Cornel - useful properties of berries and seeds. The benefits of dogwood and contraindications

Brilliant cotoneaster is a simple, unpretentious, but decorative and very common shrub in gardens and parks. Nowadays, thanks to the enthusiasm of the owners of summer cottages and plots with landscaping, it is more and more in demand in private gardens, to decorate the territory near cottages and in summer cottages, if the owners grow not only vegetables and fruits.

Buds on a cotoneaster shining

Shiny cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lucidus) is a deciduous shrub up to 2-3 meters high, upright, densely leaved with young pubescent shoots. Leaves are pointed, elliptical to ovate, shiny above, dark green, pubescent below in spring, later almost glabrous. In autumn, the leaves change color to a bright purple or orange. Flowers are small, pink, well-visited by bees and bumblebees, flowering in May-June. Fruits are black berries, ripen in autumn.

All types of cotoneaster, and there are about 40 of them, slowly grow and belong to the genus Cotoneaster of the Rosaceae family, among them there are evergreen species.

The brilliant cotoneaster grows wildly in Altai and is found in the north of China. In culture, it is distributed in the middle and northern zones of the European part of Russia and the countries of the former USSR, in the southern zone of the taiga in Siberia. It grows successfully in the northern regions, including St. Petersburg, Kirov, Perm, Yekaterinburg.

Cotoneaster shining in early May

The brilliant cotoneaster looks decorative in spring in a blooming state, in summer with dark green shiny foliage and in autumn with black fruits hanging on the branches until spring.

It is widely used in green building, especially for hedges that are regularly trimmed. It is considered one of the most suitable shrubs for this in the southern and middle parts of the northern forest zone of Russia, the central part of the forest-steppe zone of the European part of Russia and the countries of the former USSR, suitable for planting in the southern zone of the taiga, forest-steppe and steppe zones of Siberia and the southern part of the Far East.

Shiny cotoneaster in bloom

Shiny cotoneaster also looks good in groups, forest edges and undergrowth, in the background in the mixborder and in the curb along the path, dwarf forms are good in rocky areas. Gas-resistant enough, therefore, it tolerates urban conditions well.

Perfectly tolerates cutting and shaping. It is possible to cut figures of various heights and configurations from it, therefore, landscape architects like to use the brilliant cotoneaster.

Cotoneaster bush shining in autumn

Features of the dogwood shrub

The most famous species of this genus is the common dogwood (male), which is a shrub. It reaches a height of 2.5 meters and has glossy orange-red hanging stems. If the shoot comes into contact with the surface of the soil, then it takes root quickly enough. Alternately or oppositely located leaf plates are colored deep green. Milky-white flowers are part of inflorescences that have a five-centimeter diameter. Flowering begins in May and lasts half a month. Fruits can have 1 or 2 seeds, they ripen in August – October, they can differ in shape and color.In cultural forms, the length of the fruit is equal to three centimeters, as a rule, their shape is elongated-cylindrical, but sometimes it is almost round, and also pear-shaped or barrel-shaped. As a rule, the color of the fruit is deep red, but there are also yellow, black, pink, and purple. The fruits also differ in their taste, so they can be tart, sweet, sweet-tart, dryish or juicy. The dogwood itself can be formed as a bush or as a tree. This is a frost-resistant plant, however, if the temperature drops below minus 30 degrees, then the tips of its stems freeze. A bush of such a plant can live longer than a hundred years.

general information

Dogwood - what is it? It's about a plant. The shrub is widespread in Asia and Europe. In total, there are 4 varieties of this plant in nature, which differ from each other in the appearance of the fruits. Berries can have a wide variety of shades of red and differ in their shape.

Some varieties can be pear-shaped, while others are round or oblong. Regardless of the dogwood variety, its berries are very healthy. The shrub adapts very well to any climatic conditions and has a life cycle of up to 250 years.

Despite the fact that the fruits ripen only in late autumn, their flowering occurs very early. Flowering usually begins in early spring, when leaves have not yet appeared on the shrub. There are many different recipes for making these fruits.

Planting dogwood

What time to plant

It is recommended to plant the dogwood in open ground immediately after the leaf fall of the poplar begins. In the autumn, planting such a shrub is much better than in the spring. The fact is that in spring time it is necessary to have time to plant a seedling in a rather short time period, namely, when the soil warms up, but the buds have not yet begun to open. For such a shrub, a site in partial shade and located on the southern or southwestern side of the garden is well suited. The soil should be saturated with lime, while the groundwater should not lie closer than 1.5 m to the soil surface. Cornel can be grown in acidic soil, but at the same time it will develop worse, and the quality of the fruit will noticeably decrease. There should be a distance of at least 3-5 m between the shrub and any building, fence or other plant. In order for the shrub to bear fruit, it needs a pair, and it is better if you have 3 dogwoods growing at once, while the distance between them should not be more 3-5 m.

Landing

The seedlings that are used for planting must be 2 years old. In height, they should reach 150 centimeters, and their trunk should have a two centimeter diameter, while the seedling should have from 3 to 5 skeletal branches. The depth and diameter of the planting hole should be about 0.8 m. When the hole is ready, a stake should be driven into it, which will serve as a support for the seedling. In this case, it is recommended to place the stake on the side from which the wind blows most often. When digging a hole, the topsoil, saturated with nutrients, must be combined with mineral fertilizers and humus, then the resulting mixture must be poured into the center of the planting hole with a mound. On this mound, it will be necessary to install a seedling, from which the roots are then gently straightened. Then the hole must be covered with the same soil mixture, while the root collar of the plant should rise 3-4 centimeters above the soil surface. Water the planted plant using 30 liters of water. After the liquid is completely absorbed, the root collar should be flush with the soil surface. Then you will need to shorten the stems of the plant by 1/3 and tie it to the stake. The trunk circle must be covered with a layer of mulch (humus or dry soil from the lower layer of the earth, which is not so fertile).

Botanical characteristics

Cornel is a perennial plant that can live up to 100 years. It is a deciduous woody shrub or tree up to 9 m high. Evergreen herbaceous plants are rarely found in the genus. A thin fibrous rhizome is located mainly in the upper layers of the soil. Smooth stems are covered with reddish-brown bark. Young, they easily lean to the ground, and when they come into contact with the soil, they put down roots.

Short-petiolate leaves grow oppositely, only sometimes alternately. They have an oval or ovoid plate with raised parallel veins. The color of the foliage is green or dark green. The sides are solid, the edge is pointed.

Already at the end of March, before the leaves appear, yellowish or milky-white flowers bloom. They are collected in dense inflorescences about 5 cm in diameter, which remain for 2-3 weeks. The corolla consists of 4 loose petals and a small but lush core. Cornel is recognized as a good honey plant, but during the flowering period the average daily temperature rarely exceeds + 12 ° C. This makes pollination difficult by insects. For wind pollination to be effective enough, it is necessary to plant several plants nearby with one flowering period.

The fruits ripen for a long time. Throughout the summer, they hang on branches in green bunches, and only from the end of August, or even closer to October, they become light red or maroon. In some species of dogwood, the berries are blue-violet or white. They are usually elongated or cylindrical in shape, but are nearly round or pear-shaped. The taste of a large (up to 3 cm in length) drupe is sweet and sour, tart. There is a single large bone under the thin skin and tender pulp.

Dogwood care

It is necessary to grow dogwood in almost the same way as other fruit bushes (for example, barberry or gooseberry). Such a shrub must be watered, weeded, trimmed, fed in a timely manner, and you also need to regularly loosen the soil on the site. This plant has one feature, namely, there is no periodicity in its fruiting, which means that it gives a crop every year. The harvest for the next year is laid from May to June of this year. In this case, flower buds must have time to fully form before the end of the period of active growth, their formation occurs at the same time with the growth of the stems. In this regard, timely watering and feeding is very important for dogwood.

To prevent the liquid from spreading over the soil surface during irrigation, it is necessary to make a furrow around the shrub. This will allow the superficial root system to be well saturated with water. Watering the plant should be moderate, while avoiding stagnation of liquid in the roots. When watering is finished, it is necessary to weed and loosen the soil surface to a depth of 8 to 10 centimeters and in no case more. Until the middle of the season, fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus are used for top dressing. At the same time, from the second half, they feed the dogwood mostly with fertilizers containing potassium (for example, wood ash). Also, the plant responds well to feeding with humus or compost. But in order for it to give a good harvest, the presence of calcium in the soil is simply necessary.

Pruning

Dogwood needs systematic pruning. In winter or at the beginning of spring, when the dogwood is still dormant, it is necessary to cut off those branches from the bush that are injured, affected by frost or dried out, since it is on them that pests or pathogenic microbes most often settle. Each time you cut a branch, you need to dip the scissors in a solution of bleach (1: 3). If you do not do this, then you can easily transfer pathogens to healthy plant tissues.Excessively old shoots should be shortened or cut to the base, this will lead to stimulation of the growth of young stems. It is also necessary to remove the stems and branches that grow inside the shrub. If the bush is grafted, then it is necessary to cut off all the stems located below the grafting site. It is necessary to form a crown in very rare cases, since it naturally has a very spectacular look.

Diseases and pests

Cornel is highly resistant to various diseases and harmful insects. However, dogwood can contract a fungal disease such as rust, but this is extremely rare. In an infected specimen, specks of yellow color appear on the surface of the leaf plates. To get rid of this disease, it will be necessary to treat the plant with Bordeaux liquid. Another plant occasionally gets sick with powdery mildew, which is disposed of with the help of colloidal sulfur. And it also happens that the dogwood gets sick with spots, which Bordeaux liquid helps to cope with. Also, the snail worm can settle on the bush, which is destroyed by spraying the bush with lime, and it can also be disturbed by the polychrome caterpillar, it is killed with Parisian greenery.

Dogwood in the suburbs

Most gardeners believe that such a plant will not survive in the Moscow region and Moscow, and therefore it cannot be cultivated there. But this is not the case. Thanks to the labors of breeders, frost-resistant varieties of dogwood appeared, capable of not dying even in a frost of minus 30 degrees, in this regard, the plant can be quite successfully grown even in the middle lane, while it will give a rich harvest. It will be necessary to plant and care for the shrub in the same way as in places with mild winters. However, it happens that in winter, the ends of the plant's stems freeze slightly, and with the onset of spring they will need to be cut off. To protect a young plant from frost, in the first years of life it will need to be covered with burlap, while the trunk circle should be covered with a thick layer of mulch (humus or peat) from both old and young shrubs.

Contraindications

Be sure to consult with a specialist, including dogwood in your diet as a medicine. Do not consume the fruit in the evening, as this can lead to sleep disturbance. If you are prone to constipation, it is also worth minimizing the product from your diet. With increased acidity of the stomach, it is not recommended to eat berries. Overripe fruits in large quantities can lead to diarrhea. Consumption of dogwood is also contraindicated in case of individual intolerance and allergic reactions. It should be noted that not all types of shrubs can be eaten. Jamaican dogwood is highly toxic and unsuitable for food. It can be used in selected cases for certain ailments. But this must be done strictly under the supervision of a physician.

Dogwood propagation

Amateur gardeners propagate dogwood most often by vegetative methods, but sometimes seeds are also used for this.

Seed reproduction

Before sowing, the bones, previously cleaned from the pulp, must be stratified. To do this, they are placed in moistened sawdust or moss, where they must stay for about 12 months, while the environment must be constantly moist. The seed does not separate on the cotyledon; therefore, it must be buried in the soil by about 3 centimeters. If the seeds are not stratified, then the seedlings will appear only after a couple of years, while only a small part of the seeds will germinate. If stratified seeds are sown, then the seedlings can be seen in the same year. It is necessary to take care of crops and seedlings as usual, or rather, water, feed, weed in a timely manner, while at first they will need protection from direct rays of the sun.By the end of the first year, the seedlings will reach a height of only 30–40 mm, and by the end of the second year, their length will be 10–15 centimeters. In autumn, two-year-old seedlings can be transplanted into open soil in the nursery. The first fruits on such a plant will appear only after 7-10 years.

The seeds for sowing are taken from wild plant species. After the young seedlings grown from them get stronger, they are used as rootstocks for cultivated species of this plant.

Cuttings

Dogwood can only be propagated by green cuttings, which are taken from shrubs at least 5 or 6 years old. Lignified cuttings root very poorly. Cuttings vary in length from 10 to 15 centimeters and are cut early in the morning from actively growing stems. It should be remembered that each cutting should have 2 pairs of leaf plates and a well-developed growth point. Cut cuttings should be placed in water immediately. When harvesting cuttings, it should be taken into account that the cut at the bottom must be oblique and pass 5-10 mm below the bud. Before planting the cutting, all the leaves must be cut off from the bottom of it, and it should be placed in a solution of heteroauxin (3%) for 6–12 hours. After that, the cuttings must be rinsed in running water and planted in a shaded place at an angle of 45 degrees. From above, the soil should be sprinkled with washed sand, with a layer thickness of 7 to 10 centimeters. Then the planting should be covered with plastic wrap so that there is a gap of 15–20 centimeters between its surface and the handle. The plantings must be well watered and then make sure that the soil is slightly moistened all the time, while the cuttings must be protected from direct sunlight. Watering should be done through a fine sieve, as water must be sprayed. Under the film, the temperature should not be more than 25 degrees, so if it becomes excessively hot under the shelter, then it is necessary to raise it so that the plantings are aired. The cuttings will give roots after 15–20 days, then you will need to start hardening them, which lasts about half a month. When the plant is hardened, the shelter will need to be removed for good, while feeding the cuttings using liquid ammonium nitrate for this (for 10 liters of water, 30 grams of the substance). When the next autumn period comes, the plant will need to be planted in a permanent place.

How to propagate by vaccination

Budding is carried out in August and September, for this, rooted or planted wild dogwood seedlings, which should be 2 years old, are used. As a graft, take cultivars of dogwood. Armed with a sharp knife, a cruciform incision should be made on the surface of the rootstock, while the depth of the vertical incision should be about 30 mm. From the scion it is necessary to cut a bud with a piece of bark, a petiole of a leaf plate and a small part of wood. It should be placed in a vertically located incision, while the bark on it must be gently pushed apart in different directions. To fix the scion, you should use an eyepiece tape or you can take a simple stationery tape. If everything was done according to the rules, then after 15–20 days the petiole should fall off. In October, the tape is removed. Next, you need to promptly remove the emerging rootstock shoots.

How to propagate by layering

To obtain a layering, an annual, horizontally located arcuate stem should be selected. In spring, after the soil warms up, it will be necessary to dig up the soil around the shrub, while adding fertilizer to it. Having leveled the surface of the soil, it is necessary to make grooves in it. Then in these grooves you will need to bend and put the stems that you have chosen to obtain layering, they are fixed and covered with soil at the point of contact with the ground. Next, you need to pinch the tops of future layers. After green stems up to 10-12 centimeters in height grow in the place of fixation with the ground near the layer, they must be covered with earth by ½ part.After 15–20 days, when the shoots will increase in growth by the same amount, they must be sprinkled with earth by ½ part again. In autumn or with the onset of the next spring period, the layers should be cut off from the parent plant and planted in a permanent place.

How to propagate by dividing a bush

This breeding method is used only when it is necessary to transplant a bush. This can be done in the spring before the buds swell, or in the fall - 4 weeks before the first frost. To do this, you need to dig up the dogwood and cut off all the old branches from it. Then you should carefully remove the earth from the root system, and only then divide the bush into several parts of approximately equal size. At the same time, each section should have good roots, as well as a non-diseased and not injured aerial part. Before planting a delenka, you need to remove the old roots from it, and shorten the remaining ones a little.

In the event that you have planted a rooted plant, then it can be propagated by root suckers. To do this, you need to dig out the growth and plant it in a new place. If the dogwood is grafted, then its root shoots will grow from the stock. And since wild species of dogwood are often used as a stock, it is recommended to simply remove such growths.

Collection and procurement of raw materials

In order for dogwood-based preparations to be beneficial, it must be collected and prepared correctly and on time.

Berry

The fruits of the shrub begin to be harvested no earlier than the end of August - the beginning of September. Harvesting is carried out only in dry weather, in order to avoid rotting of the fruit. Fallen specimens can be picked up, but by rigorous selection. It is important to harvest before early October so that the fruit does not rot.

Leaves

Foliage can be harvested on a par with berry picking or earlier. The main thing is that it is still juicy and green. By picking off the leaves earlier, you can help the lodas get their full nutrient intake.

Flowers

Flowers are harvested during the flowering shrub, before the formation of the ovary. At the same time, you can prepare twigs. Leave enough flowers for pollination and further fruiting.

Roots

The roots are dug out before the first frost, immediately after harvest. They should be washed, dried and chopped immediately.

Types and varieties of dogwood with photos and names

Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)

This type is the most popular among gardeners, and you can familiarize yourself with its detailed description above. The most popular varieties are:

1. Pyramidalis... The shape of the crown is pyramidal.
2. Nana... Dwarf variety with a ball-shaped crown.
3. Variegata... The leaves have a white border.
4. Aurea... The leaf plates are golden in color.
5. Aurea variegata... The variegated leaf plates are yellow.

White dogwood (Cornus alba)

It is also a fairly popular species that can be found in the wild in Japan, China, Korea, and also practically throughout Russia. This shrub reaches a height of 3 meters. Its thin, flexible branches are orange-red in color, but there are varieties with brown-red and red-black branches. There is a bluish bloom on the surface of young stems. The shape of slightly wrinkled leaf plates is broadly ovate, their length varies from 10 to 12 centimeters. Their front surface is dark green, and the back is whitish. In autumn, their color changes to a dark purple-red. Small white flowers in diameter reach 5 centimeters, they are part of inflorescences that have a corymbose shape. Lush bloom is observed twice a year, namely, until mid-summer and as early as September. The white, globular berries have a blue tint and are fully ripe by the time they re-bloom. Common decorative forms:

1. Silver-bordered... Green leaf plates have a cream-white edging. In autumn, they change their color to carmine red. The bark is red in color. The bush reaches a height of 2 to 3 meters.
2. Elegantissima... It has a very high frost resistance and grows quickly. The bush can reach a height of three meters, the stems are red, which looks especially impressive in winter. The leaf blades have an uneven edging of a cream color, and there are also stripes and specks on the surface.
3. Siberica Aurea... The height of the bush can vary from 1.5 to 2 meters. On erect, red stems, there are pale yellow leaf plates. The flowers are white-cream. When the pale blue fruits begin to ripen, re-flowering may begin.
4. Siberica Variegata... The bush can reach a height of 2 m. On the leaf plates there is a wide border, stripes and spots, which are painted in a white-cream color. The main background of the leaves is green, while in autumn it turns purple, and the edging and stripes with spots do not change their color. In winter, the bark on the stems remains coral red. This variety gives a poor harvest, and the bush itself is slow-growing. It is perfect for small gardens.

Dogwood red, or blood red (Cornus sanguinea)

Under natural conditions, this species can be found from the Balkans to the southern part of Scandinavia and from the lower reaches of the Don to the Baltic, while it prefers to grow in the undergrowth of mixed and deciduous forests, as well as on the shores of lakes and rivers. In height, such a deciduous shrub reaches 4 meters, while its crown is branched. The stems are drooping and can be colored red, green or purple. Ovate, rounded leaf plates have a rich green front surface with small pubescence and a whitish seamy surface with dense pubescence. In autumn, the leaves change their color to deep red. Small dull white flowers are part of the multi-flowered corymbose inflorescences, reaching a diameter of 7 centimeters. Flowering in this species lasts from 2 to 3 weeks. A lot of black berries ripen on the bush, which look very impressive against the background of deep red foliage. Decorative forms:

1. Greenest... Stems, leafy fruits and berries are green in color.
2. Variegata... The bush reaches a height of 4 meters. The variegated leaf plates are yellow in color. The pale green young stems eventually turn into a burgundy color. Blue-black berries.
3. Dogwood Mitch... There are small specks on the surface of the light yellow leaf plates.

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

Homeland is the eastern part of North America. Such a deciduous tree has a dense and spreading crown. Flowering is observed before the disclosure of leaf blades. In autumn, the leaves turn deep red. Varieties:

1. Cherokee Chief... It reaches a height of 4 to 6 meters. The color of the bractea is pink-red.
2. Rubra... The height varies from 4 to 6 meters. The color of the bractea can range from deep red to pale pink.

Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)

It occurs naturally in North America, where it prefers to grow on the shores of watercourses in humid forests, while climbing to an altitude of 450-2,700 m above sea level. This species is very similar to the white dogwood, but in contrast to it, a large number of offspring grows near the bush. Such a shrub reaches a height of 250 centimeters, has glossy coral-red stems, rich green leafy plates, white-milky flowers that are part of inflorescences reaching 5 centimeters in diameter. The berries are whitish blue. Decorative forms:

1. White-bordered... The variety White Gold is related to it - it is a medium-sized shrub with green leafy plates with a whitish border.
2. Flaviramea... This shrub grows very quickly and has a round shape.In width and height, the bush can reach from 2 to 3 meters. The crown is yellow in winter and spring, and greenish-yellow in summer and autumn. Part of the green leaves in the autumn becomes pale red, and the rest does not change its color.
3. Kelsey... In such a dwarf shrub, the height can reach 100 centimeters, and the width is about 150 centimeters. The bark can be deep green or light red. The leaf plates are green, they do not fly around until late autumn, but at the same time they turn orange or dark red.

Cornus kousa

The homeland of this kind is China and Japan. It is a deciduous, winter-hardy shrub, the height of which can reach up to 9 meters. The bracts are graceful and very beautiful. In autumn, the leaves turn deep red. Varieties:

1. Gold Star... The bush reaches a height of 5 to 7 meters. There is a yellow pattern on the surface of the green leaf plates.
2. Milky Way... The bush is high enough. The bracts are white and cream.

There are also creeping dogwoods, their experts have identified in a separate genus (Canadian and Swedish dogwoods). The genus Svyda also stands out, which include Meyer's dogwoods and Georgian.

Varieties

There are few dogwood varieties. The register includes:

• Artemy;
• Nastya;
• Pavlusha;
• Prikubansky;
• Samokhvalovsky;
• Solar.

In addition to traditional varieties, gardeners grow interesting novelties.

Amber

Nutritionally valuable yellow-fruited variety, ripens in medium terms. The fruits are transparent to such an extent that the stone is visible - hence the name. The average berry weight is 5 g, the shape is short-oval. The taste is sweet and sour, delicate. Yellow-fruited turf contains more sugars and pectins than regular turf. The tree looks elegant, reaches a height of 2 m and forms an oval-pyramidal crown.

Flowering continues for 15 days. The berries do not crumble for a long time, but only gain a dessert taste and delicate aroma. Up to 40 kg of fruits are obtained from the bush.

Vladimirsky

It is considered the most productive variety. Large, profusely flowering. Up to 60 kg of berries are harvested from the bush.

Fruits are red, oval, weighing up to 10 g. The pulp is dense, pale colored, the stone is surrounded by a layer of very light tissue. After freezing, the berries become sweeter, but it is not necessary to wait for the snow - a completely edible crop can be harvested at the end of August.

The fruits do not crumble for a long time; when fully ripe, they acquire a pleasant sour-sweet taste. The variety tolerates cold winters well, is suitable for the Moscow region, but in the first years of life it needs to be covered for the winter.

Glowworm

A frost-resistant variety with juicy sweet and sour, slightly astringent in taste, fruits of the color of overripe cherries. The average weight of the berry is about 7 g, the shape is pear-shaped, the aroma is pronounced.

The crop ripens by the beginning of September and hangs for 3-4 weeks without crumbling. Firefly fruits contain up to 17% sugar. Up to 60 kg are harvested from the bush. Plant height up to 2.5 m, oval-pyramidal crown.

The benefits and harms of dogwood

Beneficial features

As a rule, the literature describes the benefits of the common dogwood. The benefit of this plant is that its berries contain a lot of vitamin C, even more than lemon. And they also have an antiscorbutic effect, in this regard, from such berries they make a paste for seafarers and astronauts. The fruits also contain tannins that effectively hold the stool together. Such berries are recommended for diabetics to eat, as they lower blood sugar levels, and also make the pancreas work more actively, which produces the desired enzyme. Also, this plant has a choleretic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and astringent effect. The fruits of such a plant improve appetite, normalize digestion, normalize blood pressure, eliminate pain in the head, and improve metabolic processes in the body.This plant is used to treat gout, swelling of the legs, intestinal diseases (for example, dysentery and diarrhea), cystitis, skin diseases and inflammation of the venous vessels. Medicinal properties are found both in the berries of the plant and in the foliage, roots, flowers and bark.

Popular recipes

1. Tincture of foliage. 200 ml of edible alcohol must be combined with 50 grams of finely chopped leaves. The tincture will be ready after half a month, it will only be necessary to strain it. Drink 3 times a day, 10-15 drops, diluted with water. The remedy is suitable for the treatment of eczema, skin infections, hemorrhoids, gout, and is also used to get rid of intestinal parasites.
2. Decoction of berries. Combine 200 ml of water with 1 large spoonful of dried fruits. The mixture must be boiled for a third of an hour over low heat. Then she should brew for a couple of hours. The strained broth should be drunk at ¼ tbsp. with vitamin deficiency three times a day before meals.
3. Decoction of roots and bark. 200 ml of water should be combined with 1 small spoon of finely chopped bark and roots. The mixture must be boiled for a quarter of an hour, and then let it brew for a couple of hours. The filtered broth is taken for rheumatism three times a day, 2 large spoons.

Drinks and jams from the fruits of such a plant are also very tasty and useful. Dried berries are used to prepare a delicious and healing broth in the winter.

Testimonials

Elena, 32 years old: “My mother-in-law ate jam dogwood with seeds to cure hemorrhoids. It helped her, the hemorrhoids were gone, and the operation was avoided. "

Ira, 28 years old: “I bought a dogwood last summer, but I didn’t take it before. The seller said that it was healthy and tasty if the jam was cooked. I cooked jam in a bread maker, diminished the whole jar in a week. I didn't get sick all winter. More needs to be done this year! "

Tonya, 45 years old: “Throughout childhood we ate dogwood directly raw, I like the taste. Now I continue to buy from time to time - it helps well with constipation and generally normalizes the digestive tract. "

Natalia, 50 years old: “It is necessary to take dogwood for hemorrhoids in the form of a decoction, compote or tea. It is good to brew powder from ground seeds, which is then drunk for five days. I took cornelian cherry powder in parallel with the application of ointments, the result is good, it perfectly promotes the treatment. "

How and when to pick berries?

Many people want to know, dogwood - what it is, how to properly use this remedy for maximum benefit. The fruits are ready to eat when they turn bright red. Strongly overripe dogwood is not suitable for consumption. For harvesting fruits, dry, good and sunny weather must be sure. Do not collect dogwood after rain.

The plucked fruits should be placed in a dry place, where they should ripen for 10 days. During this time, the product will become more intense in color, acquire a pleasant taste and aroma.

The use of a cotoneaster in garden landscaping

Due to its strong branching, dense foliage and unpretentiousness, the cotoneaster is indispensable for planting in a low hedge or curb. A hedge made from a brilliant cotoneaster or an ordinary cotoneaster calmly withstands the merciless urban conditions, so it can be found in parks, squares and along highways.

Cotoneaster hedge

Slow growth allows the cotoneaster to be one of the best plants for topiary cutting. The most popular topiary forms - balls, cubes, hemispherical pillows - can be formed by any summer resident, subject to certain rules.

Trimmed bushes

The smallest cotoneaster, such as Dammer's cotoneaster, is used to create a shrub lawn. A lawn made of shrubs effectively replaces an ordinary lawn in problem areas of the garden - under trees, on relief differences (slopes, slopes) and in other areas that are difficult to access for a lawn mower.

The cotoneaster looks great in both single and group plantings.The variety of shapes and sizes will allow it to fit into almost any composition, because in the genus Cotoneaster there are both erect and low-lying cotoneaster of different sizes, with different shades of foliage and fruit colors. Landscape designers note that these plants are especially well combined with conifers. Low types can be used in rock gardens and rockeries.

Cotoneaster bushes along the path

Indications for use

Dogwood helps not only strengthen the immune system, but also improve mood and appetite. It is an excellent prophylactic agent that forms resistance to poisons. For women, this remedy helps to reduce menstrual pain, as well as blood loss during childbirth.

Consuming dogwood will help cleanse the liver of toxic substances. This remedy helps to increase potency in men and has a diuretic effect. Berries are widely used in cosmetology as cleansing and toning masks. The seed infusion will help get rid of dandruff.

Why is dogwood useful for the body?

Traditional medicine has studied and used the beneficial properties of all nutrients of dogwood. This is an indispensable component of the diet for certain diseases.

For women

It's a proven, helpful ladies' ally. In addition to the general effect, the properties of dogwood help to solve purely female problems. All parts of the plant are useful in cosmetology:

• From the pulp of the berries, a moisturizing and vitaminizing mask for the face and hair is obtained.
• The cream, enriched with useful berry extract, tones and moisturizes the skin. At the same time, it unclogs pores, removing dark spots, oiliness, smoothing wrinkles.
• The bark is brewed for anti-inflammatory masks.
• Rinsing with dogwood decoction makes hair strong, silky, relieves itching and dandruff.
• Ground bones are a healthy, wonderful and safe body scrub.

You can add dogwood juice or pulp to a store-bought cream. Berries are endowed with antispasmodic properties, therefore they are useful for women during painful periods.

For men

Men are more susceptible to stress, experience more physical exertion, and neglect the prevention of seasonal viral infections. When using dogwood berries, the beneficial properties will manifest themselves as follows:

• Toxins will be eliminated, which is useful in case of poisoning or working in an enterprise with harmful conditions.
• The work of the genitourinary system will improve.
• The potency will increase.

Contraindications are universal: problems with the stomach, nervous system, constipation.

The nutritional value

The benefits and harms of dogwood are hidden in its composition, since the berries contain many different substances. It is worth noting that the fruits contain a lot of water, due to which the pulp always remains juicy. Berries are rich in ascorbic acid and in terms of the content of this vitamin, they significantly exceed black currants. Thanks to this composition, the fruits help to normalize the immune system.

Fresh and dried berries contain many minerals required to normalize metabolic processes. In addition, they are required to ensure the vital activity of all human organs and tissues. Cornel contains a lot of fiber required to normalize digestive processes and cleanse the body of toxic substances and toxins.

Description of the plant

Cornel is a genus of shrubs and low-growing trees from the Cornel family. In nature, culture is widespread in the south and east of Europe, in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, in Asia Minor, and also found in China, Japan, South Africa, America.

The plant owes its name to the bright scarlet color of the berries - translated from the Turkic “dogwood” means “red”. This shade is due to its high content of anthocyanins, which are extremely beneficial to health.

In Russia, dogwood is distributed mainly in the Crimea, the Black Sea region, in the Caucasus

The productive life of a plant extends over 150–250 years. During this time, the dogwood shrub grows up to 3 m in height, and the tree - up to 5–8 m. The first harvest can be expected 10–12 years after the seedling is planted in the ground. Before this age, the shoots differ in growth rate, adding 45-50 cm per season, then it drops sharply, to 8-10 cm per year. After the first fruiting, the dogwood yields a crop regularly, for a start, you can count on 12-15 kg of berries from the bush.

Dogwood fruit takes several months to ripen.

The bark on young branches is green with a yellowish tint; as it matures, the shade changes to gray, sometimes with an olive or reddish undertone. The shoots are thin enough, drooping. Leaves in the form of an elongated oval, with a sharply pointed tip, are located opposite each other. The front side of the front plate is darker than the wrong side, glossy shines.

In the south, dogwood blooms at the end of March or in the first half of April. The buds bloom earlier than the leaves. Small bright yellow or creamy white flowers are collected in inflorescences in the form of an umbrella or shield with a diameter of 5-6 cm. Depending on the variety, flowering lasts from 15-20 to 60-70 days.

Depending on the variety, the flowering of dogwood lasts from 15 to 70 days.

Dogwood (drupe) fruits ripen for a long time. Usually the crop is harvested in September or the first half of October. In most natural varieties, the berries are colored deep scarlet or red-orange. Occasionally there are white, yellow, pinkish, purple, almost black. The average length of an oval or pear-shaped fruit is 2–4 cm, weight is 3–6 g. Sweet and sour pulp is very juicy, with a refreshing taste, slightly tart and astringent.

Dogwood does not suffer from autumn frosts. On the contrary, frozen berries only improve their taste.

Most often, dogwood fruits are red, but there are other shades.

Berries are versatile. In addition to fresh consumption, dogwood is dried, frozen, dried, used to prepare sauces for meat dishes, homemade wines, liqueurs and liqueurs, as well as jams and compotes.

Any homemade dogwood products are very tasty and fragrant.

Dogwood is a good honey plant, but at the time when it blooms, it is still quite cold. No particular activity of pollinating insects is observed. Therefore, the culture is considered self-fertile. If the dogwood is planted with the expectation of a future harvest, it is advisable to have at least three varieties of it with similar flowering periods.

Useful properties of dogwood seeds

Dogwood seeds are also endowed with useful properties. A third of their composition is healing oils:

• they promote wound healing;
• suppress inflammation;
• destroy bacteria.

They are ground to a powder and used to treat the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, hemorrhoids. Positive dynamics is observed from the first or second intake of the drug. Dried fruits with seeds are useful for the treatment of hemorrhoids (eat 10-20 berries daily).

There are no side effects, the properties of the powder "do not conflict" with any traditional drug from the pharmacy. Therefore, it can be used in parallel with medications prescribed by a doctor.

For people who are contraindicated in caffeine, the nucleoli of the bones are useful. They are roasted, ground, and used as a coffee substitute.

Useful properties of dogwood berries for health

The benefits of dogwood for the human body have been known for several centuries. The beneficial effect of berries, preparations from them on the body is multifaceted:

• They normalize blood pressure, inhibit the development of sclerosis.
• They remove toxins, therefore they are used in case of poisoning or their risk.
• Tea made from bark or pulp relieves inflammation (including joint inflammation), heals colds.
• Normalize fat, water, salt metabolism, which accelerates weight loss.
• Increase the concentration of hemoglobin, reduce sugar.
• They restore the functions of the liver, kidneys, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increase the production of secretions by the pancreas.
• Treat eczema, rashes, and other skin conditions.
• Eliminate indigestion, heartburn, increase the acidity of the stomach.

Dogwood berries are endowed with the ability to strengthen the immune system, increase appetite, and therefore are useful for children.

They are prescribed for obesity, anemia, anemia, diabetes mellitus.

Cornel for diabetes

Cornel is useful for diabetes or predisposition to it. Berries neutralize the effect of sugar, do not raise the concentration of glucose in the blood. They activate the work of the pancreas, which facilitates digestion. For those suffering from diabetes, diluted fresh berry juice will be useful:

• It is squeezed out of fresh washed berries, water is added (about 1/7 of the volume).
• If the acidity is not increased, it is not necessary to dilute the drink with water.
• The initial course of treatment (10 days): drink half a glass three times a day half an hour before meals. After a week break, you can continue.
• If the body reacts calmly, the dosage is doubled.

It is a folk remedy useful for lowering blood glucose levels. In the case of type 2 diabetes, the use of compote, infusion, decoction of fresh berries is simply necessary.

The benefits of dogwood for weight loss

The properties of dogwood are useful for people seeking to get rid of extra pounds. All thanks to the symbolic calorie content of berries. They also help the gastrointestinal tract process other foods. It is more useful to use a decoction or compote. The drink is prepared as follows: 150 grams of berries are boiled for a couple of minutes in 1.5 liters of water. Sugar-free (it is permissible to add a little honey). Caution is required in the elderly.

Is it possible to dogwood during pregnancy and breastfeeding

It is possible and necessary. Berries are packed with beneficial nutrients, the value of which is invaluable:

• The berry supports the mineral and vitamin balance, strengthening the immune system.
• Saturates the blood with iron, preventing anemia and fatigue.
• Normalizes digestion, preventing constipation - a problem for most pregnant women.
• Able to slow down or overcome infection, colds, acute respiratory infections, high fever.
• Replaces medications that are undesirable during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

From the age of three months, babies can be given dogwood broth. The child will get stronger, will digest food without colic or frustration. His bones will grow faster, become stronger. The main thing is not to be zealous. Start with a couple of berries for yourself and a couple of drops of juice for the child, observing the reaction of the child and his body.

In which regions is it growing

Dogwood belongs to the thermophilic plants, the ideal place for which becomes a mild climate. However, there are many varieties that also grow well in the middle lane regions and even in the north. Having a sufficiently high frost resistance, the plant is able to withstand frosts down to -35 ° C.

If these indicators are exceeded, the bush can either die, or, when blooming, do not give ovaries, acting as an ornamental plant.

Chemical composition

Turf berries are a low-calorie product: 100 grams contain only 45 kcal. The ratio of BJU is 1: 0: 9 - this allows you to include dogwood in the diet. So, the compote from this berry contains about 25 kcal, and the energy value of the jam is 170 kcal per 100 grams.

The chemical composition of dogwood includes:

• alimentary fiber;
• ash;
• vitamins C, PP;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• sodium;
• sulfur;
• selenium;
• zinc;
• pectins;
• Apple acid;
• disaccharides.

Nutritional value of 100 g dogwood

Cornel leaves also contain a huge amount of tannins - tannins that secrete protein from food and fix it in the body. In addition, turf leaves are rich in fructose, arabinogalactan and rutin.

Dogwood flowers contain gallic acid and isoquercitrin, powerful antioxidant substances. Such a rich chemical composition determines the fact that practically all parts of this plant are used in folk medicine and cosmetology - from roots to flowers.

Dogwood: from flowering to ripening

In addition to the official botanical names, the common dogwood has one more thing: the shaitan berry. There is a legend about the origin of the name associated with the timing of flowering and ripening of dogwood fruits.

When Allah created the world and decided to rest, during his sleep all living beings fled to the Gardens of Eden and began to divide the plants. There was a hustle and bustle, a fight broke out. Allah did not like this, and he demanded that everyone choose only one plant for themselves. Among those who wanted to get something useful for themselves, there was also a shaitan. And the shaitan asked for himself a dogwood, considering himself the most cunning. After all, the common dogwood blooms earlier than all other berry plants.

This is indeed the case. The flowering time of this plant is in April at an air temperature of 8–12 ° С. The flowers of the male deren are small, yellow. Umbellate inflorescences. The number of flowers in the umbrella is 15-25. Flowers have 4 stamens and a pistil, that is, they are bisexual. Petals 4. Flowering lasts 10-14 days. The common dogwood blooming in the photo is a specimen from the forest. Garden varieties of deren do not look so beautiful.

"Early flowering dogwood - early harvest" - thought the shaitan. The first berry is highly prized, you can get a lot of money from it. Why does the Shaitan need money, the legend is silent. He sat down under a tree to await his harvest of early berries. Summer has passed, all other fruits and berries are already ripe, and the dogwood is all green.

The shaitan decided to accelerate the ripening of the fruits (that's when this technology was born) and began to blow on the berries. The dogwood turned bright red, but remained very sour and hard. Frustrated by the failure of a super-profitable business, the shaitan told people to take this muck for themselves, and spat in frustration. So much so that the dogwood berries turned black.

And now, in late autumn, after harvesting the entire harvest in the gardens, people went to the forest for a dogwood berry. They picked black, but sweet berries, and laughed at the shaitan.

In fact, the common dogwood ripens not so late. The timing of harvesting the fruits of the male deren is the end of August - September. And you can't delay harvesting, as the berries fall to the ground.

Attention! A sign of a cold winter is associated with a large harvest of common dogwood berries.

And then everything was attributed to the shaitan, since he was very offended that he gave people his berry. The next year, the shaitan managed to double the dogwood harvest. People were happy about it. But for the ripening of such a quantity of deren fruits, the sun's heat was also required twice as much. And the sun, which had given off all the heat over the summer, could not warm the earth in winter. Since then, there has been a sign that if the common dogwood is well-born, it means that the winter will be cold.

Pollination of dogwood

Although the common dogwood has bisexual flowers, pollination does not occur on one plant. To obtain a crop, common dogwood needs a pollinator. The wind acts as a pollinator for male dern at low temperatures, so it is necessary to plant at least two specimens of different varieties in the garden for cross-pollination to occur.

Important! Pollination with clones of the same plant will not yield.

Cornelian cherry is a strict cross-pollinated plant, so you can plant two deren bushes of the same variety, but these seedlings must be from different mother bushes. The easiest way to guarantee a crop from a plant is to plant a wild forest bush next to a garden variety of deren.

When the deren is pollinated with the help of the wind, the yield will be low. Other pollinators of the common dogwood are honey bees. If available, the owner of the garden is guaranteed an annual rich harvest of deren berries.

On a note! Cornelian cherry is a good honey plant.

How garden dogwood blooms

The flowering of garden varieties of male deren is the same as that of the wild ancestor.Due to the fact that summer cottages are usually protected from the cold wind and have their own microclimate, garden turf can bloom even before the wild plant. In northern regions, the lawn may bloom too early and may not produce fruit as a result.

When dogwood is harvested

Cultivated common dogwood can be not only of different colors and shapes, but also have early, mid and late ripening varieties. The earliest varieties of male deren begin to bear fruit in the second half of August, the later ones in mid-October. Therefore, the timing of harvesting berries from the male deren bushes in the garden can stretch for 2 months, if the varieties are selected correctly.

The common dogwood ripens not very amicably and among the ripe berries there are unripe berries. When harvesting berries "for yourself" you will have to pick the same plant several times.

The yield of male turf depends on age.

Age, g	Productivity, kg
5—10	8—25
15—20	40—60
25—40	80—100

Diseases and pests

The cotoneaster is brilliant - a persistent look. It is rarely attacked by pests and diseases. In rare cases, especially in hot years, aphids, spider mites and scale insects can be seen on the bushes. A plant affected by aphids rolls up the leaves, which subsequently dry up and fall off. The cobweb on the back of the leaf indicates an attack by a spider mite. Fruiting can be affected by moths. Special preparations such as Fitoverm, Neoron and Aktelik will help to fight insect pests.

Cotoneaster is not susceptible to fungal diseases, and if they do get sick, then most often it is fusarium. Treatment consists of removing the affected tissue and treating the entire plant with a fungicide.

How to get rid of flower midges?

The scientific name for the flower midge is sciaris. It does not harm the plant, it only bothers the owner of the flower. Problems in the plant may appear due to the larvae living in the roots of the flower. The reason for the appearance of midges is waterlogging and a high content of organic matter in the ground due to the use of folk fertilizers, such as tea (brewing), drunk coffee. Any insecticide, soil change or change in irrigation regime will help to cope with it.

Features of cultural cultivation

Planting and caring for dogwood will not cause much trouble if you take a responsible approach to the choice of variety and place for the shrub. Only dogwood varieties that are capable of growing and bearing fruit in the local climate should be planted unambiguously. For example, in the middle latitudes, late-ripening dogwood species will not have time to ripen before the arrival of winter, which means that early varieties should be preferred.

When choosing a place for planting a perennial, it is better to stay in the southwestern section, which meets the following requirements (there the dogwood will grow well and bear fruit abundantly):