The use of this plant for medicinal purposes is rooted far back in history. In Bulgarian traditional medicine, it was an excellent means of improving metabolism, as well as beneficial in diseases of the gallbladder, stomach and liver. In Austria, tea was brewed from tenacity for use in diseases of the respiratory tract, and baths from this plant were considered an excellent remedy "for thinness." During the Crimean war, doctors healed people of malaria with it.
This amazing plant has a very appropriate name for it - tenacious. Outwardly, it is familiar to many who love outings into nature.
This article is about one of the varieties of the plant - the Geneva survivor.
Features of the plant
Zyvuchka (or ayuga) is a genus of perennial and annual plants. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family.(Labiaceae), numbering approximately 50 species of plants. In the wild, they grow in grasslands, forests and wetlands on almost all continents, but mostly in Eurasia.
The essence of the plant fully reflects its name. The tenacious is so unpretentious that it easily adapts to almost any conditions: it withstands drought, endures severe frosts.
Representatives of this genus, depending on the species, grow to a height of 5-50 centimeters, and many of them have creeping stems, with semi-evergreen, winter green or falling leaves with serrated edges. Their flowers are small (two-lipped), collected in spike-shaped inflorescences and false whorls. Their shades vary from yellow and white to blue, blue, purple or pink. Flowering begins in May and usually lasts until the very end of summer. Most of the survivors are blue, the least common are white specimens.
The brown fruits of the plant are small nuts. In the article you can find a photo of the Geneva survivor.
About the name of the plant
The scientific name of the plant Ajuga comes from 2 Greek words: a, meaning "without", jugum - "yoke".
There are also many popular names for the tenacious: heart or fever grass, dubrovka, carpenter's grass, one-lip, bugle, bitter, hernia grass, gourd, tenacious grass, hairy, blue gourd, zales-grass, field mint, blue flower, bruise, etc.
Varieties
Varieties and types of survivors differthe most diverse color not only of flowers, but also of leaves: purple, silver-green, bronze-lilac, dark brown. They also come with spots and borders of a wide variety of shades.
The following species are mainly grown as garden ornamental plants today.
- The creeping tenacious is the most common species among the representatives of the described genus, mainly growing in Europe. It is characterized by stems 20 cm high, creeping shoots and spike-shaped inflorescences of pink, white, blue-blue and purple color.
- The herringbone tree is a short annual plant with bluish-green leaves and yellow flowers that exude a fresh pine scent.
- Geneva tenacious-evergreen, up to 35 cm high. It is distinguished by the absence of creeping shoots, has leaves with large teeth and white or pink flowers.
- Pyramidal tenacious is a perennial plant, about 20 cm high, characterized by hairy stems, rigid pyramid-shaped leaves and pink, white or lilac flowers. Among them there are quite attractive varieties with metallic-colored leaves. The plant grows very slowly and does not form a cover.
- Pseudochio tenacious has straight hairy stems 15 cm high, divided leaves and yellow-purple flowers.
- Laxmann is a tall, perennial, distinguished by unusually shaped silvery leaves and yellow or pink flowers.
- Eastern tenacious- a rare species, with flowers of white and purple-lilac color.
Geneva tenacious
This perennial plant is also called hairy tenacious. It belongs to the genus Zhivuchka (in Latin Ajuga). Approximately 15 different representatives of this genus grow on the territory of Russia.
The length of straight hairy stems reaches 30 centimeters, they are covered with medium-sized hairs. She has horizontal roots that form root offspring. The pubescent leaves are oblong, oval in shape, while the basal leaves are larger in size, long-petiolate and with teeth.
Leaves at the base of the flowers are solid, bluish hues.
The fruit of the geneva tenacity is 4 dark brown, slightly pubescent and wrinkled nuts, rounded ovoid, up to three millimeters long.
Distribution
Geneva tenacious grows almost throughout Europe, in Central and Asia Minor, the Mediterranean, China, as well as in Iran, Afghanistan and Kurdistan.
It is found as an alien plant in North America. It can be found in Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine and the Caucasus. The furry tenacious in Russia has chosen its entire European part, except for the territories of the Far North.
Grows in meadows, bushes, forest edges and clearings.
Growing from the seeds of the geneva tenacious is widely used by amateur gardeners.
Zivuchka flowers
Delightful richlyblooming tenacious with its unusual elegant leaves. But even its small flowers, collected in original inflorescences, give the plant a rather spectacular look. Shaggy tenacious has mostly blue or bluish flowers, collected in 6-12 pieces in false whorls, while the upper ones are twisted into spike-shaped inflorescences, and the lower ones are spaced apart from each other. At the very base, the calyx is naked, in the upper part it is hairy.
The plant blooms almost all the warm season until the very first frost (mostly from May to August). Depending on the variety, the flowers of the tenacious are white, blue, blue and pink. They begin to bloom in the very first days of May.
About the use of tenacity in landscape design and in everyday life
It is Geneva tenacious that is widely used in landscape gardening culture. Planting and caring for it will not be difficult. The plant is used as a groundcover, looking amazing in lawns, borders, rockeries and large rock gardens, as well as near ponds. It is often planted under bushes and trees, as well as in containers.
There are varieties used in cooking and medicine. Young leaves are used in salads and as a seasoning for various dishes. The stems have tonic, anti-inflammatory and hemostatic properties, and also prevent baldness.
Growing tenacious Geneva
Many varieties of tenacity are considered unpretentious, they adapt to growing on a variety of soils and under various conditions. There isone caveat - she prefers rich humus and well-moistened soils. With all this, it can do without watering during the hot period for 4 weeks. A plant can grow in one place for up to several years. He is not afraid of frost (in the presence of snow cover), and bright sunlight.
The main care for the tenacious is the application of mineral and organic fertilizers in the spring, watering during the drought period, and the removal of already faded inflorescences. In variegated varieties, it is necessary to remove rosettes with plain leaves and transplant every 3-4 years, due to freezing of old leaves in winter.
Reproduction
Growing tenacious Geneva from seeds is possible (in autumn or spring), but such propagation by gardeners is usually rarely practiced. In nature, they are spread by ants.
You can also breed a plant in a vegetative way. Strongly overgrown bushes in April-September should be divided into rosettes for subsequent rooting. It should be noted that even small rosettes with very small roots take root quite easily in the ground.
They are planted at a distance of about 20 centimeters between seedlings. The apical bud should be above the soil surface. The plant needs to be watered daily only in the first week after planting in the ground.
Possible growing difficulties
Due to its unpretentiousness, the tenacious rarely gets sick, but too much moisture can lead to rot, and during spring floods, its leaves can evendie off.
What is special about this plant? It contains unique phytoecdysteroids that inhibit the development of pests, especially their larvae. Sometimes the tenacious is attacked by snails and slugs, mercilessly eating their leaves.
To avoid such situations, it is necessary to remove fallen leaves from the site and other debris, apply specialized preparations ("Metu" or "Thunderstorm") and drain the soil.
The article below presents the most common varieties of Geneva tenacious (Helena and Blue Sea) used by flower growers.
Application
Greens are usually harvested during the flowering period, dried under a canopy in the shade, laying out in a not very thick layer (up to 3-5 centimeters).
Zyvuchka is widely used in folk medicine as a hemostatic, astringent, wound healing and anti-inflammatory agent. It is used both as an emollient and as an expectorant for diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract. Herbal infusions are also used for diarrhea, colds and women's diseases, stomach ulcers, and also for rheumatism. Infusions are used for lotions and washings for eye diseases. Decoctions of this herb rinse the throat and strengthen the hair. Lotions from crushed leaves cure wounds. Means with this plant help with tuberculosis, rheumatism, gastrointestinal diseases, and it is also indispensable for cholelithiasis.
The tenacious has excellent abilities that improve metabolism.
Usually the plant usesaboveground part. Contains herb flavonoids, essential oils, tannins, iridoids (harpahyd, 8-O-acetylharpahyd, etc.).
When using products using this plant, it is necessary to take into account individual intolerance and be sure to follow the dosage. The tenacity is contraindicated for people with a tendency to constipation.
Healing infusions from tenacity
- To prepare a he althy decoction, pour chopped grass (8 g) with boiling water (1 cup), cool and strain thoroughly. The prepared solution should be taken per day for 1 tbsp. spoon for stomatitis, tonsillitis, gingivitis. Freshly squeezed juice can be applied to bee stings, calluses and burns to alleviate the condition.
- 2 teaspoons of flowers and leaves of the plant insist in 250 grams of hot water for about 1.5-2 hours, then filter. An infusion is taken before each meal, 1 tablespoon for diseases of the duodenum and gastric ulcer.
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Infusion of 5 tbsp. spoons of grass (filled with one liter of boiled water), filtered after three hours. Purulent wounds are washed with this remedy, burns are wetted and the scalp is rinsed.
Zhivuchka Geneva from seeds
Flowers for the local area
The many modern cultivated varieties of this plant, presented in gardening stores, are excellent decoration for house plots. For example, flowers with surprisingly beautiful names are the tenacious Geneva Helena, whose photo can be found in the article, and Bluesea.
Tough Helena is able to grow even in the most unfavorable conditions - not only in the sun, but also in heavily shaded places, and on the most difficult waterlogged and light dry lands. In addition, it is distinguished by high frost resistance (withstands frosts down to -10 ° C).
Growing Helena from seed is the easiest and easiest way.
The variety reproduces well and feels good, growing rapidly on mountain slopes, among stones, along paths in curb plantings, under bushes and trees. It is good because it quickly forms a thick dense cover.
Geneva Tenacious Blue Sea is also able to grow in any conditions. It has hairy creeping stems up to 20 centimeters high. The dark green leaves are shiny, elliptical in shape, with notches along the edges. Suitable for both container decoration and as an ampelous plant.
Conclusion
These flowers have found their application in the design of many adjacent plots (especially the tenacious Geneva Helena), but in medicine its use is common. As for the hairy tenacious, it has not yet found application in official medicine.
In State. In the register of medicines of the Russian Federation, Laxman's tenacious (a representative of the genus) is listed as a good antitumor agent. And yet, scientists have recognized that the furry tenacious has some of the medicinal properties presented above in the article.
