2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Evergreen / Vinca major / is an evergreen perennial herbaceous plant native to Western Europe. It is found in Central and Southern Europe, Turkey and others.
In Bulgarian folk medicine it is used as a remedy for nosebleeds, as an astringent for diarrhea and others. The above-ground part of the plant is used.
In Bulgaria, evergreen grows as an ornamental plant, is often grown in gardens, cemeteries and parks. It has also spread as a wild plant.
Species of evergreen
The three most common are in our country evergreen - large, small and grassy.
The large evergreen / Vinca major / is an evergreen, perennial herbaceous plant of the Toynovi family. Flowering stems are erect, up to 20 cm long, branched, creeping and often rooting at the nodes. The leaves of the plant are opposite, entire, heart-shaped, shiny, leathery, with short stalks, completely bare at the edges, overwintering.
The flowers of evergreen are blue or purple, large, emerging singly from the axils of the leaves, attached to long stalks. The fruit is elongated in the form of a spindle, composed of two separate parts, with 6-8 smooth, brown seeds. The herb usually blooms in late spring and sometimes in autumn.
The little one evergreen / Vinca minor / is also an evergreen, perennial herbaceous plant of the Toinovi family. It has almost the same characteristics as the large evergreen. It differs from it by the smaller size of the leaves and flowers, as well as by its elliptical leaves.
The herbaceous evergreen / Vinca herbacca W.et K. / is a wild evergreen. It differs from the other two species of the genus Vinca with arched and rooted tops of the stems and oblong-ovate, ciliate at the edges, thin, falling leaves in winter.
Locations of wild evergreen there are in our wet, shady and humid places, with predominant beech and hornbeam forests, from 55 to 750 m above sea level. In Bulgaria, the wild herb almost does not form fruits and seeds.
History of evergreen
The healing properties of evergreen / periwinkle, fairy flower / were described in the 2nd century in the Roman Herbarium by Lucius Apuleius. It states that the plant was used against "devil's disease" and demon possession, to protect against snakes and wild beasts.
It was believed that when there is love, the green leaves of evergreen, in various combinations of preparation, cure many nervous diseases, high blood pressure and skin rashes.
The decoctions created by them have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, hemostatic and lower blood sugar. It was also believed that the evergreen is a flower with magical power and might, which protects against evil forces.
Composition of evergreen
The leaves of the small evergreen contain from 0.30 to 0.50% alkaloids derived from indole. About 50 alkaloids have been isolated, of which the amount of the alkaloid vincamine is predominant.
They also contain the flavonoids rutin, robinin, and kaempferol, ursolic and chlorogenic acid, tannins and more. It has been found that the drug of small evergreen acts hypotensively and as a hemostatic agent in nosebleeds.
From research on the wild evergreen It has been found that the alkaloids it contains, especially vincamine, lower blood pressure.
By the nature of their action, these alkaloids are close to the alkaloids of the Indian shrub Rauwolfia serpentine, from which the famous reserpine is derived. Active substances such as vincamidine, vinoxin, vicin, vincesin, isovinkamine, etc. have been released from the upper part of the large evergreen.
Growing evergreen
For planting evergreens choose a place that is in partial sun to full shade, with good drainage. The plant is a suitable choice for soil cover in shady areas. Evergreen will have more vigorous growth on moist soil.
Usually the plant is planted under large trees, where it will experience a lack of light. Achieving strong growth is not a problem for these plants, so if it is a problem, you need to control their growth every year. Evergreen blooms in soils rich in humus, but tolerates poorer soils.
Evergreen is considered a very aggressive plant. The big one evergreen is less resistant to drought and severe winter frosts. Vinca minor tolerates a little more sun than Vinca major.
Otherwise, this type of invasive plants are vigorous growers and tend to successfully fill areas. Evergreen has successfully established itself as a favorite flower for decoration on balconies - planted in pots or hanging baskets.
Collection and storage of evergreen
The herb is harvested from May to June. The entire leafy above-ground part of the plant is cut off during flowering, while at the same time being cleaned of woody stems, soil and other impurities. When picking, the stems should be cut without plucking, so as not to destroy the plant.
In cultivated forms, after cutting the stems, the plants re-develop and another harvest can be obtained by the end of the season. Evergreens should not be mixed with other species of the same genus during harvesting and storage.
The collected and cleaned material is tied to wrists, which are hung on wires, nails, etc. The drug can be dried in an oven at a temperature of up to 55 degrees.
The finished drug, after drying, is green in color, odorless and has a bitter taste. From 1 kg of fresh stalks 1 kg of dry ones is obtained.
Once the herb has dried, store it carefully in a ventilated area, away from non-toxic drugs.
Benefits of evergreen
Evergreen has cleansing, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action. It has the ability to calm the nervous system. Dilates cerebral blood vessels, eliminates headaches due to spasms of these vessels.
Evergreen increases the tone of the veins, strengthens cerebral circulation, improves the supply of oxygen to the brain. The herb reduces ischemic areas in stroke and improves the functional state of the myocardium. It has a beneficial effect on crises of a vestibular nature, accompanied by dizziness, tinnitus, movement coordination disorder.
The small evergreen lowers blood sugar levels, supports the kidneys by moderately increasing their urinary function. The drug is successfully used in atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemia, neurosensory deafness, ototoxic neuritis.
Evergreen helps even with reduced sense of smell and some eye diseases. External use of the drug is also known. Decoction of evergreen is used for itching and skin rashes, as well as for gargling for inflammation of the throat and oral mucosa.
The Bulgarian pharmaceutical industry uses evergreen for the preparation of vincapan and vincadrex, which have hypotensive effects in mild forms of hypertension.
Folk medicine with evergreen
Bulgarian folk medicine recommends a decoction of small evergreen for fever, malaria, cough, hemoptysis. A decoction of the leaves of a small evergreen is prepared by boiling 1 teaspoon of the leaves in 250 ml of water for 15-20 minutes.
This dose is one day and is divided into three doses. The decoction is filtered and drunk on an empty stomach before meals. Externally, a decoction of the herb is used for inflammation of the mouth, for gurgling in toothache and for compresses for wet eczema and skin rashes.
In our folk medicine is also used the herbaceous evergreen, also called female ivy, violet, church flower. Tea is made from its leaves, which is taken for diarrhea and dysentery, and is also used for washing wounds.
Harm from evergreen
Evergreen can cause poisoning and should not be used without medical supervision.
