Judas tree: characteristics and features of growing

The Judah tree is one of those plants that are not found very often in the practice of gardeners. It is necessary to figure out why it is called that, what are the prospects for its application. Another important point is proper fit and care.

The official botanical term is European scarlet, otherwise Cercis European, or in Latin Cercis siliquastrum. It also bears the common name Judas tree (not to be confused with aspen!). Strictly speaking, this phrase causes associations with aspen only in Russia, and in European countries it is firmly associated with cercis. Why the plant is called that, there is no definite answer. Some experts believe that it was simply very widespread in ancient Judea, and therefore the general name of the area was transferred to it in a distorted form.

Another version still refers to the same biblical Judas. According to the myth, when he hanged himself, tormented by conscience, the nearest plant (just cercis) out of compassion changed the color of its snow-white flowers. Now they have a purple color, which in many countries is associated with grief and sadness.

The Judah tree can be found on rocky slopes. Usually, its presence indicates that the substrate contains a lot of lime. The plant loves sunlight and does well on dry days. Its growth is not too fast, five-year-old shrubs and trees (both forms are possible) can grow up to a maximum of 1.5 m. Not uncommon at this age and meter specimens.

But the lifespan is long. Certsis are described, which for 100 years grew up to 12.5 m.The trunk section at the same time reached 0.5-0.6 m.The crown size was up to 10 m. Other important features:

• the highest recorded height is 15 m;
• crown in the form of a ball or tent;
• high likelihood of barrel curvature;
• very dark, almost black bark with deep cracks;
• the rounded shape of the leaves with a dull green top and a bluish tint below;
• grouping flowers in bunches of 3-6 pieces;
• pink cups, the size of bright pink corollas about 20 mm;
• the formation of narrow-winged flat beans 70-100 mm long, 15 mm wide;
• flowering at the turn of April and May (preceding the dissolution of the leaves);
• fruiting in the first third of autumn.

Cercis entered the decorative culture as early as the 16th century. In our country, its cultivation has been practiced since 1813. On the Black Sea coast, it can produce self-seeding and run wild. Some specimens of Judas tree have been recorded in the vicinity of Rostov and in the Krasnodar steppes. But there they freeze out during the first relatively cool winter.

Here are some more facts:

• the suitability of cercis wood for carpentry work;
• kidneys can be used as an ingredient for a hot seasoning;
• the flowers of this plant, although they do not exude an odor, allow the bees to collect a large bribe;
• during flowering, the Judas tree looks extremely attractive.

The seeds of the European scarlet have an extremely hard shell. Germination of a sprout through it is very difficult if you do not help the plant. Scarification with a needle or emery is very useful. Alternative:

• wiping the shell with sand;
• exposure in saturated sulfuric acid for 30 minutes;
• placing in warm (about 40 degrees) water - after that, stratification is needed at 3-4 degrees for at least 60 days.

Sowing is recommended in late autumn. The sowing depth is 20-30 mm. Next, the bed needs to be covered:

• peat;
• spruce branches;
• other covering materials.

An alternative solution is sowing in containers, which must be kept in warm basements or greenhouses. The degree of soil moisture should be controlled as carefully as possible. Transplanting seedlings to a stable place can be performed after the end of the spring frost. Growth and strength gain will take several years, and by the end of the first year of development, the aerial part will die out. There is no need to worry: it should be so.

Second-year shoots will also not survive the fall. And only in the third season, the laying of skeletal branches will begin.

Things are different with home cultivation.... There the Judas tree should be in a warm, bright place. Balconies or terraces facing south are ideal. At the same time, in the second half of the day, direct sunlight is contraindicated. Watering young domestic trees is required more often, only slight drying of the earth is allowed, however, and waterlogging is contraindicated.

You can only water the scarlet with clean rain or filtered water. Annual pruning is unnecessary. It is carried out only as needed - both in the spring and autumn months. You can shorten branches by no more than 1/3. Wintering should take place in a bright, cool room at a temperature of 7 to 15 degrees.

Reproduction is allowed both by seed and cuttings. The seeds are cooked for 8 days (first in the refrigerator, and then in water for 1 day). Deep burial of seed is not encouraged - germination is ensured only in the light. Germination is best in the range of 20-23 degrees. The landing container is kept under glass; it will take about 1 month to wait for shoots. As soon as the seedlings reach a height of 0.1 m, they are dived into the pots.

The cutting method of propagation of the Judah tree is optimal in summer. The length of the cut shoots is at least 0.15 m. They are advised to immediately plant them in the final place, covering the lower part of the shoot with 5 cm of earth. It will take 1-1.5 months to wait for the appearance of strong roots.

It is worth noting that some gardeners are more scrupulous about the reproduction of the Judah tree. In their opinion, only shoots with a length of at least 0.2 m are suitable. At the same time, 2 or 3 internodes must still be present on the planting material.

Cercis is not affected by most of the diseases that other plants in the garden suffer from. In temperate latitudes, you only have to take care that the shrubs do not freeze out. For the winter, the roots must be covered. Special care for the branches is not needed: if the root complex is preserved, they will recover in case of any frost damage, in extreme cases, new shoots will form. Among the pests, the most dangerous is the aphid sucking juice, the methods of fighting which are the same as in the case of other crops.

Single insects can simply be collected mechanically and burned. In this case, the affected leaves or shoots are necessarily destroyed. In more difficult cases, an ash-and-soap solution comes to the rescue (its components are literally devastating for aphids). To scare away such an insect, birch tar is suitable.

The photo shows one of the possible options for using cercis... Against the background of a rocky area, it looks very good.

Single landing against the background of green plants and grassy lawn, it is no worse.

Going beyond the horizon Judas tree chain in some cases it turns out to be no less attractive.

And in this photo you can see European scarlet along the stone wall, supplemented by other plants.