What types of Boston ivy are there? With a complete picture gallery of common varieties
Boston ivy is also called creeping ivy, Japanese ivy, false grape vine, red silk grass, iron railing, etc. It is a type of plant that is very effective at purifying air. It can not only resist harmful gases, but also has a certain ability to absorb dust in the air. In addition, Boston ivy also has high medicinal value: its rhizome can be used as medicine to treat blood stasis and reduce swelling and toxins, and its fruit can be used to make wine. Below let us take a look at what types of Boston ivy there are? How to plant it? With pictures.
1. What types of Boston ivy are there?
1. Green Boston ivy
Its main feature is that the leaves on flowering branches are digitate compound leaves, with 3—5 leaflets, mostly 5, obovate or elliptic, 6—14 cm long and 2—5 cm wide. They are symmetrical on both sides, with a non-oblique base, slightly pubescent on the veins on the back, 7—10 pairs of lateral veins, raised on both sides, and leaflet stalks 0.5—1 cm long. The cymose panicle is spreading, opposite the leaves or terminal on side branches. The flowering period is June—July, and the fruit ripening period is September—October.
2. Heterophyllous Boston ivy
With heterophyllous leaves, the leaves on vegetative branches are commonly mostly simple leaves, heart-shaped, and relatively small.
The leaf surface is commonly light green, occasionally pale white, and its young leaves and autumn leaves are both purplish red. Generally, the flowering period of heterophyllous Boston ivy is June.
2. How is Boston ivy planted?
Boston ivy has strong adaptability and prefers shady and humid environments, but it is not afraid of strong light. It is cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and tolerant of poor soil, with wide climatic adaptability. South of the warm temperate zone, it can also remain semi-evergreen or evergreen in winter. It is tolerant of pruning and afraid of waterlogging, and has no strict requirements for soil. It can grow vigorously in shady and humid environments or sunny places, but grows best in shady, humid, and fertile soil. It has strong resistance to harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride, and has the ability to absorb dust in the air.
1. Sowing time
Boston ivy seeds mature in September. They are picked when they turn blackish purple. After picking, the berries should be dried in the shade and stored in wet sand, then sown in March or April of the following spring.
2. Sowing rate
Each jin of Boston ivy seeds contains about 12,000-13,000 seeds. For raising seedlings, use about 30 grams of seed per square meter. If used for greening barren hills, 1-2 jin of seedlings per mu is enough.
3. Seed germination treatment
Before sowing, Boston ivy seeds are soaked in warm water for germination, with the water changed once a day. Generally, they show white after about half a month, and are sown after showing white.
4. Sowing
If Boston ivy seeds are used for raising seedlings, they are mostly raised in nutrient pots or by drilling in seedbeds. After sowing, the soil should be kept moist, and plastic film can also be used for heat preservation to speed up emergence.
5. Seedling management
The main management of Boston ivy seedlings is water management. The seedlings are not drought-tolerant, and excessive drought can easily cause dehydration and death.
6. Transplanting
When Boston ivy seedlings grow to 20 or 30 cm, they can be taken out of the nursery for transplanting.