Blood red Siberian hawthorn

Since ancient times, man has learned to receive from nature almost everything he needs for life. The knowledge of botany proved to be especially useful, since most of the plants around us are not only nutritious, but also useful.

So, Siberian, or as it is also called the blood-red hawthorn, is very popular among gardeners and supporters of traditional medicine due to its beautiful appearance and weight of useful qualities.

The botanical name of this plant is crataegus coccinea. Externally, it looks like a fairly large shrub, or, what happens much less often, a tree with a height of 1 to 5 meters. The trunk is covered with dark-brown or gray-brown rough bark, while the branches are smoother, shiny, but also have a pronounced blood-red tint, which explains the origin of the name of this type of hawthorn.

The appearance of the shrub is not the only factor that distinguishes the common and Siberian hawthorn. For example, from the point of view of botany, these plants have differences in leaflets, buds, inflorescences, and, of course, fruits.

The buds of the Siberian hawthorn are also easily identified by the characteristic dark red color of individual scales. The inflorescences of the plants are rather dense, corymbose, and the flowers themselves are white with a yellowish tinge.

The characteristic of the fruit is simple. They have the shape of an ellipse, sometimes almost spherical, with a pronounced bloody color of the skin, but there are variations of orange or yellow. Ripe fruits appear at the beginning of autumn, more often by the end of September and the beginning of October.

For crataegus coccinea, the Euro-Siberian type of range is characteristic. Wild shrubs can be easily found in the European part of Russia, the western and eastern regions of Siberia, throughout Central Asia, as well as in the territory of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China.

The favorite places of the blood-red hawthorn are steppes, forests and forest-steppe zones. The plant is quite unpretentious, resistant to frost and well acclimatized in almost any soil variant. Due to this, bushes are actively cultivated far beyond the limits of their natural range in parks, squares, roadside or field shelter sites. They are carried out by ordinary care, adopted for any ornamental and fruit shrubs.

Pharmacognosy - a science that studies the medicinal properties of individual substances and whole elements, including plants, has long allowed us to study in detail most of the food products that we encounter daily. Of course, the fruits of such an unusual plant as a blood-red hawthorn were no exception. If in ancient times people used it as a medicine, based only on personal experience, then today the effectiveness of hawthorn berries is proved from a scientific point of view.

The main components representing the biochemical composition of hawthorn fruits and flowers are several useful substances.

• Carotene. One of the most valuable options for vitamins of group A, which is easily absorbed in the body. You can often hear that this substance is very important for the skin, however, vitamins A also strengthen the immune system and, to a certain extent, protect against the influence of harmful chemical elements of the environment, as they help to eliminate free radicals from the human body.
• Saponins. These are special substances that contribute to the activity of glandular tissues in the human body. Preparations with a high content of saponins can be used both for the prevention of stagnation, and, for example, for the treatment of bronchitis, diluting and removing sputum.
• Phytosterols. Their content in the blood-red hawthorn is the main reason why athletes are interested in these berries. Phytosterols are natural antioxidants that perform a supporting function during exercise.And they are also considered to be unique steroids, allowing to accelerate the growth of muscle mass without the use of synthetic agents.
• Citric and Malic Acids, which have an additional antioxidant effect on the body, as well as saturated with vitamin C, necessary for strengthening the immune system.

• Choline. Thanks to their content, blood red hawthorn improves the activity of the nervous system. Choline is also one of the options for vitamin B4, which reduces cholesterol and normalizes the metabolism of fats in the body.
• Thiamine - This is one of the most popular dietary supplements. The fruits of blood-red hawthorn contain quite a lot of vitamin B1 derivatives, which are based on the thiamines. They contribute to the normalization of the cardiovascular system, as well as stabilize intra-arterial pressure. Due to this, rosehip preparations can be successfully used for diseases such as arrhythmia or hypertension.
• Rutin or Vitamin P It is considered a unique tool that can inhibit the development of cancer cells.

Do not forget that the Siberian hawthorn is rich in various trace elements, indispensable for our body. These are iron, zinc, cobalt, potassium, calcium and many others. The high iron content in the berries makes them an excellent tool for the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia.

The fruits of the Siberian hawthorn, saturated with all the elements necessary for the organism, have found wide application not only in cooking, but also in medicine and cosmetology. Especially often there are drugs based on blood-red hawthorn, shown in diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Cosmetics using this tool is most often aimed at skin care. Depending on the basic composition of such preparations, it can have an effective nutritional or cleansing effect.

Despite the fact that hawthorn is a natural product, its use as a medicine has a number of contraindications. Before you start taking the drug or tincture prepared at home, make sure that it will be absolutely safe for you. The list of contraindications to the use of hawthorn is as follows:

• fruits of the Siberian hawthorn categorically should not be used by children under 12 years old;
• for women - pregnancy or active breastfeeding, especially important in the case when it comes to tinctures containing alcohol;
• an allergic reaction to any of the components of the preparation and to the hawthorn in particular;

• pathological conditions of the liver, acute diseases or exacerbations of the chronic, which exclude the possibility of regular use of alcoholic tinctures, as well as reduce hepatic activity;
• natural hypotension, use of drugs that reduce blood pressure;
• kidney diseases, which are characterized by a decrease in the filtration function of organs, partial or complete renal failure;
• regular use of drugs that normalize heart rhythm, as well as diuretic drugs, such as spironolactone or torysd;
• chronic fatigue, sleep disturbance, weakness;
• history of atrial fibrillation;
• apathetic and abulic syndromes;
• delays in mental and physical development when it comes to adolescence;
• depressive states;
• constant work requiring increased attention concentration.

It is best, of course, to collect flowers or fruits from plants that have been cultivated under proven conditions. Wild-growing shrubs are suitable only when they are quite distant from the city and the constant flow of transport.Of course, the best option is to go for the Siberian hawthorn in the forest-steppe zone.

Flowers must be harvested in early spring at the very beginning of the flowering period. So they will retain useful properties even after drying. Do not break or cut large branches, even if they seem to be dry. But also do not forget that when collecting flowers, it is impossible to cut off all the inflorescences, since some of them must remain for the subsequent insemination of shrubs.

The collected flowers must be spread out in a thin layer on a clean cloth or paper. Drying is best done in the attic under a shed or in any other room that is well protected from direct sunlight, dampness, and well ventilated. Dried inflorescences are usually placed in plywood boxes lined with tissue paper. They are tightly closed and left in a dry and dark room.

As for the fruits of blood-red hawthorn, their harvesting begins a little later. In order for the berries to retain all their healing qualities, they are best collected during their maximum ripening, which begins in October and lasts until the first frost.

After collecting the berries can be washed, separated from the pegs and other impurities. They must be dried in ovens or ovens with the door open at a temperature of approximately 50 degrees. Nowadays, special dryers for procurement of similar raw materials are also widely distributed. It is best to store ready-made berries in tightly closed paper bags or sealed glass containers, avoiding moisture and direct sunlight.

Blood red hawthorn is one of the most popular ingredients in traditional medicine. This is not surprising, since this plant has a truly amazing set of healthy qualities. Many recipes are very simple and accessible to everyone. For example, you yourself can easily make an infusion of bush flowers: forty grams of dried flowers of Siberian hawthorn pour a glass of boiling water, cover and insist for half an hour, then strain and drink an hour before meals.

But you can also make your own high-grade alcohol tincture. To do this, one part of the flowers of hawthorn must be poured with two parts of ordinary vodka. Infuse the mixture for fifteen days and store in a dry, dark and cool place. Apply the finished tincture can be about three times a day, 4-5 drops in a small amount of water. This tool is recommended for all patients with atherosclerosis.

But in the case of angina, a decoction of hawthorn fruit is well suited:

• chop one tablespoon of dried berries and place in a clean dish;
• pour one glass of boiling water;
• put the dishes on a small fire and boil until the liquid is approximately half as much;
• apply a teaspoonful three times a day just before eating.

And also the recipe of broth for the treatment of hypertension is widely popular:

• pour a hundred grams of dried fruits of Siberian hawthorn into a clean pan;
• pour a couple of glasses of cold water (so that the berries are completely covered with liquid) and leave overnight;
• in the morning place the pot on the fire and, while stirring, bring to the boil;
• after boiling a little insist, cool, strain;
• means is used a glass three times a day before meals.

Of course, the Siberian hawthorn has gained popularity not only in traditional medicine. Shrub for many years remains relevant as an ornamental plant and is actively used in landscape design when creating hedges.

The bark of especially large trees allows you to create tannins, as well as natural dyes of red and yellow shades for fabrics and leather.

Fresh fruits are widely used in cooking when cooking jelly or jam. Berry extract is often added to pastry baking dough, because it creates a light, unobtrusive fruit flavor. But hawthorn is also a substitute for tea and coffee drinks.

When using Siberian hawthorn as an ornamental plant, it is especially interesting to plant it in groups. A different combination of colors and shades of bark allows you to achieve a very interesting look of your garden.

Siberian hawthorn is distinguished by succulent foliage, and during the flowering period, the petals almost completely cover the entire plant. When planted with a group and regular pruning, it forms a dense and neat bright fence.

Saplings are almost undemanding to the properties and composition of the soil, the main thing is the correct choice of the plant itself. Signs of a healthy seedling are the absence of fungal growths and the solid color of the bark.

But it is also important not to forget that shrubs can be demanding drainage. In order to secure it, a layer of broken brick or stone is laid at the bottom of a pit dug under the landing. The seedling must be installed so that the root collar remains at ground level, since after planting the plant will settle a little more. Before you finally fill it with earth, you should carefully straighten the roots.

If planting is carried out in order to create a hedge in the future, then it is necessary to dig up one continuous trench about 50 centimeters deep. The plants are staggered at a distance of 35-40 centimeters from each other.

If the shrub is located on fertile soil, then one feed will be sufficient for it a year, otherwise - two. The first fertilizer is carried out in early spring, and the second - in the fall. At the same time, natural liquid fertilizers based on manure or special complex mineral compounds that are stored in the soil for much longer are optimal.

As for irrigation, the Siberian hawthorn is considered a drought-resistant plant. For one tree more than one big bucket of water once a month is enough. Excessive moistening is fraught with root disease, but if we are talking about very young seedlings, you can increase the frequency of watering to two per month.

In the next video, the herbal medicine specialist tells about the healing properties of the blood-red hawthorn.