Irga alder-leaved will delight you with a large, tasty and healthy harvest

Tell us what the alder-leaved irga is. We bought a seedling in the spring, fortunately, the planting was successful. Our bush has already grown new branches, and even there were several flowers. What is the yield of this species of irgi and how does it winter? It can be very cold here, we live in the central zone.

A frost-hardy spreading bush covered with small white flowers, in the place of which large blue berries ripen over time ... This is an alder-leaved irga, one of the not very common shrubs. Originally from North America, in our natural conditions it can be found in the Caucasus and Crimea. Varietal plants are grown mainly by amateurs. Perhaps, the rest of the gardeners also do not interfere with taking a closer look at this culture. High yield, excellent winter hardiness and at least fifty years of life - can any other plant compare with irga?

Irga alder-leaved - description of the species

As a representative of the Rosaceae family, Irga already has not so many varieties. All together they are no more than 25 pieces, but alder irga is more suitable for cultivation. It's majestic and beautiful bush up to 4 m high with straight shoots covered with dark gray bark. It has a developed root system that can go deep into the soil up to 2 m. In spring, the branches are covered with green oval leaves with a serrated edge. They are matte, with well-visible light streaks.

In the month of May, a scattering of odorless white flowers appears. They themselves are small, only 3 cm in diameter, but collected in dense inflorescences of up to 20 buds. Closer to autumn, the fruits ripen - large berries up to 1.5 cm in diameter. They are oval, blue, almost black, in color, and contain many useful substances. It is noteworthy that the small bones in the berries are almost not felt, and the pulp is sweet, with a slight sourness. If you crush a berry, the juice will stain your hands.

Of the advantages of the species, it is worth noting high productivity, self-pollination and rapid growth. In addition, irga in one place can grow up to 70 years old, and even give berries in the shade. And she also has little root growth, which makes care easier.

Irga is not particularly demanding on the soil, but it grows better on loam and sandy loam. The ideal place is partial shade, because the bush is picky about moisture, and the earth dries out quickly in the sun.

Popular varieties

Alder irga is represented by several varieties, among which there are more compact plants:

1. Starlight Night. Differs in large berries weighing up to 2 g each, while they have a denser skin and sweeter flesh. The crop ripens almost simultaneously. The height of the bush is 3 m.
2. Krasnoyarsk. Another large-fruited variety with abundant fruiting. The height of the bush is 4 m. Due to its increased winter hardiness, it can grow even in southern Siberia.
3. Obelisk. A characteristic feature of the variety is a narrow, vertical crown.
4. Smokey. It has increased frost and drought resistance, gives large sweet berries. The shoots are vertical at first, but droop slightly over time.
5. Northline. An early ripe variety up to 4 m high, not particularly demanding for watering. Medium-sized elongated berries ripen in early summer.

Video - review of Irgi alder-leaved Smoky