The Garden of Eaden: July 2021

GLOIRE DE MARENGO IVY CARE

Hedera canariensis 'Gloire de Marengo' care

Hedera canariensis 'Gloire de Marengo' is arguably the most spectacular of all ivy species and cultivated varieties. Named in honour of the Battle of Marengo (the victory which sealed the success of Napoleon's Italian campaign of 1800), it is a popular, variegated, evergreen climbing plant.

There is some confusion regarding this particular ivy due to the number of indicated origins suggested by its various common and species names. The parent species Hedera canariensis (commonly known as the Canarian Ivy) is native to the Atlantic coast most notably the Canary islands and northern Africa. However this species name has been superseded and it should now be called Hedera algeriensis - the Algerian Ivy. Regarding the 'Gloire de Marengo' cultivar name, Marengo is is a town in Piedmont, Italy. That being said there are those within the scientific community who do not believe that it is a genuine species in its own right and is instead a variety of the humble Hedera helix.

Hedera canariensis 'Gloire de Marengo'

In its native habitat Hedera canariensis can grow as large as 20–30 m high, however Hedera 'Gloire de Marengo' is more constrained reaching approximately 4 m in northern European gardens. As both a garden specimen and houseplant, it is valued for its attractive and colourful form.

Its large, three-lobed leaves are 10 to 13 cm long and triangular shaped on smooth, deep red leaf stalks. They are deep green in the centre which merge into a silvery-grey, surrounded by a white margin. When young, the stems and leaves are covered with thick brown felt.

Hedera canariensis 'Gloire de Marengo' is suitable for planting in full sun to partial shade, although the silver-variegated leaves will actually brighten up under partial shade. To perform at its best plant in a well-drained, alkaline soil. It is not as drought hardy as Hedera helix so water as necessary during hot weather and periods of low rainfall. Neither is as hardy as the original species and so will require the protection of a sheltered south or west facing wall.

Hedera canariensis 'Gloire de Marengo' received the following awards from The Royal Horticultural Society.

The First Class Certificate (FCC) in 1880
The Award of Merit after trials (AMT) in 1979
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1984

For related articles click onto the following links:

HOW TO GROW ENGLISH IVY - HEDERA HELIX
HOW TO GROW HEDERA CANARIENSIS 'GLOIRE DE MARENGO'

HOW TO GROW HEDERA COLCHICA 'Sulphur Heart'
HOW TO GROW IVY FROM CUTTINGS
HOW TO KILL OFF IVY
HOW TO PRUNE IVY
WHEN TO PRUNE WISTERIA?

WHAT DOES BOX CATERPILLAR LOOK LIKE?

What does a Box caterpillar look like?

You don't need to keep you eye off the ball for long for your prized box plant to become decimated by Box caterpillar - Cydalima perspectalis . They are usually well hidden, well camouflaged and when you do notice some unusual damage on your box plants the accompanying webbing can be ignored as belonging to over-active spiders. However, move aside the foliage and once peering inside you can be surprised, or perhaps I should say shocked, at just how many Box caterpillar can be found hidden among the shadows. So just what does a Box caterpillar look like?

Box caterpillar moth

Well if you are on your toes you may spot the eggs. These are pale yellow and flattish, and are laid sheet-like, overlapping each other on the underside of box leaves. Newly hatched, young caterpillars are are greenish-yellow, with black heads but this changes as they mature. Typically, you are likely to spot Box caterpillars when they are at their most active which will be when they are 25–30 mm long, green coloured with browning longitudinal lines.

The caterpillars eat the box leaves, in particular any new growth, and produce webbing over their feeding area, often hiding in a leafy tube held together with yet more webbing. Plants may also show patches of die-back which may be especially apparent on trimmed plants. Heavy infestations can create serious die back that does not grow back in subsequent seasons.

However, to try and avoid any damage to your Box plants it is advisable to try and spot the moths themselves before the eggs are laid. These can be attracted using pheromone traps, and while these are not particularly good as a control method they are great as a tool for overall management.

Native to Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, far-east Russia and India, there are two variants of the adult Box caterpillar moth observed. The first and by far the most common found in the UK has conspicuous white wings with a faintly iridescent brown border. the second variant is almost entirely light brown. Both colour forms have a wingspan of around 4 cm.

Main image credit - böhringer friedrich - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20484379

In text image - By Didier Descouens - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33203392

ORGANIC CONTROL OF CATERPILLARS
ORGANIC CONTROL OF VINE WEEVILS
RHS Caterpillars
THE IMPORTANCE OF LOG PILES TO NATIVE WILDLIFE
WHAT ARE THE NATURAL PREDATORS OF PLANT LICE?
WHAT ARE THE SAFE ORGANIC ALTERNATIVES TO SLUG PELLETS
WHAT IS CUCKOO SPIT?
WHICH PLANTS ATTRACT APHID PREDATORS TO THE GARDEN

HOW DO YOU GET RID OF BOX TREE CATERPILLAR?

Box Tree Caterpillar - Cydalima perspectalis

Once upon a time, and up until about ten to fifteen years ago, the common box - Buxus sempervirens, was an incredibly robust, disease-free, hardy shrub. Perfect for topiary and hedging, it was a popular go-to plant for most gardeners. However due to an influx of pest and pathogens caused by the globalization of the horticultural industry more and more of our ornamental plants are at risk from imported dangers.

The one pest causing arguably the most concern for gardeners is the Box Tree Caterpillar - Cydalima perspectalis. The caterpillar itself is typically 25–30 mm long, and green coloured with browning longitudinal lines, however it is difficult to spot unless you are specifically looking for it. What is more noticable is the characteristic webbing and foliage damage. So. assuming you have an infestation of this insidious pest, how do you get rid of Box Tree Caterpillar?

Well the good news is that they are two excellent options for you which will indeed allow you to get rid of the Box Tree Caterpillar.

Xen Tari

Xen tari biological control

The first is a product known as XenTari. This is a biological insecticide containing a natural, potent strain of the microorganism Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Aizawai. It is easy to use, all you need is a small pressure sprayer.

Simply dissolve the contents of 1 sachet in 3 Litres of water to treat 30 square meters of Boxwood surface. When a caterpillar eats the XenTari-treated leaves it will stop feeding within 1 hour, causing no more damage to your Box plants. The affected caterpillars will then die 1-2 days later.

You will only need three treatments per season to keep the caterpillar pest under control. The Box tree caterpillar goes through 3 cycles each season, simply apply XenTari once every cycle at the moment when the first caterpillars are spotted. This moment can be more easily predicted by using a Box tree moth trap to monitor Box tree moth activity, when moths are trapped you can expect new caterpillars a couple of weeks later.

Box Tree Moth Trap

Box Tree Moth Trap

Covering an area up to 200 square metres, the Box Tree Moth Trap contains a pheromone dispenser which first attracts the moth and then traps them inside the container. This is a very effective method of catching this pest and several may be required to cover a large garden.

In practice though it is not 100% efficient although its presence it extremely effective. For maximum effect it is advised to set out your Box tree moth traps around mid -April. Then once the moths become evident apply Xen tari biological control thereafter. By using these two methods of control you can effectively eliminate the presence of Box tree moths and their caterpillars in your area.

Main image credit - böhringer friedrich - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20484379

WHAT DOES BOX CATERPILLAR LOOK LIKE?

The Garden of Eaden

GLOIRE DE MARENGO IVY CARE

WHAT DOES BOX CATERPILLAR LOOK LIKE?

HOW DO YOU GET RID OF BOX TREE CATERPILLAR?

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