Siberian Elder

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Siberian elder (Latin Sambucus sibirica) - healing and decorative culture; a representative of the Elderberry genus of the Adox family (formerly Honeysuckle). Under natural conditions, it grows on the banks of rivers and streams, mixed and coniferous forests, as well as on the slopes of ravines. Natural area - Eastern and Western Siberia, the Far East and the European part of Russia. It is used mostly as a medicinal plant, although many gardeners have long appreciated its ornamental ornamental properties.

Characteristics of culture

Siberian elder is presented in the form of a perennial deciduous densely branched shrub up to 4 m high (cultivated up to 2 m) with branches covered with reddish-brown bark and young pubescent shoots of a grayish-brown color.. Leaves are complex, light green, with 2-3 - in pairs of serrate or serrate-toothed, ovate or elliptical leaflets, slightly pubescent on the reverse side.

The flowers are greenish-white or yellowish-white, small, sitting on pubescent peduncles, collected in dense erect inflorescences of an ovoid or hemispherical shape. It should be noted that the inflorescences look fluffy, and this is not surprising, because all their parts are covered with papillary short hairs. Fruits are round, deep red, up to 4 mm in diameter, contain 3-5 light brown seeds.

Siberian elderberry blooms in the third decade of May - the first decade of June, the fruits ripen in the third decade of July - the first decade of August. The exact timing depends solely on the climatic conditions of growing. The species in question grows from April to October. Begins fruiting for 2-3 years. Winter hardiness of Siberian elderberry is average; in regions with cold winters, young bushes need shelter.

Propagated by seeds and cuttings. Both methods give good results, when sowing seeds, you can get up to 90-92% of seedlings, with cuttings - up to 87-89% of cuttings are rooted. Unripe fruits and leaves of Siberian elderberry are poisonous, they contain the alkaloid of horse meat. Compared to other members of the genus, this type of elder is less dangerous because it contains fewer poisons, but despite this, they can harm young children who are attracted by the bright red "beads" hanging from leafy twigs.

Ripe Siberian elderberries are safe, they are suitable for food, however, they are not very popular, if only for the preparation of medicinal teas and infusions. Immature fruits can cause the following symptoms, for example, severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, shortness of breath, cramps, headaches and dizziness. An excess of unripe berries consumed can be fatal, but a timely gastric lavage can save you from this fate.

Application

Most often, Siberian elderberry is used to obtain a healing material that has a diuretic, astringent and diaphoretic effect. Bark, wood, flowers, elderberry fruits and leaves are used as a medicinal material. So, tinctures and decoctions of wood and bark are used in the treatment of heart diseases, diseases of the urinary system and headaches. They also act as anthelmintic agents, for such purposes they have been used for many years.

The flowers and wood of Siberian elderberry are included in the compositions of drugs for pain, neurosis, shortness of breath, tuberculosis and stomach diseases. Decoctions of all plant parts are effective in treating open wounds and cuts. Decoctions of the leaves of the elderberry species in question are used as an emetic and laxative. Water infusions of flowers, prepared with alcohol, are advised for diseases of the respiratory system, including bronchial asthma and sore throat. Often Siberian elder flowers are included in the collections that are recommended for the treatment of rheumatism, gastritis, chronic bronchitis, constipation, arthritis and skin rashes.