Unique features of fluffy birch
In the distant mountainous Altai, an amazing and healing tree grows - fluffy birch. It is remarkable not only for its slender appearance, but also for the fact that almost all parts of the plant can be used for medicinal purposes. You can meet a birch tree in the Caucasus and even in Siberia, since it has the most hardy character. Why is fluffy birch so remarkable?
What does a tree look like?
A young fluffy birch is a slender beauty with a narrow crown and light green leaves covered with a slightly sticky bloom. Like other varieties of birch, the leaves have an oblong shape and a carved edge, but they are not very large - a maximum of 7 cm in length. The trunk of young birches is brown-brown in color, and therefore they are confused with alder.
However, every year the birch is gradually changing and acquires the characteristic features of the variety, namely:
- the bark becomes smooth and white (small cracks form only near the soil itself in old specimens);
- branches depart from the trunk, and the crown takes on a spreading shape;
- leaves darken, and with the first cold they turn yellow-red.
At the end of April, female earrings bloom on a birch, and male earrings in autumn.
What does fluffy birch prefer?
In nature, fluffy birch is most often found in reservoirsas well as in mountainous areas. It is absolutely undemanding to the soil and grows well in clay, sandy and even very acidic soil.
But the fluffy birch loves the sun and, if it is enough, it can stretch up to 30 m in height, provided that the root system does not lack moisture, because this culture is very moisture-loving. But she is not afraid of the cold, moreover, it develops better in a moderately cool climate.
The species is the most cold-resistant, so it can be grown almost everywhere.
The healing properties of birch
The maximum concentration of nutrients in birch leaves is contained when they are still young. Plucked 4-5 days after blooming, they are a unique folk remedy for the preparation of diuretic decoctions, and also help with such diseases:
- cardiovascular;
- gastrointestinal;
- kidney and bladder problems;
- liver disease.
Decoctions and infusions of birch buds are used as anti-inflammatory drugs.
It is not difficult to prepare a natural medicine: pour 2 tbsp. l. dry or fresh leaves (buds) with boiling water and keep in a thermos overnight. It is tasteless and odorless.