Consulta Plantas

Care of the tree Ruprechtia apetala or Ivirá

The genus Ruprechtia, family Polygonaceae, includes some 40 species of trees native to the American continent. Some species are: Ruprechtia apetala, Ruprechtia salicifolia, Ruprechtia coriacea, Ruprechtia laxiflora.

Common name: Ivirá. This species is native to Bolivia anf Argentina.

They are dioecious deciduous trees or shrubs with a rounded crown that reach 10 meters (32.8 feet) in height. The leaves are ovate or elliptical and light green in color; the leaves are reddish when they sprout and in autumn they acquire yellowish and ocher tones. The female flowers are reddish or yellowish in color and the male flowers are pink. The fruits can be decorative. They bloom from mid-spring to late summer.

Ivirá is used in small and medium gardens as isolated specimens and in small groups. It's also used on streets and in public parks.

Ruprechtia apetala prefers full sun exposure but also grows in semi-shade. It resists occasional and light frosts.

The soil can be a normal garden soil with coarse sand to achieve good drainage; stony, poor and sandy soils grow.

Water regularly, waiting for the substrate to be almost dry. Ruprechtia apetala resists a few days of drought.

Fertilizer with a little organic matter in autumn.

Prune in late winter to keep it compact.

Ruprechtia apetala is a quite resistant plant to the usual pests and diseases.

Ivirá is easily propagated from seeds sown in spring; germinate quickly.

Images of the tree Ruprechtia apetala or Ivirá