How wonderful it is when different plants grow and bloom on the window! And it is doubly pleasant when these plants are able to treat various ailments. One of the most healing indoor flowers is Kalanchoe officinalis. Let's talk about the benefits of these green home healers.
Why should you have indoor plants at home?
Living potted flowers are probably loved by everyone. They have a positive effect on our mood and benefit our he alth. With them, any, even the most faceless room comes to life. Beautiful, well-maintained potted plants are always eye-catching, but few people realize how much they do to make the people living nearby feel as comfortable as possible.
The green color of plants has a beneficial and calming effect on the human psyche. And their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at the same time, ionizing the air around, makes these little helpers truly indispensable.
Healing flowers in a residential building are especially needed. In addition to the ability to purify the air common to all plants, they haveunique properties to heal a person from various diseases. The problem is that not everyone knows how wonderful and caring the doctor is growing on their windowsill.
Kalanchoe - home doctor
Want to have the perfect doctor on your windowsill? Here's a tip for you: a wonderful plant called Kalanchoe can cope with a whole list of different ailments. The interesting and easy to remember name of this flower doctor comes from the Chinese language, and it comes from the southern warm countries.
Many grow this plant on their windows mainly because of its appearance, because it blooms very beautifully and smells good. And they don’t even realize that this unique flower has a truly healing power. Its juice is used to treat dozens of diseases, from the common cold to gastritis. And that makes him even more attractive.
Not only Kalanchoe juice has a curative effect, but also its "children", which are located on the leaves. For example, they can be added to salads, or you can eat them straight. They are able to increase immunity and get rid of anemia.
The medicinal properties of this plant are also recognized by official medicine. Kalanchoe in medicine is used in the appointment of treatment by dermatologists, dentists, surgeons, pediatricians and gynecologists. The plant is also used in pharmacology. Based on the juice of the doctor flower, preparations have been created that are available in two forms: an ointment for external use and drops for internal use.
Kalanchoe juice is produced industriallyfrom the leaves and stems of the plant: it is filtered, sterilized and preserved with alcohol. The finished tincture is poured into ampoules or bottles.
Ointment with Kalanchoe juice is prescribed for the treatment of complex purulent skin diseases: trophic ulcers, non-healing wounds, various dermatitis. Also, the ointment is used as a healing agent after surgical treatment of wounds.
Based on the juice of Kalanchoe, the drug "Kalanhin" has recently been developed, it can be found in any pharmacy. It is produced in the form of a granular powder, is prescribed for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is absolutely harmless and non-toxic, the only contraindication is hypersensitivity to the components.
Varieties of Kalanchoe
From the point of view of botany, the genus of this wonderful plant is relatively small. It includes about 200 species, but most of them are completely different from each other, and each has distinctive properties. In addition to the extensive medicinal properties, Kalanchoe is also famous for the fact that it is able to reproduce not only by vegetative propagation by leaves and shoots, but also by the so-called “pseudo-viviparous” method. Yes, those kids. This unique ability to produce countless new living shoots with the help of leaves, surprised both botanists, who distinguish these plants into a separate independent genus (whose name can be translated from Greek as “generating leaf”), but also writers and poets (for example, Goethe, who compared Kalanchoe with a source of happiness from one constant love).
Let's take a closer look at the most common and popular varieties of the Kalanchoe home flower in Russian families:
- The species known to all is Degremont. It was he who took root perfectly on our windows, although he comes from the island of Madagascar. Characteristic features: fleshy, arrow-shaped leaves with a serrated edge along which small buds with aerial roots form. Breaking away from the leaf, these buds fall to the ground and take root perfectly.
- Pirate Kalanchoe. This flower-doctor also enjoys universal love, mainly due to the beautiful inflorescences. In nature, it can reach a meter height. Characteristic features: oval, fleshy leaves with a wavy edge; large flowers collected in a panicle inflorescence. Just like Degremona, it is able to form small "children", although in much smaller numbers.
- Blossfeld. It is believed that it was from this type of Kalanchoe that all flowering variations went. Characteristic features: lush flowering lasting 4-5 months, very beautiful tubular flowers of different shades, short stature (about 25 cm), leaves have a dark red border.
- Laciniata. The more popular name for this type of Kalanchoe is deer horns, due to the amazing similarity of the shape of the leaves with branched horns. Distinctive features: strongly dissected along the entire length of the leaves, very rare flowering (only under certain conditions), light green color, no medicinal properties.
How to care for Kalanchoe in a pot
This plant is quite undemanding. However, in order for medicinal flowers to feel good and please the eye for as long as possible, you should still follow some rules regarding watering, temperature, transplanting and protection:
- Water. Kalanchoe comes from hot countries, so they tolerate drought well. Help him in this thick leaves, covered with a film. They are able to accumulate moisture and go without watering for a long time. Therefore, it is enough to water an adult Kalanchoe only once a week. Excess moisture is dangerous for the plant in that mold may appear on the surface, which is very dangerous.
- Temperature and lighting. Unlike most indoor flowers, Kalanchoe loves light. Therefore, it is quite possible to settle it on the window. At the same time, Kalanchoe blooms exclusively in the winter-spring months, when the day is short. If you know this interesting feature, you can try to persuade the plant to bloom at a different time, artificially reducing its daylight hours. To do this, Kalanchoe is covered or hidden for several hours in a dark place, for example, in a closet.
- Transplantation. The root system of Kalanchoe grows very quickly, so it is better to transplant it more often. There are no special requirements for the soil, the main thing is that its composition does not change. Unless you can add some sand. It is necessary to remove the plant from the ground very carefully, try not to damage the lump with the roots. Transplantation is necessary in April or May.
- Feeding and protection. Fertilize Kalanchoe special needno, but still sometimes you can pamper him with complex top dressing, just use only half of the indicated dose. If you overdo it with fertilizers, the plant may wither. Then grayish or white spots will appear on its leaves. Also, Kalanchoe is very harmful to aphids. Because of it, the leaves turn yellow and fall. If this happens, it is necessary to remove all affected areas, and treat the flower itself with either a special agent or a soapy solution.
Treat ear, throat, nose
Many have heard about the medicinal properties of this doctor flower, especially in childhood. All mothers have known from time immemorial that Kalanchoe juice is useful to drip into the nose to break through congestion and clear the sinuses. Yes, and the kids are always enthusiastic about the fun procedure of sneezing, and even arrange competitions for who sneezes more times. Thanks to this sneezing action, the nose is cleared even of the mucus that cannot be obtained by other means.
In order for Kalanchoe juice to benefit and cure a cold, follow a few rules:
- It is better to extract juice from the leaves of a plant older than three years. There are few useful substances in a young Kalanchoe.
- Use only the largest and thickest leaves. Carefully inspect them for damage.
- Hold the plucked leaves for a couple of days in the refrigerator. So the concentration of nutrients will be higher.
- Squeeze juice from Kalanchoe leaves using gauze or garlic.
- It is better for children to dilute the juice with boiled water in a ratio of 1:1.
- Squeezed juice preservesits healing properties throughout the day. Don't stock it up.
Kalanchoe leaf has anti-cold and antibacterial action, it perfectly copes not only with the common cold. For example, otolaryngologists advise burying the nose with the juice of this plant for prevention during the flu and cold season.
For the treatment of respiratory diseases, you can use inhalation with Kalanchoe juice. To do this, 15-20 drops of freshly squeezed liquid are added to a glass of saline and poured into a nebulizer or inhaler. For each procedure, a new solution must be prepared.
Kalanchoe juice is very effective in the treatment of inflammation of the middle ear or damage to the membrane. To do this, a cotton swab moistened with juice is inserted into the ear, or 1-2 drops are dripped with a pipette.
Treat varicose veins
With varicose veins, special compresses are applied to the places of nodules (bumps). A gauze napkin is soaked with Kalanchoe juice and applied for half an hour. This procedure should be carried out regularly.
You can make at home and tincture of Kalanchoe from varicose veins. To do this, the leaves must be cut and folded into a small bottle. Then pour them with vodka or medical alcohol and put them in a dark place. The bottle must be shaken periodically. Preparation time - a week.
After the tincture is ready, you can rub it on your legs, starting from the feet and moving up. In addition to the fact that it relieves pain, you can also get rid of the blue venous network with the help of Kalanchoe tincture. True, the procedure will have to be performed daily for three months.
Treat skin diseases
Kalanchoe is a real home doctor. It has so many healing properties that almost all skin diseases can be treated. Consider some of them:
- Warts, papillomas. From these small bulges on the skin there is practically no harm to he alth, but from an aesthetic point of view, they look very unattractive. The appearance of warts and papillomas is caused by viruses, and they are extremely difficult to treat. Try crushing Kalanchoe leaves and applying them to sore spots, fixing them with a gauze bandage for a couple of hours. The effect will be noticeable after just a few treatments.
- Thermal burns and frostbite. Damaged areas are smeared with fresh Kalanchoe juice. Depending on the area of the burn, three or four drops are enough. A mixture of Kalanchoe juice and egg white also helps.
- Furuncles, acne. The juice of this wonderful plant also helps to get rid of these ailments. You can use both home-made juice and preparations containing it, sold in pharmacies. For treatment, it is necessary to lubricate both the affected areas themselves and the skin around them.
- Decubituses. To treat this ailment, it is necessary to use an ointment with Kalanchoe juice. You can buy it at the pharmacy, or you can cook it yourself. To do this, mix 30 ml of juice and 50 ml of petroleum jelly or lanolin. Store this ointment in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.
Treating cervical erosion
This wonderful flower doctor is a woman's faithful assistant. With the help of Kalanchoe juice, cervical erosion can be cured, for this you need to soak a tampon with it and insert it into the vagina. The therapeutic effect is achieved in a couple of weeks of regular use. The same treatment can help with birth ruptures.
For nursing mothers, this plant is useful because its juice will help get rid of cracked nipples and irritation around. To do this, you just need to put a couple of drops on the sore spot.
Home cosmetics
Cleaning the face. Wipe the face and neck area daily with a Kalanchoe leaf. To do this, remove the film from it, slightly knead and hold over the entire skin. In order for the juice to be absorbed better, tap on the skin with your fingertips, massaging it. For the same purpose, you can use the Kalanchoe cosmetic cream, which contains 15% of the juice of this wonderful flower.
Fighting wrinkles. A wonderful flower doctor can help to cope with this problem. To do this, there is a very effective remedy that you can prepare yourself: half a glass of water, two tablespoons of Kalanchoe juice and one teaspoon of honey. This treatment keeps skin firm and supple.
Get rid of age spots. Pigmented areas of the skin should be covered with gruel from crushed Kalanchoe leaves. The effect will be noticeable only with regular use. You can get rid of freckles the same way.
How else can the plant be used?
There are many recipes for how to use Kalanchoe. For example,for sore throats, with a runny nose or flu, you can simply chew a leaf, and unpleasant painful symptoms will recede.
Kalanchoe is indispensable as a means of emergency assistance. Crushed leaves will quickly stop bleeding from a wound.
The flower is also eaten after serious illness, for example, adding leaves to salads and vinaigrette. They remove toxins and help protect against viruses.
