Application of color-leafed plants in landscaping

The concept and classification of color-leafed plants were introduced, and the application principles, methods and prospects of color-leafed plants were summarized, so as to provide reference for the application of color-leafed plants in landscaping. Color-leafed plants; Colored tree species; Landscape beautification; City garden

Colored-leaf plants can display bright colors in season, and have the characteristics of quick gardening, easy cultivation and long viewing period, which plays an increasingly important role in modern urban landscaping. How to use color-leafed plants to enrich landscape colors and improve landscape quality is a topic that landscape workers explore together.

First of all, the concept of colorful plants.

Color-leafed plants mainly refer to plants with color organs (non-green) as ornamental features, which usually include leaf viewing, flower viewing, fruit viewing, etc., and leaf viewing plants are the main ones. Many colorful plants are welcomed by people because of their colorful leaves, and become the new favorites of urban landscaping and beautification.

Second, the classification of color-leafed plants

Color-leafed plants in a narrow sense do not include autumn plants, which should be colored in spring, summer and autumn, and some color-leafed plants even keep their colors all year round; Broadly speaking, plants whose leaves can be non-green in season can be called color-leafed plants. Color-leafed plants are either due to seasonal changes in climate, changes in nature, or selection through artificial breeding and cultivation. Color-leafed plants are generally divided into three categories: normal color-leafed plants, color-leafed plants in spring and color-leafed plants in autumn.

1. foliage plants in spring

Spring-colored plants refer to plants whose young leaves appear obviously different colors in spring. The new leaves of some evergreen trees are not limited to spring, and are generally called new leaf color plants, which are also collectively referred to as spring leaf plants. For example, the spring leaves of Ailanthus altissima, Five-pointed Maple, Cinnamomum camphora and Purple Peach are red, the spring leaves of Pistacia chinensis are purple, and the spring leaves of Heather are reddish.

2. Autumn foliage plants

Plants whose leaves change greatly in autumn are called autumn foliage plants. Common autumn foliage plants are Acer truncatum, Acer truncatum, Liriodendron chinense, Acer truncatum, Ginkgo biloba, Cotinus coggygria, Rhus sumac and Torch Tree. In garden practice, foliage plants in autumn are paid attention to by people all over the world because of their long autumn. For example, the north of China enjoys the red leaves of Cotinus coggygria in late autumn every year, while the south is famous for the red leaves of Liquidambar formosana and tallow.

3. Evergreen plants

Constant-color leafy plants show colored leaves in the whole growth period, which is different from spring-color leafy plants and autumn-color leafy plants only at a certain period in the growth period. Common plants with the same leaf color are: Cinnamomum cassia, Prunus purpurea, Buxus buxus, Sabina vulgaris, Prunus purpurea, Sambucus williamsii, Ligustrum lucidum, Berberis purpurea, Elm, safflower and so on.

Third, the planting form of colored-leaf tree species

1. Isolated planting

Color-leafed plants have bright and colorful leaves and relatively stable landscape performance. It is a beautiful landscape in itself, which can be used as the central landscape and guide the line of sight. Isolated planting often occurs in lawns, so it is more appropriate to use colorful plants with tall crowns and full trees. The more common ones are Castanopsis fissa, Acer negundo, Castanopsis fissa and Acer negundo in Phnom Penh, all of which can be used as scenery. Small landscapes such as courtyards and flower ponds are dominated by compact colorful plants, such as Chinese golden leaf elm ball, red leaf tree crape myrtle, purple leaf dwarf cherry and plum blossom. The culture effect is also obvious.

2. Group planting

Group planting is widely used in garden landscape, usually colored deciduous shrubs or plants that can be pruned into spheres. It is best to have a background when planting in groups, or light-colored buildings or green trees as the background. Taking the group community as the foreground, attaching ground cover plants gives people a strong sense of hierarchy and increases the color and spatial structure of the landscape. Such as Lagerstroemia indica, Shouxing peach, peach and other colorful plants are planted in groups, and the landscape effect is obvious.

Group planting density should not be too large, and there should be a certain space between varieties to facilitate the development of individual characteristics of plants. At the same time, it can also ensure the normal growth of plants.

Fourth, the application analysis of several common colored trees

1. Ginkgo biloba, a big tree

Ginkgo tree has a strong ornamental value. Its trunk is tall and straight. The leaves are exquisite and peculiar, and most of the time they are goose yellow, which combines the beauty of leaves, crowns and stems and integrates natural landscape and human landscape. Ginkgo biloba has the functions of preventing pollution, fireworks and dust. Ginkgo biloba is recognized as a pollution-free tree species and the most ideal tree species for ornamental greening. Ginkgo trees can be planted in parks, industrial areas, residential quarters, towns, densely populated areas and rest quarters. According to a certain proportion, ginkgo forest area and ginkgo forest belt will be formed to naturally purify the air, reduce the content of suspended solids in the atmosphere and improve the air quality. Ginkgo biloba has the functions of nourishing water source, preventing wind and fixing sand, and maintaining soil and water. Areas where trees are cut down, soil erosion and sand erosion occur, ginkgo shelterbelt, shelterbelt, road protection forest, bank protection forest, beach shelterbelt, sand prevention forest, etc. Planting is to maintain soil and water and improve the ecological environment.

2. Sophora japonica

The variety of Sophora japonica fills the gap that there are no yellow trees in China. Sophora japonica with golden leaves is attractive and eye-catching, with full crown and drooping branches, which is very ornamental. It is the representative of the yellow tree in the three main colors of "red, yellow and green" in landscaping. Golden-leaf Sophora japonica likes light and is not strict with soil. Acidic, neutral and slightly alkaline soils can grow normally, with deep roots, strong germination ability, drought tolerance and cold tolerance, and high resistance to pollution such as sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Its suitable growing areas are wide, ranging from Liaoning and Inner Mongolia in the north to Guangdong, Guangxi and Southwest provinces in the south.

References:

Su Xue Ska. Plant landscaping [M]. Beijing: China Forestry Publishing House, 1994.

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[3] Chen Shengbin. On the application of colorful plants in landscape design [J]. Fujian Forestry Science and Technology, 2005,32 (1): 79-83.

[4] Qiao Dehui. Colored-leaf plants make Shanghai move from "green" to "color" [J]. China Flower Horticulture, 2004 (12):11.