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Origin and characteristics of Eugenia plants
The botanical name of this plant is eugenia myrtifolia and it is a species that comes from Australia. As its name suggests, the eugenia belongs to the same family as the myrtle, but unlike the latter, it does not grow spontaneously in our country. It is a bushy plant with evergreen leaves, round in shape and with a very branched and thick crown: if left to grow, it can reach five meters in height and two in width. Its leaves are oval, hard and dark green, which then turn a magnificent red in autumn with a very suggestive effect. In the upper part of the branches in spring, purple flowers appear on the petals and white on the stamens, united in panicle-shaped corollas. After the flowers, the eugenia produces small fruits with a particular, slightly acid taste,
Eugenie myrtifolia loaded with red fruits»>Uses of Eugenia Plant
eugenia myrtifolia loaded with red fruits» width=»745″ height=»559″ longdesc=»/giardino/piante-da-giardino/eugenia-pianta.asp»>Eugenia is a plant that is not found in nature and it is not even so easy to find it in nurseries. You have to look hard to find the original species, a plant that normally does not experience vegetative periods. Its flowers are odorless but very ornamental, just like the fruits and even the leaves which take on reddish tones in autumn. Being an evergreen, rustic and resistant plant, it is very suitable for ornamental use, also because, precisely between the flowers, the fruits and the foliage, it offers a pleasant panorama throughout the year. It can be grown as a single specimen to form an elegant shrub, or it can be used to form hedges, although this will require frequent pruning. Eugenia tolerates pruning very well, which is why it is also one of the most used plants in topiary art.
Cultivation of Eugenia plants
Being a hardy plant, eugenia tolerates low temperatures, even below zero, up to five degrees. However, to avoid the risk of damage during the winter, it is good to plant our specimen in a sunny place and sheltered from icy currents. Alternatively, the eugenia can also be planted in a pot, provided it is large, so that in winter it can be easily moved to a sheltered place. It should be in bright positions but not in direct sunlight for too many hours a day, especially in summer. The soil must be organic, soft and above all well drained; for hedges, the substrate must be very well prepared. Eugenia must then be fertilized in the fall and again in the spring, with an organic fertilizer or a slow release product. Moisture is the enemy of this species, so it is better to suspend irrigation in winter; however, in hot weather, eugenia should be watered regularly and abundantly, but only when the soil is dry.
If we grow a eugenics plant in a pot, we must pay more attention to the soil, always avoiding stagnation of water, and even in this case we must prune it because otherwise it could grow too much and come out of the container. . In spring, it is necessary to be careful of fungi, which could develop following sudden changes in temperature or heavy rains. It is advisable to act preventively with a fungicide product. In winter, however, it is good to carry out a preventive treatment with insecticides to avoid the danger of aphids and scale insects. These products should only be used when there are no flowers and fruits, especially if we want to use these berries in the kitchen. In addition to ornamental pruning in the case of hedges or topiary, eugenia always needs maintenance pruning: