Anchor alchoid (buckthorn fragile): planting and care, description, photo

The plant of the buckthorn, a photo of which will immediately remind many people that it is a question of the so-called "wolf berries", can look like a bush or a small tree. This species grows mainly in the coppice or on the fringes, it is also often found on river or lake shores.

general information

In nature, there are about one hundred and fifty kinds of buckthorn. Representatives of this genus are common in warm or subtropical areas in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The greatest diversity, according to experts, is observed on the territory of North America. There are many species of buckthorn, but not all are curative. Only three varieties can be used as a laxative. The most common is the buckthorn fragile Asplenifolia, although in some regions it is often enough for medicinal purposes to use also a zoster, or an American variety. In our country, it occurs 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 homeland of this small tree is the Western Hemisphere. Presumably for the first time it was found on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. And experts say that the ancient "progenitors" Asplenifolia existed in the Mesozoic era - in the Cretaceous. Today the most widespread as an ornamental plant used in landscape design was the buckthorn alder, or brittle, as well as the Pontic, large-leaved, rocky, jagged and Palmer.

Pharmacological use

Healing properties of this plant are not very typical. Krushina, whose photo is familiar to many, has its own characteristics. They should be known in advance so as not to harm the treatment. For medical purposes, most often the buckthorn is alder, more precisely, its crust. Studies of its chemical composition have shown that it contains many biologically active substances, the most potent of which are frangulin and glucofragulin. The buckthorn bark has a laxative effect, although it is often used in medicine and with gastric atony, hemorrhoids, spastic colitis or cracks in the rectum.

Description

This plant is a shrub. In the wild, it often looks like a small tree. In some regions, representatives of the family of buckthorn - Rhamnaceae - grow up to seven meters in height and have another branching of the shoots. Outwardly, the "wolf berry", or the fragile hopper, looks like a very elegant plant with a spreading crown and elliptical leaves. They are quite shiny and painted in a bright green color and have six to eight parallel slightly curved lateral veins.

The generic name of this plant comes from the Latin frangere, which in translation means "to break". This again emphasizes the peculiar feature of this species. The buckthorn alder has very brittle branches. According to one of the most widespread versions, this plant received its name not so much because of fragile wood, but because of its magical power, which allows to "destroy" evil spells. But no matter what they say, the only thing that should not be doubted is the curative properties of the bark of the bush, not limited, contrary to popular opinion, only a lenient action. The branches of the buckthorn are fairly 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 usually covered with lancet white lenticles.

Flowers

The buckthorn is fragile from the other species - the zoster - is characterized by a complete lack of thorns. Her flowers are small and bisexual. They are regular, five-petalled and collected in bundles of two to six pieces in the axils of the leaves. The petals of the flowers are white inside, and the outside are greenish.

The buckthorn is fragile, the fruits of which have a spherical shape, buds release in May. Full bloom on the bush can be observed in mid-June. Fruits are first red, and then turn into a black drupe. Their length reaches up to eight millimeters. The buckthorn fragile has a high frost resistance, it is drought-resistant and well tolerates a haircut or molding. The fruits of all varieties of buckthorn are bony-like juicy berries with three bones. Most of them are considered inedible, moreover, even poisonous.

Site Selection

The buckthorn is fragile, planting and caring for which does not require special skills and knowledge, is considered an absolutely unpretentious plant. Therefore, in the opinion of gardeners, any area is suitable for growing it. In natural conditions this plant prefers to grow on well-drained and sheltered from the wind shady places with moistened soil. Since the buckthorn fragile 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 well even on very poor soil. However, for cultivation of decorative species used as decoration of the infield area, it is better to select well-lit places for culture, where the moisture-intensive fertile and light loamy soil predominates. For any type of buckthorn, a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction in a soil solution is ideal.

Reproduction and planting methods

The alder - like buckthorn reproduces vegetatively - by cuttings, by layers or by root offspring. However, in recent years, the seed method has become no less popular. Planting material is placed in the ground only in autumn. While seedlings can also be planted in the spring.

Before planting, no preparatory work is required to improve the soil. Pits the size of 60x60x60 are excavated in advance or directly on the same day. If the buckthorn alder is used as a hedge for the site, it is necessary to prepare a trench half a meter deep. Prepared pits should be filled with a substrate of humus, sand and turf ground in a ratio of 2: 1: 2. In acidic soil one should additionally add one part of dolomite flour or lime. The seedlings are planted in the center of the prepared pits, the roots are spread beforehand, and then they are covered with a fertile layer of earth, which is then gently tamped. Around the plant, it is necessary to make watering holes, with a slant towards the trunk, so that later atmospheric precipitation is delayed in this way. The soil is watered and mulched by peat or compost, sometimes - loose friable.

Care

The buckthorn is alder-like, like all bushes and trees, also needs molding, sanitary and decorative scraps. At the same time its near-trenches should be regularly released from weeds. At the beginning of summer, in early June, the old mulching material should be embedded in the soil, and a new one should be poured on top. Watering is carried out as the soil dries. In breaks, the soil needs to be loosened.

In the open and unprotected areas of the garden, the buckthorn is better sheltered during winter time. In general, to grow this plant on the garden, judging by the reviews, it is not difficult. In the snow-less, severe winters, the buckthorn must also be covered. In addition, the plant can be deeply cut, forming the crown, it is quickly restored.

Application

The alder-like buckthorn prefers shady and sheltered places and high humidity. Thanks to the existing deep root system, it can safely grow, albeit a little slower, even on the poorest soils.

The alder-like buckthorn is a plant introduced long ago into culture. 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 elder, as well as bird-cherry, mountain ash and low conifers. From the buckthorn, many gardeners prefer to create a hedge that looks particularly beautiful both in the flowering period and during the fruiting process.

The culture also looks wonderful in composition with such popular plants in landscape design as hawthorn and birch, forest apple, tuya and juniper, and also with the Canadian conical spruce. It is perfect for decorating plots with preserved forest vegetation, for shady garden corners or patios.

Diseases and pests

The buckthorn alder - a fairly stable plant, which is rarely affected by pests or diseases. Of the few dangers affecting the leaves or shoots, you can call a lemon grass, as well as some types of leaf beetles. On cuttings, where there is a growth of buckthorn, oviposition occurs more often on young shoots. Measures to combat this scourge include attracting insectivorous birds to the bushes, as well as burning nests of pests.