The buckthorn plant, whose photo 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 forest edges, and is often found on river or lake shores.
General information
In nature, about one hundred and fifty species of buckthorn are known. Representatives of this genus are distributed in warm or subtropical regions in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The greatest diversity, according to experts, is observed in North America. There are many types of buckthorn, but not all of them are healing. Only three varieties can be used as a laxative. The most common is Asplenifolia brittle buckthorn, although in some regions the joster, or American variety, is also used quite often 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 most of all it grows in the Crimea and the Caucasus.
The Western Hemisphere is considered to be the birthplace of this small tree. 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 widespread as an ornamental plant used in landscape design are alder buckthorn, or brittle, as well as Pontic, large-leaved, rocky, serrated and Palmera.
Pharmacological use
The healing properties of this plant are not quite typical. Krushina, whose photo is familiar to many, has its own characteristics. You should know about them in advance so as not to harm the treatment. For medical purposes, alder buckthorn, or rather, its bark, is most often used. Studies of its chemical composition have shown 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 processes. Outwardly, the “wolfberry”, or brittle joster, looks like a very elegant plant with a spreading crown and elliptical, entire leaves. They are quite shiny and painted in bright colors.green in color and have six to eight parallel, slightly curved lateral 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 the fragile wood, but due to its magical power, which allows it to “break” evil spells. But no matter what they say, the only thing that should not be doubted is the healing properties of the bark of the bush, which, contrary to popular belief, are not limited to 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 covered with usually lanceolate white lenticels.
Flowers
Brittle buckthorn from another species - jostera - is distinguished by the complete absence of thorns. Its 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. The flower petals are white on the inside and greenish on the outside.
Brittle buckthorn, the fruits of which are spherical in shape, releases buds in May. Full flowering on the shrub can be observed in mid-June. The fruits are first red, and then turn into a black drupe. Their length reaches eight millimeters. Buckthorn brittle has high frost resistance, it is drought-resistant and tolerates shearing or shaping well. The fruits of all varieties of buckthorn are drupe-shaped juicy berries with three seeds. For the most part, they are considered inedible, moreover, even poisonous.
Select site
Brittle buckthorn, planting and caring for which do not require special skills and knowledge, is considered a completely unpretentious plant. Therefore, according to gardeners, any site 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 the 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 quite good even on very poor soil. However, for the cultivation of ornamental species used as a decoration of a personal plot, it is better to allocate well-lit places for cultivation, where moisture-intensive fertile and light loamy soil predominates. For all types of buckthorn, a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction in the soil solution is ideal.
Methods of propagation and planting
Alder buckthorn reproduces vegetatively - cuttings, layering or root offspring. However, recently the seed method has become no less popular. Planting material is placed in the ground only in autumn. Whereas seedlings can also be planted in spring.
Before planting, do not carry out any preparatory work to improve the soilrequired. Pits measuring 60x60x60 are dug in advance or directly on the same day. If the alder buckthorn is used as a hedge for the site, then you need to prepare a trench half a meter deep. Prepared pits must be filled with a substrate of humus, sand and soddy soil in a ratio of 2: 1: 2. In acidic soil, one additional part of dolomite flour or lime should be added. The seedlings are planted in the center of the prepared pits, the roots are pre-straightened, and then sprinkled with a fertile layer of earth, which is then gently tamped. Watering holes should be made around the plant, and with a slope towards the trunk, so that in the future precipitation is thus retained. The soil is watered and mulched with peat or compost, sometimes loose humus.
Care
Alder buckthorn, like all shrubs and trees, also needs shaping, sanitary and decorative pruning. At the same time, its near-stem areas should be regularly freed from weeds. At the beginning of summer, in early June, the old mulching material must be embedded in the soil, and a new one should be poured on top. Watering is carried out as the soil dries. During breaks, the soil needs to be loosened.
In open and unprotected areas of the garden, buckthorn is best covered in the winter. In general, growing this plant on a personal plot, judging by the reviews, is not at all difficult. In snowy, harsh winters, buckthorn must also be covered. In addition, the plant can be cut deeply, forming a crown, itrecovering quickly.
Application
Alder buckthorn prefers shady and wind-protected 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 introduced into culture quite a long time ago. In our gardens, it can often be seen in group or mixed plantings. The best neighbors for this plant, judging by the reviews, are spruce, viburnum, red elderberry, as well as bird cherry, mountain ash and low conifers. From buckthorn, many gardeners prefer to create a hedge, which looks especially beautiful both during flowering and during fruiting.
The culture also looks great in composition with such popular plants in landscape design as hawthorn and birch, wild apple tree, thuja and juniper, as well as with Canadian conical spruce. It is perfect for decorating preserved forest areas, shady garden areas or patios.
Diseases and pests
Alder buckthorn is a fairly resistant plant that is rarely affected by pests or diseases. Of the few dangers that affect leaves or shoots, lemongrass can be called, as well as some types of leaf beetles. In clearings where there are buckthorn growths, egg-laying occurs more often on young shoots. Measures to combat this scourge are attracting insectivorous birds to the bushes, as well as burning nests.pests.
