The buckthorn plant, the photo of which will immediately remind many that we are talking about the so-called “wolf berries,” can look like a bush or a small tree. This species grows mainly in copses or at the edges, often found on river or lake shores.
general information
About one hundred and fifty species of buckthorn are known in nature. Representatives of this genus are common in warm or subtropical regions in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The greatest variety, according to experts, is observed in North America. There are many types of buckthorn, but not all are healing. Only three varieties can be used as a laxative. The most common is buckthorn, brittle Asplenifolia, although in some regions, a joster, or American variety, is also often used for medicinal purposes. In our country, it is found in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part, in the central regions of Western Siberia, in Asia Minor, but it grows most in the Crimea and the Caucasus.
The homeland of this small tree is the Western Hemisphere. Presumably it was first discovered on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, experts say that the ancient "ancestors" of Asplenifolia existed in the Mesozoic era - in the Cretaceous period. Today, the most common as an ornamental plant used in landscape design, are buckthorn alder, or brittle, as well as Pontic, large-leaved, rocky, serrated, and Palmer.
Pharmacological use
The healing properties of this plant are not entirely typical. Buckthorn, whose photo is familiar to many, has its own characteristics. They should be known in advance in order not to harm the treatment. For medical purposes, the most commonly used buckthorn is alder, or rather, its bark. Studies of its chemical composition showed that it contains many biologically active substances, the most potent of which are frangulin and glucofrangulin. Buckthorn bark has a laxative effect, although it is often used in medicine and for gastric atony, hemorrhoids, spastic colitis or rectal fissures.
Description
This plant is a shrub. In the wild, it often looks like a small tree. In some regions, representatives of the buckthorn family - Rhamnaceae - grow up to seven meters in height and have another branching of the processes. Outwardly, the “wolf berry”, or brittle joster, looks like a very elegant plant with a spreading crown and elliptical whole-leafed leaves. They are quite shiny and painted in bright green color and have six to eight parallel, slightly curved side veins.
The generic name of this plant comes from the Latin frangere, which means “break”. This once again emphasizes the peculiar feature of this species. Buckthorn alder has very brittle branches. According to one of the common versions, this plant got its name not so much because of fragile wood, but because of its magical power, which allows it to "break" the evil spell. But no matter how they say it, the only thing you should not doubt is the healing properties of the bark of the bush, which are not limited, contrary to popular opinion, only a laxative effect. Buckthorn branches are quite small and have a whitish-yellow color. The bark on the upper part of the trunk and on still young branches is smooth, red-brown. It is usually covered with white lanceolate lentils.
Flowers
Buckthorn brittle from another species - the joster - is distinguished by the complete absence of thorns. Her flowers are small and bisexual. They are regular, five-petalled and collected in bunches of two to six pieces in the axils of the leaves. Flower petals are white inside and greenish outside.
Buckthorn is brittle, the fruits of which are spherical in shape, releases buds in May. Full flowering on a shrub can be observed in mid-June. Fruits are first red, and then turn into black drupes. Their length reaches eight millimeters. Unbreakable buckthorn has high frost resistance, it is drought-resistant and tolerates a haircut or molding. The fruits of all varieties of buckthorn are bone-shaped juicy berries with three seeds. For the most part they are considered inedible, moreover, even poisonous.
Site selection
Buckthorn is fragile, planting and care of which do not require special skills and knowledge, is considered a completely unpretentious plant. Therefore, according to gardeners, any plot is suitable for its cultivation. Under natural conditions, this plant prefers to grow in well-drained and protected from the wind shady places with moist soil. Since brittle buckthorn has a well-developed root system with a length of underground processes two or three times the height of its ground part, it feels rather well even on very poor soil. However, for the cultivation of decorative species used as decoration for a personal plot, it is better to allocate well-lit places where culture is dominated by moisture-intensive fertile and light loamy soil. For all types of buckthorn, a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction in the soil solution is ideal.
Propagation Methods and Landing
Buckthorn alder is propagated vegetatively - by cuttings, layering or root offspring. However, recently the seed method has become no less popular. Planting material is placed in the soil only in autumn. Whereas seedlings can also be planted in spring.
Before planting, no preparatory work is required to improve the soil. Pits 60x60x60 in size are dug up in advance or directly on the same day. If buckthorn alder is used as a hedge for the site, then you need to prepare a trench half a meter deep. Prepared pits need to be filled with a substrate of humus, sand and sod land in a ratio of 2: 1: 2. One part of dolomite flour or lime should be added to acidic soil. Seedlings are planted in the center of the prepared pits, the roots are straightened first, and then they are sprinkled with a fertile layer of earth, which is then gently compacted. Around the plant you need to make watering holes, and with a slope towards the trunk, so that later precipitation is thus delayed. The soil is watered and mulched with peat or compost, sometimes with loose humus.
Care
Buckthorn alder, like all shrubs and trees, also needs shaping, sanitary and decorative trimmings. At the same time, its trunk sections should be regularly weed-free. In early summer, in early June, the old mulch material must be repaired in the soil, and a new one should be poured on top. Watering is carried out as the soil dries. In breaks, the soil needs to be loosened.
In open and unprotected areas of the garden, buckthorn is better sheltered for winter time. In general, judging by the reviews, this plant is not difficult to grow this plant on a personal plot. In snowy, harsh winters, buckthorn must also be covered. In addition, the plant can be deeply cut, forming a crown, it is quickly restored.
Application
Alder buckthorn prefers shady and protected from the wind places and high humidity. Thanks to the existing deep root system, it can grow safely, although a little slower, even on the poorest soils.
Alder buckthorn is a plant that has long been introduced into the culture. In our gardens, it can often be seen in group or mixed plantings. Judging by the reviews, spruce, viburnum, red elderberry, as well as bird cherry, mountain ash and low conifers are considered the best neighbors for this plant. From buckthorn, many gardeners prefer to create a hedge that looks especially beautiful during flowering and fruiting.
The culture also looks great in composition with such popular plants in landscape design as hawthorn and birch, forest apple, thuja and juniper, as well as Canadian conical spruce. It is the best suited for decorating areas with preserved forest vegetation, for shady garden corners or patios.
Diseases and Pests
Buckthorn alder - a fairly stable plant, which is rarely affected by pests or diseases. Of the few dangers that affect leaves or shoots, we can call lemongrass, as well as some types of leaf beetles. In clearings where buckthorn is overgrown, oviposition is more common on young shoots. Measures to combat this scourge are attracting insectivorous birds to the bushes, as well as burning pests.