Today we will talk about what is a therapeutic hawthorn, we will consider its types. We also describe each variety in detail and its medical use.
Hawthorn is known to everyone as a medicinal plant. But, in addition to its healing properties, it is distinguished by beauty.
Plant description
Hawthorn is beautiful both during flowering and during fruit ripening. Depending on what kind of plant, its berries can vary in color and shape. In the world there are about one and a half thousand different types of hawthorn. Therefore, you can talk about it a lot. 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 bush, and in the form of a small tree. Some decorative types can be converted to bonsai. Since this plant is distributed throughout the world, you can meet the evergreen hawthorn. Types of it have thorns. This is a distinctive characteristic of the bush.
The family to which the hawthorn belongs is called Semi-evergreen. It should be said that over the past few years, the plant began to be used in the industrial production of medicines.
The main differences between the varieties are the color of the fruit, the height of the plant, the shape of the leaves.
As a rule, the flowering of hawthorn occurs in the month of 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 health.
The fruits of hawthorn can be round or oblong. The color scheme of berries is quite diverse, from standard red to yellow and black. On the palate, the fruits of hawthorn are sweet and sour.
For medicinal purposes, you can use decoctions of leaves, flowers and berries of the plant. All of them have valuable properties. It is especially recommended for people with cardiovascular problems to use hawthorn.
The species of this plant we will consider further. Now I would like to say that the 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 acquiring one or the other, it is necessary 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, take into account the climatic characteristics of the region. Namely, the temperature regime, the amount of precipitation and sunny color and other weather features in the area.
Common hawthorn (prickly)
Now let's see what happens with hawthorn. We will consider its types and features of each. Ordinary hawthorn is the most common species of this plant in our country. This is due to the fact that 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 the common hawthorn does not exceed 5 meters.
It has a rather thick crown; thorns are present on the branches. Has wide leaves, divided into lobes, their number is 4 or 5. The common hawthorn blossoms with inflorescences. The flowering period is about 2 weeks. This type of plant begins to bear fruit in late summer or early fall. Berries of an ordinary hawthorn round shape. They are painted in red or burgundy. Their size is one centimeter in diameter. Another reason for the widespread occurrence of common hawthorn is that it does not require any special care. This plant can tolerate both bright sun and heat, as well as shade, arid weather. Also, this hawthorn is resistant to frost. It can grow on any soil, does not need fertilizing. Surely many met an ordinary hawthorn growing on a wall. You can also see this plant in the city parks and forest edges.
Altai hawthorn
What other types of hawthorn are there? A photo of Altai is presented below. This species, like an ordinary one, is an unpretentious plant. The main difference is that it needs a soil selection. Altai hawthorn prefers more moist soil. The height of the plant is eight meters. In the wild, it settles near reservoirs on chalky soils with stone placer. On the branches of the Altai hawthorn there are thorns.
The leaves have a bluish tint and a hairy structure. Altai hawthorn begins to bloom in late spring or early summer. Has lush inflorescences in the form of a ball. The fruits of this type of hawthorn ripen in August. In color, the berries of Altai hawthorn differ from ordinary. They have an orange or yellow 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 spikes that grow up to 5 centimeters. Pear hawthorn has white bushy 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 ordinary 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 hawthorn? The species of this plant are quite diverse. For example, there is a fan-shaped hawthorn. It is spread in the northern regions of our country and in the Caucasus mountains.
A distinctive feature of the fan-shaped hawthorn is the presence of curved thorns on its branches, which grow up to 7 centimeters. The height of this plant is about 6 meters. Also, this hawthorn is quite wide, about 3 or 4 meters. The leaves are elongated and divided into 4 or 6 blades. 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 particularly fluffy. Berries ripen in late summer or early fall. They come in different colors, from yellow to red.
The shape of the berries is apple-shaped. This variety of hawthorn is characterized by juiciness of fruits. Fan-shaped is resistant to frost, can grow in the shade.
Daurian hawthorn
The main places of distribution of this variety are Siberia and Primorye, as well as 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 in the form of a rhombus and have blades in the amount of 3 or 5 pieces. It blooms, like most of the many hawthorns, either in late May or early June. Flowers can be either white or pink. Stamens of a dark red shade 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 plant variety loves moisture. Therefore, its habitat are places directly next to the rivers. Plant height reaches 12 meters. Does not need a lot of sunlight. The bark of this type of hawthorn has a dark brown hue and lamellar structure. There are practically no thorns on the branches. Sometimes they are found, but they are small in size and curved. The leaves are dark green and oblong. As a rule, all types of hawthorn bloom in May, this one is no exception. When flowering, hawthorn appears white or cream flowers.
Burgundy berries ripen by early fall. Sometimes the color of the fruit reaches a black tint. Fruiting begins after five or six years after planting. Berries in diameter are equal to one centimeter.
In addition to fruiting plants, there are species of ornamental hawthorn. These plants are used to decorate parks, squares and summer cottages.
How to plant?
Since 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 care for them. Despite the fact that this plant is unpretentious, it will be more favorable to plant it in heavy soil with drainage. Better if the soil is fertile. But, as a rule, in garden plots and cottages it is.
First, prepare the mixture for planting. It must be made of sand, peat and humus. It is also necessary to add leaf flour there. In the pit for planting, you need to put lime, but it is important that the root system of the hawthorn does not touch it. The bottom layer of the pit is laid out with a layer of drainage. It can be made of gravel, gravel or broken brick. This layer should be about 15 centimeters. It is better to choose a sunny place to land. This will ensure good fruiting of hawthorn. You should know that the plant has a long root system. Because of this feature, hawthorn can be transplanted only up to 5 years. As a rule, plants are planted at a permanent place of residence at the age of two. The hawthorn transplant procedure 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 a land plot?
Everything is done quite simply. Dry and dead branches should be cut. Some use hawthorn as a living fence. Under this condition, the plant should be trimmed, leaving one third of the shoot. You need to do this in the spring. Hawthorn lends itself very well to cutting. Therefore, you can come up with or copy interesting shapes.
Feeding for hawthorn will not hurt. Fertilizing the plant is recommended in the spring. To do this, you can use liquid manure. This procedure should be done before the plant blooms. Water the hawthorn once a month. Moreover, it must be done abundantly. About fifteen liters of water should be poured onto each bush. If the summer is dry, then watering the hawthorn is recommended more often.
You also need to remove weeds and dig the soil. Digging should be careful so as not to damage the root system of the plant. For this, the shovel does not need to be inserted vertically into the ground. The maximum digging depth should be about 10 centimeters. The above procedures for the care of hawthorn is enough.
How does it breed?
There are several ways in which hawthorn can be propagated. Namely: seeds, root cuttings or through vaccination.
The method of propagation through hawthorn seeds is rather laborious. Firstly, the plant has thick skin. Therefore, the stratification process is quite lengthy. In time, it is one year. Ripe seeds also awaken for a long time. Usually this process 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 this, you need to rub the seeds with sandpaper or sand.
- Then they need to be washed and placed in a solution (one percent) with nitrate for two days.
- In late autumn, seeds are planted in the ground. After a couple of years, the seedling should reach a height of 60 centimeters. During this period, you need to trim it. But you should leave 3 buds in height from the base. It is also necessary to cut off the shoots that are located on the side. Only 2 should be left.
Propagation of hawthorn by root cuttings
To propagate the plants 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 goes out about 2 centimeters. For planting, spring and autumn season is suitable.
Perhaps the reproduction of hawthorn through vaccination. This procedure is done in August. Its implementation requires some experience. You can plant different types of hawthorn.
How to collect 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, flowers and leaves of hawthorn gather. They are dried and placed in special containers for further storage. The fruits of the bush are harvested in late summer or early fall, when they ripen. Berries are dried and transferred to enameled dishes. The container with these fruits must be closed with a lid. Better if it is airtight.
Is it possible and how to use fresh hawthorn?
Hawthorn is not only possible, but also needs to be eaten fresh. Since the collected berries contain the largest number of useful trace elements and vitamins. Everyone can consume these fruits. There are no age restrictions. But usually it happens that the yield of berries exceeds the amount that can be consumed by all family members. And so the question arises of how to keep the hawthorn fresh. You can freeze it, but the easiest and most affordable way to preserve the healing 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 be aware 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 hawthorn in its raw form after eating, since fiber of 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 application for medical purposes due to its composition. In Russia, they mainly use a blood-red look. But in European countries they prefer the monoecious hawthorn. Despite the fact that different types of plants may have differences in their composition, they are all interchangeable and can be used as a medicine.
Conclusion
Now you know what hawthorn is, the types and varieties of it we have named, described. They also talked about how this plant is used in medicine, how to dry and consume it.