Black elderberry is a plant that accompanies man since the Stone Age. In the old days, the elderberry bush was used as a fence around houses and it was believed that its scent protected against "evil spirits". For years, its valuable healing properties have been discovered, syrups, juices, infusions, jams and even elderberry wine have been prepared. Known by the Egyptians for the treatment of burns, people suffering from colds and inflammation of the skin of Indians, as well as in the inhabitants of Europe.
In natural medicine, elderberry is a very valuable raw material that strengthens immunity, has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.Currently, the plant is also appreciated by gardeners. It gained numerous ornamental varieties of unusual decorative value. Elderberry is also used in cosmetology - extracts are added to creams and masks to soften the skin, reduce wrinkles and lighten discoloration.
Contents:
- Black without: description
- Black lilac - cultivation and care
- Black lilac: when does it bloom and when to harvest?
- Elderberry: what can be made of fruits and flowers?
- How to dry elderberry flowers?
Black without: description
Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) belongs to the muskrat family. Professionally known as the wild elderberry, and colloquially it is referred to as elderberry, no medicine, no pharmacy, or no common. It is a shrub that can also take the shape of a small tree. It grows up to 10 meters high. However, you are wondering what black elderberry looks like? The easiest way to recognize it is that it has characteristic white flowers folded in a canopy.From them, juicy black fruits ripen in late summer. Its crown has a wide, spherical shape. There are numerous cracks on the bark - these are the so-called spiracles.
The black elderberry is a common species - widespread in Europe, common in Poland throughout the country. Without wild boar, as the name suggests, it grows in its natural state on the edges of forests and meadows, along roads, in parks, bushes and wastelands. It occurs in fertile deciduous forests, in floodplains. The species grows in the vicinity of houses, abandoned housing estates, gardens and industrial areas.
Elderberry is a poisonous plant - you cannot eat its raw fruit and flowers. The cyanogenic glycoside sambunigrin is found in the leaves, unripe fruits and seeds. It can turn into poisonous hydrogen cyanide in the body. After thermal treatment, harmful compounds are neutralized and only then are the raw materials fit for consumption.
The characteristic suffocating scent is completely black.The leaves, after grinding, have an unpleasant odor due to the presence of essential oils in them. Elderberry shoots are used to obtain a decoction for the ecological control of rodents - moles, voles, as well as moths - cabbage moth, aphids and caterpillars. It can also be used to repel mosquitoes.
Black elder: cultivation and care
Black elderberry in garden cultivation has numerous varieties with different colors and shapes of leaves and different colors of flowers. The leaves can be creamy white, golden yellow, with golden spots and even purple in color. The flowers of different varieties are pink, cream or white. To obtain dense foliage, it is recommended to prune the whole plant vigorously in the spring.
In Poland it is a shrub that is easy to grow and frost-resistant. However, he does not like frost stagnation. It does not need to be covered for the winter. Most often, elderberry growing naturally is considered a weed. It needs permeable garden soil for proper growth.He likes fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. The ideal soil pH for elderberry cultivation is 5.5 - 6.5.
It develops best in a sunny or semi-shaded position, but does not like the southern exhibition. It also develops badly in the company of other shrubs and weeds, because it prefers to have free space. It does not want to compete for water and minerals. Due to the characteristic smell of leaves and flowers, the shrub is not susceptible to diseases and pests.
A plant can grow for 10-15 years in one place, so it is worth cultivating. Regularly cut out older shoots, and shorten younger ones by half. Then the plant will retain its decorative qualities. Annually, non-fruiting, dead shoots as well as broken branches are removed. Elderberry is brittle, so such damage can occur quite often. All branches over three years old should be removed. The cuts are made in spring, even before the vegetation begins.
To propagate the bush, cuttings are taken in winter or summer - preferably when they are not lignified.They should be 5-6 stitches. They are planted into the ground in such a way that two eyes protrude above the ground. It is also possible to sow elderberry from seeds. Before placing the harvested seedlings into the ground, a layer of manure or compost can be applied to the soil. Thanks to this, we will improve the structure of the earth. Elderberry will bear fruit after three or four years.
Which elderberry varieties are best for growing?
Black elderberry is an undemanding plant, quite resistant to diseases and pests, and easy to grow. Despite its preferences (sunny position, permeable substrate), it grows practically everywhere, which makes it a ruderal plant. However, it is worth discovering the beauty of black elderberry, because it remains decorative during most of the growing season. During flowering, it is showered with white-cream flower umbels, and at the end of summer and early autumn, the eyes are delighted with dark purple corymbs. You can choose from many interesting varieties, both decorative and commercial.Decorative varieties delight not only with the color of flowers, but also with the color and shape of leaves, e.g. 'Aurea' with yellow-green, golden leaves and white flowers, 'Variegata' with white-edged leaves and white flowers, 'Black Beauty' with maroon leaves and pink flowers; 'Guincho Purple' with purple leaves, pink buds and white flowers, or the absolutely delightful 'Eva' with jagged maroon leaves and pink-white flowers. Among the commercial varieties, the upholstery yielding 'Samyl' (up to 20 kg of fruit per bush) and 'Korsor' with good-looking fruit, which on average are twice as large as those of other lilac varieties, deserve special recommendation.
- says Dr. Eng. Tomasz Mróz
Black lilac: when does it bloom and when to harvest?
Black elderberry is a plant used in medicine. The herbal raw material is flowers and ripe elderberry fruits. The bark, leaves and roots also show healing properties.Elderberry blooms in late May and early June. The plant is then the most decorative. It has small, creamy-white flowers gathered in umbels. Such an inflorescence can reach up to 20 centimeters in diameter.
Elderberry flowers are best picked when they are well bloomed and not yet blooming. Ideally, it should not be rainy in the days leading up to the harvest. The day when the flowers will be picked should be sunny. For drying, the umbels of well-developed flowers are cut off.
Best obtained from natural sites, away from roads and pollution. Do not pick rotten, dry or brown flowers. This condition of the plant will cause the entire harvested material to deteriorate during drying. If you happen to tear discolored flowers, it is better to discard them before drying them.
Elderberry: what can be made of fruits and flowers?
You may wonder why collect black elderberry, what to use this raw material for later. Over the years, many recipes have been created for tasty preserves of elderberry fruit or flowers.
All this because the plant has a number of proven healing properties:
- can bind free radicals because it has antioxidant properties,
- has a bactericidal effect and prevents infection by the flu virus,
- rich in vitamins C, A, B and minerals,
- contains a routine that strengthens immunity and seals blood vessels,
- has a diuretic and relaxant effect,
- helpful with ulcers and constipation,
- removes toxins and metabolic products,
- has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, hard-to-heal wounds,
- soothes dark circles and puffiness under the eyes.
Dried elderberry flowers are used to prepareinfusionTwo teaspoons of raw material, poured with boiling water, can be brewed, covered for ten minutes. It has a pleasant, sweet and slightly anise flavor.The infusion has a diaphoretic and antipyretic effect. During colds, it has an expectorant, antiviral and strengthening effect on the body. You can gargle with it.
Elderberry has proven properties in the treatment of urinary tract diseases and skin inflammations. The infusions also have a diastolic effect in digestive system ailments and problems with metabolism. The infusion prepared in this way, applied externally, will be able to be used for compresses in case of eczema on the skin, burns and conjunctivitis.
Elderberry flower syrup
During a cold, it is worth drinkingelderberry flower syrupIt is prepared by pouring boiling water over the flowers and leaving it for 12 hours. After this time, sugar is added and boiled. During an infection, you can drink the syrup several times a day. It can also be added to teas and drinks.
Elderberry fruits are best harvested on a sunny day, but after the rainy season. Most often it is performed at the turn of August and September. The fruit is then black-purple, wine-like and fully ripe. Green and unripe fruits are not suitable for harvesting.
Elderberry juice
Elderberry juice also has diaphoretic and antipyretic properties. Regularly added to tea or drink - strengthens immunity. it can be prepared from ripe elderberries and then passed through a juicer. You have to boil the juice with added sugar and pasteurize it in jars. Elderberries are also used to improve the color of juices, compotes, tinctures and wines.
Elderberry tincture
Healingelderberry tinctureis another way to use ripe fruit. To prepare it, you need a kilogram of fruit, sugar, a liter of spirit and half a liter of water. After six months, you can enjoy the taste of the self-prepared tincture. Another alcoholic beverage prepared at home can beelderberry wineRegular consumption of small amounts by adults will improve venous circulation in the body and strengthen immunity.
How to dry elderberry flowers?
After cutting the elderberry umbels and selecting only white, well-developed flowers, spread them in a thin layer in a dry and airy place. They can be placed on a cotton material or paper. The flowers cannot infuse, so the temperature in the room should not exceed 35 degrees Celsius. Ideally, they should be shaded, without access to sunlight.
If the material is well dried, the flower is white - yellow. The peduncles are cut off from it, leaving only the flowers. Then the finished, dried raw material can be put into a paper bag, a tightly closed can or a jar. If we do not have enough space and we do not have such a ventilated room with high temperature, the only option to prepare the raw material is to use a dryer. The temperature set in it cannot exceed 30 degrees Celsius.
