Euonymus
Properties and application of leaves, flowers and fruits of euonymus
Botanical characteristics of euonymus
All types of euonymus are distinguished by an expressive openwork crown. In spring and summer, their leaves are dark green in color, they do not attract much attention. However, in the fall, the bushes "dress" in beautiful outfits, the colors of which are raging with all sorts of bright colors (yellow, white, pink, orange, red, purple, carmine), they become a real decoration of the surrounding reality. Sometimes one leaf can be painted in 5-6 colors at the same time.
The genus euonymus, numbering more than 220 species, includes evergreen and deciduous trees of small size or shrubs. They are characterized by tetrahedral or rounded shoots, on the lateral parts of which cork growths are sometimes observed. Leaves are smooth, opposite.
The flowers are small, collected in 4–5 clusters in racemose, axillary multi-flowered inflorescences that bloom after the leaves have fully expanded. They are characterized by the presence of 4–5 sepals, 4–5 petals and 4–5 stamens and a pistil with a three- or five-lobed ovary.
Euonymus bears fruit in early or mid-autumn (September-October), its fruit is a dry, leathery, usually four-part capsule, it can be prickly or winged. Inside the capsule are seeds of white, red or brown-black color, they are covered with a fleshy tissue called "seed-seed". Depending on the type of euonymus, the seedling has a red, orange or red-brown color. The unripe boxes are inconspicuous, they are characterized by a pale green color, however, when ripe, they become very bright in color.
Euonymus grows in the undergrowth of deciduous forests, loves damp, moist soils. The temperate and subtropical climate of both hemispheres is acceptable for him, sometimes (but extremely rarely) the plant is found in the tropics.
Useful properties of euonymus
Euonymus is used in folk medicine. The medicinal raw materials are branches, wood, fruits, leaves of the plant.
The wood contains carbohydrates, sucrose, pectin, cyclitol dulcite, organic acids (malic, oxalic, citric, fumaric), tannins, anthraglycosides, steroids, vitamin C.
In the bark of the branches, carbohydrates and gutta-percha, anthraglycosides, tannins, and higher fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, linolenic) were found.
Alkaloids, flavonoids, gutta, vitamin C are found in the leaves of the plant.
The seeds also have useful properties: they contain anthraglycosides, cardenolides, carbohydrates, vitamin C, fatty oil, acids.
Raw materials are procured in small quantities.
Application of euonymus
Euonymus is used only in traditional medicine. Decoctions and infusions prepared on its basis are prescribed for severe headaches, nervous disorders. They have antiemetic, laxative, antiparasitic, antiviral, anthelmintic, choleretic, antispasmodic effects.
Euonymus is prescribed internally as decoctions, infusions and powders, and also externally - as compresses from a decoction.
Preparations from euonymus are recommended for headaches, constipation, vomiting, bronchitis, intestinal dysbiosis, hepatitis. It is an effective remedy for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. An alcoholic tincture is prepared from the wood of the plant, the use of which is recommended for the treatment of hypertension (first and second stages).
The infusion made from the fruits of the plant increases the potency in men.
Preparations based on euonymus are used in their practice by homeopaths.
The bark is used not only in folk medicine, but also in the manufacture of artificial silk and staple fabrics. Yellow paint is made from seed plants. Seed oil is used in soap making.
Euonymus easily tolerates pruning and looks spectacular. That is why it is often used for landscape purposes, as well as for decorating hedges.
Recipes for making tinctures and decoctions from branches and bark
Euonymus decoction. It is necessary to take 1 teaspoon of the finished raw material (crushed warty euonymus bark) and pour two glasses of water, then put the container on low heat and boil for 5 minutes, after which the broth should be infused for 1 hour. Do not forget to strain the resulting product. Reception scheme: for diseases of the cardiovascular system - 1 tablespoon before meals 3 times a day; for constipation as a laxative - 1/2 cup per day.
Tincture of euonymus. To prepare an alcoholic tincture, you need to take the bark of the warty spindle tree and 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. It takes 14 days to insist the bark on alcohol. Reception scheme: 6-8 drops (you can drink water) 3 times a day. The tincture should be taken for 2 weeks. It is prescribed for hypertension.
Infusion of euonymus. To prepare it, you need to take 2 tablespoons of flowering sprigs of euonymus and pour them with a glass of boiling water. An infusion for external use is recommended for the treatment of skin and nails affected by fungal diseases.
Euonymus leaves
Euonymus leaves are used to prepare medicinal decoctions and tinctures.
Recipes for making tinctures and decoctions from leaves
Recipe number 1. Take 1 tablespoon of the prepared raw materials (dried crushed leaves of warty euonymus) and pour 1 glass of boiled water. Put the composition on fire and boil for 3-4 minutes, after which it must be infused for two hours. Strain the resulting product. Dosing regimen: take with ascites as a diuretic, 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
Recipe number 2. Take 5 tablespoons of the prepared raw materials (dried crushed leaves of warty euonymus) and pour 1 liter of boiled water. Insist for two hours, strain. This infusion is used as an insecticidal agent.
Euonymus flowers
Euonymus flowers are inconspicuous and very small. They are very pale brown or greenish tones. Flowers are collected in 4-5 pieces in multi-flowered axillary racemose or corymbose inflorescences. They consist of sepals (4-5 pcs.), Petals and stamens (4-5 pcs.) And a pistil with a three-five-lobed ovary.
Euonymus fruits
Euonymus fruits are dry, leathery, as a rule, four-part capsule, which can be spiny or winged. Inside the capsule are seeds of white, red or brown-black color, they are covered with a fleshy tissue called "seed-seed". In September, the fruits dramatically change their appearance and acquire an unusually bright color, thanks to which the plant is highly valued in the decorative culture. Depending on the type of euonymus, the color will be yellow, scarlet, pink, raspberry, burgundy or dark purple.
Against the background of green, invisible leaves, bright, multi-colored fruits look expressive and contrasting.
European spindle tree
The European spindle tree is popularly called "bishop's hat" or "spindle tree".
Euonymus is a shrub, the height of which reaches 2-3 meters. Its stems are tetrahedral, the leaves are simple, large, elliptical, slightly leathery, dark green in color. In early or mid-autumn, the leaves take on bright, beautiful shades of red.
The flowers are small, greenish. It is from them that the fruits of the plant ripen, which are four-leafed boxes of yellowish-red color. The seeds are poisonous.
European spindle tree is found in all European countries, grows on roadsides, slopes and forest edges. It is a beautiful plant and is often used as an ornamental shrub in parks and gardens.
European spindle tree is a plant with healing effects. All parts of the plant are used for the preparation of medicinal raw materials. Alkaloids, digitalaloids and bitterness were found in their composition.
Infusions made from the fruits of the plant are an effective remedy in the treatment of malaria, they are prescribed for constipation, as well as to stimulate sexual activity.
Infusions and powders from the leaves of the plant are recommended as an effective antihelminthic agent (internally), as well as for scab, scabies, in the fight against lice and nits (externally).
Japanese euonymus
Japanese spindle tree (second name - "pseudolavr") is an evergreen shrub, the height of which reaches no more than 1.5 meters. Its leaves are obovate, sometimes representatives with narrow elliptical leaves are found. The leaves are 3–8 cm long, leathery, sometimes shiny from above, dark green in color, glabrous on both sides. The top of the leaf is rounded. Flowers are small (up to 1 cm), yellowish-green in color. Inflorescences are collected in 10-30 units per umbrella. Flowering occurs in June.
Japanese euonymus is used in indoor culture, its decorative forms are known. The plant withstands the conditions of an unheated room well, loves coolness. In an apartment with heating, euonymus can shed its leaves in winter.
In essence, Japanese euonymus is a small small-leaved shrub, which is characterized by branched rare bushes. In order to get beautiful, lush specimens, it is necessary to carry out multiple pruning in the spring and autumn.
Japanese euonymus grows slowly but constantly. Its lower leaves are very vulnerable, therefore, in order to keep them on a dense bush, it is recommended to plant the plant in a nutritious, water-retaining soil mixture.
Fortune's eonymus
Fortune's euonymus is an evergreen creeping shrub, the height of which reaches 30 cm in open areas and two meters in the most favorable climatic conditions with a support. Leaves are simple, opposite, 2.5–4 cm long, on short petioles, green in color.
In central Russia, flower lovers find it difficult to grow this plant.
In the southern regions, it is more common, blooms with inconspicuous, greenish-yellow flowers. Loves the sun's rays, does not tolerate the cold, freezes over, but quickly recovers in the summer.
Given the unfavorable Russian conditions for the growth of Fortchun's euonymus, it is considered to be an expressive element of exoticism in the garden. It is especially beautifully combined with conifers and shrubs, creating a colorful carpet around them.
Forchun's euonymus has long been used by folk healers for medicinal purposes, as well as a natural dye.
Warty euonymus
Warty euonymus is a shrub with a height of 1 to 2.5 m, it is distinguished by densely planted branches of a cylindrical shape with black-brown warts. The leaves are opposite, oval in shape, short-petiolate, pointed at the end, yellow-green above, and several shades lighter below.
The flowers are small (up to 1 cm in diameter), four-petal, on long axillary peduncles, collected in 3-5 units in half-umbels.
The fruit is a four-lobed box of dark red color, has a pear-shaped, slightly flattened shape, opens when ripe.
Seeds are black, shiny, hanging down. They hide behind a bright red bush.
The plant blooms from mid-May to mid-June, and the fruits ripen in September.
Warty euonymus is a medicinal plant. For the procurement of medicinal raw materials, wood, leaves, branches, fruits are used, which contain carbohydrates and related compounds, organic acids, fatty acids, anthraglycosides, vitamin C, tannins, flavonoids.
Infusions and decoctions of warty euonymus are recommended for the treatment of a number of diseases: hypertension stages I and II, nervous disorders, headaches, chronic constipation, prostatitis, ascites, and also as an antiparasitic agent.
Indoor euonymus
There are more than 120 species of plants in the euonymus family, but only two species are suitable for growing euonymus in indoor conditions - Japanese euonymus (Euonymus japonicus) and rooting euonymus (Euonymus radicans).
Euonymus is a light-loving plant. In summer it is recommended to expose it to the sun, but it should be sure to protect it from direct sunlight.
In winter, the plant requires coolness, otherwise it may shed its leaves.
Indoor species of euonymus are watered 2-3 times a week, less often in winter. In the summer on hot days, it is advisable to spray the euonymus with water.
Young plants are transplanted once a year, old ones - once every 3 years.
Winged euonymus
Winged euonymus is a deciduous shrub with a characteristic wide spreading, dense, branched crown. The shrub reaches a height of 2–4 m. It grows well in width, increasing in breadth by 15 cm per year.
The roots of the plant are thin, branched, due to their superficial location and thinness, they are sensitive to mechanical damage and soil compaction.
Euonymus blooms in May-June; small, yellowish-green flowers are characteristic of it.
In the autumn, the bush strikingly changes its color due to the ripening of the leathery tetrahedral capsule and becomes a bright carmine-red or lilac-red color.
The birthplace of winged euonymus is Japan, Manjuria, Central China. This species grows in light forests, as well as in bushy thickets.
The fruits of euonymus are poisonous.
The plant easily tolerates pruning and transplanting, but requires regular fertilization.
Winged euonymus looks spectacular as a sheared hedge, harmoniously combined with tree and shrub compositions. All sorts of forms can be created from this shrub, which, of course, gives the landscape a special shine and originality.
Dwarf euonymus
Dwarf euonymus is an evergreen shrub, its stems are creeping, easy to root and give many shoots. The height of the plant is no more than 30 cm. The leaves of the euonymus are alternate, opposite, sometimes whorled in the upper part of the shoots. The leaves of this species are characterized by a wedge-shaped shape. They are leathery, painted in bright green, glaucous below.
The flowers are small, only 5-7 mm in diameter, have four greenish or red-brown petals. The fruit is four-lobed capsules of yellow or pink color. The seeds are half-covered with orange seedlings. Flowering occurs in July. Fruit ripening - in September.
The dwarf euonymus is found in Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Crimea, and also in the Caucasus.
It is used as an ornamental plant. With its help, beautiful curtains are created, it easily transfers a haircut, and is used to design low borders.
Contraindications to the use of euonymus
Euonymus is a poisonous plant, so its use requires special care and attention. Overdose can cause enteritis with hemorrhagic syndrome (inflammation of the small intestine), slow heart rate, nausea, and vomiting.
The use of euonymus is contraindicated in pregnancy, heart failure, with aortic valve defect, bradycardia, decompensated coronary insufficiency.
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).
