Boron

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

The pine / Pinus / is a genus of coniferous trees and shrubs of the Pinaceae family. Pines come in different sizes. In the beginning, they show a regular vertebral branch, which over time acquires an irregular shape.

The stem of the plant is strong and upright. The branches are elongated, covered with scaly formations. There are also needles on the branches, which have different colors and lengths. Pine cones vary in size. They are single or grouped in several places.

These evergreen plants are most common in the Northern Hemisphere. They are durable enough to grow in adverse weather conditions. Pine grows successfully both on nutrient-rich soils and on poorer ones. It grows in both wet and dry places.

Types of pine

In the genus Boron fall into eighty species of trees, and in Bulgaria there are only five species growing wild. The most popular among them are black and white pine. There are also white fir, black fir and dwarf pine, which belong to the genus Pinus, although the word pine is not present in their names. In our latitudes you can see other types of pine, which, however, are grown for decorative purposes and are imported from abroad.

White pine / Pinus sylvestris / is an evergreen tree, reaching a height of fifty meters. In young specimens a part of the bark is yellowish or brownish, and in older specimens there is a grayish color. The leaves are in the form of needles up to six centimeters long. Its cones are male and female. The seeds are equipped with a lionfish. They ripen only in the second year. Flowering of this plant is in the period May-June. White pine can be seen in all mountainous areas in the country.

The black pine / Pinus nigra / is a coniferous tree whose height reaches up to forty meters. It differs from Pinus sylvestris in that it has a gray bark and relatively longer needles. In addition, its cones are larger. Black pine grows better in warm climates. It is found in most of our mountains, as well as in other countries of Southern Europe.

The white fir / Pinus peuce / is a tree species about forty meters high. It is characterized by a smooth, greenish or brownish crust, which over time cracks and acquires relatively darker colors. The needles are green and very tender. The cones have a cylindrical shape. White fir blooms in spring, and the seeds ripen after the second year.

Black pine / Pinus heldreichii / is a tree species about twenty meters high. In this tree, the needles are clustered in twos in short branches. They are short and prickly. The cones are up to seven centimeters long, but are more modest in size than those of white fir. The plant is known as Balkan subendemic, as it is widespread on the Balkan Peninsula.

The dwarf pine / Pinus mugo / is a type of pine that grows most successfully between one thousand and two thousand meters above sea level. In Bulgaria it is found mostly in Rila, Pirin and parts of Stara Planina. It is not one of the tallest trees and its stem grows up to four meters. The branches are lying down. Its bark is gray. The needles are about 2.5 centimeters long. The cones are about twice as long as them.

Composition of pine

The tips of the white bor are known for their healing properties. They contain essential oil, lemon, cadine, borneal, resinous substances, vitamin C and other substances.

White fir is highly valued for the balm that flows from its bark. It is a source of essential oil, resinous substances, camphene, karen, pine, paracimol, lemon and others.

Benefits of pine

The air in pine forests is very pleasant, but also useful because it kills germs. This is the reason for the creation of healing bases among the pine forests.

White pine is widely used in medicine and construction. When processing its wood, artificial fibers for fabrics and paper can also be obtained. In the past, pine bark was also used for tanning leather. Now this practice is not so common. The cones of the plant were also used to dye fabrics.

In medicine, the most valued are perhaps the pine tips, which must be plucked in the first days of spring. They act expectorant, anti-inflammatory, emollient.

From them are prepared decoctions, baths, tinctures, which help with a number of unpleasant health conditions. Pine is effective in bronchitis, shortness of breath, pneumonia, angina, cough, kidney stones, bladder problems, gout, rheumatism, sciatica, hemorrhoids. They also help with eczema, lichens, abrasions, boils and all kinds of skin irritations.

The black one bor serves to produce wood, valued less than Pinus sylvestris, as the material from it is heavier. In addition, it takes more time to process.

The famous balm of white fir is widely used in pharmacy. Ointments and other ointments are prepared from it. The balm is also used for inhalations for coughs and sore throats. As white fir has a very soft and light wood, it is also used in making pencils.

Black fir is known for its extremely strong wood. However, it takes longer to harvest as the tree grows more slowly.

Squat needles have a pleasant scent and are used to freshen the air. The wood of this plant is durable and is usually used to make small items. Squat is valuable because it helps to strengthen the soil in the highlands.

Folk medicine with pine

Folk healers strongly recommend extracts of white pine for respiratory problems, bronchitis, persistent cough. To prepare such a decoction, you will need one hundred grams of pine needles. They are washed, then left to neck in 2.5 liters of water until only half a liter of liquid remains.

The extract is then filtered and allowed to cool. The cooled liquid is mixed with 200 grams of honey and mixed well. Take 2-3 tablespoons of the resulting mixture before meals.

Pine in cooking

From white bor so-called pine honey can be prepared. For this purpose, ninety pine needles are soaked in one liter of water. The mixture is boiled until the tips soften, then the resulting liquid is filtered. After standing like this for a day, sugar is added to it (one kilogram per three tea cups of decoction). This is followed by cooking, which continues until the mixture reaches the desired density.

The resulting honey can be used to sweeten teas, coffees, juices and other beverages. It gives a pleasant sweetness to buns, biscuits, muffins, cookies, pancakes and all kinds of other pastries. In addition, it has a general strengthening effect on the immune system, expectorant and anti-inflammatory. It is extremely suitable for the winter months. For medicinal purposes, it is enough to take two tablespoons of honey before meals.

Harm from pine

Although the decoctions and extracts of white bor are useful, they should be applied only with medical knowledge. White pine remedies are not recommended for use by pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as by people suffering from hypertension and epilepsy.