WINTER RESISTANCE AND ORNAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF BERBERIS L. CULTIVARS IN THE CONDITIONS OF FOREST-STEPPE ALTAI

In the conditions of forest-steppe Altai, winter-hardness, terms of vegetation, flowering and foliage coloring were estimated. The ornamental properties in 8 Berberis thunbergii DC and 2 Berberis ottawensis C.K. Schneid cultivars were evaluated. The degree of damages in winter period mainly depends on plants height and snow level distribution particularities. Short-growing cultivars such as ʻGrin Carpetʼ, ʻGoldalitaʼ and ʻKoboldʼ had a damage level from 0 to 3 points, tall-growing ones such as ʻMariaʼ, ʻRed Pillarʼ, ʻRed Chifʼ, ʻHelmond Pillarʼ, ʻErectaʼ, ʻAurikomaʼ and ʻSuperbaʼ had a damage level ranging from 2 to 6 points. Studied cultivars are leafy from the third ten-day festival of April till the second ten-day festival of October. The phase of flowering beginning was observed in the third tenday festival of May and continued from two to three weeks. Within the entire growing season, the foliage color in the evaluated plants was changing. According to the results of comprehensive investigation, high ornamentality level was obtained by such cultivars as ʻGrin Carpetʼ, ʻMariaʼ, ʻRed Pillarʼ, ʻHelmond Pillarʼ and ʻSuperbaʼ.