When choosing decorative plants for a garden plot, it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions of the area, the illumination and the size of the garden. A beautiful decorative tree with a number of useful properties, Gledichia is three-pronged more suitable for urban landscaping and forest planting. Although, if you conduct a constant haircut - this is a great option for a hedge.
Plant biology
Meet: Gledichia trehlyukuchny ordinary. Description of biological features:
- Bean family tree .
- Height: average 25-30, in their native lands reaches 45 meters.
- Crohn: sprawling, leaves are dark green, shiny paranium, 14-20 cm in length, sometimes more are found.
- Bark: dark brown, thin. The trunk and branches are covered with thorns from 6 to 15 cm long.
- Flowers: yellow-green, collected in brushes, fragrant. Three-throated gledia blooms in May-June.
- Fruits: dark brown flat beans, collected in a pod 20-50 cm long. Sometimes curved and flattened. Inside are small brown seeds. Beans ripen in late autumn and can hang on branches all winter. They give the tree an exotic appeal in winter.
American beauty
Hledicia tricuspid vulgaris became known in the Old World after meeting with the American flora. Her homeland is the east of North America. The tree is quite thermophilic, it can be attributed more to the southern species, but it is cultivated and well established in Europe, in the southern part of Russia, throughout Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The maximum of its size is shown by gledichia in their native lands, in a foreign land the tree grows most often up to 20 m in height.
Three-throated gledia (description, usefulness, biological properties we consider in the framework of the article) resembles acacia, only larger. The tree belongs to centenarians. Known specimens that have reached the age of 300 years. Up to 80 years, retains the ability to reproduce by processes. Gledichia has a high resistance to droughts, but it is demanding on the nutritional value of the soil. In turn, the plant enriches the soil with nitrogen.
The American beauty is appreciated for its wood. Valuable pharmacological properties of the plant are used in medicine. In addition, gleditsia plays a decorative role and is an excellent honey plant.
Chemical composition
Young, only full-bloomed leaves of gledicia contain in large quantities the triacanthin alkaloid, which disappears as the leaf grows older.
Beans contain sugar, ascorbic acid, tannins, vitamin K, antraglycosides. Significant fractions of glycoside epicatechin, ameline, fustin, fisetin, saponins were found in the fruits of gledichia.
Seeds are filled with carbohydrate mannogalactan, covered with mucus from endospermia powder.
Gledichia: types and forms, use in landscaping
Resistance to drought allows the use of gledichia in green plantings of the steppe zone. A powerful branched root system made the plant an ideal plantation for strengthening slopes. Gleditsia grows rapidly, rarely gets sick and is almost not attacked by pests. Young shoots lend themselves well to pruning and shaping, which allows the use of gledicia as a hedge. The natural “barbed wire” makes such a fence a natural impenetrable and, at the same time, decorative barrier.
Propagated by seeds, shoots and processes from the roots. When cutting the tops quickly gives a dense young shoot. Three-throated Gledicia, or Common Gledicia - the most common type of this plant, but not the only one. In total, there are about fifteen species that differ in size and shape of the crown, leaves and thorns. On our territory you can still find Caspian and Japanese Gledichia. They are not so large, more thermophilic and less resistant to drought.
Valuable wood
Hardwood, resembling oak with its properties, has Gledichia vulgaris . The woodworkers have the most positive feedback on working with it. The material is solid, resistant in contact with the soil, withstands significant loads, is well processed by tools. Gledichia wood belongs to the sound species, has a red color with variations from light to red-brown. It dries quickly, but does not crack. These qualities, beautiful texture and color make it possible to use wood in the manufacture of furniture, construction, in the manufacture of various souvenirs.
Gledichia medicinal plant
Goledia beans are readily eaten by goats and cows, a drink from its seeds resembles coffee in taste and composition. Three-throated gledicia is an excellent honey plant, apiary is often planted with it. But the most important value of a plant for a person is its medicinal properties.
In pharmacology, young leaves and fruits of gledichia are used. The triacanthin alkaloid, which is contained in these parts, acts on the gastric tract more strongly than papaverine. Decoctions of leaves and beans treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: colitis, gastritis, chronic inflammation of the gall bladder, stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers. The chemical constituents of gledichia fruits have the ability to relieve spasms, dilate blood vessels, which makes their use successful in hypertension.
Preparations from the plant also have antifungal, anthelmintic, expectorant, diuretic action.
There is one important caveat when treating with gledicia medicines. A high concentration of the active substance makes the raw materials for broths highly toxic. The exact measure is a potent medicine, excess dosage is poison. At the first signs of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, fainting, immediately rinse the stomach and stop taking it.
Tinctures and decoctions
It is recommended to use folk remedies with caution and subject to accurate dosage.
- Tincture of the roots. Used to treat chronic polyarthritis. Prepare as follows. 50 g of root bark is poured with two glasses of vodka, insist day, periodically shaking. The daily tincture is heated in a water bath, not bringing to a boil. Leave for another day. Once again, heat, and let stand for three days in a dark place. All the while the tincture is resting, it is periodically mixed. After three days, strain the tincture. Reception: 3 times a day, 1 tablespoon 15 minutes before meals. The course of admission is 40 days. If necessary, repeat two to three courses in a month.
- Decoction of leaves. With chronic constipation. 1 tbsp chopped young leaves are placed in an enamel bowl and pour a glass of boiling water. Boil in a water bath for half an hour. Chilled and filtered broth is added with boiled water to the original volume. Take 5 times a day, one tablespoon half an hour before meals.
Cultivation and reproduction
Despite the fact that the three-thorned Gledichia belongs to the southern trees, it can also be grown in areas with cold winters, you just need to wrap young seedlings well. With each subsequent year, the tree will undergo acclimatization, and its frost resistance will gradually increase. As already mentioned, a tree can be grown from root shoots, overgrown, but the most robust and hardy will be a plant from a seed. For sowing, beans need to be collected in the fall, sowing is carried out in the spring. To guarantee germination, seeds can be soaked in warm water for several hours before sowing and inspected, but not dried. In a permanent place of residence, gleditsia is transplanted in a year or two.
Growth Features
The plant is able to live 100 years, therefore, all processes in it are slow. Gledicia begins to bloom and bear fruit in the 8-10th year of life.
Gleditsia does not have special requirements for the landing site, as well as special care, it is extremely viable. Regular watering is necessary only for young seedlings.
The plant is particularly resistant to various diseases, only leaf-eating caterpillars can harm it. The fight against them is carried out by spraying with any insecticide.