Magaleb cherry Antipka: description of the variety, growing from seeds, care with a photo

The variety of cherry varieties allows the use of these trees for economic and decorative purposes. Some berries are sweet, more suitable for fresh consumption, others are more sour and at the same time fragrant, good for jams, compotes, making alcoholic beverages. Those who are looking for a plant that is not only fruitful, but also suitable for landscape design, can pay attention to the Magalebskaya Antipka cherry variety.

What variety is this?

These trees are also found under the name Bird cherry Magalebka or Bird cherry Antipka, as they really are a subspecies of bird cherry.They have a dense crown, can be used to shade areas of the garden or park. Cherry is unpretentious in care and undemanding to planting conditions. Found in the wild, the variety is quite rare, the wild-growing Magaleb cherry is listed in the Red Book.

Key Features

The tree reaches a height of 10 meters, at least 5-6 meters. The crown is dense, spreading, the branches are slightly drooping. Good for pruning and shaping, making cherries suitable for hedges.

Very beautiful during flowering, which falls at the end of May. They bloom luxuriantly, the color of the petals is white, the inflorescences are very fragrant.

The bark and seeds have a peculiar smell - it resembles bitter almonds. In the cuisine of the Mediterranean, Antipka kernels are used to make a special spice. The aroma is well revealed in cherry liqueurs and tinctures.

In August, fruits ripen - small, about 1 cm in diameter, maroon, almost black. They are juicy and fragrant, but taste tart, with bitterness. The berries of this variety are rarely eaten fresh, usually used for preservation and alcoholic beverages.

Features of cultivation

Magaleb cherry is unpretentious, grows in the wild even on rocky lands. It is easy to care for it, but in order to get a good harvest and beautiful trees for decoration, it is worth creating acceptable conditions for seedlings.

Like most cherries, this variety likes full sun but will grow in partial shade. The place for seedlings should be protected from the wind. It is not recommended to plant Antipka in acidic soil. Trees tolerate dry summers well, react positively to fertilizing and watering. It is better to choose calcareous, fertile soils, black earth for them.

Trees grow well in urban environments, do not suffer from air pollution. This property makes it possible to grow cherries in parks along the roadway. It is important for the gardener to remember that berries grown near a road with a large flow of cars must be washed thoroughly or not eaten at all. They absorb a lot of harmful substances, even if the tree looks he althy.

The advantage of the variety is the possibility of growing seedlings from seeds in an amateur garden plot. In October, the seeds are immersed in well-dug, loose soil to a depth of 4 cm. Pre-treatment of the seeds is not required.

In the spring, the seeds give numerous shoots. During spring, summer and autumn, they need only moderate, timely watering. In autumn or next spring - depending on planting density and growth rate - they are transplanted to permanent places for future cherries.

The trees of Magalebskaya Antipka are well suited for grafting less winter-hardy varieties of cherries and sweet cherries. Such varieties early bear fruit, give a bountiful harvest. You need to know that some cherries are incompatible with Antipka, in such cases the grafted variety will grow noticeably worse.

Care Tips

Cherry of this variety does not need special care, it grows and bears fruit in the wild. General rules:

• choose places with neutral soil acidity, sunny, windproof;
• moderately water seedlings;
• Tree pruning is required for decorative purposes only.

Frost resistance at Antipka is average, the variety tolerates winter well in the middle lane. If frosts stay below 25 degrees for a long time, young shoots freeze. The next summer, the cherry blossoms worse. For the winter, they cover the trunk from rodents, insulate the rhizome.

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