Pink acacia: description and cultivation

Pink acacia was originally native to North America, from where it was exported in 1601. In our country, the plant also became widespread at the beginning of the 17th century and since then has not lost its popularity among gardeners. This is a very spectacular representative of flora, capable of literally transforming any landscape of a garden, alleys, parks and squares. The botanical name of the plant is Robinia, but still more often Robinia is called acacia.

Pink acacia, as it is also called sticky robinia and other types of wood with pink flowers, refers to the thermophilic and photophilous representatives of the flora. This is a stunning honey plant that is pollinated by almost all types of insects. Acacia honey is considered one of the most delicious and healthy, it does not crystallize for a long period. The structure of the trunk is very strong, the value of the tree from this point of view is almost equal to that of oak. Depending on the species and variety, robinia has some distinctive appearance features. But in general, pink acacia is easy to recognize:

• the trunk of a shrub or tree is dark brown, the bark is smooth;
• basal shoots grow strongly and require pruning;
• pinnate foliage, leaf shape - oval, color - juicy green;
• on the reverse side, the leaf is grayish, the petioles are covered with hairs;
• the leaf falls off in late autumn, retaining its rich color until the last;
• flowers are large, inflorescences are dense, complexly decorated;
• weak aroma;
• pink flowers can have different shades from delicate to bright, with a lilac or dark tint;
• flowering is lush, expressive.

In different sources, botanists estimate the diversity of the genus Robinia differently. Most often, the following varieties are referred to as pink acacia.

• Robinia Elliott. The height does not exceed one and a half meters, the branches are straight, like twigs. The shoots are prickly, the foliage is on petioles, each leaf reaches more than 2 cm and has the shape of an ellipse with a blunt end. Loose cluster-like inflorescences collect up to 10 flowers. Blooms close to purple and purple-pink. It blooms in the first month of summer, tolerates frost well.

• Bristly-haired. It belongs to tall, up to 3 m tall, the roots grow abundantly. Petioles and shoots are hairy, reddish. Large foliage, dark green color. Flowering pinkish or purple-pink, large, racemose inflorescences. It blooms from early summer to September, tolerates frost well, but sometimes requires shelter.

• Lush. The height of the tree reaches 10 m. The crown is of a spreading type, spiny shoots, glandular pubescence. The foliage is up to 20 cm in size, the bloom is pale pink, the inflorescences are racemose, dense. In the first year, the plant can freeze, requires shelter in severe frosts, and tolerates drought well. Blooms in late spring. High decorativeness due to abundant luxurious flowering.

• New Mexican. It can be in the form of a tree or a bush, the height varies from 6 to 12 m. It grows rather quickly, the crown is oval, wide, and the shape is irregular. The foliage is large, gray with a green tint. Abundant flowering, purple-pink, bright, large inflorescences, no aroma. It perfectly tolerates unfavorable growing conditions.

• Sticky. Treelike plant, maximum height 12 m, round crown. Flowers, foliage and sticky shoots. The leaves are large, the color is rich green.Inflorescences purple with pink, no aroma, erect brushes. Blooms long and profusely, tolerates frost and drought well.

The beauty and lush bloom of acacia encourages breeders to develop new plant hybrids. Popular hybrid varieties include the following:

• robinia "Doubtful" - light pink color, thorny shoots with a little stickiness;

• robinia "Goldt" - tree-like, pinkish bloom;

• robinia longiloba - a very effective variety, lilac flowers with a pink tint;

• robinia "Margarita" - shrub type, fluffy foliage below, pale pink bloom;

• robinia "Slavina" - shrub with pink flowers, racemose pubescent inflorescence.

Growing pink acacia is a rather troublesome business in our country, so it is very important to know the rules of planting and care and follow them. The plant is demanding, first of all, to the place of planting. You must select a site:

• with good lighting;
• ideally on a hill;
• no drafts;
• spacious.

Shrubs and trees need a large area, as the crown is quite spreading. Under the sun, the plant will grow better, develop well and bloom profusely. In partial shade, acacia will not die, but the quality of flowering will be an order of magnitude worse, in addition, in such places the plant can freeze in winter. It is necessary to provide the pink robinia with protection from the wind, especially in the northern direction. It is better if this vector is covered by a fence or wall.

The soil for the plant is suitable for a fertile type, light, in general there are no special requirements in this regard. Even on heavy soils, it grows well, but in this case the flowering will be scarce. At the very beginning of the flowering period, mineral fertilizers are applied, in the spring they are fed with humus, compost. Watering for a mature plant requires moderate watering, a young plant is watered more abundantly. They increase the amount of moisture only if the soil is significantly dry. Regularly weed the near-trunk space.

This type of plant is classified as garden, it is not cultivated at home, robinia reproduces in spring. There are several proven ways. Seed method:

• disembarkation period from February to March;
• the material is preliminarily subjected to processing - scalded with boiling water, then dipped into ice water;
• planting is carried out to a depth of about 1 cm in seedling cassettes;
• containers are wrapped in polyethylene and placed under diffused light;
• the optimal temperature is from 20 to 23 ° С;
• every day you need to ventilate the plants;
• seedlings appear after 2 weeks, they are grown open;
• requires regular watering and hardening outside in the summer;
• a year later, the sprouts are planted in open ground.

Seedling method:

• in the spring, root-type processes are dug up;
• sit down in new places.

Layering method:

• the side-type shoot is bent to the ground, cut;
• fix at the soil;
• fall asleep with soil;
• watered regularly;
• the next spring, the process is separated and planted in a permanent place.

Cuttings:

• cuttings of at least 15 cm are cut from an adult plant, shoots at the top of the bush are used;
• planted in the ground or a container with sand and peat;
• covered with plastic or glass;
• ventilated daily;
• watered as needed;
• the procedure is carried out in the spring, in the fall the plant is ready for planting, but it is better to do this next spring.

In general, the plant is quite resistant to diseases and insect attacks. Nevertheless, sometimes robinia is affected by spotting due to freezing, or it is attacked by a spider mite if the humidity of the soil and air is low.

• The mite is easy to spot due to the appearance of red buds on the leaves. If you do not start processing, all the foliage will be covered with sticky cobwebs.The insect is removed with soapy water, acaricidal preparations.
• If spots appear on the leaves, this is a bacterial infection. It is necessary to carry out the treatment with fungicidal agents, solutions with copper or Bordeaux liquid.

For information on how to properly care for pink acacia, see the following.