Scientists have more than 150 species of clover in the world. The plant is common in the temperate, subtropical and tropical zones. In Russia, about 30 species of this culture are known, growing in the European part, in the Far East and Siberia. Clover is a famous herbaceous plant. It can be found on forest edges, fields and meadows. One of the beneficial properties of grass is the enrichment of the soil with nitrogen. Nodules present on the roots of clover contain bacteria that assimilate atmospheric nitrogen and saturate the soil with it.
A little about clover
The plant blooms in May-June with different colors. Pink, white and red inflorescences adorn summer meadows. Translated from Latin, "clover" means "trefoil." In almost all species of this herb, the structure of the leaf resembles three small leaves.
In Europe, this form was considered the personification of the Holy Trinity. Masters often used clover ornament in embroidery, jewelry and architecture. It was considered a huge fortune to find a plant with four leaves.
Plowed and red (meadow) clover are well known in Russia . The trefoil head consists of individual flowers. They bloom in turn, attracting bumblebees and bees. The insect falls on the head of the plant, grabs its paws and checks with its proboscis all the flowers: which of them contains the most sweet nectar.
Another popular type of clover in our country is white. He is the most unpretentious of all varieties. The plant is undemanding to moisture, quite photophilous and differs in early flowering.
Clover. Useful properties and contraindications
Shamrock has medicinal properties. Some of its species - arable, red and white - are valued by traditional healers. The healing properties of clover are expressed in astringent, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic action.
In folk medicine, this representative of the flora is used for diarrhea, colitis, dysentery. If you are new to the clover plant for the first time, useful properties and contraindications should be considered first.
The drug, prepared on the basis of this medicinal plant, has been successfully used for diabetes mellitus and various forms of bronchitis. In addition, compresses are made from the trefoil on the bronchial region. Also, such treatment is recommended for rheumatism and gout.
Vitamins and Nutrients
Clover, whose medicinal properties have been recognized since ancient times, is still considered one of the most valuable herbs in the meadow. This representative of the flora is rich in large amounts of protein, starch, carotene, folic acid, vitamins C, P.
In Russia, for the wound healing effect with scrofula, fresh juice of meadow clover was used. In Czechoslovakia, shamrocks are used to aromatize bathtubs. Traditional medicine claims that, due to its medicinal properties, clover regulates the metabolism in the human body, prevents the development of atherosclerosis and lowers blood cholesterol.
Despite the medicinal properties, there are contraindications for taking various drugs based on the trefoil. They are not recommended for people with diagnoses: an estrogen-dependent form of cancer, heart disease and thrombophlebitis. Clover preparations are also contraindicated for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Clover flowers. Healing properties
The inflorescences of this medicinal plant are a real storehouse of vitamins. They contain ascorbic acid, various B vitamins. In addition, trefoil flowers contain isoflavonoids, coumarins, essential oil and other substances useful to the human body.
In ancient China, clover flowers were also widely used. Useful properties allowed herbalists to prepare infusions that help cleanse lymph, blood and outflow of bile. Nowadays, clover is recommended for the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases.
Using clover flowers
Doctors advise adding dried clover flowers to daily tea, the beneficial properties of which will help increase the tone of the body. The leaves of the plant containing salicylic acid have an anti-inflammatory effect. They can be added to various salads.
The modern person has to spend a lot of time at the computer screen. Eye strain is very noticeable. If you are concerned about irritation and fatigue of the organs of vision, then this problem can be eliminated. Clover flowers (whose beneficial properties make the eyes shine with beauty) are used as a compress on the eyes.
Useful properties of white clover
White clover preparations have wound healing, analgesic and tonic properties. As a prophylaxis of diseases of the oral cavity, inflammation of the larynx, adenoids, pulmonary tuberculosis, tinctures from this medicinal plant are used. Doctors advise preparing decoctions of white shamrock. They are excellent helpers to stop the effects of poisoning, to relieve pain during rheumatism and gout.
White clover is appreciated by amateur gardeners. The plant is used for landscaping and decorating lawns and gardens. A lawn of snow-white flowers and lush stems looks very attractive! The beneficial properties of clover allow gardeners to use it as fertilizer for the soil. In addition, the plant is frost-resistant, which allows the lawn to look elegant from early spring to late autumn.
Preparation of medicinal raw materials
Probably, having got acquainted with the information on the topic "Clover. Useful properties and contraindications," many readers will want to independently prepare medicinal herbs. To do this, you need a pruner or long scissors. You can cut off the stems, and then separate the inflorescences and leaves from it. Remove damaged or darkened parts. Then the raw materials must be cut into smaller parts.
The resulting mass should be decomposed on linen in a shady, well-ventilated area. Parts of the plant should be positioned loosely enough to dry well. Raw materials are recommended to be turned over daily. After the plant mass has dried, it must be placed in a prepared bag made of natural fabric.
Sowing clover
If after reading the article you had a desire to admire the flowers at home - prepare the soil. Clover is an unpretentious plant, but you should still choose a more sunny area for it. Then the plant culture will delight you with a beautiful carpet of flowers and greenery.
Fertilizing the soil for sowing is best in the fall when digging the ground. For sowing plants, it is best to choose a warm autumn day. Clover seeds are quite small. Therefore, they should be mixed with river sand (1: 3) and sown in prepared grooves at a distance of 8-10 centimeters from each other. You can sow the plant randomly, but in this case more seeds will be needed. In early spring, you can feed the soil with fertilizer.
Advice
When the clover reaches the budding period, it is recommended to treat the plot with an insect repellent. Experienced gardeners for the brightness of the trefoil flowers feed the plant with wood ash. It is important to carefully read the information about the white clover plant . Useful properties and contraindications must be known in order to understand in which quality it is best to use it. Whether it will be a decoration element or a medicine is up to you.