Rosemary message. Ledum marsh
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Evergreen shrub. It is used in medicine as an expectorant of plant origin.
The plant is poisonous!Ask the experts
flower formula
The formula of the marsh wild rosemary flower: * H (5) L (5) T5 + 5P (5).In medicine
Ledum shoots are used as an infusion for respiratory diseases accompanied by cough with sputum difficult to separate: for acute and chronic bronchitis, acute laryngitis, acute tracheitis, acute and chronic pneumonia, whooping cough.
In dermatology, wild rosemary preparations are used orally for allergic, pustular skin diseases, arthropathic, microbial, paratraumatic eczema, atopic dermatitis and externally for microbial and seborrheic eczema, acne, furunculosis.
children
As a medicine, an infusion of crushed shoots of wild rosemary can be used from the age of 18.
In garden culture
Despite the poisonous properties of wild rosemary, this plant is often found in cultivation. Ledum grows slowly, but with proper care can be present in heather gardens for a long time (more than 30 years). The plant hibernates without shelter. Reproduction is possible by seeds, cuttings and root division. The positive side of wild rosemary as an ornamental crop is that this plant does not need fertile soil and can live anywhere. In addition, rosemary feels comfortable in the shade.
At home
In everyday life, wild rosemary leaves are used as an insecticidal agent, to kill flies and other insects, fumigating rooms with them. Branches or leaves of wild rosemary shift clothes to protect against moths.
Classification
Marsh wild rosemary (lat. Ledum palustre L.) belongs to the heather family (lat. Ericaceae). The wild rosemary genus includes 8 species distributed in the cold and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere.
Botanical description
Marsh rosemary is an evergreen shrub with a superficial root system. Above-ground shoots are numerous, almost vertical, up to 125 cm high. Young shoots are not lignified, densely covered with red hairs. The leaves are short-petiolate, alternate, wintering, leathery, linear-oblong, entire, with edges turned down, 1.5-4.5 cm long. On the upper side, the leaves are dark green, shiny, covered with small glands, on the lower side - reddish- pubescent. The flowers are white, regular, five-membered, about 1 cm in diameter, on long glandular pubescent pedicels, collected in corymbose inflorescences of 16-25 flowers, 10 stamens. ). The fruit is a five-celled multi-seeded glandular-pubescent capsule, dark, oblong-oval, 3-8 mm long. The plant blooms in May-July, the seeds ripen in July-August.
The plant hibernates under snow. Shoots not hidden under the snow cover die.
The plant is poisonous! Ledum has a strong specific odor that causes nausea, dizziness, and headache.
Spreading
Ledum is a cold-resistant plant that grows in forest and tundra zones, in the forest belt of mountains, in swampy coniferous forests, sometimes in birch forests, in peat bogs, along river valleys. Ledum is adapted to life on very poor, acidic, highly moist soils.
It grows mainly in the northern European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, and the Far East. Widespread in the mountain-forest belt of the Eastern Altai and Sayan Mountains. Distributed in Northern and Central Europe, China, Japan, North America. In Central Europe, it forms thickets on raised bogs, sometimes large in area.
Distribution regions on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
Marsh rosemary shoots (Ledi palustris cormus) are used as medicinal raw materials. Harvest leafy shoots of the current year, non-lignified. They are harvested in autumn, in August-September, during the period of fruit ripening. When harvesting, the shoots are cut off manually or cut with knives or secateurs up to 10 cm long.
Drying is carried out in attics or in the shade under a canopy with good ventilation, spreading raw materials in a thin layer (5-7 cm) on fabric or paper, systematically turning over. Can be dried in dryers at temperatures not exceeding 30-40°C.
When harvesting, drying, packaging, care should be taken, as the plant is poisonous and has a strong odor that causes nausea, dizziness and headache. It is recommended to work in respirators or gauze bandages no more than 2-3 hours a day.
Store finished raw materials in dry, cool rooms on racks, separately from other types.
Chemical composition
The plant contains: poisonous essential oil (1.5-7%), which includes ledol, palustrol, η-cymene, geranyl acetate, bicyclic alcohol, hydrocarbons. The essential oil is contained in all parts of the plant, with the exception of the roots: in the leaves of the first year - 1.5-7.5%, in the leaves of the second year it is much less - 0.25-1.4%; in the branches of the first year - 0.17-1.5%, the second year - from traces to 0.2%; in flowers - 2.3%, in fruits - 0.17%. The essential oil has a bitter-burning taste and a balsamic smell.
The plant also contains glucosides (ericolin, arbutin); andromedotoxin; coumarins (esculin, esculetin, scopoletin, umbelliferon, etc.), flavonoids (quercetin, hyperoside); tannins; phytoncides; vitamin C; dyes; micro and macro elements.
Pharmacological properties
Ledum preparations are used as an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antipertussis, antiseptic. Ledum also has a hypotensive effect, and has an exciting effect on the higher parts of the central nervous system.
Ledum preparations contribute to the secretion and liquefaction of sputum, accelerate its evacuation, alleviate cough, and have an antibacterial effect.
The medicinal properties of the plant depend on the content of essential oil in it, which, when taken orally, is partially excreted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory system. Standing out through the bronchi, volatile biologically active compounds wild rosemary have a moderate local irritating effect on the mucous membranes, increase the secretion of the bronchial glands and increase the activity of the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract. The antispasmodic effect of wild rosemary preparations on the smooth muscles of the bronchi was also noted. High antimicrobial activity is also due to the essential oil, which has a bactericidal effect against Staphylococcus aureus.
The plant has diuretic and disinfectant medicinal properties, depending on the excretion of essential oil in the urine through the kidneys in unchanged form and due to the total effect on the urinary tract of arbutin glycoside and essential oil.
When using marsh rosemary, there may be side effects : allergic reactions, dizziness, increased nervous excitability are possible, when taking high doses, symptoms of excitation or depression of the central nervous system are noted.
Application in traditional medicine
Ledum marsh shoots have long been used in traditional medicine. Russian name"ledum" comes from the old dialect verb "bagulit", which means "poison", and the adjective "ledum" that has left the lexicon means: poisonous, stupefying, tart, strong. The Russian name shows a characteristic feature of this shrub - at first it emits a pleasant, but ultimately a strong, suffocating smell.
The Latin name of the plant "ledum" (Ledum) comes from the Greek ledoa - the name of the resinous plant, from which the aromatic resin - incense - was extracted in Ancient Greece.
In folk medicine, the medicinal properties of wild rosemary are used for whooping cough, scrofula, rhinitis, dysentery, malaria, scabies, weeping eczema, as a diaphoretic. Ledum leaves are also used for colds, bronchial asthma, angina pectoris, pulmonary tuberculosis, gout and ringworm. The plant is considered a diuretic, tonic, and also an anthelmintic. Infusion of flowers on vodka is drunk for pulmonary tuberculosis, suffocation, used for rubbing in rheumatism.
In German folk medicine, rosemary infusion is used for diathesis, eczema and pruritus.
Marsh rosemary preparations are used in Germany, France for asthmatic cough, bronchial asthma, angina pectoris, and various forms of rheumatism. In Bulgaria, hot infusion is practiced for arthritis, cholecystitis. Ledum finds application in homeopathy and veterinary medicine.
Literature
1. State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR. Eleventh edition. Issue 1 (1987), issue 2 (1990).
2. State Register of Medicines. Moscow 2004.
3. medicinal plants state pharmacopoeia. Pharmacognosy. (Edited by I.A. Samylina, V.A. Severtsev). - M., "AMNI", 1999.
4. Mashkovsky M.D. " Medicines". In 2 volumes - M., New Wave Publishing House LLC, 2000.
5. "Phytotherapy with the basics of clinical pharmacology", ed. V.G. Kukes. - M.: Medicine, 1999.
6. P.S. Chikov. "Medicinal plants" M.: Medicine, 2002.
7. Sokolov S.Ya., Zamotaev I.P. Handbook of medicinal plants (phytotherapy). - M.: VITA, 1993.
8. Mannfried Palov. "Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants". Ed. cand. biol. Sciences I.A. Gubanov. Moscow, Mir, 1998.
9. Lesiovskaya E.E., Pastushenkov L.V. "Pharmacotherapy with the basics of herbal medicine." Tutorial. - M.: GEOTAR-MED, 2003.
10. Medicinal plants: A reference guide. / N.I. Grinkevich, I.A. Balandina, V.A. Ermakova and others; Ed. N.I. Grinkevich - M.: Higher School, 1991. - 398 p.
11. Plants for us. Reference manual / Ed. G.P. Yakovleva, K.F. Pancake. - Publishing house "Educational book", 1996. - 654 p.
12. Medicinal plant materials. Pharmacognosy: Proc. allowance / Ed. G.P. Yakovlev and K.F. Pancake. - St. Petersburg: SpetsLit, 2004. - 765 p.
13. Ponomarev, V.D. Extraction of medicinal plant materials / V.D. Ponomarev - M.: Medicine, 1978. - 204 p.
14. Forest herbaceous plants. Biology and protection / Alekseev Yu.V., Vakhrameeva M.G., Denisova L.V., Nikitina S.V. - M.: Agropromizdat, 1998. - 223 p.
15. Herbs and health. medicinal plants / Ed.-comp.: A.M. Zadorozhny and others - Machaon; Gamma Press 2000, 2001. - 512 p.
16. Healthy skin and herbal remedies / Ed.-comp.: I. Pustyrsky, V. Prokhorov. - M. Machaon; Minsk: Book House, 200. - 192 p.
17. Nosov A. M. Medicinal plants. - M.: EKSMO-Press, 2000. - 350 p.
18. Phytotherapy of allergic skin diseases / V.F. Korsun, A.A. Kubanova, S. Ya. Sokolov and others - Mn .: "Polymya", 1998. - 426 p.
Family: heathers (Ericaceae).
motherland
Ledum is common in the temperate and subarctic zones of the Northern Hemisphere.
The form: evergreen shrub or shrub.
Description
Rosemary belongs to the Heather family only in the Russian plant classification system, in the Western classification it is included in the genus Rhododendrons. No more than a dozen species of Ledum are known in the world, only four of them are found on the territory of Russia. It should be remembered that the Daurian wild rosemary (or Far Eastern wild rosemary, pink rosemary, Transbaikal wild rosemary, Siberian wild rosemary) growing in Siberia and the Far East has nothing to do with the wild rosemary genus, in fact it is one of the types of rhododendron and is called the Daurian rhododendron.
Ledum is a shrub from 50 centimeters to a meter, sometimes up to one and a half meters in height. On erect stems, evergreen narrow leathery leaves are arranged in the next order. White five-petal rosemary flowers are collected in umbrella inflorescences at the ends of last year's shoots. The five-celled capsules contain small winged seeds.
Flowers, stems and leaves of wild rosemary emit a volatile essential oil, which has a complex composition. The aroma of the plant has a stupefying effect on a person, and the wild rosemary owes its Russian name to this property: “bagulit” - “poison”, “stupefy”. All parts of the plant except the root are poisonous, and breathing the aroma of rosemary for a long time is dangerous to health. At the same time, the substances released by the shrub have an antiseptic effect on the surrounding air and the soil on which they grow.
Types of wild rosemary:
(L. palustre) is found in culture more often than other species, has many folk and pseudoscientific names: bagul, bedbug, bagno, wild rosemary, wild rosemary, wild rosemary, marsh madness, etc. The branched shrub reaches 120 cm in height and 1 meter in diameter. Umbrella inflorescences consist of white, sometimes with a slight pinkish tint, flowers. The flowering period of wild rosemary is May-June, it may not bloom annually, but with interruptions of 1-2 years. Aromatic. Not recommended for growing near apiaries.
(L. decumbens) - very compact, up to 30 cm tall, evergreen slow growing shrub. Blooms not profusely, but annually in May-June.
(L. groenlandicum) - a shrub reaching up to 1 meter in height. It is especially decorative during the flowering period, in June-July, when dense white umbrella-shaped inflorescences form at the ends of last year's shoots. The pace of development is average, flowering begins at the age of three.
Ledum large-leaved
(L. macrophyllum) is a branched shrub growing up to 130 cm in height. Decorative, blooms profusely in May-June.
wild rosemary (L. subulatum) - branched, relatively large bush, reaching a height of 1.5 meters. The flowers may have a slightly pinkish or creamy hue.
Growing conditions
Growing wild rosemary in itself is not difficult, you just need to find a suitable place for the plant. Rosemaries prefer open areas with medium light, tolerate partial shade well. Acidic, poor, poorly aerated soils are suitable for all its species, and some of them can grow even on sandy soils. The composition of soil mixtures for planting wild rosemary includes high-moor peat, coniferous earth and sand in a ratio of 3:2:1.
The plant is moisture-loving, if it is planted in an insufficiently moistened area, it should be provided with regular watering and take measures to retain moisture (loosening,). Cold-resistant wild rosemaries do not need winter care.
Application
Ledum is a very decorative plant, especially during the flowering period. However, when planting wild rosemary in the garden, it is necessary to remember the essential oils emitted by the plant, which are dangerous to human health. It should not be located near playgrounds and recreational areas.
And yet, you should not completely abandon the use of wild rosemary in the landscape, because it perfectly disinfects the air. When making a site, the plant is used in an independent group or single planting. An elegant rosemary bush will become a bright decoration of the far coast, ennoble a shaded area or a lowland. The plant is most appropriate in the gardens of medicinal plants.
Ledum shoots in small doses are used in folk medicine. It is also a good honey plant, but the product obtained from it is used only by bees - the so-called "drunk" rosemary honey is poisonous and not suitable for food.
Care
Wild rosemaries planted in a comfortable place are not demanding in care, but it will be useful for them to receive top dressing in the form of a full complex of minerals once a season. Complex mineral fertilizers are applied at the rate of 50-70 grams per m2 for adult plants and 30-40 grams per m2 for young ones.
During the dry season, rosemaries will need watering. The soil under the plants should be kept moist by watering the plants at least once a week. To retain moisture, you can gently loosen the soil around the plants and mulch the loosened places with peat.
To maintain a decorative appearance, rosemary is enough to free it from dry and broken branches in a timely manner.
reproduction
In nature, wild rosemary reproduces by seeds, in culture they practice vegetative propagation.
Ledum seeds ripen in July-August, and they must be sown immediately after harvest. Particular attention in the seed method of reproduction should be paid to the composition of the soil - wild rosemary will sprout only on acidic soils, seed germination will only appear in spring.
Propagation of wild rosemary by summer cuttings is quite troublesome and difficult. For successful rooting, the cuttings should be kept for 16-24 hours in a heteroauxin solution, washed and planted in a container filled with acidic soil. The process of rooting cuttings is very long - the roots of the plants are formed only the next year.
The easiest way to propagate wild rosemary is to divide the rhizomes. The best season for this is spring. Bushes are planted in permanent places in lime-free (acidic or sandy) soil, deepening the root mass by 20 cm.
Diseases and pests
Ledum is not susceptible to disease, and its aroma has the ability to repel pests.
Shrub type. In nature, there are six of its species, four of which grow in Russia. How and when rosemary blooms, read about its cultivation and use in the article.
origin of name
The word "ledum", according to the old verb "bagulit", means "poison". The adjective derived from it is "baguly". It, in turn, has the meaning of something poisonous, tart, stupefying, strong. The name of the plant reflects a feature that is characteristic only for wild rosemary. The shrub has a strong suffocating odor. AT scientific world rosemary is called "ledum", which in Greek means "incense" - a resin with a strong aroma.
Description
Ledum grows in regions with a cold and temperate climate. Depending on the growing conditions, the shrub has a different height: from 15 to 130 cm. Although in some cases it grows up to five meters. Twigs of young plants are covered with brownish fluff. Mature plants do not have it, and the stems have a grayish tint.
Leaves are evenly spaced. They are leathery, whole-cut, the edges are wrapped up. Their color is dark green and the top surface is smooth. From below, the leaf plates are covered with a reddish-brown fluff, among which glands are visible containing essential oil substances with a complex composition. This explains the sharp smell with an intoxicating effect, which affects the nervous system, causing headache, circling, vomiting, nausea. This is an amazing plant. It is hard to believe that such beauty as wild rosemary in bloom can lead a person to lose consciousness.
Inflorescences are formed on the shoots of the previous year. Depending on the type of wild rosemary, they are corymbose or umbrella-shaped. Flowers are bisexual. They consist of five white petals, although the color may be different.
According to gardeners, blooming wild rosemary is a breathtaking sight, which, unfortunately, cannot be admired for a long time, otherwise you can get poisoned. The fruit of the plant is a box with five nests. The foundation is revealed first. Winged seeds are very small. Interesting fact, noticed by gardeners: when rosemary blooms and bird cherry blooms at this time.
reproduction
Seeds and summer cuttings are planting material for wild rosemary. In order for the cuttings to quickly give roots and take root, their sections must be treated with heteroauxin, that is, placed in a solution (0.01%) for a period of 16-24 hours. Then rinse under running water and only then plant in a container with soil. It is important to know that callus, even on a treated cutting, is formed by autumn, and the roots themselves will grow only by the next season.
Soil selection
In order to admire the beauty during the period when rosemary blooms, it is important to ensure that the plant grows and develops comfortably. To do this, you need to know that the flower prefers acidic soils. Therefore, when planting, the pit should be filled with a mixture of peat, earth from coniferous plants and sand in proportions of 3: 2: 1. Some varieties also grow on depleted soils of a sandy structure.
Landing
Ledum is grown as cultivated plant. best time for its planting is spring. But if the plant has a closed root system, the season does not matter for this. Ledum is planted for long-term growth in a permanent place. Each bush is placed in pre-dug holes with a depth of 30 to 40 cm. The bottom of the planting hole is covered with drainage with a layer of five to seven centimeters. Sand or small river pebbles are suitable for this. After planting, the near-stem circles of plants are mulched with sawdust, needles or small wood shavings.
The plant is grown in order to create a bright spot in the garden during the period when the wild rosemary blooms, but for this you need to wait for it to grow. If waiting was not part of the gardener's plans, you can grow shrubs in groups of several copies each. The distance between plants should be at least 50-70 cm.
Care
Ledum is an unpretentious plant that can grow on soils that are poor in nutrients. It grows in wetlands, but feels bad on compacted soils and does not tolerate drought. Behind him, as well as for other plants, care is needed, which consists in watering, top dressing, loosening the soil, pruning. Only in this case you can see how rosemary blooms. If care is poor, the plant will not reveal all the beauty of numerous beautiful buds.
To maintain the acidity of the soil at the proper level, you should water the wild rosemary two to three times a month with acidified water. In extreme heat and during a period of prolonged drought, rosemary needs frequent watering: once every seven days is a must. Watering should be plentiful, at least five to eight liters of liquid for each bush.
After that, it is necessary to loosen the soil and mulch it with peat, so moisture will be retained in the soil. Loosening should be carried out very carefully, since the location of the roots to the surface is very close.
For better growth and development, plants need to be fed. This will have a particularly positive effect during the period when rosemary blooms. The procedure should be done once a year in the spring. The best nutrition is a complex fertilizer of mineral composition. For adult bushes, 50-70 g is needed per square meter of the plot area, for young ones - 30-40 g. Fertilizer is applied under each plant.
Special pruning is not needed. For decoration, only dry, diseased or broken branches are removed. Ledum in culture is resistant to disease and pest damage. Obviously, a strong repellent smell contributes to this.
Usage
Regardless of the variety, wild rosemary is an elegant and very interesting plant. Beautifully blooming wild rosemary adorns the garden. The smell of its leaves and stems repels insects. In addition, the plant protects a person from bacteria harmful to him, they die next to the wild rosemary. But, growing this shrub in your garden, you always need to remember when rosemary blooms, many toxic substances are released into the air, causing poisoning of the human body. During this period, you should protect yourself from their effects: do not be near the wild rosemary and, moreover, do not smell its flowers.
Healing properties
Ledum has a whole complex of active substances, so it is difficult to divide it into areas of impact on the human body. In folk medicine, wild rosemary - universal remedy. It has an expectorant and antispasmodic effect. It is an excellent diuretic, analgesic and disinfectant. It has sedative and narcotic properties.
Traditional medicine has long used rosemary for the treatment of bronchitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, influenza, pneumonia, cough, asthma, whooping cough. The plant is used to heal wounds, as well as in cases of bites by insects or snakes.
According to patients, it helps in the treatment of eczema and boils, frostbite and scabies, various eye diseases, rheumatism, arthritis and osteochondrosis, gout and other diseases.
Patients who used tinctures from the shoots note that wild rosemary dilates blood vessels, improves blood circulation, and eliminates insomnia. The unique ability of the plant to reduce pressure has been revealed. Patients note good tolerability of wild rosemary and the absence of toxic manifestations.
Ledum marsh
This type of plant cannot boast of a large species diversity. As already mentioned in the article, only four species grow in our country: wild rosemary, Greenland, creeping, large-leaved. Marsh wild rosemary has become more widespread in nature. This has given rise to a variety of names. Among the people, it is called forest rosemary, fragrant bagan, puzzler, marsh dope, bug grass, gonobyl and others.
Ledum is native to the Arctic, west and east of Siberia, south, north and west of Europe, north of Mongolia, north and east of China, America and Korea. Where does rosemary bloom? The places of growth and flowering are swampy soil, permafrost areas, tundra, damp coniferous forests, high mountains, dwarf pines, banks of rivers, streams. Grows in single specimens and thickets. In our country, habitats and flowering are Yakutia, Sakhalin, Primorye, Sayans, Altai, Karelia.
Marsh wild rosemary is an evergreen, strongly branched shrub. Its height reaches 50-120 cm. The bush is one meter in diameter. Shoots ascending, with dense rust-colored pubescence. The leaves are dark green, with a characteristic sheen on the surface and a specific, strong smell. Their edges are wrapped down. The flowers are small, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, have a white, sometimes pink tint. When the wild rosemary blooms, it exudes a pungent odor. The flowers are collected in inflorescences, which are umbrellas. The fruit is a five-leaved box. Seed ripening occurs in August.
Ledum is an evergreen shrub from the Heather family. The scientific name - ledum (ledum) - brings it closer to incense, as dense leaves also exude an intense woody aroma. The word "ledum" from the Old Russian language is translated as intoxicating, poisonous, intoxicating. Sometimes the plant is called oregano, hemlock, bagula, bogovnik. Its habitat is quite wide. It affects the Northern Hemisphere, in particular the temperate subarctic zone. Ledum is very often used in medicinal purposes, but also can be used for garden decoration.
Plant appearance
Ledum is a perennial shrub or shrub 50-120 cm high. It is fed by a branched superficial rhizome with short shoots. Rigid branched stems do not differ in large diameter. They can be erect, ascending or creeping. The young olive-green shoots are covered with rusty pubescence, but over time they become covered with bare dark bark.
The leathery, short-leaved foliage persists throughout the year. It has an elongated or lanceolate shape with a relief central vein and edges wrapped downwards. Leaf color is dark green. In bright light, it turns brownish-brown. Leathery leaves grow alternately. When rubbed, they emit a sharp, intoxicating smell.
In April-June, dense umbrella inflorescences bloom on the shoots of last year. Each flower has a short pedicel. White oval petals form a bell-shaped cup. The number of all flower elements is a multiple of 5. Ledum is pollinated by insects, after which dry seed pods with 5 sections ripen. Small winged seeds huddle in them.
Attention! All parts of wild rosemary are poisonous! After contact with the plant, be sure to wash your hands. Even just being close to the thickets and inhaling the aroma, one can soon feel dizzy and weak. Although wild rosemary is a good honey plant, its pollen and honey are poisonous. You can try the product only after a long heat treatment and in small quantities.
Types of wild rosemary
The wild rosemary genus includes only 6 species of plants. Of these, 4 grow in Russia.
A typical representative of the genus, common in temperate climates. It is a dense bush up to 1.2 m high. The raised branched shoots are covered with a rusty short pile. Dark green shiny leaves exude a pleasant smell. In late spring, dense umbrellas or shields bloom with white or light pink small flowers.
Rigid decumbent stems grow up to 90 cm in length. They are light brown in color. On the shoots close to each other, like bright green soft needles, there are narrow linear leaves. On the reverse side of the twisted leaves there is a felt pile. During the flowering period, small (up to 6 cm wide) umbrellas bloom with white or cream flowers. The view perfectly tolerates even severe frosts.
dweller Far East, Japan and Korea grows 40-80 cm in height. It settles on rocky embankments and mountain slopes. The oval foliage is 3-4 cm long and 8-15 mm wide. On young shoots and the reverse side of the leaves there is a thick red pile.
A few years ago, a synonym for wild rosemary was rhododendron. Until now, some flower growers refer to this genus, but in fact it is only a distant relative and has scientific name Daurian rhododendron. The plant is also a highly branched shrub 50-200 cm tall. The branches are covered with narrow dense leaves of dark green color. But the flowers have a rich pink hue. Often it is this "rosemary" that can be seen in a vase in a bouquet composition.
Ledum Transbaikal
Reproduction methods
Ledum is perfectly propagated by seed and vegetative methods. In nature, new plants often appear from seeds. They are collected from matured small boxes, which independently crack from the bottom up. From a distance, the seeds resemble tiny chandeliers. Seeds are harvested in autumn, but sown only in early spring. To do this, prepare containers with loose garden soil mixed with sand. The soil should be loose and moist, and also have an acidic reaction. Seeds are spread on the surface and only slightly pressed into the soil. The container is covered with a transparent material and placed in a cool place. Periodically, the greenhouse is ventilated and watered. Shoots appear in 25-30 days. The grown seedlings are planted in separate peat pots or in another box with a greater distance so that the roots do not get tangled.
Garden plants are conveniently propagated by layering. To do this, flexible branches are tilted to the soil and fixed in a hole with a depth of 20 cm. The top must be left on the surface. After rooting, the shoot is separated.
A large bush during a spring transplant can be divided into several parts. To do this, the plant is completely dug up, freed from the ground and cut into pieces. Places of cuts are treated with crushed charcoal. The roots do not dry out and immediately determine the seedlings in a permanent place.
For cuttings, semi-woody shoots with 2-3 leaves are cut during the summer. The lower cut is treated with growth stimulants and shoots are rooted in pots with loose and nutritious soil. The leaves closest to the soil are cut off completely or the leaf plate is shortened. Rooting and adaptation takes a long period, so seedlings are transferred to open ground only next spring.
Landing and care
Ledum refers to unpretentious plants, so the owners do not cause much trouble. Planting is best done in the spring, although this is not necessary for plants with a closed rhizome. Since the roots are located close to the surface of the earth, the planting hole is dug 40-60 cm deep. River sand or pebbles 5-8 cm thick are poured at the bottom. The soil itself should be sufficiently acidic and loose. It is advisable to plant bushes on wet soils with the addition of pine needles. If several plants are planted at once, the distance between them is 60-70 cm. After completion of all work, the soil is compacted and watered abundantly. Then the ground near the bushes is mulched with peat.
In its natural environment, wild rosemary grows near water bodies, so regular watering has great importance. Irrigation is not needed only with frequent rainfall. Lighting for plants is not too important. They thrive equally well in full sun and partial shade. Even with strong shading, rosemary will not die, but it may look less decorative and bloom less often.
From time to time, the earth should be loosened and weeds removed. However, do not forget that the roots are located close to the surface, so be careful. Several times during the season (in spring and summer), wild rosemary is fertilized with mineral complexes. Pruning is carried out in March and October. They shorten sprouts that break out of a given shape, and also remove dry and damaged branches.
Winters are not terrible for wild rosemary. It perfectly tolerates even severe frosts, however, in the absence of snow, young growth can freeze to the height of the snow cover. In the spring, it is enough to remove the affected branches and young shoots will quickly take their place.
Ledum is resistant to plant diseases. He is not afraid of flooding the soil, but only with regular loosening. Without access to air, the fungus can still develop. Very rarely, bugs and spider mites settle on the shoots. They are easy to get rid of with insecticides. More often, the plant itself repels annoying insects, including those from neighbors in the flower bed.
Use in the garden
A dense crown with narrow dark green leaves and reddish pubescence looks very decorative in the garden. Ledum is suitable for landscaping wet soils, banks of reservoirs and rivers, rocky embankments, as well as spaces under trees. Plants look best in group plantings. Often tape plantations are used as a hedge or for zoning a site. Heather, cranberry, blueberry, rhododendron, gaulteria, stakhis and cereals can make up the company of rosemary.
Beneficial features
Ledum leaves and flowers contain many biologically active substances recognized not only by folk, but also by official medicine. Among them:
- essential oils;
- tannins;
- flavonoids;
- vitamin C;
- gum;
- phytoncides.
Since ancient times, the decoction has been used as an antiseptic and antibacterial agent. It was used externally, added to baths or compresses, and also drunk to fight coughs, SARS and intestinal infections.
Tea with the addition of rosemary leaves soothes and fights insomnia. The plant copes well with diseases such as pneumonia, whooping cough, bronchitis, liver and kidney diseases, gastritis, eczema, boils, chickenpox, cholecystitis. Useful drugs for women's health. They strengthen muscles and fight venereal diseases. And in various countries The "specialization" of wild rosemary may differ.
They have plants and economic purposes. The smell of leaves repels blood-sucking insects and moths.
Ledum is contraindicated for people suffering from allergies and sensitive to the components of the plant. Since it increases the tone of the uterus, treatment is unacceptable for pregnant women. And of course, you can not exceed the dosage, so the treatment is best carried out under the supervision of a physician.
Signs and superstitions
Wild rosemary grass shrouded large quantity legends, signs and superstitions, so many doubt whether it is worth keeping it in the house. Although some are wary of rosemary, it is very useful, prevents the spread of pathogenic microbes in the air and heals the body. Of course, if you leave a lot of flowering branches in a small room, the household will be haunted by a headache. Hence the sign that wild rosemary increases nervousness, irritability and brings trouble. But a couple of sprouts won't hurt at all. On the contrary, they will cleanse the atmosphere of negative energy and fill the room with a pleasant unobtrusive aroma.