2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The ivy / Hedera helix L. / is an evergreen climbing and climbing vine of the Ivy family. The stem of the ivy is branched and woody, up to 20 meters long and many roots. The flowers are bisexual with a greenish-yellow color. The fruit is a spherical, shiny and dark purple strawberry.
The ivy blooms August-October. It grows in moderately humid, shady and deciduous forests, in bushes and rocky places. It is distributed throughout the country up to about 1800 meters above sea level. It is also found in Central, Western and Southern Europe.
Composition of ivy
The ivy contains saponin glycosides, oleanolic acid, vitamin E, tannins, malic and formic acid, mineral salts, pectin, resins and more.
Growing ivy
The ivy is extremely suitable for growing because it is a very original decorative element for any room, yard or garden. Ivy has about 15 varieties, the most popular of which is English ivy.
It has leathery and shiny, dark green or light leaves that are arranged sequentially on the stem. From late summer to late autumn, ivy blooms with beautiful and small yellow-green flowers, and in winter it bears fruits resembling blueberries. The different species ivy mainly differ in color and shape of the leaves.
The most important condition for the ivy to grow well is that the air is sufficiently humid and the room temperature is maintained at a medium temperature. In winter it needs more light, and in summer - more indirect sunlight and water. It grows best in semi-shady and completely shady places.
The ivy best grown in mixed soil - humus, garden soil and sand. It needs a little nourishment in spring and summer. Transplanted every year, gradually increasing the size of the pot.
Watering depends on the season, but do not overdo it with water. If the temperature is low enough, the soil dries more slowly. In winter, the amount of water should be reduced, and in summer it should be watered every day.
In the spring, the tops of the ivy should be pruned, because in this way it stimulates growth and branches. The main pests of ivy are aphids and mites. Therefore, in addition to water to wipe the leaves, a pesticide should be used to spray the leaves.
Collection and storage of ivy
The usable part of the ivy are the leaves. They are harvested during flowering - June-August. They are dried in the shade and stored in a cool and ventilated place. The allowable humidity of the dried leaves is 12%.
Benefits of ivy
The ivy has a very good vasoconstrictive, diuretic, astringent and vasodilating effect. Probably the healing effects of the plant are due to saponin glycosides. Ivy is used for inflammation of the respiratory tract, gout, white flow, rheumatism, heavy menstruation, liver and bile diseases.
In addition to all the health benefits, some of the ingredients in ivy are used in cosmetics and in particular in anti-cellulite products.
Folk medicine with ivy
In folk medicine, ivy is used for inflammation of the spleen, diarrhea, cough, jaundice, skin rash. In the form of paws, ivy is used for external use in burns. Fresh crushed leaves are used to apply to calluses and warts. The leaves boiled in vinegar in a ratio of 1:10 are used for hair loss and dandruff.
For internal use 1 tsp. finely chopped leaves of ivy boil for 5 minutes in 400 ml of water. The decoction is drunk in 20 ml, 1 hour before meals.
Damage from ivy
Be careful when picking, because the leaves can irritate the skin and mucous membranes. In large doses, ivy is poisonous, so it should be taken on prescription and medical supervision.
