“Viburnum is red, viburnum is bitter,” is sung in a famous song. However, despite the bitterness, viburnum is 32% sugar. The berry got its name for its bright scarlet color, as a derivative of the word “red-hot.” The plant is valued for that the benefit lies not only in the berries, but in the flowers and even the bark of viburnum.
Kalina: benefits and contraindications
According to another version, the "viburnum" berries were called, because they lose their inherent bitterness as soon as they are "calcined" by frost. A small tree at the beginning of spring is covered with stunning white inflorescences, which, when they bloom, turn into blood-red clusters of berries.
By the amount of ascorbic acid, viburnum will give odds to citrus fruits and is comparable to rosehip berries. Scarlet berries are rich in carotene, and also have a whole arsenal of minerals in their composition: zinc, iron, phosphorus, iodine, selenium, etc. Kalina contains vitamin E, provitamin A, and viburnin gives the bitter taste to the berry.
The bark contains tannins with anti-inflammatory effects; organic acids; resins and flavonoids; a whole range of vitamins and minerals. Not too pleasant taste and astringent aroma are compensated by a useful composition.
White lush umbrellas of flowers attract lovers of bouquets. Berries are formed from the central flowers, the extreme ones remain "empty". However, the flowers themselves are valuable material. They contain:
- flavonoids - natural antioxidants;
- Vitamin C - the best natural immunomodulator;
- essential oil, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system;
- organic acids that maintain acid-base balance.
Caution!
The viburnum plant is not advisable for use with high blood coagulation due to the danger of blood clots. All parts of the plant contribute to a decrease in pressure and are completely unsuitable for hypotension. Do not use it for people with kidney disease. With great care, pregnant women should use viburnum, because it increases muscle tone.
Kalina: how to grow
You can meet the viburnum shrub at the edges, glades, along the banks of water bodies. However, due to its unpretentiousness, viburnum was “domesticated” and successfully grown in summer cottages.
Viburnum is a moisture-loving plant, actively blooms in the sun and in partial shade. Optimal will be a place in the shadow of a taller tree. What viburnum does not like is dry “clogged” land; the soil should be drained and well moistened. Viburnum is one of the few shrubs that grow well on acidic soils.
Viburnum propagates by cuttings, they must be planted in open fertilized soil in early spring. Planting can be done in the fall, during the fall season. Viburnum is a winter-hardy plant, and will safely survive the cold. Just remember to mulch the earth with compost when planting. Do not buy seedlings with bare roots, or blossoming leaves!
The main activities are watering, mulching, loosening, fertilizing the soil and pruning. Young trees are especially in need of watering during the growth period. Mature trees require active watering during flowering. Viburnum can survive a short drought, but leaving it without water for a long time is not recommended. It is important to ensure that the earthen lump is well loosened. Mulch is introduced at the end of spring, complex spring dressing is also useful in the spring, and in the fall potash-faceted fertilizers will be useful.
No less important is the pruning, which can be carried out already in the second year after planting. In order for the plant to bear fruit well, it is better to form a rounded crown. Therefore, dry, weak and old branches pinch in early spring.
First of all, bark is collected. In the first spring months with the beginning of the movement of juices, the extra lateral branches are removed and used to harvest the bark. In no case do not remove the bark from the main trunk! Viburnum blooms in May-June, and in early-flowering varieties white "umbrellas" appear already in late March. During the period of active flowering, flower umbrellas are collected and dried with their caps down.
In September, and in early-flowering varieties by mid-summer, the bush is covered with red berries. Many leave them until the first frosts, after which the bitterness goes away, but with it a part of the benefit. Bunches are dried in limbo, like flowers.
National signs and beliefs
From ancient times in Russia, the viburnum plant was considered a virgin plant. She adorned her wreaths of girls “on marriageable days,” and in the spring, as soon as the bush was covered with flowers, they were used in rituals and dances. A bouquet of viburnum certainly participated in the wedding ceremony. He was placed in the center of the table as a symbol of happiness in family life, and the berries were left for the loaf.
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There is a legend about a girl named Kalina. She loved to go to the forest, the road to which was long. Once she found a thin sprout in the forest and planted it near the road. The girl carried water to him, looked after a frail plant. In the end, it grew into a large bush. Travelers stopped under him and marveled at his beauty. When the girl came to look at her "pet", the bush asked her to give her her name - Kalina.
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“Viburnum berries were sweeter than raspberries” - this is a preface to another legend about unrequited love. The beauty fell in love with a guy who did not notice her at all. He liked to walk in the forest, which the girl decided to burn in a fit of despair. When the guy came into the forest, he saw only a bush of viburnum and a tearful girl near him. Since then, viburnum berries have been bitter.
Folk recipes with viburnum
The spectrum of therapeutic effects of viburnum extends to all body systems: vascular, immune, digestive and sexual.
To prevent hypertension, berry infusion is suitable. In a mortar, grind 5 tbsp. l and fill them with 3 tbsp. boiling water. It is necessary to insist such a drink for 4 hours, and take no more than half a glass 2-3 times a day.
With a cold, brew a drink in a thermos (for 1 tablespoon of flowers, 1 tablespoon of boiling water) for about an hour. Take 1 glass, depending on how you feel, 2-3 times a day. With a stable cough , berry tea is effective (1 tablespoon of berries / 1 tablespoon of boiling water). Insist the drink in a thermos for 2 hours, drink 1 \ 3 cups 4-5 times a day, adding 1 tsp. honey.
With gastritis with low acidity , an infusion of viburnum flowers can help. To do this, at 1 tbsp. take boiling water 1 tbsp. flowers, insist 30 minutes (for infusion), or boil in a water bath for 2-3 minutes (for a decoction). Take a filtered drink three times a day for 1 tbsp. (broth), or 1 tbsp. (infusion).
For painful periods, try a decoction. For cooking on 1 tbsp. boiling water take 10 gr. dry bark and cook in a water bath for half an hour. Concentrated broth should be diluted with water and taken three times a day for 1 tbsp. The bark can be replaced with berries, the recipe and dosage do not change.
No wonder viburnum is a frequent ingredient in cosmetics. Viburnum flowers return skin elasticity and tone, berries relieve wrinkles and acne.
Infusion for skin elasticity : brew a handful of flowers 1 tbsp. boiling water, insist 20 minutes. The obtained home-made lotion can be wiped on the face, or frozen in ice cubes and applied in the morning instead of washing.
Fresh juice of the fruits of viburnum is wiped on the face in the morning and in the evening to cleanse the skin . This procedure relieves acne, inflammation, boils, and is also a good bleaching agent.
Mask of viburnum improves hair structure . For the mask, get juice from 2 tbsp. berries, add to it 2 tbsp. red wine and 1 tablespoon any (preferably olive, or rice) oil. The mixture for half an hour before washing the hair to distribute through the hair. After rinse with shampoo.
Prepare a bath for dry skin with 2 tbsp. sea salt and 1 tablespoon juice of fresh berries of viburnum, or infusion of plant flowers. With a regular procedure, the nails will become stronger, and the skin on the hands is much softer.