Round-leaved chokeis an attractive climber all year round, but it looks especially beautiful in autumn. During this time, its leaves turn yellow, and brightly colored fruits ripen among them. See what thecultivation of round-leaved chokelooks like and learn aboutrecommended strains of choke , available in Polish nurseries. Find out how to easily do it yourselfpropagation of roundleaf chokeWe also explain why in certain situationsyou shouldn't plant choke in gardens!
Attractive fruits of round-leaved chokeberry
Fig. Qwert1234, Public domain, source: Wikimedia Commons
The round-leaved choke (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a fast-growing (lengthens shoots by 2 m during the year), perennial ornamental climber, native to East Asia. Creates long, twisting around supports, strong, woody shoots, up to 12 m in height.Round-leaf chokeberry is decorated with green leaves , round or elliptical in shape, with pointed tops and serrated edges. In autumn the leaves change color to an intense lemon-yellow color. At the turn of May and June, the round-leaved choke blooms with inconspicuous green flowers.
The round-leaved chokeberry is a dioecious plantIn the fall (September-October) spherical fruits ripen on the female individuals.The fruit of the roundleaf chokeis a bag with a yellow-orange cover, with three distinct seams.As it matures, the casing breaks into three parts, revealing red arils. The fruits remain on the plant for a long time and decorate bare shoots in very late autumn (early December).
Note!Due to the high adaptability and the ability to germinate seeds in a wide spectrum of lighting, round-leaved choke is a very invasive plant that easily inhabits new areas and may pose a threat to native plants. Therefore, it is worth considering whether you really want to plant this creeper in the garden.
Roundleaf choke - cultivation
Round-leaved choke grows well and bears fruit abundantly in nutrient-poor soilsOn fertile and moderately moist soils, round-leaved choke produces long and strong annual growths. This leads to an excessive growth of the creeper and threatens to jam the plants growing nearby. In this case, it is necessary to cut to limit the growth of the plant. Round-leaf choke tolerates drought, but reacts badly to root flooding
Female varieties of round-leaved chokeberry bear the most abundant fruit in sunny places.Male varieties can grow in sun or partial shade.Round-leaved choke is completely frost-proof , does not require any covering for the winter. It is also resistant to air pollution and is very rarely attacked by diseases and pests.
The growth of roundleaf choke should be monitored . For this purpose, it is necessary to regularly trim excessively expanding shoots and remove root suckers.Trimming of round-leaved chokeberry after flowering .
Roundleaf choke can be plantedthroughout the growing season (from April to October). It is best to plant plants from proven nurseries, then we can be sure of the sex of the plant.To get fruit, plant male and female plants side by side After planting the plant, the shoots should be trimmed with 3-4 eyelets to make it sprout better.
Round-leaf choke starts flowering
Fig. © Tadek, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Round-leaf choke is suitable for cultivationwith all kinds of supports for vines with a strong structure - pergolas, trellises, openwork fences. It is suitable for masking rubbish shelters and for strengthening slopes (prevents erosion). It can also climb up the walls of buildings.
Round-leaf choke must be grown with sufficiently high supportsIf the supports are too low, the climber will start to grow like a bush - it will produce a lot of unsupported, overhanging shoots and will obtain an unattractive, bushy habit.
Note!Roundleaf choke should be planted at least 1 m away from small trees and shrubs, as it may suffocate by reaching them and wrapping around the trunks.
Roundleaf choke - reproduction
Round-leaf choke can be easily propagated by seedsSeeds are obtained from fully ripe fruit. We clean them from the flesh of the sheath and sow them directly after harvesting into the ground, because they require stratification. The seeds germinate in great numbers in the spring. Plants obtained from sowing seeds only bloom after 4, and sometimes even after 8 years. During this time, we do not know what sex of the plant we managed to grow.
Good to knowThe seeds of the roundleaf choke can spread long distances by birds. Man also contributes to the uncontrolled spread of round-leaved choke, among others. by using its fruitful shoots to create occasional decorations, which, after fulfilling their role, are thrown into composters. The seeds in the compost end up in the ground in the garden where they germinate easily.
It is better to propagate round-leaved choke vegetatively - by cuttings or layeringWe are then sure what plants we will get. The easiest way isto multiply the chokecuttings from the root suckers by digging them up from the ground and replanting to a new place.
You choke a round-leaved overgrowing trunk of an old tree
Fig. © Danka, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Anothermethod of propagating round-leaved choke is layeringBend the round-leaved choke shoot to the ground, cover it with soil and load it with a stone so that it does not bend back to the vertical position. Water the rooting shoot regularly. In autumn, when roots develop on the shoot, cut it off from the mother plant and plant the seedling obtained in a new place.
Roundleaf choke - varieties
There are two types of round-leaved choke available in trade in Poland : 'Diana' and 'Hercules'.
'Diana'- this is a female, lushly fruiting variety of round-leaved choke. Needs a pollinator (male) to set fruit.
'Hercules'- this is a male variety of roundleaf choke, a pollinator for the variety 'Diana'.
Also available in Western Europe is thebisexual variety of roundleaf Strangler - 'Hermaphroditus' . Climbers of this variety can bear fruit without the presence of a partner.
Note!The fruit of round-leaf choke, when ingested, causes food poisoning. For this reason, female varieties of roundleaf choke should not be planted in kindergartens, schools and playgrounds. Male varieties that do not produce fruit will work in these places.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
