Balsam Iron-bearing: a wild plant with medicinal properties, methods of medical use, flower photo, planting, growing and care tips

Balsam is a houseplant that has been at the peak of popularity among professional gardeners and just amateurs for many years. This fact is explained by the attractive and bright appearance due to abundant flowering, as well as the relative ease in caring for the plant described.

In common people it is called “Vanka Wet” and “Not Touchy” because of the ability to shoot seeds sharply even after the slightest touch of the buds. seldom you can hear other names of this plant - "light" (associated with bright flowering) and "everlasting" (due to the long flowering period: from early June to late autumn).

Origin history

Modern botany has approximately 550 varieties of balsam. The shoots of most of the representatives of this plant are smooth and can reach up to 50 centimeters in height. But they can reach two meters on the Touch. Foliage takes an oval shape and grow up to 15 cm in length.

Flowers are attached to long peduncles, which are similar in shape to umbrellas and are combined into brushes. This is an annual representative of his family (the difference between annual and perennial balsam can be found here). They call it Iron-Iron because of the tight joints located near the base of the leaf plate, called glands.

The homeland of such a Russian “Vanka Wet” is such a distant island of Zanzibar, as well as the subtropics of Asia and Africa. Sometimes some species can be found in the middle zone of Asia.

Appearance of a wild plant

The leaves of the "spark" acquire a purple and bright green hue. Flowers are found in wine, pinkish and deep red colors. Usually used in gardening for decorating hedges and lawns.

Another interesting feature of Balzamin can be called the ability to allocate small droplets of water on the leaves in order to get rid of excess moisture after heavy watering. In addition, this liquid is also sweet, so it attracts ants who simply “feast” on the leaves of the nedotrog.

On a note. The only drawback of this plant is that over time it can turn into a weed. The chances of surviving at home are almost nullified.

Photo

Look at the flower photo:

Medicinal properties and medical use

At the moment, the full composition of Balzamin has not been studied. But even those few already studied properties of the "evergreen" confirm the fact that this plant is medicinal. Let's talk about this in more detail.

During flowering, it contains a colossal norm of ascorbic acid, the use of which is the prevention of colds. The stems and leaves of the Imperiens are rich in alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, acids and tannins, a small amount of various resins, carotene, ceryl alcohol and sigmasterol. About 60 percent balsam seeds are composed of fatty oils.

In the form of a medicinal product, this flower is used both externally and internally.making broth or tincture from it.

IMPORTANT! Solutions prepared on the basis of balsamine should be taken dosed due to the toxic base of the treatment mixture, an overdose of which can cause severe vomiting.

"Vanka wet" was first praised for his help in diseases of the kidneys and the entire urinary system. Elements that make up its composition, crush kidney stones and gradually remove them, and also have a beneficial effect on the removal of excess fluid from the body, which allows you to get rid of puffiness.

The described plant also treats such ailments.:

Purulent wounds and ulcers - here will help a decoction of balsam.
1. Prepared from fresh stems and leaves, pouring them with boiling water in relation to 1 tablespoon of flowers in 1 glass of water.
2. The resulting broth is given time to cool, and then a gauze cloth is moistened in it and applied to the inflamed area.
Hemorrhoids - make a decoction according to the recipe described above, after which a cotton-gauze swab is moistened with it and applied to the hemorrhoid cones.
Rheumatism - prescribe tincture for use inside, and externally - you can make baths, with the addition of a more saturated broth.
The infusion is prepared according to the following scheme:
1. You need to take 1 teaspoon of balsam leaves, pour boiling water over them and let it brew for 20 minutes.
2. After the infusion is saturated and becomes room temperature, it is taken in 1 (occasionally 2) tablespoons per day.
Fresh wounds - apply juice, it’s good if it is just squeezed, but carefully, not forgetting about the danger of the plant. Juice heals the wound and anesthetizes it.
Dropsy - fight it with the help of infusion.
Gout - with this disease, it is recommended to take baths with concentrated decoction of balsam and drink 1 tablespoon of the infusion after a meal.

This plant became famous in Tibetan medicine. The local doctors prescribe balsam for cardiovascular diseases to their patients.

Reference. It is a proven fact that the drugs that make up this plant increase the amplitude of contractions of the heart muscle, while slowing the heart rate and inhibiting the central nervous system.

Also, balsam in Tibet is used as an anthelmintic in diabetes mellitus, ascites and spasmophilia.

Chinese medicine also did not pass this useful flower. Celestial doctors use balsam for menstrual irregularities in women, for stimulation during labor and as an antitoxic agent for venomous snake bites.

It is also used to treat dermatomycosis. If various parts of the body are affected, a compress is made from finely chopped ground part of balsam. To do this, use fresh leaves of the plant, which, after washing and cutting as finely as possible, are wrapped in gauze, poured with boiling water and warm applied to the affected area of the skin for 10 minutes.

How to plant?

Site selection and lighting requirements

The first thing you need to think about when planting an "everlasting flower" is the place. It should be a bright, well-lit sun in the first half of the day, and in the second half of the flower it is necessary to provide a shadow. It is better to opt for a site near which there are no tall bushes and trees. Do not forget to spud your flower bed once a week.

The soil

It should not be too saturated with fertilizers, otherwise all growth will go to the leaves, not the inflorescences. Not too suitable for balsam - in it the flower cannot grow stably. The soil mix for our Vanka should have a slightly acidic chemical composition and include turfy soil, humus, perlite and compost in the same proportions.

Care

Water the flower as necessary: as soon as the topsoil dries (about 1-2 cm). Water should be soft and settled. Please note that despite the fact that balsam is a hygrophilous plant, you should not overdo it with moistening the soil, otherwise the roots may rot. Make sure that drops of water do not fall on the buds.

Fertilize the "light" is necessary during the period of active growth, that is, from March to November. You need to do this with complex dressings, but it is better to divide the recommended dose in the instructions in half. The interval between "feeding" should be 2 weeks.

On a note. Do not neglect pruning balsam. After all, this procedure helps to preserve the attractive appearance of the flower. You can still pinch the crown - this will provide an incentive for the growth of new shoots.

Diseases and Pests

No living creature can protect itself from dangers. Plants are no exception. During the cultivation of this beauty in your area, you may be warned of the following troubles:

Fungal diseases and decay. To destroy them, you should immediately reduce the frequency and abundance of irrigation, take care of high-quality drainage, and control the humidity of the air around the flower.
Spider mite attacks. The tricks of this pest are characterized by the appearance of a whitish cobweb on leaf plates. A proven tool that helps in getting rid of it is a solution from soap, but only household, and not cosmetic (20 g per 1 liter of water), which need to be processed leaves.
Whitefly development. A negative effect is expressed in falling leaves and the generally unhealthy form of the plant. It is possible to cope with such a parasite only with the help of specialized chemicals purchased in the store.
Bacteriosis It is characterized by the appearance of black spots on the shoots. Often manifested with prolonged hypothermia of the plant. The most suitable way to fight bacteriosis is Alirin.

Sometimes the leaves may fall off due to lack of lighting, dry ground, moist air or because the flowers are planted too close together. If, after eliminating all these shortcomings in care, the general condition of the plant has not improved, then all of the above pests are to blame.

Breeding methods

We already wrote that Balsam Iron-bearing often becomes a weed. This happens because the seeds scatter to all parts of your garden and germinate there for the next season. To avoid this, it is necessary to tear out still very small shoots in those places where their growth is undesirable.

But no matter how bothering you the ever-crumbling seeds, they are the only way to propagate Impatiens. Just pack them in a box and store them all winter in a cool, dry place. And in the spring, when the soil is already a little warm, plant the seed.

Learning to care for Balsamine at home is not difficult. Of course, it cannot be argued that the “light” will chicly grow and develop without your intervention and regular care. But if you fulfill all the points that a plant requires, it will thank you with its flowering and become a worthy decoration for your garden site.