Citron "Buddha's Hand"

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

The mission of awakening the consciousness of people was undertaken by people who managed to independently wake up from their age-old hibernation. There are many such people. They are called "enlightened", "awakened" or simply "Buddha". Unlike the lonely Allah, the three-faced god of Christians, there are many Buddhas on Earth. Everyone who has awakened from sleep is a Buddha. So one of the large family of citrons "woke up" and presented the world with an amazing multi-finger fragrant fruit called "Buddha's Hand"

Citron habit "Buddha's Hand"

A rainforest dweller simply has to be evergreen and spreading. This is exactly what a bush or a three to four meter tree appears before an admiring person, covered with rare thorns for protection.

Pale green leathery leaves on short stalks grow up to 15 centimeters long and up to 7 centimeters wide. The shape of the leaves can be different. These are oblong, obovate-oblong, oval, elliptical plates with oily glands and blunt or concave tips.

Five petals of fragrant single flowers dress up in a white or light purple outfit and protect over 30 stamens. Flowers adorn the rainforest in April-May, turning into fragrant multi-finger fruits in October-December.

The thick peel of the fruit leaves almost no room for bitter-sour pulp and seeds, which, if they manage to settle inside the fruit, remain underdeveloped. Therefore, the reproduction of citron is carried out in a vegetative way. But they have enough space for the essential oil. The fruit is the largest of all citrus fruits, reaching a length of 40 centimeters and resembling a bunch of bananas. It is believed that the unusual shape of the fruit is the result of a genetic mutation of common citrons.

Symbol of happiness, wealth and longevity

The unusual appearance of the fruit was simply impossible not to endow with magical abilities. And people generously showered him with all kinds of symbols. Its golden color was assigned a symbol of wealth, many fingers - a symbol of longevity, and where there is wealth and longevity, the most suitable place for happiness.

Celebrating the Eastern New Year, which falls on one of the days between January 21 and February 21 and depends on the onset of the new moon, is not complete without the "Buddha's Hand". They decorate the interior of the dwelling, the altars of the temples, hoping for luck and prosperity brought by citrons.

Usage

Citron fruits decorate not only the New Year. They are used for the aromatization of rooms, clothing, and for the production of perfumes. Placing the "Buddha's Hand" in cabinets not only gives aroma to clothes, but also saves them from moths. Candied fruits are prepared from the peel of the fruit. For use in cooking, they are candied and dried for future use, then added to salads and fish dishes. Flavored tea.

Chinese medicine uses the dried fruit as a tonic and expectorant. To awaken the appetite of a sick person, they resort to the help of dried flowers. They also relieve a person from bouts of nausea. A decoction of citron leaves and flowers strengthens the hair follicles, giving health and attractiveness to the hair.

Citron acid is used in cosmetology to remove freckles (although, why bring out the natural beauty of nature). The ointment, prepared with the participation of citron, helps to get rid of lichen, so easily clinging to the hands of children who love to caress stray cats and dogs.

As an ornamental plant, "Buddha's Hand" adorns the terraces and courtyards of Chinese and Japanese dwellings, comfortably sitting in flower pots. Increasingly, such plants appear in the apartments of Russians, especially residents of the Far East, where their seedlings can be purchased in nurseries.

Growing

When creating favorable conditions indoors, citron grows very actively, reaching a height of 1.5 meters. Growing conditions are similar to those of all citrus plants. Due to the growing popularity of growing citrus fruits at home, special stores sell ready-made soil for them.

Fruits sometimes appear as early as the second year after the acquisition of the seedling.

It is strongly affected by spider mites, which forces plant owners to wash the leaves with laundry soap twice a month, or resort to chemicals.