Since ancient times people have used herbs, flowers and roots of plants, both in cooking and in medicine for the treatment of wounds and various diseases. Wormwood is one of the most common ingredients for the preparation of medicinal potions, and let's see what properties it has.
Botanical description
Chernobylnik (or common wormwood) is a perennial plant. It has beneficial medicinal properties and is widely used in medicine. The “God's tree” has a straight trunk of a dark purple color and can reach up to two meters in height. Chernobyl leaves grow in turns, split and look like feathers.
A special feature is their color: on top of the sheet is smooth and painted in dark green color, and on the bottom - much lighter and velvety. In July or August wormwood blooms buds that look like panicles. Flowers - small, often white. Seeds ripen in seedlings by early September.
Did you know? Thanks to its unique properties, wormwood has received such names as "the tree of God" and widow's grass ".
Spread
Chernobyl is most common in the western and eastern regions of Siberia, in Russia, the countries of Central Asia, as well as in Kazakhstan. The best places for plant growth and reproduction are edges and glades of forests, fields, soft soil near the rivers. Usually wormwood grows around shrubs, using them as protection. It has grown so much everywhere that it equates to a weed.
Chemical composition
Wormwood belongs to medicinal plants, since its composition contains many nutrients. The most valuable and important of them are: ascorbic acid, alkaloids, carotene, tannins, coumarin derivatives, and essential oil.
Read also what the properties of wormwood are medical, bitter and field
In the pharmaceutical industry, the name “herb of wormwood” is considered more relevant and is released in the form of tinctures or dried herbs.
Medicinal properties
Chernobylnik has a huge list of useful properties. It is able to improve digestion and appetite, normalize the flow of bile, well stimulates the liver, is a good laxative and anthelmintic. Wormwood has a positive effect on the human nervous system, soothes and tones. Also, the plant contributes to the speedy recovery from colds, fast healing of cuts and wounds.
Garden savory, lemon balm, millennial, kupena, marjoram, goldenrod, vervain, periwinkle also have healing properties.
Chernobyl is very useful for the treatment of gynecological problems. It tends to accelerate the menstrual cycle, stimulate the internal female genital organs. During pregnancy and in the postpartum period it helps to cope with nervous tension and depression.
Application
God's tree is used in many branches of human activity, but it has gained the greatest popularity in medicine, cooking and as an excellent means against harmful insects.
In medicine
In medicine, for many centuries, they used a decoction of wormwood as the best diuretic. It also perfectly removes worms from the body and increases the flow of bile. When a person is faced with such a delicate problem, like constipation, they often recommend brewing wormwood and drinking as tea. Flooded with boiling water and infused grass wormwood is often prescribed to women who soon give birth. This drink helps to calm the nerves, stimulate the uterus, as well as a little anesthetize the process of childbirth. Chernobylik apply even for the treatment of alcohol dependence.
The most tangible effect the plant has on the stomach. It can both reduce the symptoms of chronic gastritis, improve digestion and appetite, and normalize the processes in the alimentary tract.
Aloe, honey, celandine, Jerusalem artichoke, watercress, yucca, calendula, linden, and double leaf help in treating the gastrointestinal tract.
This miraculous herb in medicine is used not only orally, but also make of it special preparations for external use. They can be used in the treatment of wounds, bruises, corns, warts, as well as skin areas affected by cancer. Clean and fresh Chernobyl juice perfectly helps in the treatment of scab.
Special infusions are rubbed into the skin in the joints and tendons. It helps with rheumatism, relieves pain and improves joint function.
In cooking
In cooking, one of the favorite spices of all cooks is tarragon wormwood. (otherwise this plant is called tarhun). Seasoning has earned such fame thanks to a very spicy and pleasant aroma. Most often, this spice is added to sauces, marinades, pickles, meat dishes and even drinks.
At home
Wormwood has also been used as an excellent drug to combat harmful insects. This plant has a very sharp and just unbearable smell for Colorado beetles, mosquitoes, fleas and bedbugs. Burning a fresh or dried chernobyl bush is the best way to control pests. In order for this to work, it is necessary to direct the smoke exactly to the accumulation of insects.
Learn how to get rid of bedbugs, cockroaches and moths in your apartment.
Harmful properties
Chernobyl is a fairly toxic plant. Any decoctions, infusions, ointments and oils from wormwood should be used very carefully and intermittently. If you do not pause between each course of taking any medications from widowa grass, then severe poisoning is possible. Of the features of wormwood unfavorable to humans, the ability of the plant to influence the mental state and cause neuroses is the most dangerous. Fortunately, this can happen only after a severe overdose with this drug.
Contraindications
Widowed grass is contraindicated in women who are planning a pregnancy, as well as young children. This is explained by the fact that Chernobyl is toxic and may adversely affect the body of these categories of people. Do not drink tincture of wormwood continuously for a long time. Chernobyl is contraindicated in people with diseased kidneys, various stomach ulcers, colitis.
Wormwood is not recommended for people who suffer from oncological diseases, as well as during the course of chemotherapy.
Important! It is strictly forbidden to use infusions and decoctions of Chernobyl to pregnant women in the early period. These drugs can adversely affect the fetus.
Growing wormwood
Wormwood is an unpretentious plant that does not need special care. It grows in completely different light conditions, soil quality and moisture. But if you still decide to grow this medicinal herb at home, then you will need some rules that will help you get the best possible harvest.
Landing place and lighting
In order to provide the most comfortable conditions for the growth and development of wormwood, you need to protect it from the cold north winds. They have a bad effect on the plant and prevent it from growing. Therefore, Chernobyl is recommended to plant on the south side of the site.
Learn how to grow plants such as: juniper, lavender, rosemary, savory, fern Asplenium, room thuja, coffee tree, azalea, kalanchoe, anthurium, geranium, orchid, spathiphyllum, violet, begonia at home.
He loves the hot climate and direct sunlight. To obtain a high quality crop with a high content of vitamins, it is desirable to plant the plant in a place that is always well lit. A big plus will be if you place the Chornobyl beetle between other bushes and trees. This will help protect the healing herb from the winds and ensure its integrity.
You can grow widows grass in the apartment. In this case, simply put the pot with the plant to the window, which is located on the sunny side.
Soil and fertilizer
Wormwood grows in almost any soil.. The plant is unable to grow only in the soil, where there is a high acidity. For the rest, there is only one rule to ensure good growth of the Chernobyl plant. It lies in the fact that the land where the plant was planted, should always be wet. If God's tree has taken root, then it will not need to be transplanted for more than ten years.
Did you know? The seeds of wormwood can be planted and they germinate even after seventy years after harvest.
Watering and moisture
Chernobylnik needs active watering only the first couple of days after planting. Further, when the plant gets used to the ground and the new habitat, you can almost forget about caring for it. It is so unpretentious shrub that can grow and bloom even without weekly watering. But if you want it to always be with bright green leaves and full of strength, then it is enough to pour 4-5 liters of warm water under the root every two weeks.
Pruning
To achieve the beauty of the plant and prolong its life, you need to regularly prune the shrub. It is recommended to do this in early spring after the retreat of frosts. You need to trim the top shoots to stimulate the growth of the chernobylnik to the side. This will contribute to the harvest. To rejuvenate a plant, it is necessary to cut all its branches significantly every couple of years.
To properly equip the garden area, you need to properly approach the issue of planning: make the beds, fences, beautifully arrange flower beds.
Parasites and Diseases
In most cases, wormwood attacks aphid. Because of these small insects, the leaves and the stem are covered with a sticky harmful patina. Aphids can very quickly eat the soft leaves of a chernobylnik, so you should get rid of it at the first sign of presence. A reliable method of dealing with a pest is a solution of ordinary soap. To prepare 10 liters of product, you need to dissolve 400 grams of soap in the specified amount of water. Spray the affected plants need 3-4 times during the week.
Preparation and storage of medicinal raw materials
Harvest wormwood is harvested and harvested in July or August, when she just faded and matured. Collected items are the inflorescences of the widow grass, as well as the leaves. To properly carry out this process, you need to have a sharp knife or a special small sickle. You need to act carefully so as not to break the stem and not to pull out the plant itself.
You can replenish your first-aid kit with raw materials from nettle, thistle, quinoa, yarrow, chervil, dodder, purslane.
The next step is always drying Chernobyl. It happens quite simply. You should spread out cut flowers and leaves on paper or on a pallet and put it in the sun. It will be ideal to do it on the street, as well as in a room that is well ventilated.
After the collected ingredients have dried, it is advisable to put them in a sealed bag. Wormwood does not spoil for more than three years.
Important! At all stages of the preparation of wormwood should provide themselves with personal protective equipment. The juice of wormwood can lead to irritation of the respiratory tract, eye mucosa. If he gets into the oral cavity, and then into the stomach, then poisoning or vomiting is provided.
Nature has given people a huge amount of useful herbs. Among them there is such a beautiful shrub, like wormwood. It is endowed with just a huge amount of substances that have a complex positive effect on the body and keep it in shape. You should always remember that it is natural and natural products that are well perceived by our body. And it is from them that the body can get for itself the maximum of suitable nutrients.
