Zizifora is a herbaceous perennial that is famous for its decorative and medicinal properties. Once planting this unusual plant in your garden, you will not only fill the garden with a pleasant sweet menthol aroma, but you will always have a green doctor on hand.
Description of botanical properties
The habitat of the zizifora is quite large. It is distributed from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to Central Asia. There are more than 30 plant varieties in the genus. Almost all samples contain medicinal essential oils in large quantities, for which they are no longer cultivated as an ornamental, but as a medicinal plant. In the wild, grows on rocky slopes and rocky hills. Prefers sandy mounds and sunny meadows.
The plant of the labiate family is covered with short pubescence and reaches a height of 8 to 40 cm. Such low shoots nourish a powerful, sometimes stiff, rhizome. The stems along the entire length are covered with hairy oblong leaves with a pointed end. The base of the leaf is narrowed and forms a short petiole. The color of the shoots is gray-blue, light green, the stems eventually turn brown or burgundy.
On the tops of the stems dense paniculate inflorescences are formed. The pink-lilac petals have a fused base, from which thin stamens peek out with dark pollination. The diameter of the entire inflorescence does not exceed 3 cm, and a single cup of flower has a size of 5-7 mm. The flowering period begins in late June and lasts 2 months. In the tube of each flower, the fruit ripens in the form of an ovoid nut of dark brown color.
Varieties of Zizifora
Among a wide variety of zizifora, the following varieties are more common:
- Zizifora Odorous. This lover of mountains and hills is found at an altitude of 400 m to 4.1 km. The entire length of dense stems 8-40 cm tall is covered with lanceolate hairy leaves. The size of the sheet plate is up to 2.5 cm in length and up to 1 cm in width. A spherical inflorescence is dotted with a large number of small lilac or lilac flowers. The corolla of each bud reaches 12 mm in diameter, and the tube is up to 2 cm in length.
Zizifora Odorous - Zizifora Pushkin. Creeping plant with brighter lilac inflorescences. The shape of the peduncle is elongated. The maximum height of the bush is 20 cm. The stem is highly branched, durable. Leaflets are rhomboid with small teeth on the edge. The aroma of flowers is less strong, unlike other varieties.
Zizifora Pushkin - Zizifora cuneiform. This herbaceous perennial, 12-25 cm high, has corollas of small buds on the tops. Petals are light, pointed, light purple or pink.
Wedge-shaped ziziphora - Zizifora capitate. A low (up to 20 cm) plant with branched stems and bright pink petals. It has a strong aroma, for which it is often used as a seasoning in food.
Ziziphor capitate
Breeding
This perennial plant is unpretentious, characterized by vitality and propagated by seed and vegetative means. Seeds are pre-planted for seedlings in separate peat pots or a large flat box. Do it at the end of March. Seeds germinate already in the first week. It is important to monitor the condition of the soil and avoid severe wetting. With the advent of two true leaves, seedlings are dived and planted in open ground. Seedlings do not require further shelter.
At the end of summer or September, you can cut the stems into cuttings. They are added in pots, in a mixture of sand and vermiculite. Young plants are kept in the garden, shaded warm areas where there is no strong wind are preferred. If cold weather occurs early in the region, it is recommended to leave still weak shoots for the winter indoors, and plant them in the garden next spring. The optimal distance when planting bushes is 30 to 60 cm. Since the stems creep on the ground, after 2-3 years they will completely cover the free space.
Cultivation and care
Zizifore does not require special care, it is enough to immediately prepare a suitable place for her. The soil needs light, drained, with the addition of sand. Suitable areas with large boulders and hillsides. A drought tolerant plant rarely needs additional irrigation, avoiding natural rainfall. It does not tolerate stagnation of water. Weed in a timely manner to weed beds to remove weeds and aeration of the upper layer.
The plant does not need fertilizers and grows well on any soil. However, in poor land, you can increase the number of flowers with the help of complex mineral and organic fertilizing. Ammonium nitrate or humus are suitable for fertilizer.
In winter, small bushes are not afraid of frost, but excess moisture during snowmelt can be fatal. It is recommended to cover the roots with waterproof material and sprinkle with fallen leaves.
Using
This ground cover is a low plant suitable for decorating the territory adjacent to the paths, as well as rock gardens. Delicate flowers and greenery will become a pleasant backdrop for brightly flowering plants or coniferous shrubs.
For the rich aroma, zizifora capitate is used in oriental cuisine as a seasoning. Optimal is the addition of leaves and young shoots to fish dishes. To do this, the plant is dried and stored in a sealed container to retain volatile oils.
The use of shoots of capitate zizifora, with a high content of menthol and alpha-pinene, is seen in the perfume industry. Hoods are used in soap making, the manufacture of shampoos and toothpastes.
Zizifora - a universal doctor
The healing properties of zizifora are undeniable, it has a wide spectrum of action and is suitable for people of any age. The composition of the ground parts of the plant and seeds includes the following components:
- flavonoids;
- alpha terpinene;
- saponins;
- palmitic acid;
- coumarins;
- oleic acid.
These useful substances are necessary for babies and older people. Most often they use alcohol tincture or decoction as:
- sedative;
- healing;
- painkillers;
- diuretic and diaphoretic;
- bactericidal agents.
Effective use of the drug for heart diseases, including myocardial infarction, as well as for getting rid of intestinal parasites. Such universal abilities make the plant very popular. People often call him an Altai doctor.
Compresses and lotions help to cope with sciatica, toothache or bruises. With the internal use of zizifora, it well cleanses the body of toxins, and also has a healing and calming effect on the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. Children with poor appetite are given a small amount of broth to awaken it.
Even those who do not complain about the exacerbation of diseases, it is recommended to use tinctures of zizifora as a preventive and restorative remedy. It will saturate the body with vitamins and add strength to the season of vitamin deficiency. Its immunomodulatory properties will help to resist viral and respiratory diseases.
It does not have any contraindications, with the exception of individual intolerance or allergic reactions. To make sure that taking the drug on the basis of zizifora does not cause a negative reaction of the body, it is worth consulting with a doctor.
