Spring adonis and its medicinal properties

Spring adonis is considered a wonderful flower. It is very often harvested for medicinal purposes. In another way, it is also called adonis, yellow, Montenegrin, as well as other beautiful "speaking" names. Spring adonis appears, as you understand, in early spring, as soon as nature begins to awaken. The flowers of spring adonis resemble a yellow carpet that covers the surface of the earth, giving the steppe a beautiful spring look. Real legends have been written about this plant since antiquity. Adonis grows very actively, its flowers are unprecedentedly beautiful, many yellow and fragrant flowers are usually formed on one plant. For example, one ancient Greek legend says that in ancient times a beautiful young man Adonis lived on Olympus, who was very handsome. At the foot of heaven, no one could equal him, and, of course, the goddess of beauty and love, the incomparable Aphrodite, fell in love with him. Young Adonis was very fond of hunting. Aphrodite told him many times that the young man should beware of many predators, which the young man hunted. But one time a wild boar met on his way, and he killed him with his spear. However, the predator managed to take revenge on the impudent Adonis; before his death, the boar mortally wounded the young man, thereby killing him. Naturally, the sad Aphrodite mourned the body of her beloved for a very long time. And in memory of him, the goddess planted the blood of a young man, from which these beautiful flowers grew, they bloomed, reminding her of the amazing beauty of God. And it was in honor of him that this plant got its name. Another name for this flower, as we mentioned above, the adonis, as you might have guessed, the plant got this name because of the specific color of the flower petals. They are like a flame burning in the sun, so this name has nothing to do with misfortune and grief, on the contrary, adonis is the kindest and most radiant flower that brings only joy. In this article, we will tell you about the features of this plant, the rules of agricultural technology, the reproduction of adonis, as well as the chemical composition of this herb. In the end, we will give you recommendations for the collection and storage of spring adonis for medicinal purposes.

Spring adonis: description of the plant and characteristics

Spring flower Adonis: plant photo

Spring adonis belongs to the buttercup family, this herb grows no more than 50 cm in height. Adonis always has a lot of stalks, they even form a kind of bush. The shoots have many leaves, and yellow flowers form at the tops. The root system is also developing very actively. On the shoots of spring adonis, scales are formed, it is in them that the buds of the plant are formed. The rhizome of the flower is quite voluminous, not very long, dark in color. The leaves have narrow linear segments, they are sessile in the middle, and are pentagonal in outline. So the decorative properties of spring adonis are excellent. The flowers, as we noted earlier, are bright yellow, grow singly, and are located at the tips of the stems. They reach seven cm in diameter, so they are considered quite large, sometimes the flowers are slightly purple or brown. There are many petals on each cup, up to twenty. The first time spring adonis begins to bloom at the age of three, and sometimes even later. After the plant has faded, complex fruits are formed at the tops of the shoots.Usually they are oval, single-seeded nuts ripen inside the boxes, which are attached to the calyx. These very seeds are very small, slightly wrinkled, spring adonis blooms in March, therefore the fruits begin to ripen quite early, in early summer. On the pedicels, grayish or yellowish green nuts are already formed. Spring adonis is growing in many regions of our country. Most of all, these plants love endless meadows, meadow steppes. Sometimes it can also be found in feather-grass open spaces. Basically, spring adonis grows in the middle zone of our country, it is found in the Western Siberian steppes, as well as in the foothills of the Caucasus and in Ukraine. Of course, in different latitudes, adonis blooms at different times, therefore, its fruits are formed depending on specific weather and climatic conditions. But, despite this, this culture always has very beautiful inflorescences, which, moreover, are also very often collected for medicinal purposes.

Spring adonis: planting a plant

Spring flower Adonis: plant photo

As you remember, spring adonis begins to bloom at the age of three, the bush does not mature so early in natural conditions. Therefore, you cannot just rip it off. This culture can be propagated through sowing seeds or by dividing the rhizome. Most often, it is propagated in the first way. Of course, the seeds usually do not sprout very amicably, so they are sometimes grown through seedlings. Before planting spring adonis, it is advisable to stratify the seeds. First, this culture is planted in special containers, boxes, but in the spring it is transplanted into open ground. Moreover, it is best to choose dry and warm areas for this plant, it is there that adonis will grow best. This crop is planted both in spring and summer. Both the seeds and the rhizome will need to be embedded in fertile soil, but not very deep, otherwise you will not see the sprouts. Sprinkle the seeds with a pre-prepared soil mixture with the addition of humus and lime. As you remember, the seeds do not germinate together, the first shoots will appear in about a month. Until the age of two, plants will develop extremely slowly. If we talk about the division of the rhizome, then this can be done both in spring and in autumn. Spring adonis should be planted in a well-moistened soil, the rhizome is pre-cut, embedded in the soil to a depth of 3 cm.In the aisles, half a meter recede, and between the plantings themselves, 30 cm.Do not forget that, despite the beauty and medicinal properties of adonis , this plant is considered poisonous, therefore, it is recommended to carry out all garden work with gloves, without contacting directly with the plants.

Spring varieties of Adonis

Spring flower Adonis: plant photo

The spring adonis has many varieties. For example, Turkestan adonis has a longer twisted rhizome, in length and more shoots. Curly hairs grow around the stems. This variety grows, naturally, in the Central Asian steppes. It can be found in the hills, in the alpine and subalpine regions. Sometimes Turkestan adonis grows in other steppe regions. If we talk about the type of soil, then it feels best on humus soil. It is even grown in Central Asia on an industrial scale, so planting data is considered very useful. The green part of the plant contains a lot of cardinoids, coumarin, flavonoids, as well as carotene and other useful substances. Moreover, it is important to say that the maximum biological activity of this plant is manifested during the formation of fruits, which is why adonis is harvested for medical and pharmacological use in this phase of development. Usually Turkestan adonis grows in alpine meadows, however, this amazing flower can also be found in other regions.Scientists note that, possibly, K-strophanthin is contained in the green part of the plant, so not all the characteristics of the variety and the chemical composition of the plant have been studied yet. And also the flowers contain many useful substances, for example, glycosides, acids, saponins, and other elements. If we talk about the properties of adonis, then on the human body, drugs because of this plant have a diuretic effect, as well as a sedative. But, we repeat, many properties have not yet been studied, perhaps, over time, scientists will discover other useful properties of preparations made from this flower.

Spring adonis: useful properties and application

Spring flower Adonis: plant photo

Of course, adonis spring is rarely harvested on an industrial scale, but the needs of pharmaceuticals are met by collecting products in their natural habitat. Fortunately, adonis is quite common in the wild. That is why if you notice this plant at the edge of the forest or in the steppe, then you should not thoughtlessly pluck it, its reserves are decreasing every year, therefore this culture must be treated carefully and carefully. In order to preserve adonis in its natural environment, reserves are often organized. If they begin to plow the land on the site, then this event is prohibited, raw materials are harvested once every 2-3 years. It is the aerial part of the plant that is considered medicinal. You can collect spring adonis both during flowering and in the fruiting phase. When the fruits crumble, the grass is no longer biologically active, so it is best to hurry up, adonis blooms not so long. Usually, for medicinal purposes, the upper part of the plant is cut off, but the bushes cannot be pulled out, otherwise the plant will die. It is possible to collect raw materials from the same site no more than once every several years. Moreover, it is impossible to cut off absolutely all inflorescences, otherwise the grass will not inseminate, which means that there will be no growth. If you cut absolutely everything, then even after three years planting will not recover, so think about the future and do not destroy all the plants at once. It is best to lay the harvested raw materials loosely, otherwise the grass will suffocate during transportation. It is best to use any open baskets or containers for this. If you put adonis in a bag, it can turn black. Raw materials can be dried both in a special dryer, oven, and in the usual way, by spreading the grass under a canopy. If you will use an electric dryer, then turn on the fast drying mode, so the beneficial properties of adonis spring are preserved. You can completely dry the grass in the attic. Choose dark places for this, and it does not have to be very hot there. Before drying, it is advisable to sort out the grass, mix and spread it on gauze or newspaper. The grass should be free on the surface, so it dries better and does not suffocate. As you remember, it is best to collect raw materials during flowering or fruiting of adonis. However, in different regions, the culture blooms and bears fruit at different times, so keep an eye on the climatic and weather conditions and collect adonis at the right time. But how do you know when the raw material is ready for use? Everything is very simple. If the thickest shoots began to break without problems, then this grass has dried up. And remember that adonis is harvested together with leaves and flowers, even with young fruits. This plant tastes bitter; after drying, it will need to be stored in a closed container. The sun's rays should not penetrate there. The beneficial properties of this medicine persist for a year.

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Spring flower Adonis: video about a useful plant

It is interesting that it is the spring adonis that is considered the most ancient folk remedy. It was harvested back in the 17th century in order to cope with heart disease.And even in the last century, many wise healers used this plant to treat disorders of the cardiovascular system. As you remember, the rhizome is not harvested for medicinal purposes, for this they use the ground part of the plant and even the fruits. Tinctures, decoctions, and potions are made from spring adonis. However, it is not worth thoughtlessly using adonis to prepare medicines, as you remember, this is still a poisonous culture. With the help of these drugs, cardiovascular diseases are treated, through the use of these drugs, heart contractions are regulated, the state of the nervous system is normalized. Samarin helps to remove cardiac glycosides from the body, which means that these drugs can both slow down the heart rate and increase the intensity of heart contractions. Often infusions are prepared from spring adonis. Pharmaceutical companies produce many preparations containing the juice of this plant. Usually, each bottle contains no more than 15 g of adoniside. The drug is taken orally, dosing the drug depending on the age category of the patient. It is interesting that many complex preparations also include adonis tincture, for example, the well-known cardiovalene. With its help, you can expand blood vessels, increase the contraction of the heart, raise the general tone of the body, sometimes healers use tinctures for kidney disease, swelling of the extremities. In order to prepare this most healing infusion, you will need to pour a tablespoon of herb with two cups of hot water, boil for 5 minutes and leave for half an hour. After that, the infusion will need to be filtered and taken no more than 6 times a day for a tablespoon. The healing properties of spring adonis are rightfully extensive, this amazing plant heals both the buds and the heart, and in appearance this flower is very attractive. Therefore, it is quite possible to try to grow it in your garden, but remember, this spring adonis is still a poisonous plant, so be careful.