Amur velvet in the middle lane. Amur velvet is an excellent substitute for cork. Tincture for hypertension

A unique long-lived tree does not require special care and easily takes root during transplantation.

All questions related to planting and caring for Amur velvet are in this collection of material.

Amur velvet, description of the plant

Amur velvet, Amur Pellodendron, Amur cork tree are the names of the same mighty tree from the Velvet genus. Such an unusually "soft" designation of the genus is due to the peculiarities of the tree bark: velvety, soft and pleasant to the touch. In addition to these highly decorative qualities, the bark of the plant is distinguished by an unusual, silvery-gray color. The upper layer of the mature bark is lined with deep grooves and is represented by a thick cork layer. The young bark of the tree, on the other hand, is smooth and not speckled.

A type of deciduous tree, Amur velvet, is capable of reaching a height of up to 30 m, while the trunk diameter can be more than 1 m. A large woody plant is considered a real long-liver and can grow in one place for up to 300 years. The plant has a rather fast growth rate and, for example, grows to a mark of 1.5 m in two years of life.

The spreading and openwork crown of the giant tree is densely planted with lanceolate petioled leaves, reminiscent of ash leaves. When rubbed, velvet leaves give off an unpleasant resinous smell. They bloom much later than other trees, only by the end of May - beginning of June. By autumn, the green foliage takes on a beautiful golden yellow hue.

The powerful core system of the tree firmly holds the enormous mass of the plant.
Small inconspicuous flowers of the tree are collected in a cluster inflorescence. Modest flowers manage to attract insects due to the high content of sweet nectar in them. Amur velvet begins to bloom very late, 15-20 years after planting. The flowering period is June-July.
Amur velvet fruits are distinguished by a glossy black color, a spherical shape and medium-sized (up to 1 cm) berries. The drupe usually contains 5 seeds. The fruits of the tree are not used for food and emit, like the leaves, a pungent specific odor. One plant is capable of producing about 10 kg of fruits per season. Outwardly, the Amur velvet berry resembles a dark and shiny grape, which is compared to "black pearls". They stay on the tree long enough, until the middle of winter.

It is noteworthy that the plant is considered a real relic, because the history of its growth leads to the Little Ice Age on earth.
Nowadays, these natural monuments are found in the wild in forests, valleys and mountain slopes. The species is cultivated in garden areas of almost all of Europe, North America and Central Asia.
The culture tolerates winters, cold winds and drought very well. For growth, it prefers open sunny and humid areas.
Amur velvet is not just a majestic decorative tree used in landscape design and for landscaping park areas. First of all, velvet is famous for folk medicine its healing properties.

Amur velvet, plant application

Velvet wood is widely used in industry, and technical cork is made from bark. Moreover, the material for cork is taken without damaging the tree itself. To do this, carefully remove a layer of soft upper bark without touching the bast layer. Such a procedure is absolutely harmless to the plant, since the cork layer is completely regenerated over time.

A choleretic agent such as barberine is made from the bast of a tree. In addition, the bast layer serves as a source of yellow dye for dyeing natural fabrics.
Durable velvet wood is indispensable for making wood products: furniture, plywood, skis, etc.
For medicinal purposes, the bark, fruits and leaves of the tree are used, containing valuable alkaloids, tannins and glycosides (coumarin, saponin). The pharmaceutical industry actively uses the generous gifts of nature, making on their basis a number of antiseptic, tonic, hemostatic and antipyretic drugs.
Traditional medicine considers the plant to be an indispensable medicine in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, allergies, skin diseases, polyarthritis, diseases of the lymph system, kidneys and eyes. Reviews of the use of Amur velvet as a medicinal product indicate a high healing properties plants. But, in any case, before using any herbal decoctions, ointments or tinctures, you should consult your doctor.

The mighty tree, velvet, is an excellent honey plant. Experienced beekeepers consider this honey also very useful for colds and as an anti-tuberculosis agent.

The tent-shaped crown and decorative bark of Amur velvet are increasingly attracting landscape designers for landscaping spacious areas of squares and parks. But, knowing the preferences of the plant and the peculiarities of its cultivation, an unusual culture can be grown on your site.

Amur velvet, planting features

Successful cultivation of Amur velvet requires the fulfillment of certain conditions: the right place for planting the future "giant" and compliance with the key conditions of agricultural planting and caring for the plant.

An unpretentious tree easily adapts to urban conditions of increased gas pollution, is characterized by frost resistance and general vitality.

Place for planting Amur velvet

When choosing a place to plant a tree, you should take into account its future size and long life. Therefore, you should not plant a plant close to buildings or laid communications, as well as in places where shading is undesirable.
Amur velvet is a light and moisture-loving culture, which means that the place for planting should correspond to these preferences. An open sunny area or partial shade is best suited, then the crown of the phellodendron will be spreading and hip-shaped.
The best soil for the "giant" is fertile, breathable and moist loams. Loose and light, non-compacted soil plays an important role in the development of the plant. Sandy soil is not good for cork.

Agrotechnics of planting seedlings of Amur Velvet

It is most convenient to plant a plant with ready-made grown seedlings. By purchasing a quality planting material in a nursery or a specialized store, you can 100% guarantee its survival rate. Amur velvet seedlings up to 6 years of age tolerate transplantation, quickly taking root in a new place.
You can plant seedlings in the spring (before the start of sap flow) or in the fall (in the second half of the season).
For planting seedlings, a planting pit is prepared in advance, the size of which depends on the size of the root system of the tree. On average, the depth and width of the pit should be an order of magnitude (1/3) greater than the diameter and length of the roots of the cork plant.

For heavy and dense soils, laying a drainage layer (20-30 cm thick) of crushed stone or broken bricks in the pit will be a prerequisite.
After preparing the drainage, the pit is filled up to half with a nutrient mixture of sand, humus and sod land. Having straightened all the roots and exposing the seedling, the pit is covered with earth, periodically compacting it.
When planting a seedling, its root collar should be above ground level. In no case should you bury it in the soil.
After planting, the plant is watered abundantly and the soil is not allowed to dry out during the first 5-6 days. Best option preservation of a humid microclimate - mulching the trunk circle with a layer of up to 10 cm. For mulch, tree bark, sawdust, sunflower husk or dry grass are suitable.
When planting several Amur velvet seedlings nearby, it is important to observe an interval between trees of at least 5 m.

Agrotechnics of planting seeds of Amur velvet

No less popular is the seed method of growing a tree, which is carried out both in the spring and in the fall, before the onset of cold weather.

Spring sowing involves preliminary seed stratification for at least 3 months. For this, the seeds are covered with wet sand and placed in the refrigerator.
If the seeds have not undergone natural stratification, before sowing, they are soaked in hot (+50 0 C) water for 3-4 days. The water should be changed 2-3 times a day.
Swollen seeds are sown in moistened nutrient soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. The introduction of phosphorus fertilizers and potassium permanganate into the soil significantly accelerates the growth of seedlings.
Sprouted, the next year, the seedlings are rapidly gaining in growth, actively developing the root system.
Amur velvet seedlings, grown from seeds, perfectly adapt to the local climate, become more resilient and hardy.
For the successful growth and development of seedlings, it is important to ensure regular watering, loosening and mulching of the soil on the site. A growing tree negatively tolerates compaction and lack of aeration in the soil.

Amur velvet, features of care

Young plants of Amur velvet require careful and painstaking care. An adult, matured tree practically does not need additional attention.

Watering and loosening Amur velvet

The velvet tree responds favorably to regular and abundant watering especially during dry periods.
Young seedlings need intensive watering and constant soil moisture maintenance. Adult specimens tolerate dry periods easily.
A growing tree is sensitive to soil quality and does not respond well to compacted soil. Therefore, the area around the plant must be loosened regularly, especially after watering. Loosening depth is about 20-30 cm.
Mulching the area with peat or wood chips will avoid drying out the soil and frequent loosening. Planting lawn grass around the tree is also suitable.

Top dressing and fertilization for Amur velvet

Top dressing is carried out, as a rule, in the spring, before the appearance of the green mass, or in the fall, before the onset of frost.
As fertilizers, organic (mullein, bulk manure) and mineral complexes (urea, ammonium nitrate, nitroammofosk).
If mineral fertilizers are applied in a dry form, the subsequent digging of the site follows.

Amur velvet pruning

The tree is pruned in the spring. This must be done carefully, removing dry and damaged branches. After pruning, large cuts must be treated with garden varnish.
Formative pruning of the crown is carried out only at a young age of the plant, until an even and unbranched (up to 1.5-2 m) stem is formed. It is then that the tree trunk will look as attractive and well-groomed as possible. You can do without a formative "haircut", allowing the seedling to grow "at its own discretion."

Pests and diseases of Amur velvet

A rare case when a plant is absolutely not exposed to pests and dangerous diseases. Amur velvet belongs to such crops, which brings considerable relief to gardeners cultivating this species.

Preparing for the winter Amur velvet

Young, planted in the ground, seedlings need shelter for the winter. To do this, the near-stem circle is covered with fallen leaves, and the plant itself is wrapped in sacking in several layers.
A similar protective procedure should be carried out during the first 2-3 years of the plant's life. In the future, velvet will perfectly cope with the winter cold on its own.
In the case of damage to the tree trunk by frostbites, the wound is treated with any antiseptic and smeared with garden var.

Reproduction of Amur velvet

Amur velvet propagates by seed and vegetative methods.
The seeds for plant propagation are used only from ripe fruits. The ripe fruit is soft, deep black. You can check the fruit for maturity by putting it in water: oily fat circles will go from a ripe specimen through the water. After that, the seeds are removed and dried. You can store seeds for up to 3 years, after which they lose their germination. You can also purchase ready-made seed material at specialized retail outlets.
The vegetative method of reproduction is less popular, since the rooting rate of root suckers or overgrowth from a stump is quite low. The greatest number of coppice shoots is observed on stumps up to 15 cm in diameter. The sprouts planted separately develop poorly on their own and quickly "wither".

Amur velvet in landscape design

Luxurious lush crown of majestic velvet will become a real decoration of any site or park area.
Ideal for tall tree small decorative plantings of thuja, barberry, juniper or privet bushes.
Cork looks good with maple, birch, or oak. Such group compositions resemble a fairytale forest with an abundance of different types of trees and shrubs.

The impressive dimensions of Amur velvet make it a reference point in the design of any landscape. And the lawn grass planted under the openwork crown will make the site well-groomed and neat.

Thus, Amur velvet is a majestic large-sized plant that can be grown independently. Highly decorative and medicinal culture is unpretentious in care and takes root in almost any climatic zone... The key to successful cultivation of a “long-liver” will be a well-chosen place and a properly executed planting of a seedling. Reproduction of the balsa tree by seeds is also allowed, but, in this case, the development of the tree will be longer.

Amur velvet, photo

Video: "Growing Amur Velvet"

Amur velvet is very common in park and garden culture. The cultivation of Amur velvet is a fascinating activity, because a tree of extraordinary beauty can decorate any garden and any square. Cork is obtained from this tree, which makes it very valuable in production. Full description this majestic tree that is sure to become the highlight of your garden.

Description

In the wild, velvet is a majestic tree, sometimes reaching a height of 25-30 meters. Velvet has been living for more than three centuries. But in culture, this tree does not grow to such a height that it does not at all affect the excellent decorative qualities of Amur velvet.

The crown of this beautiful tree is spherical, but if the velvet is planted close to other trees, then the crown will stretch upwards. The bark is velvety to the touch of the tree, light gray, young shoots also have grey colour... The leaves of the Amur velvet are painted in a bright green color and reach a length of 35 cm. The edges of the leaves are serrated, which looks very decorative.

At the end of May, the tree blooms and blooms for 10-12 days. During this period, the tree literally buzzes, because insects collect nectar from flowers. Velvet attracts many bees and is a good honey plant. The fruits ripen in September, they are bitter and not edible. Amur velvet fruits are used in folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases.

Growing Amur Velvet

This tree is extremely demanding on soil moisture. The yield also depends on the composition of the soil. The root system of this giant goes deep into the ground and is very well developed. Although the tree tolerates winters, cold winds and drought well, in culture it needs to be watered regularly to produce medicinal fruits.

Reproduces predominantly by seed method, but at a young age, trees tolerate transplanting to a new place, and therefore you can buy velvet in a nursery.

In nature, velvet can be found in Japan, China, Taiwan, Sakhalin, but the most widespread velvet in nature is in the regions of Asia and the Caucasus. You can find this tree in North America, but it is extremely rare.
For planting in a park, park or on a personal plot, it is better to purchase seedlings that are six years old. It is better to purchase seedlings in well-known nurseries in order to buy really high-quality planting material.
The best time for planting velvet, this is a period of leaf fall or a moment of rest. When planting a group of trees or in a garden, leave a distance of at least five meters between the trees - this is the space that velvet needs for proper growth and development.

Read also: How to feed dahlias for abundant flowering

Preparing for landing

Planting velvet is no different from planting other types of trees. For the seedlings of these giants, it is necessary to dig deep enough holes. The planting hole should be one third larger than the root system of a young tree. The depth of the hole should be at least 90 cm. It is best to dig a hole up to a meter deep. Planting on fertile soils is desirable.

If you are planting a tree in heavy soil, then drainage should be arranged for its root system at the bottom of the hole. Broken brick or a mixture of crushed stone will do as a drainage material. Drainage should be laid on the bottom of a pit with a thickness of at least 20 cm.
Further, after drainage, a layer of nutritious soil or a mixture of river sand, leafy earth and humus, taken in equal parts. When planting, keep in mind that you cannot deepen the root collar of the seedling. The root collar must be at ground level.

When planting, the seedling should be shed abundantly. A large bucket of water is sufficient for one seedling. Experienced gardeners choose rainy weather for planting velvet so that young trees are well watered. After planting, the velvet should be watered abundantly for five days. It is also recommended to mulch the soil around the seedlings so that the moisture does not evaporate, the mulch is laid in a layer of about 7-10 cm. You can use sawdust, tree bark, dry grass, sunflower husks as mulch.

Top dressing of young trees

After planting, the plant must be fed. You can feed the plant with mullein solution.
In the spring, in the first year after planting, young trees are fed with a mixture of 25 grams of nitrate, 1 kg of mullein (always fresh), 15 grams of urea.
In the first year after planting, but already in the fall, young trees are again fed with a mixture of mullein and nitroammofoska. Take 1 kg of mullein and a spoonful of nitroammofoska, and mix in a bucket of water. It is quite enough to pour one bucket of such a solution under a young tree, while adult trees need two or three buckets of such fertilizer in spring and autumn. The main care for velvet in the first couple of years is regular watering and feeding.

Read also: For some reason, the leaves of gladioli turned yellow: what to do

Tree care

If you need to transplant velvet, then choose a new area with fertile soil for it. The best soil for him is fertile loam. Heavy soils are not suitable for this tree. Velvet is resistant to heat, and therefore the move behind it will not be so troublesome.

Set aside a suitable area for the tree right away, given its long lifespan and spreading crown. There is no need to allocate a plot for it, next to which, perhaps, there will be construction. Don't forget about your neighbors - velvet needs sun.

The best time to transplant young trees is late autumn or spring. But with a closed root system, velvet, along with a lump of earth, can be transplanted throughout the season.

In the case of a summer transplant, it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture so that the transplanted tree does not dry out. The main care in this case is abundant watering and mulching.

Tree care is regular watering during the dry period, dressing. Pruning is also carried out, but with great care. Places of cut branches must be treated with garden varnish. Usually, formative pruning is done on velvet to give the wood a decorative and well-groomed look. However, gardeners recommend not to interfere with the development of the tree and let it grow on its own, without pruning.
Sow under the crown of the tree lawn grass, although many gardeners simply dig up and mulch the near-stem circles with any substrate. For Amur velvet, mulching and lawn grass are equally good. If you dig up the soil, then this should be done twice a year - in spring and autumn to a depth of at least 25 cm.

Preparation for wintering

Be sure to cover the velvet near-stem circles for the winter. So that the trunk does not suffer from frost, it is recommended to wrap young specimens with burlap. But if frost still damages the trunk, then the damaged areas should be treated with an antiseptic and covered with a thick layer of garden varnish. But the older the plant is, the easier and better it will withstand cold winters. Only young trees require painstaking self-care, while adult specimens are no longer so whimsical. Since the times, Amur velvet will thank you with lush beauty and unpretentiousness.

Growing velvet from seeds

If you choose to grow this majestic plant from a tiny seed, start by preparing your chosen area. Choose a place with fertile soil and dig deep into it, always good soil moisture. The seeds are planted to a depth of about 2 cm. After you plant the seeds, the planting site should be mulched.

Amur velvet in garden design

Amur velvet is loved by many landscape designers for its majestic beauty and high decorative qualities. This plant is suitable for landscaping both huge parks and very small backyards. Despite its impressive size, this plant looks great on a plot of even 6 acres. In culture, this giant does not grow too large, but retains its high decorative effect.

Beautiful, a big tree on the site - this is already a part of the landscape that attracts close attention... Amur velvet can become a reference point in design personal plot... You can group various plants around it, create very interesting compositions from other trees, bushes and flowers.

Under the scattered, openwork crown of velvet, lawn grass grows beautifully, which allows it to be planted in the middle of lawns or flowering lawns, which will be easier to care for. Planted in a small group, these trees can create the illusion of a green massif even in a small area.
Amur velvet looks great in the middle of the lawn, in a group with flowering shrubs and annuals. Excellent neighbors for Amur velvet are pine, birch, oak, spruce. Ornamental shrubs next to velvet they will sparkle with new colors, and low thujas, barberries, junipers become much more expressive, and caring for this stately tree and planting it is not too difficult.

Amur velvet is a spectacular deciduous tree with decorative and medicinal properties.

This is a relict tree that grew on Earth even before the icing. It belongs to the genus velvet of the rue family.

The velvet tree got its name thanks to the velvety outer layer of ash-gray, often with a silvery shade, decorative bark.

Other plant names:

Amur phellodendron (not to be confused with philodendron - liana);
Amur cork tree;
velvet tree.

Description of the Amur velvet

Bark and wood

Velvet grows up to 25-28 m in height, the trunk diameter can reach 90–120 cm. The velvet bark is 7 cm thick and consists of cork. This cork is considered a valuable material - it is environmentally friendly, waterproof, resistant to chemicals does not change the smell of products. Therefore, wines are corked with corks from velvet bark, floats for fishing equipment are made from it, and used in the production of linoleum. There is a bast layer under the cork layer.

The wood is easy to process, it has a beautiful color and interesting pattern in any cut, it is strong and flexible, resistant to decay, and when polished it begins to shine effectively. Wood is used in interior decoration, furniture and skis. Also this good material for the production of plywood and veneer.

Leaves

Tree leaves outwardly resemble ash leaves, but narrower, smell unpleasant. In autumn, they acquire a bright yellow, often with a copper sheen. One of the disadvantages of this generally very beautiful plant is that the leaves bloom later than on other trees, and leaf fall begins earlier - with the first frost, so its decorative effect does not last long. The leaves form a highly raised crown, if the tree grows in the forest, in a single specimen the crown is low, similar to a tent.

Flowers

This is a flowering tree... Amur velvet blooms by about the 20th year of life and blooms in June-early July for about 10 days with nondescript, small flowers that are not of any aesthetic interest, but are excellent melliferous plants. Velvet blooms very profusely, there is a lot of nectar and pollen in the flowers. The honey of this plant has a dark yellow color with a greenish tint, is very pleasant to taste and smell, is stored for a long time and does not crystallize, contains little glucose and has anti-tuberculosis properties.

Fruit

Velvet fruits ripen in September... These are black, shiny, inedible, and tasteless, round-shaped drupes, about 1 cm in diameter, with a pungent resinous odor. Sometimes they are described as "black pearls". The berries are collected in large bunches. Usually the tree bears fruit every five to seven years. Each tree can produce up to 10 kg of fruit. If not harvested, the bunches can sag all winter long without dropping, giving the plant a pretty look.

Where and how does velvet grow

The homeland of the Amur velvet is the Far East... It grows in Manchuria, Primorye, Amur Region, Khabarovsk Territory, Sakhalin, Japan, Korea and China. Prefers deciduous forests, slopes of mountains and hills.

Cultivated velvet is grown in North America, Europe, Central Asia and elsewhere in the world. Velvet is easy to care for, it grows very quickly and can live up to 300 or even more years. All he needs for a comfortable existence is warmth and light. It is unpretentious, frost and drought resistant, it exists perfectly in urban conditions, even with high gas pollution. Not afraid of winds, easily tolerates a transfer.

Velvet propagates by seeds and less often by cuttings... Seeds sprout about a year. Young shoots require care - watering, loosening, protection from the wind, etc. But when the seedlings develop powerful roots, they become very hardy and persistent. Adult plant does not need special care, except perhaps in a haircut and trimming to make it more decorative, which velvet, by the way, also perfectly tolerates. The only difference with a wild-growing species is that cultivated specimens rarely grow above 5 meters outside the areas of their usual habitat.

A beautiful openwork crown allows you to actively use Amur velvet in landscape design, it looks good in alleys, parks, lawns and garden plots... It looks especially impressive next to low-growing shrubs, for example, thuja, juniper or barberry, combined with spruce, birch, oak, maple.

The healing properties of the plant

Amur velvet is highly valued for its medicinal properties.... In traditional medicine, it is used very little, but in folk medicine, in particular, in China and Tibet, almost all parts of the velvet tree are widely used:

fruit;
bark;
leaves;
roots.

Medicinal properties of fruits

Most often used in traditional medicine Amur velvet fruits, the healing properties of which are most powerfully expressed.

Berries are harvested for medicinal purposes after they are fully ripe. They are taken both dried and fresh. They are effective in the treatment of a number of diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus, cystitis, reduced immunity, etc.

The fruit is effective in lowering blood sugar levels. With diabetes, berries are recommended to be taken on an empty stomach in the morning, chewed, but not washed down. After six months of regular intake, the sugar level is restored. In addition, the metabolism is normalized, the work of the pancreas improves. This result is achieved thanks to the essential oils contained in the fruits.

Amur velvet essential oils they are excellent for colds and flu - in this case, you need to chew and hold in your mouth 1-2 berries, no more, and then do not drink or eat for at least six hours. Usually one dose is enough to get rid of the disease, in rare cases a second dose is needed.

Another valuable property of velvet fruit is a decrease in blood pressure, for this they are consumed before meals daily.

Tinctures and decoctions of Amur velvet berries useful for tuberculosis, pleurisy, pneumonia. They have antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. it effective remedy with diseases of the oral cavity, dysentery, nephritis, gastrointestinal diseases.

Berries contain a number of substances that are dangerous to the body in large quantities. Therefore, when taking fruits and preparations based on them, you should be careful: do not take more than 5 berries daily, do not use for pregnant women, children under 12 years old and people prone to allergic reactions. It is also forbidden to take alcohol, strong tea, coffee and smoking during treatment.

Medicinal uses of other parts of the tree

Other parts of this plant are also used in folk medicine. It has been observed that the bark has active anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent for many diseases. A decoction of velvet bark is useful for diseases of the lungs and kidneys, infectious hepatitis, polyarthritis, dysentery, especially if fresh leaves of the tree are added to it. The bark is often used as an anesthetic and wound healing agent for long-term healing wounds - for this, the bark is boiled in water, novocaine and boric acid are added.

A decoction of the bark is effective for skin diseases, allergies and dermatitis.

In Chinese medicine, bast is used in the treatment of disorders of the nervous system, mental fatigue, in addition, it perfectly removes worms from the body, is useful for angina. Decoctions of leaves and bast are used as a tonic, it improves appetite and digestion.

The roots are used for treatment of various kinds tumors... Velvet generally has a pronounced antitumor effect, even in the later stages. It prevents the formation of sarcomas, tumors, therefore, in some medical institutions it is planted not only as an ornamental, but also as a preventive plant.

The healing effect of cupid velvet is very noticeable and persistent, especially when taken regularly in "homeopathic" doses.

Collection of raw velvet

It is necessary to procure raw materials for medicinal purposes within a certain time frame:

Raw materials are dried in the shade in a ventilated room or under a canopy; before drying, it is advisable to dry the fruits a little outside. The shelf life of the harvested raw materials is a year.

Amur velvet is a perennial with a spreading crown, belonging to the Rutov family. With its impressive size, the tree can confidently claim the title of a giant. Now it is actively used for landscaping parks, streets, garden plots.

This is a beautiful and hardy plant that performs not only a decorative function, but also heals many diseases. Its other names are phellodendron, the Amur cork tree. It was called cork because the surface of the bark is wrinkled and velvety.

Place of growth

The tree grows singly or in small groups. In our country, it is common on Sakhalin, the Kuriles, in the Khabarovsk Territory, on Far East... It also grows in other countries ─ Japan, Korea, China.

Velvet prefers hills, mountain slopes no higher than seven hundred meters above sea level, deciduous forests. This is a relict plant considered a living natural monument. The history of its appearance comes down to the times of the ice age. Cultivated samples began to be imported and bred now in new territories ─ in Asia, America, Europe, and the Caucasus.

Peculiarities

This dioecious deciduous tree is long-lived, growing in one place for up to three centuries. Appearance bears a resemblance to common ash.

The height reaches a maximum mark of 26-28 meters, and the growth rate is very rapid. Barrel thickness -1-1.5 meters. It is covered with gray bark, velvety and soft to the touch. In young plants, it is completely smooth and has a silvery tint. After cutting off the cork layer, the bark darkens.

Thanks to the powerful rod system, the impressive mass of the plant is well retained.

Dark green pinnate leaf plates have a lanceolate shape, located on the central petioles. The edges are jagged, which gives them decorative view... When the leaves are rubbed in the palms, a specific resinous smell emanates from them. They bloom in late May or even early summer. The krone is tent-roofed on spacious terrain and high in woodlands.

Flowers are small, inconspicuous, collected in inflorescences. The petals are yellow-green in color. The flowering period of Amur velvet falls on the beginning of summer. At this time, insects are actively collecting nectar. For the first time, a tree blooms only at the 18-19th year of life.

The fruits have spherical shape and a glossy surface, outwardly similar to pearls. They are inedible, have a specific smell. They stay on the tree at most until mid-winter.

Ripening of berries takes place in September. Harvesting lasts from August to early autumn. One tree gives about ten kilograms of berries. Before storage, it is imperative to dry them on outdoors... One berry contains from 5 to 10 seeds. The latter have a patterned surface and a teardrop shape.

Landing

Growing phellodendron is a painstaking and meticulous process, because it is stretched over time. To grow it successfully, certain conditions must be met. First of all, it is the right place for planting a tree. Since the breed is light-requiring, the site should be well lit, or at least with partial shade. Shaded areas are highly undesirable. The soil needs slightly acidic, moist and fertile. Sand is absolutely unsuitable. Stagnation is unacceptable groundwater... The right time of the year is early spring, when the earth is already slightly warmed up.

Important rules:

When planting, it is important to take into account the lifespan of the Amur velvet and its future size. There should be no buildings or laid communications nearby.
Planting is carried out by grown seedlings. It is best if these are adult, six-year-old plants. They can be purchased at specialized stores. Since they tolerate transplantation well, they very soon take root in a new site.
Planting is carried out in autumn or spring.
If several trees are planted, then an interval of at least 5 meters should be maintained between them. This space is required by each instance for a comfortable existence.

Algorithm of actions:

Blank landing pit... Its size should exceed the size of the root system of a young plant by a third.
If the soil has an increased density, then a drainage layer consisting of chipped bricks should be laid in the pit.
Pour the nutrient mixture on top. Suitable composition: turf soil, humus, river sand.
Spread the roots, place the seedling, sprinkle with earth.
Provide the plant with abundant watering. Pour a bucket of water under each copy. In no case should the soil dry out for the first five or six days. The best option is the planting procedure is carried out in rainy weather.
Mulching the soil with dry grass, tree bark, sawdust, sunflower husk.

Reproduction

Amur velvet can be propagated in two ways: by seeds and cuttings.

Seeds

For sowing, only fresh seeds from ripe fruits are taken. It is very easy to determine their maturity. If the fruit is placed in water, then oily circles form from the ripe specimen. Sow freshly harvested seeds before winter. If sowing is scheduled for early spring, then they must undergo preliminary stratification for three months. It is held in cool conditions (in a cellar or refrigerator) until germination. If a similar procedure has not been carried out, then pre-soaking the seeds in hot water will do. This is done three or four days before sowing. Then they are placed in the ground to a depth of 2-3 cm. The seedlings will grow better if the soil is pre-fertilized with potassium permanganate or phosphorus fertilizers. In the future, you should loosen and mulch the soil, regularly water this area, weed weeds.

The germination rate of Amur velvet is 60 to 80%, which is a very good indicator.

Cuttings

Cuttings are cut in the spring. For several weeks before rooting, they are added dropwise wet soil... This is not a very popular method because suckers are not very rooted.

Care

While the phellodendron is young, it must be carefully and painstakingly looked after. But the matured and strengthened specimen does not need additional attention and care.

Amur velvet should be watered frequently and abundantly. Especially if dry periods come.
To prevent the soil from drying out, the site can be mulched with wood chips or peat. Another option is to plant nearby lawn grass.
Top dressing is carried out in the spring. Suitable fertilizers are ammonium nitrate, urea, mullein.
In the same period, pruning of dried branches is done.
The plant has a thick cork layer, so whitewashing the trunk is not necessary. He is not afraid of the spring sun.
Hardy, tolerates cold winters well. Shelter on winter period only required for seedlings. Barrel circle closed with fallen leaves. The barrel is wrapped with burlap in one or two layers.
When frost damage appears on young trees, they must be treated with any antiseptic.

In general, the plant is unpretentious. In urban conditions, it easily adapts even to high air pollution.

Diseases and pests

The Amur cork tree is one of those rare cases when the plant is completely unaffected by diseases and pests. This becomes a significant investment for the gardeners involved in their cultivation.

Healing properties

Phellodendron is widely used in folk recipes many countries. Almost all parts of the plant are used for therapeutic purposes. Decoctions, infusions and tinctures, ointments are prepared from them. Even in ancient times, the Chinese knew the miraculous power of the Amur cork tree. The chemical composition of phellodendron contains saponins, tannins, coumarins. The leaves are rich essential oils, flavonoids, phytoncides, tannins.

Preparations based on it have many useful and medicinal properties. They have antimicrobial, hemostatic, antipyretic, hypotensive, fungicidal action.

In folk medicine, the plant is used to treat a variety of diseases and pathological conditions.

Among them:

arthritis and arthrosis;
allergies;
high blood pressure;
gastroduodenitis;
jades;
skin rashes;
diabetes;
pneumonia;
acute respiratory viral infections;
lymphadenopathy;
stomatitis.

During the treatment, you will have to stop drinking coffee, strong tea, and alcoholic beverages. Also, it is strongly discouraged to smoke cigarettes.

Honey

Its quality and quantity directly depend on weather conditions. This is because the flowering period is very short. In case of bad weather, bees will not be able to collect nectar, and in good weather, Amur velvet will be an excellent honey plant. Velvet honey is considered elite and has a number of unique properties. Among them:

long shelf life;
the content of a small amount of glucose;
lack of crystallization.

It is not cheap, but the price is justified by the quality. It is used to treat tuberculosis, boost the body's immune forces and correct hormonal imbalances.

Bark

The bark is used as a source of natural cork. It is flexible, environmentally friendly, waterproof, and highly resistant to chemicals. The valuable material is widely used for industrial purposes. Application options:

linoleum production;
clogging wines;
production of goods for fishermen.

The cork is harvested for industrial purposes from mid-June to mid-August.

Wood

It has a pleasant color and beautiful pattern in all sections. She has excellent technical characteristics:

does not rot;
easy to process;
shines beautifully after a good polish;
not damaged by fungus.

Found its application in furniture production.

Landscape design

Amur velvet is loved by landscape designers for its decorative crown. With its splendor and luxurious appearance, it is able to decorate any site or park area. In addition, the plant helps to cleanse the air from bacteria. For this reason, it is highly regarded in landscape gardening.

The cork tree looks good in combination with barberry, juniper, thuja and other low-growing bushes. To shade the trunk, honeysuckle and currants will do. Look spectacular joint landings with maple, linden, birch and spruce. They resemble a fairy forest.

If you plant lawn grass under the openwork crown, this will give the site neatness and tidiness.

Gardeners who want to create a favorable atmosphere in their garden should pay attention to Amur velvet. Also, it will be interesting for collectors of relict plants and hereditary beekeepers.

Unique trees - powerful, slender and those with a spherical, low-planted crown - are attractive to many. Therefore, more and more often you can find those who are ready to grow Amur velvet on their site (or near it). Are there any other names for this handsome tree? Yes, it is the Amur cork tree, as well as phellodendron, the medicinal properties of which amazed our ancestors. But in order to grow healthy and powerful velvet that can bewitch bright photos, you need to know the rules of planting, site selection and care. Then the tree will live more than 300 years in one place, and you will receive an assistant who is able to cope with numerous ailments!

A truly beautiful tree: a description of phellodendron

Today phellodendron is widespread in the vastness of China, Korea, Japan, in the Amur region (RF). Even in ancient times, the Chinese knew about the miraculous power of the tree, appreciated and respected it, using all parts (except for the roots) for the preparation of rubbing, tinctures, ointments and decoctions as medicine, bark - for products.

At that time it was called a black pearl: the fruits of phellodendron are blue-black berries, collected in a cluster like, the diameter of each berry is 1 cm. The flowers are inconspicuous, green, have no healing qualities.

Amur velvet is a deciduous tree. Its trunk is 100-120 cm in girth, height is 20-25 m. A tree grown not in the forest, alone, has a hipped crown, but the one grown in a complex planting is raised high. The bark is ashy, silvery, it darkens after cutting off the cork layer (for the first time - at the age of 10).

Attention! To prepare broths, ointments and teas, berries should be picked in September-October, when they are fully ripe and contain a lot nutrients... If stored for a long time, unprocessed berries can be frozen (and then used as intended), or dried in the sun.

Healing properties and chemical composition of Amur velvet: at the service of health

The fruits of the magic tree are truly miraculous: they increase vitality, give physical strength, and help strengthen the immune system. And for this all you need is to eat 2-3 berries in the morning on an empty stomach. Berries can be washed down with water and make sure that more than 5 pieces are not eaten in 1 reception! But this is not all that a tree is capable of! Its rich chemical composition allows you to fight numerous ailments, as well as use leaves, bast or berries for the prevention of certain diseases.

Amur velvet fruits

And all this is possible thanks to the content:

vitamins of group PP, C;
essential oils and coumarin;
tannins - 15%;
saponins and alkaloids;
polysaccharides and carbohydrates;
starch;
phytosteroids.

The healing properties of Amur velvet

The fruits of Amur velvet are most effective for colds, flu, sore throat and acute respiratory viral infections, metabolic disorders, and are also shown to people who want to lose weight. A long-term therapeutic effect was noticeable in those who suffer from high blood pressure: after 21 days of taking berries, the pressure stabilized and remained so for 6-10 months. However, phellodendron is also able to cope with:

diabetes mellitus;
ailments of the gastrointestinal tract;
diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary system;
tuberculosis, bronchitis and some types of asthma;
allergies with skin rashes, dermatitis.

Amur velvet bark

Do not forget that not only fruits are used to improve health, but also the leaves from which the decoction is made, as well as bast and bark. Tinctures and ointments have a diuretic, wound healing, anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

A striking feature is the honey of Amur velvet. Since the tree blooms profusely, it has large quantities of pollen with nectar, it attracts bees. Bees-workers, which then delight many with honey of a dark yellow color with a barely perceptible green tint... Pleasant smell and taste, low glucose content, long shelf life and absence of crystals make the honey of this tree not only a rare delicacy, but also an excellent remedy in the fight against tuberculosis.

Fellodendron: contraindications for use

But despite the fact that Amur velvet helps many, he, like any other medicinal plant, there are a number of contraindications. They are classic, but nevertheless deserve attention. So, decoctions, tinctures, ointments, rubbing and ingestion of fresh berries are not recommended:

children under 12 years old;
pregnant women, people prone to allergies and / or having an increased reaction to components and substances;
smokers.

It is also worth saying that alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited while taking the drug. All, without exception, in order to achieve an optimal effect for a long time.

Amur velvet - medicinal plant

Amur velvet: planting and care

Many of those who are familiar with the medicinal properties of phellodendron want to have it, if not on their site, then on the territory of the nearest forest plantation. That is why such farmers are worried about where to get the seeds of Amur velvet, how to germinate them correctly so that the seedling is healthy and viable, how to care for and when to wait for the first fruits.

It should be noted right away that the cultivation of phellodendron is a scrupulous and painstaking process only because it is stretched over time. Therefore, you need to be patient, and then everything is simple.

Where to get seeds and how to germinate, or how to start growing phellodendron

So the first task is to find the seeds. Of course, they are contained in the fruits and they can be obtained on their own, provided that velvet grows somewhere nearby. But how to understand that the fruits are ripe and the seeds can be used? The fruit should be black, soft if squeezed with your fingers. Another opportunity to check the fruit for maturity is to put it in water: from ripe on water, oily circles will go like from gasoline or diesel fuel. Seeds are extracted from such a fruit, dried. If this is not possible, the Internet will help you! Only you should not trust incomprehensible sites on which seeds cost 3 kopecks, but trusted nurseries or those individuals who already deal with Amur velvet.

Now you can start sowing. To do this, choose:

soil. The tree loves nutritious soils, loves light, but not demanding for watering. Therefore, when growing seedlings, it is worth highlighting the sunniest and most fertile area for it;
permanent place growth. Velvet can live up to 300 years, so there is no talk of a transplant at 25-50-100 years;
"Neighbors". Only powerful trees will survive next to velvet, so it fits well with oak, maple, conifers.

The best planting time is spring

When the territory is determined, the time is chosen. The best option is early spring, when the soil is already slightly warmed up. The seeds are laid out in holes to a depth of 7-10 cm, the planting pattern is 10 * 10 cm, covered with earth, compacted, watered. For friendly seedlings, the soil should be kept moist as far as possible and remember that seedlings from seeds will appear within 2 years!

Attention! Amur velvet has a germination rate of 60-70%. At the same time, 70% of the declared amount of seeds sprout in the first year, in the second - 30%.

Landing and care

For 2 years of life, in the third spring, the seedling can reach 90-140 cm in height. If he is healthy, not damaged, he is transplanted to a permanent place. In the first year in a new place, he needs more frequent watering for better survival, responds well to feeding with organic or mineral fertilizers.