SHADE-TOLERANT PERENNIALS IN THE COLLECTIONS OF THE STAVROPOL BOTANICAL GARDEN

Abstract

Shade-tolerant species and cultivars occupy a significant place in the exhibition areas of flower-decorative perennials and rare, endangered species of the Stavropol Botanical Garden. The research of growth rhythms and development of plants, their ecological,
biomorphological features and a decorative value was carried out during 2017 – 2021. 13 species out of 29 studied taxa, tolerate both deep shadow and light shadow. Most (62,1%) of
them and cultivars are shrub plants (they grow little in width); two species – the Transcaucasian snowdrop and the Cyclamen Kosky belong to the group of bulbous plants; the rest are
spreading, cover-ground. It has been established that groups of low-growing and coverground plants predominate in height; according to the timing of flowering – spring and summer flowering. The study of decorative value allows distributing them into different types of
flower beds, mixborders, rockeries and alpine gardens. During the research, plants located in
the open ground, grew without watering. The long dry period of 2018–2020 in the Stavropol
Territory negatively affected the growth and development of most of the studied plants. A
group of 11 drought-tolerant shade-loving species (plants bloomed profusely, actively fruited
annually) are recommended by us for planting more arid areas of the region – Doronicum orientale Hoffm., Bergenia crassifolia Fritsch, Helleborus caucasicus A. Br., Geranium macrorrhizum L., Tiarella cordiofolia L. and others. For the first time, based on the results of the
study on acclimatization and adaptive features of shade-tolerant plants, an assortment of herbaceous ornamental perennials, which are used for landscape architecture of areas in the Stavropol Territory, was proposed.