambiguous concept. And lightening of foliage does not always mean a lack of iron. What is chlorosis, what our plants lack during chlorosis and how to help them, we will tell you in the article.

Korean vegetables for the winter - delicious Korean salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. The salad is sweet and sour, spicy and slightly spicy because it is prepared with Korean carrot seasoning. Be sure to prepare a few jars for the winter; in cold winter, this healthy and aromatic snack will come in handy. You can use overripe cucumbers for the recipe; it is better to harvest vegetables in late summer or early autumn, when they are ripe in the open ground under the sun.

Autumn for me means dahlias. Mine begin to bloom as early as June, and all summer the neighbors peek at me over the fence, reminding them that I promised them a few tubers or seeds by the fall. In September, a tart note appears in the aroma of these flowers, hinting at the approaching cold. This means it’s time to start preparing the plants for the long, cold winter. In this article I will share my secrets of autumn care for perennial dahlias and preparing them for winter storage.

To date, through the efforts of breeders, according to various sources, from seven to ten thousand (!) varieties of cultivated apple trees have been bred. But despite their enormous diversity, in private gardens, as a rule, only a couple of popular and beloved varieties grow. Apple trees are large trees with a spreading crown, and you cannot grow many of them in one area. What if you try to grow columnar varieties of this crop? In this article I will tell you exactly about these varieties of apple trees.

Pinjur - Balkan-style eggplant caviar with sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes. A distinctive feature of the dish is that the eggplants and peppers are first baked, then peeled and simmered for a long time in a roasting pan or in a thick-bottomed pan, adding the rest of the vegetables specified in the recipe. The caviar turns out to be very thick, with a bright, rich taste. In my opinion, this cooking method is the best known. Although it is more troublesome, the result compensates for the labor costs.

To date, the genus includes more than 50 species of mountain weeds. And this is not the limit, because every year botanists find new species.

Fun fact: Goryanka are found only in the Eastern Hemisphere, where they inhabit the foothills of the Caucasus, Europe, Japan, Turkey and China. Under natural conditions, mountain weeds grow on mountain spurs or in mountain forests. Some species of bitterweed are found on limestones.

Goryanka is a herbaceous perennial plant with branched roots, from which foliage leaves on long petioles, 15-50 cm. The distance between the foliage of Goryanka determines the appearance of the plant itself.

If the plant is about 2 cm, dense "thickets" are created, and if more than 7 cm, "thickets" will be loose. The rhizome of Goryanka grows horizontally from the center to the periphery, and after a few years, the central part of the “bush” begins to die off in old specimens, and this reduces the decorative effect of the plant. Therefore, during this period, to preserve its decorative properties, the Horny Goat weed must be divided.

Some species of mountain weed have green leaves in winter, while other species have green leaves every year. Today, when many hybrids have appeared in garden culture, the foliage can be semi-winter green. The leaves of the mountain weed are compound, double or even triple pinnate.

The leaves are located on petioles and have a heart-shaped, oval shape. The edge of the leaves can be finely toothed, wavy or smooth. The texture of the leaf is leathery and dense. In some species of mountain weed, the leaves along the edges are painted orange or bright purple, which makes them very decorative.

Horny weed flowers are very small. They are unusual. The flower has eight sepals, they are arranged in two rows. When a flower blooms, the outer four fall off. The four internal ones are arranged crosswise. The petals of the corolla are divided or ruffled in the shape of a ring.

Petals vary in shape among different species. They have spurs, short or long, but may not have them at all. The colors of the flowers are varied. It can be purple, red, white, yellow or a combination of all these colors.

Horny goat weed flowers, collected in a branched raceme, hover above the bushes, or look out from the young foliage. Horny goat weed flowers are characterized by protogyny, therefore, if the plant is not pollinated by insects, the pistil grows after the pollen of the same flower has ripened.

In mountain weed, the style grows past the anthers, and the pollen adheres to the stigma. This is a backup method of pollination, which allows you to set seeds if pollinators are not available.

The fruit of the goat weed is dehiscent and dry. Seeds with large appendages, they are called arillus. Horny weed seeds are spread by ants, and the ants are attracted to the nutrient-rich appendages.

Types and varieties of bitterweed

Today, in the gardens of Russian flower growers there are more than 10 species and varieties of Horny Goat Weed. Here are the most common:

This mountain weed is a hybrid of Colchis mountain weed and grandiflora. Foliage 30-40 cm long overwinters under snow. Flowering occurs in mid-May. Drought resistant.

Our popular variety is the multi-colored sulfur-yellow mountain weed with 1.5 cm yellow flowers. The turf is dense, up to 40 cm tall. Young foliage is beautifully colored.

The homeland is the forests of the Far East.

Perennial 15 cm tall, forms loose turf. The green foliage is thin and does not overwinter. The flowers are large, very beautifully shaped, with a spur, in racemes, single or few, purple with a white center.

Korean horny goat weed blooms in May and lasts about 20 days. Loves shade. Korean horny weed grows slowly - a few centimeters per year. Unpretentious and frost-resistant.

Hybrid of alpine and grandiflora mountain weed.

Plants are 35-40 cm tall. It has a dense and high ground cover. Young leaves are very beautiful. They are purple along the edges. The flowers are red and yellow. Red Horny Goat Weed is the most common plant in our gardens.

Homeland Japan and Manchuria. It is the ancestor of most garden hybrids.

Reaches up to 30 cm in height. It has heart-shaped wintering leaves with a bronze tint. Flowers on a strong stem, 4-15 of them. The species of mountain weeds have lilac flowers, but there are varieties with a lilac color, with white and pink flowers.

Flowering occurs in May-June. In winter it may freeze. A dry cover with spruce branches is preferable.

Plant of cedar and oak forests of Algeria.

In garden culture, it forms a dense cover up to 35 cm in height; it consists of long-petioled wintering foliage with a wavy, spiny edge. At first, the leaves of the Perralderi mountain weed are bronze-colored, then dark green with reticulate veining.

The leaf blades also have a wavy, finely toothed edge. Blooms in May. The flowers of this mountain weed are 1.5 cm in diameter and are originally colored yellow with a red-brown border along the edge.

This type of mountain weed grows well in fertile soil with moderate moisture. This type of mountain weed is characterized by rapid growth: annual growth of 15 cm. It is not damaged by diseases and pests. Winter-hardy, but preventive shelter is required.

Location of the mountain weed

All mountain weeds are stable, reliable, unpretentious perennials. They tolerate both full shade and full light. But they bloom best in partial shade.

Soil for Horny Weed

Wet, fresh, clay-manure or sand-manure, rich in nutrients. Horny goat weed does not tolerate waterlogging at all.

Caring for Horny Weed

Some books indicate that mountain weeds belong to the fifth or warmer zone. But the practice of cultivating them has shown that mountain weeds grow successfully if you know the conditions for their cultivation: for the winter, the root system needs to be mulched with compost.

In the spring, after the snow has melted, it is necessary to rake off the leaves that covered the plantings. Evergreen leaves of mountain weeds lose their decorative properties in the middle zone, so in early spring, overwintered foliage must be cut down to soil level in order for new foliage to develop well.

This must be done as soon as the snow melts, because mountain weeds begin to grow back early. But it should be remembered that frosts can damage flower buds and young foliage.

Horny goat weed is rarely susceptible to diseases and pests.

Reproduction of Horny Weed

Rhizome segments. Division is best done in August. It is necessary to plant sections of rhizomes that contain 2 buds. After transplanting, the horny goat weed should be covered with a layer of leaf.

Horny goat weed grows quickly, usually within a year after transplantation, and forms a dense cover.

Uses of Horny Weed

Horny goat weed is suitable for landscaping under deciduous shrubs and trees. Horny goat weed is used in mixed plantings with other perennials. Horny goat weeds attract attention all season long: in spring with beautiful flowering, in summer, and also in autumn with ornamental beautiful foliage.