2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Ledum creeping (Latin Ledum decumbens) - decorative and medicinal woody plant; a representative of the genus Ledum of the Heather family. Another name is Prostrate Ledum. The species is widespread in Greenland, northern regions of North America, Chukotka, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, as well as in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories.
Characteristics of culture
Creeping wild rosemary is represented by small creeping or squat shrubs up to 30 cm high with densely pubescent shoots. Leaves are narrow, linear, up to 2.5 cm long, up to 2 mm wide, pubescent on the underside. The flowers are white, collected in umbellate inflorescences, reaching a diameter of 2 cm. The fruit is an oblong capsule up to 3 mm long. The wild rosemary blooms in May - June. Flowering is annual, not abundant, occurs in the 7th year after planting. The fruits ripen in late July - early August. Fruiting is irregular. Growth is slow, annual growth is 1 cm. Winter hardiness is high.
The species of wild rosemary under consideration is propagated by seeds, layering, root suckers and summer cuttings. Cuttings root only if treated with growth stimulants, but even in this case, only 40-50% of cuttings are rooted. Ledum creeping cannot be called a whimsical plant, its cultivation is subject even to novice gardeners. The culture is not demanding on soil conditions either. Plants are able to develop normally even on swampy, poor and highly acidic soils. Easily tolerates waterlogged soils, is neutral to dryness (unlike Greenland rosemary and marsh ledum, these species need constant watering).
Usage
The wild rosemary is ideal for decorating gardens. It looks good in both single and group plantings. It gets along well in representatives of the Heather family and other deciduous and coniferous crops, adherents of acidic soils. Also, creeping rosemary is suitable for rocky gardens. Like other representatives of the genus, the species in question contains essential oil in shoots, leaves and flowers, so the plants emit a sharp and intoxicating odor, which, with prolonged breathing, causes unpleasant sensations in a person and even a kind of intoxication. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant wild rosemary too close to the recreation area.
It should be noted that plants secrete special substances that have disinfecting properties. They easily deal with any bacteria that are harmful to the human body. In addition to essential oil, wild rosemary contains a whole range of useful substances that can have a positive effect on the body. Therefore, plants are actively used in folk medicine. Ledum is famous for its diaphoretic, disinfectant, expectorant, diuretic, sedative, analgesic, diuretic, antispasmodic and antimicrobial properties.
Infusions from it are effective for pneumonia, bronchitis, tracheitis, bronchial asthma and other diseases of the respiratory system. They are also used in the treatment of dysentery, enterocolitis and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Ledum is also used in the form of baths, they are useful for eczema, boils and frostbite. It has also been proven that wild rosemary has a good effect on diabetes, malignant cancers and tuberculosis. Ledum has the ability to lower blood pressure, it is often advised for hypertensive patients.
Features of reproduction and cultivation
As already mentioned, wild rosemary is propagated by seeds and vegetatively. The seed method is rarely used by gardeners, because it is too laborious. In addition, seeds must be sown immediately after harvest, otherwise they quickly lose their germination. When sowing in autumn, seedlings appear next spring. Plants obtained from seeds are planted in a permanent place after 3 years, and they will bloom only for 7 years. Earlier flowering can be obtained by breeding wild rosemary by dividing the bush and root suckers.
Cutting is also difficult due to long rooting. The roots of cuttings are formed one year after planting. Caring for wild rosemary has no peculiarities and consists of standard procedures: watering, weeding, loosening, mulching, feeding and sanitary pruning. It is recommended to use organic material as mulch, for example, compost, coniferous litter. Such materials will not only eliminate frequent watering and weeding, but also additionally acidify the soil.
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