Colored leaf tree species, that is, the color leaf tree species often mentioned in the garden industry, these tree species mainly have three classification methods: from the phenological observation of their color leaf trait performance, it can be divided into two categories: seasonal color leaves and evergreen leaves; from the color system observation of its color leaf trait performance, there are yellow leaves, orange leaves, red leaves, purple leaves and blue leaves, etc.; from the state observation of its color leaf trait performance, it can be divided into panchromatic, back bicolor and mottled, flanged and other types.
In order to facilitate identification, the general color leaf species are divided into two categories according to the time period of performance of the traits, seasonal color leaves and evergreen leaves, and the trimming, mottled and so on are uniformly summarized as spotted leaf tree species. For some tree species with intricate changes in color leaf traits, they are classified according to their main trait performance.
Seasonal color leaf tree species
The seasonal color leaf tree species are the resources with the most numerous types, the richest color spectrum, the most significant ecological landscape, and the most widely selected and applied tree species. From the observation of the seasonal characteristics of the color leaf traits, there are mainly spring color leaves, autumn color leaves, winter color leaves, and spring and autumn color leaves.
1. Spring-colored leaf tree species
The mainstream color system of spring leaf tree species is red, and there are not many tree species types, mainly including mountain hemp pole, red maple, red feather maple, heather, purple leaf peach, purple leaf cherry, purple leaf redbud and so on.
"A little red in the evergreen bush, no need to be more moving spring color", they have the visual function of finishing touches in the aesthetic taste of enhancing the landscape effect. For example, the red maple in the flower window in the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, the red peach on the spring embankment on the shore of Yangzhou's Slender West Lake, and the green plain purple cherry in the Beijing Botanical Garden all reveal the beautiful spring beauty.
▲ Red maple in the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou
▲ Peach blossoms in Yangzhou Slender West Lake
The fashion color of spring leaf tree species is golden yellow, most of which are new excellent varieties introduced and cultivated from abroad in the past 10 years, such as Dutch yellow maple, golden leaf forsythia, golden leaf locust, golden leaf elm, golden leaf begonia, golden leaf privet, etc., the new leaves are golden and bright.
▲ Golden Leaf Begonia
In the evolution of traditional Chinese culture, Zhou advocated red and Qin advocated black, and after the Han Dynasty destroyed Qin, they advocated yellow, and then for a long time, yellow was the most noble, until the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to the Chinese theory of yin and yang, yellow is in the five elements (gold, wood, water, fire and earth) as soil, in the five squares (southeast, northwest and central) genus, placed in the five elements of "earth for respect", combined with the five sides is "central soil"; coupled with the ancient "dragon fights in the wild, its blood is yellow", and the monarch takes the dragon as the symbol, yellow and the monarch have a more direct connection, symbolizing the divine right of the monarch.
Of course, the recent trend of yellow garden plants has basically no longer had the color of feudal emperors, but is valued in the scarcity, preciousness of gold leaf plant varieties and brilliant in the visual space landscape.
2. Autumn leaf tree species
Autumn leaf species are the new force in the colored leaf group, and it is also the most magnificent color leaf landscape among the seasonal color leaf species. The mainstream colors are red and yellow, and the types of tree species are much richer than those of spring-colored leaf trees:
■ Autumn leaves are red tree species such as chicken claw maple, beech tree, black oak, silk cotton wood, heavy yang wood, maple incense and so on.
■ Tree species whose autumn leaves turn from orange-yellow to germanium-red mainly include Metasequoia, pond shirt, feather shirt, mountain pepper, etc.
■ Famous tree species with golden autumn leaves include Money Pine, Ginkgo Biloba, Horse Chestnut, Pomegranate, Goosefoot, Poplar, Birch, etc.
Cherry blossoms in the family Sumac, Maple, Quercus, and Plum in the Rosaceae family showed richer color variations due to differences in tree species and varieties.
▲ Black Oak
▲ No problem child
The reasonable selection and application of colored garden trees can not only enrich the environmental space on which we live, but also enhance the material basis for improving our lives. In order to further beautify life and enrich the landscape on the basis of greening the living environment, the selection and application of colored tree species has become a fashion trend in the construction of landscape gardens in the international scope today.
The above has introduced the species of seasonal color leaf trees, and the following continues to talk about the species of evergreen leaves and the species of colored leaves.
Evergreen leaf tree species
Evergreen leaf tree species mainly refer to evergreen colored leaf tree species and deciduous tree species that do not change significantly in color leaf traits during the growth period. Their color is stable and the effect is lasting, and they are the new force to enhance the environmental landscape and create a colorful China since the new century.
Among them, the evergreen coniferous new excellent tree species are the most prominent:
■ Yellow cedar, gold-leaf Himalayan cedar, gold-leaf hinoki, gold-leaf cypress, gold-leaf cypress, golden-threaded cypress, etc.
■ Blue cedar, blue hinoki, blue sword cypress, Colorado blue (spruce) fir, Korean blue (cold) cedar and so on.
▲ Colorado blue fir
The new hybrid variety Golden Leaf Privet introduced from Europe is a semi-evergreen small shrub with dense leaves and more branches, which has dominated for more than 20 years with its bright golden colored leaf traits; the current replacement variety Jinhe Privet (Small Leaf Privet Variant), named because the leaves are beautiful lemon yellow in autumn, winter and early spring, is suitable for planting in North China, the Yangtze River Basin and southwest China, evergreen in the south, deciduous in the north winter, and can overwinter in the open.
The newly imported Kanemori Privet is an evergreen large shrub, spring, autumn and winter for the three seasons of gold leaves, summer will appear some of the leaves turn green phenomenon; although the leaves are slightly sparse and less branched, but its leaves are leathery, higher gloss, has better heat resistance, high temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius will not affect its ecological characteristics and ornamental characteristics and is favored.
In addition, the new varieties of ground cover plants introduced and cultivated from the Netherlands have golden leaves passing yellow, the color leaf period is up to 9 months or more, the golden and beautiful landscape effect is very outstanding, and the growth potential is strong, hardy, resistant to trampling, less pests and diseases, easy to maintain, is recognized as a fine quality of ground cover plants, in East China, Central China, South China and other places to develop rapidly, greatly enriching the urban plant ecological landscape.
▲ Gold leaf crossing yellow
China's independent cultivation of evergreen color leaf new varieties of safflower ebony, 30 years of continuous updating, good products, carrying a reputation in the north and south of the river, deeply favored by the industry, is an excellent material for trimming color hedges, building color blocks, and inlaying mold patterns.
▲ Safflower ebony
However, at present, the type of evergreen leaf tree species put into cultivation in China is still not enough, far from keeping up with the color pursuit of modern green space planning and design, so the demand for its new varieties is very strong, and the market development prospects are also very promising.
Spotted leaf tree species
The colorful leaf tree species, because of its mottled color and colorful color, is unique and unique in the large family of colored leaf tree species. Among them, the native southwest, south China and Hainan and other tropical and subtropical areas of the spotted leaf tree species, is unique and diverse. For example, the cultivation and use of spotted leaf goji bones, the forms are diverse, dazzling: colored edges, colored hearts, flower spots, colorful colors; can be qiao, can be irrigated, can be grounded, the landscape is diverse.
However, these southern plants, which prefer warm and humid climate conditions, are more restricted in the cultivation and use of the north. However, in the rich resources of the colorful leaf garden tree species, there is no shortage of excellent cold-resistant and frost-resistant products: for example, there are many types of Japanese cypresses, sprinkled with gold cloud cypresses and many other species, and some can even settle down in the northeast.
▲ Japanese cypress
The shade tolerance of sprinkling gold Dongying coral is an excellent spotted leaf tree species configuration under the viaduct and in the corner of the forest edge wall, which is being more and more widely promoted and used; but its heat resistance is poor, especially under strong light conditions, the leaves are easy to scorch or even the whole plant dies, and the application of green cultivation should be carefully considered.
▲ Sprinkle gold Toei coral
Flower leaf Fu Fang Vine is an excellent material for vertical greening that climbs the wall with stones and hangs upside down, and its strong cold resistance adds a pleasant warmth to the cold winter of the depressed color.
▲ Flower and leaf Fu fang vine
For a long time, we have not paid enough attention to the selection and breeding of colored tree varieties, and the colored tree varieties used in landscaping are still very monotonous. With the growing enthusiasm of human society for the construction of the ecological environment, people have also shown great interest in the diversity of tree species in garden green areas, and the promotion and application of colored garden tree species is rapidly emerging, showing a broad prospect for sustainable development.
The majority of seedling practitioners can selectively develop according to their own situation and after doing sufficient market research. Huinong world