Knyazhik Siberian - liana from the taiga

The princes, like clematis, belong to the family of the Lyutikovs. They are very similar to each other and some botanists believe that both plants belong to the same genus - Clematis. The only difference is that princes have flowers with petals, and clematis do not. In Russia there are prince of Siberia (photo of this plant are presented below), prince of Okhotsk and large-leaved. Flowers all drooping, axillary, broadly-columned, up to 10 cm in diameter.

The Siberian prince is a shrub creeper, which is capable of climbing 3 m in height with the help of twisted leaf petioles. From June to July large white flowers appear on it, and from August to September ripen wedge-shaped fruit. In its natural habitat, it can be found in Siberia, in the forests of Karelia and the upper Volga, in the Tien Shan and Pamir mountains. Knyazhik Siberian likes to grow on forest edges, on the banks of streams and rivers, as well as on rocky sediments and stony slopes. In the reserves this plant is protected and grown in European botanical gardens.

If you decide to have a Siberian prince in your garden, then a place for him should be chosen sunny, but it is desirable that in the hot period it was slightly shaded. The slope can be south, east, south-east or south-west, and its slope should not exceed 50 ºС. Since the plant has very delicate flowers and stems, plantings must necessarily be protected from winds. However, at the same time, the Siberian liana is frost-hardy and even in the northern regions of the European part of Russia it safely hibernates without shelter.

In general, the prince of Siberia is an unpretentious plant that lives on all soils, except for swampy and waterlogged places. Of course, it is desirable that it is a loose, well-drained and light earth. And the best for the vine is a fertile, neutral or slightly alkaline loam. Planting the plant is preferable to spring, the distance between tall representatives should be at least 1.5 m, and smaller ones can be placed at a distance of 70-100 cm.

For planting, already well-rooted seedlings and cuttings (two-year-olds) are best suited, since they tolerate this procedure well. Before planting, first cut off all shoots that are above the first or second pair of kidneys. The prince has very fragile roots, and they quite often break down. All damaged parts should be cut off, and the rest sprinkled with ash or charcoal, can be treated with a weak potassium permanganate. In adult plants, the root neck is deepened by 10 cm, and in young ones by 5-8 cm. In the northern regions this will prevent from freezing, and in the southern regions - from overheating during a hot period. The buds that appeared in the first year of planting should be removed to make the plant better established.

It is necessary to know that this liana has several names: the forest prince, wild hops, liana-sheetlaz, ataman-grass. Knyazhik Siberian is actively used in the treatment of certain diseases, especially it is appreciated in Mongolian medicine. It is used for swelling, impaired metabolism, liver disease, tuberculosis, tumors, dropsy. Also, it is used as a general restorative and improving vision. However, it should be remembered that ataman-grass is a poisonous plant, and it must be used strictly for the purpose and under the supervision of the attending physician.