Vitex sacred or Abraham tree from seeds. Vitex sacred tree of Abraham! Planting Care How to Treatment
Vitex It’s not for nothing that they gave it the specific name – sacred. It is believed to be named after the biblical forefather Abraham, revered by both Christians and Muslims alike. The plant also has many popular names - chasteberry, common twig, Abraham's tree, tree of purity, king tree, monk's pepper, wild pepper, chastity berry.
As old as the world
Since ancient times sacred vitex was and remains a recognized medicinal plant, described in the works of Theophrastus (IV century BC), Hippocrates, Dioscorides and Pliny. In ancient times, this plant was used not only for food and for treating people, but also in religious services. The tree has long served as a symbol of chastity, which is most likely incorrect, since vitex is an aphrodisiac, although not an absolute one.
Today sacred vitex valued and widely used throughout the world as an essential oil, food, medicinal and ornamental plant. It is actively used by homeopaths and is among medicinal plants, which are used in modern oncological practice. IN lately Vitex attracts increased attention and interest, which is associated with pharmacological discoveries and compelling therapeutic results (for example, in the treatment of Parkinson's disease).
Thanks to the numerous decorative inflorescences that bloom in early August, Vitex sacred - a recognized favorite in gardens all over the world in the regions where it grows.
The homeland of the plant is the Mediterranean. About 250 species of vitex are known, distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres. It grows in the Caucasus, Black Sea region, Crimea, Central Asia, Mediterranean (from Italy to Egypt), on the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Iran, North America, North-West Africa.
Botanical "portrait"
Vitex sacred (Vitex agnus-castus L.) in places of natural growth - shrub or small tree family Lamiaceae up to 1 m high. Vitex sacred has a smooth edge of the leaf blade, while Vitex hemp-shaped has a jagged edge, the inflorescence is loose with fewer flowers, a milder taste and aroma. Otherwise, the biological characteristics and methods of using plants are identical.
In addition to Vitex sacred, two more species are known - c. hemp-like and c. Negundo.
Chasteberry plant is a bush up to 180 cm high. Annual stems are grey-tomentose due to appressed hairs. The leaves are dark green, palmately compound, with 5-7 lanceolate, entire-edged, pointed leaflets at the apex, glabrous above, grayish below, densely pubescent. Numerous fragrant small purple flowers collected in discontinuous spike-shaped inflorescences.
The fruits are round black-brown complex four-seeded berries with a diameter of 3-4 mm.
Vitex propagation
Vitex sacred is propagated by seeds and vegetatively.- green or woody cuttings.
Vitex seed propagation V open ground possible, but very problematic. It's best to grow it seedling method, sowing seeds in a greenhouse so that the grown seedlings can be planted on permanent place in September or May-June next year.
During vegetative propagation cuttings can be used green - in the second half of July or woody - after the leaves have fallen, but before the onset of frost.
Cuttings are cut like this so that each has at least two pairs of buds. The lower leaf blades are removed, and the upper ones are shortened by 1/3. Bottom part the cuttings are cut 1.5-2.0 cm below the bud and treated with a growth stimulator, and if it is not there, it is kept for 2-4 hours. clean water and planted in a greenhouse, deepening it to 1/3 of the length of the cutting (nutrition area 10x10 cm). The substrate for growing cuttings is made up of 40% peat, 40% river sand and 20% humus. A well-developed Vitex seedling has 2-5 shoots up to 50 cm high and root system 30-40 cm long
Under the laying of the plot the soil is dug deep and harrowed. Best term landings - September-October. Planting is done in holes that have been previously spilled with plenty of water. The root collar should be 5-8 cm below the soil level. For the winter, young plants are covered with soil or sprinkled with peat. Before winter, it is advisable to fertilize vitex organic fertilizers, and during spring watering, add 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate per bush as a top dressing. For a permanent place seedlings are planted, providing them with a feeding area of 1x1 m.
It was not for nothing that Vitex was given the specific name - sacred. It is believed to be named after the biblical forefather Abraham, revered by both Christians and Muslims alike.
Read about the history of origin, features of cultivation and propagation of vitex in this material.
The plant also has many popular names - chasteberry, common twig, Abraham's tree, tree of purity, king tree, monk's pepper, wild pepper, chastity berry.
As ancient as the world: the history of the origin of the sacred vitex
Since ancient times, chaste vitex has been and remains a recognized medicinal plant, described in the works of Theophrastus (IV century BC), Hippocrates, Dioscorides and Pliny.
In ancient times, this plant was used not only for food and for treating people, but also in religious services.
The tree has long served as a symbol of chastity, which is most likely incorrect, since vitex is an aphrodisiac, although not an absolute one.
Today, Vitex sacred is valued and widely used throughout the world as an essential oil, food, medicinal and ornamental plant. It is actively used by homeopaths; it is among the medicinal plants that are used in modern oncological practice.
Vitex has recently received increased attention and interest due to discoveries in pharmacology and convincing therapeutic results (for example, in the treatment of Parkinson's disease).
With its numerous ornamental inflorescences blooming in early August, Chasteberry is a recognized favorite in gardens around the world in the regions where it grows.
The homeland of the plant is the Mediterranean. About 250 species of vitex are known, distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres. It grows in the Caucasus, the Black Sea region, Central Asia, the Mediterranean (from Italy to Egypt), on the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Iran, North America, and North-West Africa.
Characteristics of Vitex Sacred Herb
Vitex sacred (Vitex agnus-castus L.) in places of natural growth is a shrub or small tree of the Lamiaceae family, up to 1 m high.
In Vitex sacred, the edge of the leaf blade is smooth, while in Vitex cannabifolia L. it is jagged, the inflorescence is loose with fewer flowers, and has a milder taste and aroma. Otherwise, the biological characteristics and methods of using plants are identical.
In addition to Vitex sacred, two more species are known in Ukraine - Vitex hemp and Vitex negundo.
The Vitex plant in Ukraine is a bush up to 180 cm high. Annual stems are grey-tomentose due to appressed hairs.
The leaves are dark green, palmately compound, with 5-7 lanceolate, entire-edged, pointed leaflets at the apex, glabrous above, grayish below, densely pubescent.
Numerous fragrant small purple flowers are collected in discontinuous spike-shaped inflorescences.
The fruits are round black-brown complex four-seeded berries with a diameter of 3-4 mm.
He feels comfortable with us
Vitex is cultivated in the south of Ukraine and Transcarpathia. It grows well on fertile soils, at the same time, is content with poor soils - rocky, sandy and loamy.
Very acidic, swampy and waterlogged soils are unsuitable for it. It does not tolerate flooding or prolonged drought.
Vitex seedlings are very small; in the first year the plants grow very slowly. From the second year, seedlings accelerate growth, bloom and bear fruit.
In spring they begin to grow late, in mid-May.
The seedlings tolerate frost well and can grow in conditions of salinity in the soil in close proximity to the sea.
Sometimes, in particularly harsh winters, almost the entire above-ground part of the bush freezes and dies. In the spring, the bush is pruned to living wood (sometimes close to the ground); during the growing season it grows intensively, reaching its previous height, and blooms.
How to propagate Vitex sacred?
Vitex sacred is propagated by seeds and vegetatively - green or lignified cuttings.
Seed propagation of Vitex in open ground on the territory of Ukraine (except for the southern regions) is possible, but very problematic.
It is best to grow it in seedlings, sowing seeds in a greenhouse so that the grown seedlings can be planted in a permanent place in September or May-June next year.
Our advice:
For vegetative propagation, cuttings can be used green - in the second half of July or lignified - after the leaves have fallen, but before the onset of frost.
The cuttings are cut so that each has at least two pairs of buds. The lower leaf blades are removed, and the upper ones are shortened by 1/3. The lower part of the cutting is cut 1.5-2.0 cm below the bud and treated with a growth stimulator, and if it is not there, it is kept for 2-4 hours in clean water and planted in a greenhouse, buried by 1/3 of the length of the cutting (nutrition area 10x10 cm ).
The substrate for growing cuttings is made up of 40% peat, 40% river sand and 20% humus.
A well-developed Vitex seedling has 2-5 shoots up to 50 cm high and a root system 30-40 cm long. Before planting a plot, the soil is dug deeply and harrowed.
The best planting time is September-October.
Planting is done in holes that have been previously spilled with plenty of water. The root collar should be 5-8 cm below the soil level.
Our advice:
For the winter, young plants are covered with soil or sprinkled with peat. Before winter, it is advisable to fertilize the vitex trees with organic fertilizers, and during spring watering, add 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate per bush as a top dressing. The seedlings are planted in a permanent place, providing them with a feeding area of 1x1 m.
Olga KORABLEVA, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences
© Ogorodnik magazine
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Since time immemorial, people have been looking for ways to preserve their youth. Alchemists experimented with organic substances, and believers sought salvation in all sorts of sacred places. Abraham's tree was one of these places. Some legends say that the forefather of the Jewish people, Abraham, once rested under this tree. In ancient times it was believed that this particular tree could rejuvenate a person. To achieve this effect, it was enough to simply sit under the mighty crown of a tree and slowly inhale its aroma.
That is why the tree has long served as a symbol of chastity. Of course, it would be stupid to believe that the Abraham tree, also called vitex, can bring back years that have gone forever, but I really want to believe in it.
Habitat
The Mediterranean is rightfully considered the homeland of the Abraham tree, but in present moment The habitats of this plant are quite extensive. It can be found in the Balkans, Asia Minor, Iran, in the reserves of Crimea, in Krasnodar region and throughout the Caucasus. Vitex looks like a mighty tree-like shrub that reaches a height of two to eight meters. At home, its height does not exceed 1.5 meters. Vitex has brown branches with a pungent odor, and the stems are gray in color. The average leaf length reaches 7-10 cm. The entire tree is covered with numerous pale lilac flowers, which are beautifully collected in inflorescences. The fruits of the plant are 0.5 cm in size and their harvest occurs in the period September - October.
How to Grow an Abraham Tree
You can grow an Abraham tree in a greenhouse or home greenhouse. Vitex is propagated using seeds or green cuttings. When propagating by cuttings, it is necessary to prepare green shoots in July. The seeds germinate well both during autumn and spring sowing. Cuttings are cut 15-20 cm long or four or more buds, then planted in a greenhouse at a distance of 10 cm from each other. By autumn, the seedlings will be ready for planting in a permanent place. Caring for an Abraham tree is not labor-intensive; it is enough to keep the soil loose and free from weeds, and occasionally feed it with mineral fertilizers.
The healing properties of the miracle tree
The medicinal raw materials of the tree are leaves, flowers, fruits, branches and partly the bark. Its leaves contain a huge amount of vitamin C (118 mg), and the fruits contain a lot of fatty and essential oil(0.47%). IN chemical composition includes microelements such as cineole, pinene, sabinene, essential fatty acids and palmitic acid. Such substances have a beneficial effect on endocrine glands, especially on the hypothalamus. Also, plant-based medicines successfully combat mental problems and depression. The tree has a fairly strong aroma, which actively affects the sense of smell, which helps treat mental disorders. The fruits and leaves of the Abraham tree contain substances such as coumarins, which are used for various oncological diseases of the appendages and uterus. The plant is widely used to treat scabies, urticaria and even gonorrhea. In fact, the Abraham tree is good for healing both men and women. Berries are excellent for men's health as a treatment for depressed sperm viability and motility, that is, they improve reproductive functions and solve problems of impotence. The foliage of the plant is used as a prophylaxis for chronic diseases of the liver and spleen. In general, the components of the Abraham tree have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal and sedative effects on the body as a whole. A decoction from the branches and fruits is drunk for gonorrhea, and an infusion of flowers is used for baths for skin diseases. In order to relieve fatigue from your feet, you need to put leaves in your shoes or socks, and then you will only enjoy walking.
Range of applications of Vitex
This miracle tree has found its use not only in medicine. It is known that in Arab countries the Abraham tree is known as “fierce pepper.” There, its leaves and fruits are used in cooking for the preparation of smoked meats, meat and fish dishes, soups and canned food in combination with other spicy plants. Tree branches, due to their flexibility and pliability, have found wide application in the form of an engineering material for the manufacture of wicker products. This tree has always been revered in all religions. Clergymen, regardless of their faith confession, often made staffs from wood. Maybe that's why it is also called the Sacred.
Contraindications
It is necessary to use tinctures or medications based on Vitex components as directed, as there are certain contraindications. Maybe side effect in the form of allergic reactions, and from the central nervous system Hallucinations, confusion, and psychomotor agitation may occur. To avoid this kind of case, mandatory consultation with a specialist is necessary. Also, a contraindication to taking medications may be intolerance to honey, childhood up to 12 years or hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.
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Vitex (lat. Vitex)- a genus of evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees of the Lamiaceae family. Previously, the genus was classified as a member of the Verbenaceae family. Another name is twig. The Mediterranean is considered to be the birthplace of vitex. In nature, plants are found mainly in tropical, subtropical and temperate climates. The most common type is sacred vitex (or wild pepper, or Abraham tree, or common twig). There are legends about the miraculous power of this species; it is not so much fruity as it is spicy, aromatic and medicinal. Vitex has been known since ancient times, but it began to be cultivated relatively recently.
Characteristics culture
Vitex - shrubs or trees up to 10 m high with a spherical openwork crown. The branches are elastic and flexible. The leaves are grayish-green, compound, pubescent, palmate, opposite, sitting on long petioles. The flowers are quite small, fragrant, white, red, yellow, lilac, purple or blue, collected in large paniculate or cluster-shaped inflorescences, located at the tips of the shoots. The corolla is two-lipped. The fruit is a dry, four-locular, spherical drupe. The fruits are black, with a bluish bloom, up to 3-4 mm in diameter, surrounded by a calyx. Vitex blooms from June to October, bears fruit until December (depending on climatic conditions). All parts of the plant have a specific pungent, but quite pleasant aroma. Vitexes are not distinguished by increased cold-resistant properties; in severe winters, shoots can freeze right up to the surface of the soil. However, the plants quickly recover and bloom the same year.
Growing conditions
Vitexes are light-loving and undemanding to soil fertility. Although heavy clayey, compacted, saline, waterlogged and acidic soils crops are not suitable for growing. Poor soils, loams, stone areas and sandy loams (loose rocks) are optimal. The location is preferably sunny, light shade is not prohibited. Complete shading can have a detrimental effect on plant growth and flowering.
Reproduction and planting
Vitex is propagated by seeds and green cuttings. Seeds can be sown both in spring and autumn. With the second method, the seeds undergo natural stratification. Seeds stored for more than two months are subjected to pre-treatment. For three months, the seeds are kept in damp sand in a room with a temperature no higher than 5C. Vitex is sown to a depth of 1-2 cm, after which it is watered abundantly and mulched with sawdust or peat. At spring sowing You can do without mulch. Shoots, as a rule, are friendly, even thickened crops in no way affect the development of young plants. Vitexes grown by sowing seeds in the ground bloom in the second year. Propagation by cuttings of the crop has no pronounced features. When planting Vitex seedlings, there are no clear patterns; it is important to observe only the required interval, which is 4-4.5 m. The plants can be grown as an indoor crop.