Today we will talk about what medicinal hawthorn is, we will consider its types. We will also describe each variety in detail and medical use.
Hawthorn is known to everyone as a medicinal plant. But, in addition to its medicinal properties, it is distinguished by its beauty.
Description of the plant
Hawthorn is beautiful both during flowering and during fruit ripening. Depending on the type of plant, its berries may vary in color and shape. There are about one and a half thousand different types of hawthorn in the world. Therefore, a lot can be said about it. Moreover, this plant has valuable medicinal properties. The variety of species of hawthorn makes it possible to grow it both in the form of a shrub and in the form of a small tree. Some decorative types can be converted into bonsai. Since this plant is distributed throughout the world, you can find an evergreen hawthorn. Its species have thorns. This is a distinctive characteristic of the shrub.
The family to which the hawthorn belongs is called Semi-evergreen. It should be said that over the past few years, the plant has been used in the industrial production of medicines.
The main differences between varieties are in colorfruit, plant height, leaf shape.
As a rule, hawthorn blooms in June. This plant has white flowers. The fruits ripen by the beginning of the autumn season. By the way, they are very beneficial for human he alth.
Hawthorn fruits can be round or oblong. The color range of berries is quite diverse, from the standard red to yellow and black. Hawthorn fruits taste sweet and sour.
For medicinal purposes, you can use decoctions from the leaves, flowers and berries of the plant. All of them have valuable properties. It is especially recommended for people with problems of the cardiovascular system to use hawthorn.
We will consider the types of this plant further. Now I would like to say that hawthorn contains a large number of useful trace elements and vitamins. In order for this plant to grow well and bear fruit on the land, you should seriously approach the choice of variety. Therefore, before purchasing one or another, you need to find out which types of hawthorn (some photos are presented in the article) are most suitable for the area where they are supposed to be planted. To do this, you need to take into account the climatic characteristics of the region. Namely, the temperature regime, the amount of precipitation and sunshine and other features of the weather in the area.
Common hawthorn (prickly)
Now let's figure out what a hawthorn is. Consider its types and features of each. Common hawthorn is the most common type of this plant in our country. It's connected withbecause it is frost resistant. In most regions of Russia, the winter season is quite long. Therefore, this type of hawthorn is widespread. The height of an ordinary hawthorn does not exceed 5 meters.
He has a fairly dense crown, there are thorns on the branches. It has wide leaves divided into lobes, their number is 4 or 5. Common hawthorn blooms with inflorescences. The flowering period is about 2 weeks. This type of plant begins to bear fruit in late summer or early autumn. The berries of the common hawthorn are round in shape. They are painted red or burgundy. Their size is one centimeter in diameter. Another reason for the widespread distribution of the common hawthorn is that it does not require any special care. This plant can tolerate both bright sun and heat, and shade, dry weather. Also, this hawthorn is resistant to frost. Can grow on any soil, does not need top dressing. Surely many have met an ordinary hawthorn growing like a wall. You can also see this plant in city parks and forest edges.
Altai hawthorn
What other types of hawthorn are there? A photo of the Altai is presented below. This species, like the common one, is an unpretentious plant. The main difference is that it needs soil selection. Altai hawthorn prefers more moist soil. The height of the plant is eight meters. In the wild, it settles near water bodies on chalky soils with stone scattering. On the branchesAltai hawthorn thorns are present.
Leaves have a bluish tint and hair structure. Altai hawthorn begins to bloom in late spring or early summer. It has lush inflorescences in the form of a ball. The fruits of this type of hawthorn ripen in August. By color, the berries of the Altai hawthorn differ from the ordinary. They are orange or yellow in color. This plant begins to bear fruit 6 or 7 years after planting.
Pear
What types of hawthorn are known? Pear. The most common hawthorn habitat is the midwestern United States. In this area, the height of the plant is 11 meters, its branches are straight with thorns that grow up to 5 centimeters. The pear hawthorn has dense white inflorescences. This type of plant has red fruits. In diameter, their size reaches 10 millimeters. A distinctive feature of the pear hawthorn is that it is not as frost-resistant as the common and Altai hawthorn. Therefore, in Russia it is recommended to plant it only in the southern regions with a warmer climate.
Fan Shaped
What else is a hawthorn? The types of this plant are quite diverse. For example, there is a fan-shaped hawthorn. It is distributed in the northern regions of our country and in the Caucasus mountains.
A distinctive feature of the fan-shaped hawthorn is the presence on its branches of curved spines that grow up to 7 centimeters. The height of this plant isabout 6 meters. Also, this hawthorn is quite wide, about 3 or 4 meters. The leaves are elongated and divided into 4 or 6 lobes. In the spring, the leaves of the fan-shaped hawthorn are covered with a delicate fluff. Then, over time, it fades away. Then the leaves become smooth.
The inflorescences of this plant are not very fluffy. Berries ripen in late summer or early autumn. They come in a variety of colors ranging from yellow to red.
The shape of the berries is apple-shaped. This variety of hawthorn is distinguished by the juiciness of the fruit. Fan-shaped frost resistant, can grow in the shade.
Daurian hawthorn
The main distribution areas of this variety are Siberia and Primorye, as well as the Amur region. Many types of hawthorn are unpretentious. But this one is pretty picky. It grows in places with moist fertile soil, near rivers. Also likes bright and sunny places.
The plant reaches a height of 6 meters. It has rather small spines and gray bark. The leaves are dark green. They can be diamond-shaped and have blades in the amount of 3 or 5 pieces. It blooms, like most many hawthorns, either in late May or early June. Flowers can be either white or pink. The stamens of a dark red hue look very beautiful. The berries of this plant have a bright red color and an oblong shape.
Douglas Hawthorn
Different types of hawthorn have their own characteristics. This type of plant loves moisture. Therefore, its habitat isplaces close to rivers. Plant height reaches 12 meters. Doesn't need a lot of sunlight. The bark of this type of hawthorn has a dark brown hue and a lamellar structure. There are practically no thorns on the branches. Sometimes they are found, but they are small and curved. The leaves are dark green in color and oblong. As a rule, all types of hawthorn bloom in May, this one is no exception. When flowering, hawthorn produces white or cream flowers.
Burgundy berries ripen by the beginning of autumn. Sometimes the color of the fruit reaches a black tint. Begins to bear fruit five or six years after planting. The berries are one centimeter in diameter.
In addition to fruit-bearing plants, there are species of ornamental hawthorn. These plants are used to decorate parks, squares and summer cottages.
How to plant correctly?
Since the hawthorn is a medicinal plant and has a charitable effect on the body, you should think about planting it in your summer cottage or garden. Types of hawthorn in Russia are quite widely represented. Therefore, you need to know how to take care of them. Despite the fact that this plant is unpretentious, it will be more favorable to plant it in heavy soil with drainage. It is better if the soil is fertile. But, as a rule, in garden plots and dachas, it is like that.
First, you should prepare the mixture for planting. It must be made from sand, peat and humus. You also need to addleaf flour. Lime should be put in the planting hole, but it is important that the hawthorn root system does not touch it. The bottom layer of the pit is laid out with a layer of drainage. It can be made from crushed stone, gravel or broken bricks. This layer should be about 15 centimeters. It is better to choose a sunny place to land. This will ensure good fruiting of the hawthorn. You should know that the plant has a long root system. Because of this feature, hawthorn can only be transplanted up to 5 years. As a rule, plants are planted at a permanent place of residence at the age of two. The procedure for transplanting hawthorn should be carried out either in the spring or in the autumn season. The pit should be 70 centimeters. If you plan to plant several hawthorns, then a distance of two meters should be laid between them. After the plant is planted, it is recommended to water it. After 6 years, it begins to bear fruit.
How to care for hawthorn on the land?
Everything is done quite simply. It is necessary to cut off dry and dead branches. Some use hawthorn as a living fence. Under this condition, the plant should be cut, leaving one third of the shoot. You need to do this in the spring. Hawthorn lends itself very well to a haircut. Therefore, you can invent or copy interesting shapes.
Feeding for hawthorn will not hurt. It is recommended to fertilize the plant in the spring. You can use liquid manure for this. This procedure should be done before the plant blooms. Hawthorn should be watered once a month. And it is necessary to do soplentifully. About fifteen liters of water should be poured onto each bush. If the summer is dry, then it is recommended to water the hawthorn more often.
You also need to remove weeds and dig up the soil. Dig carefully so as not to damage the root system of the plant. To do this, the shovel does not need to be introduced into the ground strictly vertically. The maximum digging depth should be about 10 centimeters. The above hawthorn care procedures are quite enough.
How does it reproduce?
There are several ways to propagate hawthorn. Namely: by seeds, root cuttings or by grafting.
The method of reproduction by means of hawthorn seeds is quite laborious. First, the plant has thick skin. Therefore, the stratification process is quite lengthy. In terms of time, it is one year. Ripe seeds also wake up for a long time. This process usually takes 2 years. Moreover, not all seeds will sprout, but only a part, since some may be empty inside.
There is a certain order of how to propagate hawthorn through seeds:
- First of all, you need to collect the berries of the plant. Unripe fruits will do.
- They should be filled with water and left in this position for 3 days.
- After that, you need to rub the seeds with sandpaper or sand.
- Then they need to be washed and placed in a solution (one percent) with s altpeter for two days.
- In late autumn, the seeds are planted in the ground. After a couple of years, the seedling shouldreach a height of 60 centimeters. During this period, you need to cut it. But you should leave 3 kidneys in height from the base. It is also necessary to cut off the shoots that are located on the side. Leave only 2.
Propagation of hawthorn by root cuttings
To propagate a plant in this way, you need to take the roots and select 20 mm from them. Then you can cut them into 10 centimeters. After that, they should be placed in the ground, preferably in a greenhouse. Moreover, they should be buried at an angle so that the thick end of the root comes out by about 2 centimeters. Suitable for planting spring and autumn seasons.
It is possible to propagate hawthorn by grafting. This procedure is done in August. It takes some experience to do it. You can graft different types of hawthorn.
How to harvest hawthorn?
You should know that all types of hawthorn have useful properties. Also, all parts (flowers, leaves, fruits and even bark) of the plant are healing. Therefore, during flowering, hawthorn flowers and leaves are collected. They are dried and placed in a special container for further storage. The fruits of the shrub are harvested in late summer or early autumn when they ripen. The berries are dried and transferred to an enamel bowl. The container with these fruits must be closed with a lid. Better if it is sealed.
Can and how to eat fresh hawthorn?
Hawthorn is not only possible, but also to be eaten fresh. Since the harvested berries contain the greatest amount of usefultrace elements and vitamins. Everyone can use these fruits. There are no age restrictions. But it usually happens that the harvest of berries exceeds the amount that can be consumed by all family members. And so the question arises of how to keep hawthorn fresh. You can freeze it, but the easiest and most affordable way to preserve the medicinal properties of the plant is to dry the berries. Further, they can be used for cooking compotes, teas, various desserts and other things. You can dry any hawthorn.
There are certain recommendations for the use of this berry. You should know that fresh hawthorn should be consumed in limited quantities. The norm is 150 grams of berries per day. Moreover, this figure includes the use of desserts using the fruits of the plant. Exceeding this dose can lead to increased pressure, failure of the stomach and heart. In general, it should be remembered that it is recommended to eat raw hawthorn after meals, since the fiber of the berries is an irritant to the walls of the stomach. Therefore, people prone to diseases of this kind should carefully consume this fruit.
What types of hawthorn are used in medicine? Since ancient times, the plant has found its use for medical purposes due to its composition. In Russia, the blood-red look is mainly used. But in European countries, preference is given to single-pistil hawthorn. Despite the fact that different types of plants may have differences in their composition, they are all interchangeable and can be used asmedicine.
Conclusion
Now you know what hawthorn is, we have named and described its species and varieties. They also talked about how this plant is used in medicine, how to dry it and use it.
