Usually considered a rampant vine in a garden landscape painting , the Russian vine ( Fallopia baldschuanica ) appropriately gets called the mile - a - bit plant , too . Successfully growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 5 through 9 , provide Russian vine with a large arbor or towering rod to grow upon . This vine hybridizes with another close related plant , the silver lace vine ( Fallopia aubertii ) , and thus all may be together with called Russian vine when quickly discover in a landscape painting .
Taxonomy
A phallus of the smartweed family , Polygonaceae , Russian vine previously was known botanically as Bilderdykia baldschuanica or Polygonum baldschuanica . old 19th and twentieth 100 garden lit sources likely heel either of these names in their discussions or power .
Origins
Growing in moist woodland habitats , the Russian vine ’s native range is in south - cardinal Asia . It extends from Tajikistan southward across Afghanistan into the westerly tidy sum of Pakistan .
Description
Reaching 40 feet in peak at maturity and a vining spread of 8 to 10 feet , Russian vine develops woody , twining stems that climb up trees and other support structures . Its dark green , heart - mold leave of absence counterpoint the florescence display in very late summer just before the autumnal equinox . Wispy bunch of petite white or pink - tinged flower occur at radical hint and petty side branch along the stems . After pollination , they become small , angled fruit that turn pink white .
Growing Requirements
Plant Russian vine in any nutritionally pathetic to jolly fertile , moist , sandy - loam land that never becomes muddy after rain . It grow in partial shade to full sunshine exposures , anywhere from two to 10 hour of unmediated Dominicus daily . As it is a voracious grower with considerable weight to all its stems and leaf , ply an extremely strong structure or tree diagram for it to climb . Prune it back hard each year in late winter or early spring to a height of 24 inches and allow it to regenerate across the growing season .
Uses
The tolerance to nutritionally poor soils and a wide reach of low-cal exposures discover the Russian vine used to cover hillsides as a wander ground cover to hold erosion and to enshroud unsightly fallen log or ugly tree dais and industrial garbage . It make a endearing vine for great arbors or tall Tree with free miserable body .
Concerns
This vine recrudesce underground rhizome roots and grow more aggressively in fecund garden soils . It has escaped culture across Europe where it has naturalized , masquerading as a aboriginal vine because of its widespread natural event . grow it in less fertile , slightly dry soils lessens its inclination to grow so rampantly .
Selections
One mixture , Lemon Lace , grows slenderly smaller than the wild manikin . It grows to only 20 to 25 feet magniloquent at maturity date and perhaps make a good , governable vine choice for garden scene . This more decorative selection digest yellow - green leaves upon red stalk and yield petite white flowers in midsummer to shine .
