Holly - sapling or deciduous evergreen shrub, most common in tropical and temperate climates. Since ancient times, the branches of this plant have been used to strengthen the entrance to the dwelling. It was believed that the holly could ward off evil spirits.

Baltic, Celtic, Slavic, Scandinavian peoples used the branches of this shrub. Holly branches can be found on postcards, packages, wreaths and garlands. Little is known, but it belongs to poisonous plants.

plant description

Holly has the following characteristics:

The most common types

In total, there are about 400 species of this plant, but we will consider three of them.

Holly holly

Found in Asia Minor, Southern Europe, North America. This is an evergreen pyramidal or spherical tree, reaching a height of up to 15 meters. Its life span is up to 100 years. In nature, it grows even in the North Caucasus. Outwardly, it looks like a Christmas tree.

Its branches are spreading and short. The crown is dense, oblong or pyramidal. The leaves are oblong-ovate, with wavy edges.

Holly flowers are holly white, fragrant small. For 14 days they will remain on the branches. Then they will be replaced by bright red fruits, the size of which can reach up to 1 cm. They remain on the stalks throughout the winter.

This species can be perfectly located in the shade, resistant to frost, tolerates temperatures up to minus 22 degrees below 0. A plant located in middle lane Russia, is not able to winter, therefore it is grown only in winter gardens.

It is worth knowing that the holly holly is the variety due to which other varieties were bred. It is a dioecious plant with a deep root system. Fertile neutral soil is suitable for growing this species. It prefers either full shade or partial shade. It perfectly withstands smoky, polluted air.

holly goblin

This plant is native to Sakhalin and Kurile Islands. This species can be either a tree up to 7 m high or a shrub. The latter is less common.

Holly gourd stands out for its dense greenery, resembling boxwood in appearance. Bred in Japan. In this country, it is a dwarf trimmed shrub.

holly mezerva

This is a hybrid of common holly, wrinkled and Korean. It is especially common in Russia, as it can withstand frost very well. This species has many varieties, the leaves of which are darkish, blue-green in color.

This plant loves shade, rich, light and moist soil. A substrate of the following components is perfect for growing: humus, peat, sand, clay mixed with activated carbon. Drainage is also needed. Its thickness must be at least 3 cm.

Holly holly needs cross-pollination. Therefore, you should have several such plants on the site. You can combine varieties by planting male and female trees next to each other.

It should not be planted in a place where there is a lot of sunlight. The plant can suffer from this, so the best place for it is where there are no bright rays. However, there are bicolor species with variegated leaves. In order for them to retain their color, these plants should be planted in a place with bright lighting.

Holly does not tolerate excessive heat well. For the summer, it is recommended to move it to a room where the air temperature will not exceed 20 degrees Celsius. Only young plants should be replanted every year. After that, as needed, every 3-4 years. In the spring, it is simply moved to a larger container.

The main methods of reproduction:

• seeds;
• cuttings. This method is more common. Semi-lignified cuttings 10 cm long are needed. For their rooting at the end of summer, the cuttings are placed in a peat-sand mixture and placed in a place where there are no direct sun rays And high temperature. After the roots have appeared, the cuttings are seated in separate containers.

Since holly - beautiful tree, it is often grown in pots. At home, the tree needs to be transplanted in the spring every 2 years into a larger pot.

Holly holly does not require excessive attention. Suitable for both sandy and clay soils. The main thing is that they are waterproof and humus is present.

The plant does not like drought. In summer, when it is hot, it should be watered abundantly. By the winter period, the amount of watering should be reduced to moderate, preventing the soil from drying out. Pruning should be done after fruiting.

In the spring, young plants should be covered in order to protect them from sunlight. From spring to autumn, once a month, the tree should be fed with liquid complex fertilizer, diluted in this ratio of 30 ml per 10 liters of water.

Growing features

When growing holly, you may encounter some difficulties:

1. Fungal diseases. In this case, spots of a purple hue will appear on the leaves. The fungus appears due to the fact that there was not enough watering with high acidity of the soil. Or the plant did not have enough necessary nutrients- potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus.
2. Holly can infect late blight, which will lead to root rot and death of the tree. If this disease is detected, then the plant should be immediately destroyed, and the soil around should be treated with disinfectants.
3. Holly does not tolerate dryness, heat. He prefers cool places.

Holly holly - not too whimsical plant. Knowing the characteristics of this plant, varieties, planting and care rules, there should not be any particular difficulties. It is important to follow all the recommendations, and only in this case the plant will grow beautiful, pleasing to the eye.

There is a legend in Celtic mythology about the tree-kings - the eternal contest between the Holly King, who ruled the waning (dark) part of the year, and the Oak King, who ruled the waxing (bright) part of the year.

In a day winter solstice Yule defeated King Oak and ruled until the height of summer, but on the day of the summer solstice the Holly King returned again and defeated his rival. And so every year two parts of one whole fought, brothers-enemies who could not exist without each other. The Drama of Kings represents the constant change of the seasons.

So, Yule is the celebration of the return of the King Oak. From the forests of green in a green wreath comes the King to the festival Oak Leaves. The Young King, ruler and personification of the bright half of the year, triumphs over the Holly King (King Holly). Light King Oak rules from Yule to Lita, from the longest night of the year to its longest day. The day of his return is a celebration of family and family ties, domestic warmth. This is the time to remember your past achievements, make plans, make plans and dream.

Trees were sacred to the ancient Celts. The Celts considered the holly (holly) to be a magical tree, symbolizing the continuity of life; its branches were used to decorate homes to protect against the forces of evil. During the summer, the mighty oaks are the most visible trees in the forest, and in the winter, when all the leaves are falling, the holly or evergreen holly stands in bright green with red berries among the bare trunks - a real miracle of winter. In summer, the holly is lost among the rest of the greenery.

Holly is a plant that is common on almost all continents, both in our latitudes and in the tropics. It's interesting that magical properties it is given everywhere. For example, the North American Indians used it during various religious rituals.
Holly plays a special role in European tradition. The custom of decorating houses with evergreens (holly, mistletoe, conifers) at Christmas dates back to pre-Christian times. Palm, laurel and holly branches were used by the Romans during the celebration of the Saturnalia (on the winter solstice). Centuries later, early Christians chose holly to decorate their homes at Christmas.

The Holly King was often portrayed almost like Santa Claus, only dressed in a green robe adorned with holly sprigs. And King Oak is the Horned God of the Forests, or as the Green Man, one of the most revered gods of the druids. This legend was gradually forgotten, another story was born from it - about the battle of the Green Knight and Lord Gawain, which entered the cycle of stories about King Arthur, and then the area of ​​\u200b\u200blegends left and she left us only the image of a man in green - a merry Christmas elf who performs by the light of the moon, various tricks, in mockery of people.
Christianity dissolved the ancient pagan beliefs in itself, but could not destroy them completely, no matter how hard it tried. The legend says that when all the trees heard that Christ was going to be crucified, they agreed among themselves that they would not allow their trunks to be used to make a cross. And when the ax touched them, they broke into a thousand pieces. Only the holly remained intact and allowed himself to be made an instrument of the Lord's passions. Its sharp leaves represent the crown of thorns and suffering, and the red berries represent the blood of Christ. There is an opinion that a wreath was laid on Christ's head from a holly and its berries, which were originally white, turned red from the blood of the Savior. Perhaps that is why this plant later became a recognized symbol of Christmas.
So, with the advent of Christianity, the beliefs of the Celts went into the realm of legends, the main attributes of Yule, gradually became symbols of Christmas, and the tree kings bothered people more with their battles, but were not forgotten.

Holly, or holly (Ilex) is a genus of popular trees and shrubs from the Holly family. Hollies are valued for their brilliant leathery leaves, dark green or bicolor, and bright attractive berries that can be red, yellow, white, black or orange color. The berries ripen in autumn and are well preserved on plants all winter.
In culture, the following types and cultivars of hollies are most common:

I. aquifolium - holly, or common, and its many forms and hybrids. Hardiness zones - presumably from 5. Handsworth New Silver and Golden King female plants with green-yellow leaves and red berries are known, as well as Amber - a compact shrub with showy orange berries. From male cultivars: Silver Queen (the name does not always correctly reflect the genus of the plant). Variety Ferox Argentea has small spotted leaves. It is worth noting two valuable self-pollinating cultivars - J.C. van Tol and Pyramdalis are trees or shrubs with almost thornless bicolor green-yellow leaves and red berries. Young shoots have a pronounced purple hue.

I. altaclerensis are exceptionally hardy, hardy evergreens. Great for growing in cities, because. can resist gas pollution. Known female varieties Belgica Aurea and Wilsonii (with bright red fruits and purple young shoots) and male - Hodginsii.

I. opaca - American holly Tall (up to 15 meters) plants from North America with red, yellow or orange berries. Frost resistance - zones 5-9.

I. glabra - hardy (zones 4-9), compact shrubs with black berries.

I. crenata are small, abundantly fruiting shrubs with black berries. Known cultivars are Convexa and Golden Gem. Cold resistance zones - 5-8.

I. x meserveae is another cold hardy variety with red berries. Known female and male cultivars Blue Princess and Blue Prince

I. verticillata - hardy (zones 3-9) and exceptionally ornamental plant. Deciduous shrub, densely covered in winter bright red berries, which look delightful against the background of bare branches.
In nature, hollies are virtually ubiquitous. They grow in both tropical and temperate forests. The Holly genus consists of more than 400 species and includes evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs and lianas. Latin name The genus comes from the name of holm oak (Quercus ilex).

Hollies bloom inconspicuously, with small light flowers that form in the axils of the leaves in spring. More often, male and female flowers are formed on different plants, therefore, for the formation of fruits, it is necessary to plant male and female plants near each other. Holly fruits, commonly called berries, are botanically stone fruits. Young shoots of hollies have a pointed shape, and the leaves are simple alternate, at the ends they can be whole or cut with thorns. Holly thorns are unusually sharp and retain their sharpness even on fallen old leaves. When removing these leaves, it is easy to pierce your finger even with tight gardening gloves.
Hollies have long been valued by man. Like mistletoe, holly has been used since Ancient Rome during the Saturnian winter festivities, on the site of which, with the advent of Christianity, Christmas arose. In the beliefs of the Druids, the holly symbolized the sun, so the ancient Celts decorated their homes with young shoots of a plant in gloomy winter months. Holly is still a traditional Christmas plant and is widely used during winter holidays as a decoration for a room and a festive table, as a material for making Christmas wreaths, and sometimes even instead of the "main" Christmas tree - a Christmas tree. The North American Indians used the leaves of the local tea holly (I. vomitoria), known for its laxative and emetic properties, as an antidote during their religious rituals and in medicine. They made a drink from young leaves and twigs, which they called black tea.
As garden plant The hollies do not require much attention. They are ready to grow in sandy or clay soils, provided they have good water permeability and humus content. Hollies are ready to put up with partial shade, but it should be borne in mind that in varieties with two-color leaves, the contrast of colors will best manifest itself in open sun. Of the diseases, hollies are sometimes affected by late blight (Phytophthora), which leads to rotting of the roots and death of the plant. Plants affected by the disease should be destroyed, and the soil in the entire area should be disinfected.

Shaping pruning, if you want to carry out them, is best done after fruiting has ended. Many hollies benefit from pruning. In bicolor varieties, it is better to cut off shoots with green leaves, if any.

Hollies are best planted as young plants in winter or in early spring, more adults do not like this kind of anxiety. When buying a new plant in garden center, it is necessary to take into account the need for cross-pollination for most cultivars and that one plant may not be enough for abundant fruiting.
IN garden design hollies find great use in forest belts of natural or wild gardens, where they provide the necessary shelter for insects and food for birds, thanks to their berries, which remain on the plants virtually until the start of a new flowering. By the way, it is thanks to birds that hollies reproduce and spread in nature: eating berries, they spread the seeds contained in them everywhere. In my garden, young holly sprouts are one of the most intrusive weeds, appearing in the most inaccessible places: under a hedge or under a fence. If you do not get rid of them right away, then the sprouts put out a deep long root, which will be much more difficult to get rid of.
Hollies planted in tapeworm and in groups look great. Good partners for hollies are traditionally mahonia, hydrangeas, spindle trees and many other trees. You can use hollies in formal designs: they lend themselves well to curly haircuts, so they make beautiful topiary. Bonsai lovers love to work with slow growing holly trees.

From a practical point of view, hollies are of interest as windbreaks, seashore plants (because of their high salt tolerance), and as very reliable hedges. Due to the unusually thorny leaves of many species, plants can be safely trusted to guard the garden from unwanted visitors.

In European countries, holly is used in landscape design, but in our region, not all of its species and varieties can be planted in open ground ..

Description of holly

Hollies are unpretentious - they tolerate shading well, easily withstand curly haircuts, grow slowly and can live up to a hundred years. Perhaps the only drawback of most hollies is their low winter hardiness. For example, the European holly (holly) can only withstand short-term frosts (maximum limit: -20°C).

In the North Caucasus, the holly is found in natural conditions, but its specimens growing in the upper part of the forest belt do not look at all decorative and do not exceed the depth of the snow cover in height.

European holly in our country can be grown as tub culture(in conditions winter garden). However, there are species and varieties that are more adapted to the conditions of our region.

It is important to remember that hollies - dioecious plants, therefore, two copies should be planted in the garden at once. If you do not adhere to this rule, the plants will not be decorated with berries (namely, they give hollies a special beauty).

Types and varieties of holly

Long-term hypothermia (below -20 ° C) is able to withstand hybrids and varieties:

Meserve (Ilex x meservae)
Blue Baron
blue maid
blue princess
China boy
China Girl

In addition to holly (European holly), the following are grown in culture:

Wrinkled holly (I. rugosa) - in natural conditions it grows on Far East. This type is a low or creeping evergreen shrub wintering under snow cover.
Colchis holly (I. colchica) - the birthplace of the plant is Transcaucasia and Asia Minor. This species is characterized by relative frost resistance and can be grown in the conditions of central Russia. In winter, it often freezes slightly, but quickly recovers in spring.
Holly crenate (holly jagged) - this species grows in Japan and South Sakhalin. In Russia, undersized varieties of this species are grown (at home, a tree can reach a height of seven meters).

Holly breeding methods

Holly breeds seed and vegetative method. Seeds need stratification for 18 months (in natural conditions they undergo natural stratification as they pass through the digestive tract of birds).

In culture, hollies are usually propagated by cuttings (all other advantages of this method include the preservation varietal features plants).

Holly cuttings are cut from semi-lignified shoots of the current season. For cutting, use a sharp garden knife. Shoot length: 4–5 cm (each cutting should contain 1–2 internodes). Sections are made oblique: the lower section should pass under the kidney, and the upper one - above it.

Chopped cuttings are immediately planted in greenhouses. Optimal substrate: a layer of humus (8–12 cm) covered with a layer of sand 3–4 cm thick. Planting depth of holly cuttings: 1.5–2 cm.

The cuttings planted in the substrate are regularly sprayed, covered from bright sunlight, and ensure that the temperature does not drop. The rooting process takes 2-4 weeks. Cuttings with a well-developed root system are transplanted to a permanent place.

Choosing a site for growing holly

In the conditions of Russia, heat-loving varieties of hollies are often grown in tubs, taking them outside during the warm season. Frost-resistant varieties can become a real decoration of the garden.

Hollies are suitable for shaded areas of the garden with moist (without stagnant moisture), nutritious and light soil composition. The place must be protected from the wind.

holly care

Holly need shelter from the cold- it is built from spruce paws and dry leaves. The trunk circle is mulched with sawdust or peat. Holly trees are shaded in spring to prevent sunburn.

The trunk circle is loosened, dried or dead branches are removed. In varieties with variegated leaves, shoots with plain foliage are cut. By spring trunk circle fall asleep with compost mixed with complex mineral fertilizer.

In most cases, plants do not need additional watering - soil moisture is enough for hollies. The curly haircut of plants is done at will - hollies grow slowly and naturally have a neat crown.

Hollies are among the most popular ornamental crops. Some plant species are successfully grown in our region.

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On the vast territory of the largest continent - Eurasia - more fully than on others, one can notice the manifestation of the planetary law of geographical landscape zonality. Despite the fact that the border between Europe and Asia is quite long, the formation of their soil covers proceeded differently. That is why the flora of Eurasia is so diverse. Various plants there are so many that it's hard to count. Titles ornamental trees And fruit crops continents are so numerous that they make up weighty volumes. We will consider just one rather interesting plant.

Holly

Photo of this representative flora our continent is familiar to everyone. With its branches, fixed together with mistletoe and rowan tassels over the entrance to dwellings, our ancestors drove away long before Rome was founded. The name of ornamental trees of the Holly family is found in Celtic, Baltic, Scandinavian and Slavic literature.

Description of the species

Holly, whose photo can often be found on Christmas cards, belongs to the family of the same name. It has about four hundred varieties distributed in both temperate and tropical regions. Few people know that all of its species are Photo and their names are in any plant growing manuals.

These are evergreen shrubs or trees with prickly, serrated, rarely entire leaves. All representatives of the dioecious have small, axillary flowers and berry-like fruits - drupes that look very appetizing, but are inedible: they are all poisonous plants.

Photos and names of holly varieties

There are many varieties of this representative of the Eurasian flora. For example, gorodchaty, also called Japanese, subspecies - evergreen, whose height reaches only two and a half meters. It has small and rounded leaves.

Another cultivar, mezerva holly, is a hybrid that has many cultivars with very dark bluish-green leaves. The purely "male" Blui Prince is considered an excellent pollinator for his "brothers". Golden and Blue Princesses are also same-sex. Some varieties, including Blue Maid, have both female and male flowers on the same plant. They have the usual green foliage, not as spectacular as, for example, Blue Angel, because it is devoid of a characteristic metallic sheen.

Most varieties have red fruits, although some, such as Golden Princess, have yellow fruits.

Many people think that hollies are only evergreen, but this is not true. There are also deciduous subspecies in the family of the same name. Of particular interest is the outwardly decorative whorled holly. It is native to the northeastern regions of North America. It gets along well with other hardwoods. You can meet whorled holly only on wet soils, for example, in swamps or along the banks of watercourses.

Ilex aquifolia

That is the name in Latin of the most common variety - holly holly. It is valued for the luster of its leathery leaves - dark green or bicolor - as well as the brightness of the eye-catching fruits in red or yellow, white or black and even orange.

The holly (or common) holly looks like the real one. It reaches a height of up to nine, and a width of up to six meters. It has a conical (and in adult specimens slightly rounded at the top) shape. Small white and strongly fragrant flowers appear in June or July, depending on the region. They remain on the branches for only two weeks. Then they are replaced by bright red seedlings from berries, reaching a size of up to half a centimeter. It is the holly - a plant on the basis of which many varieties were bred.

Description of the species

This evergreen shrub with a pointed-conical openwork shape grows rather slowly. The branches of the holly-holly grow very densely, and the lower lateral shoots are hanging down. They are densely ovate-lanceolate leaves with notched-wavy edges. Holly -

He has a deep root system. The lateral processes are widely distributed. They can form root suckers. Holly holly grows well on fertile neutral soils. He prefers partial shade or even full shadow. Young plants may suffer from frost. However, holly holly is a tree that can withstand smoke with gas content in the air. It propagates by cuttings.

Spreading

Holly is widely cultivated in Western Europe. Its cultivation in the Russian middle lane is somewhat difficult due to the low winter hardiness of the young. But it can be safely planted in gardens in the Caucasus or Black Sea coast. Holly is well suited as a plant with attachment cultivation: overexposure to winter cold in cold rooms with low, but positive temperature. It grows well not only on drained, but in general on any, not too poor, including moderately dry-moist, humus soils. At the same time, on relatively moist soils, this shrub is more photophilous. When breeding, it must be remembered that holly often dies from sunburn.

Care

Holly is a plant that does not require special attention in the garden. It can safely take root on both sandy and clay soils, but subject to their high water permeability, as well as the presence of humus. Holly holly is drought-resistant. Formative pruning of the shrub is best done after fruiting.

When planting in the garden, keep in mind that Holly holly requires cross-pollination. Therefore, for abundant fruiting on the site, you need to have several plants, you can even combine two varieties by planting male and female trees not far from each other.

Sometimes the holly is affected by late blight, leading to rotting of the rhizomes and complete death of the plant. Therefore, when this disease is found on a tree, the plant must be immediately destroyed and the soil around it disinfected.

In case of prolonged drought, the plant should be watered very abundantly, especially young or grown in pots. Every spring, holly-holly must be fed with liquid fertilizer, diluted at the rate of thirty milliliters per bucket of water.

In biblical stories

One of the legends says that where the Savior stepped on the ground, holly bushes sprouted. There are even images on which on the head of Christ, instead of a thorny one, a prickly wreath is put on precisely from a holly.

According to biblical story, once the berries of this plant were snow-white, but they turned red, stained with the blood of the Savior.

"Magic power

Holly (or ordinary) people paid attention to holly long before the advent of Christianity. The inhabitants of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, where this shrub grows wild, have deified it since ancient times, endowing it with magical powers.

This hardy plant is able to survive even in deep forest shade, where not a single seed will sprout. It enters the peak of its decorative effect in late autumn and survives the winter evergreen, decorated with leaves and fruits, armed with its blood-red poisonous berries giving protection to people.

It was thought that it could be made magic wand, and a spear with a shaft made of its wood will bring unconditional victory over evil forces. And today there is still a belief that bountiful harvest holly fruit is a harbinger of a harsh winter.

Fruit

Holly berries ripen in autumn. They winter well on the tree. This plant is one of the most beloved and most expressive symbols of Christmas. In Christianity, holly holly, a photo of which is even in biblical literature, is an expression of suffering. It is symbolized by blood. In general, the plant represents eternal life and revival.

Holly berries have been used centuries ago in the treatment of fever and several other ailments. There is evidence that it was they who more than once helped with smallpox epidemics that broke out in Europe.

Traditional healers know that both fruits and leaves holly holly although they have antipyretic and some other medicinal properties, they must be used with great care. Drugs made from them are very dangerous due to the content of such a highly toxic substance as ilicin.

Only fifteen or twenty berries will be enough for an adult to get severely poisoned after eating them. Although in fairness it should be noted that there are not very many fatal cases in history. German healers say that after poisoning, you need to knock out a "wedge with a wedge": it is enough to rub against the trunk of the first holly bush you meet for almost immediate healing to occur.

Holly holly in landscape design

This beautiful plant finds excellent use, like other shrubs of the natural garden. It provides food for birds in winter thanks to its fruits, which remain on the branches until the next flowering actually begins. And it is thanks to the birds that the holly reproduces in wild nature: eating berries, they spread the seeds contained in them almost everywhere.

Gardeners know that young shoots of this plant are the most intrusive weeds. Holly holly lends itself perfectly to a curly haircut. Therefore, designers very often use it to get beautiful topiary. Bonsai enthusiasts also love to work with this shrub.

In the garden

From a practical point of view, the holly (or common holly) is of interest as a windbreak planting, well suited for planting on the seashore due to its high salt tolerance. In addition, it produces very reliable. Unusually prickly holly leaves planted close to plants - a reliable protection of the garden from unwanted visitors. BUT decorative compositions, made from this holly at Christmas or New Year, make this culture even more attractive.

At home

Due to the fact that the holly is very beautiful, many people prefer to grow it in pots. At home, it needs to be transplanted every two years (in the spring) into a container more spacious than the real one. The substrate for growing in a pot should be a mixture of fertile soddy soil, peat and sand, taken in equal amounts, seasoned with complex fertilizer.

Holly (holly): types, composition, properties, application

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Holly (holly) widely used by gardeners around the world to create hedges and decorate gardens. But the holly is able not only to decorate the garden, but also to have a beneficial effect on the body. Let's talk about the healing properties of some species of this plant and their use.

Description of the plant holly (holly)

Holly belongs to the genus of trees and shrubs from the Holly family, which led to the second name of the plant - holly. Gardeners appreciate the holly for its beauty and decorativeness: for example, the evergreen holly is distinguished by the presence of shiny leathery dark green leaves (less often the leaves have a yellow border) and bright berries red, yellow, white, black or orange. Young shoots of hollies have a pointed shape, while the ends of the leaves can be either solid or cut with sharp spikes.

The peculiarity of this resilient plant is that it is able to survive even in the deep shade of forests - where the seeds of other plants do not "take root".

Holly is a plant that is common on almost all continents, including our latitudes and tropics.

Holly berries, ripening in autumn, are perfectly preserved on trees throughout the winter. This plant is also valued by folk healers who use it in the treatment of many diseases.

Holly blooms rather inconspicuously with small light flowers that form in the axils of the leaves in early spring. An interesting fact is that often male and female flowers are formed on different plants, as a result of which male and female plants should be planted close to each other to form fruits.

Holly species

The holly genus includes more than 400 species of both evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and lianas. On the territory of Russia, the most common holly (or common), which is not only beautiful, but also has medicinal properties. In folk medicine, such types of holly as Paraguayan and Chinese (broad-leaved) are also used. They will be discussed further.

Common holly (holly)

The common holly is a tree whose height varies between 10 - 25 m, while the trunk diameter is 40 - 80 cm. The tree has a smooth bark gray color, alternate leathery leaves of an elliptical or ovoid shape (the upper side of the leaves is dark green and shiny, and the lower side is light green). The edges of the leaves are serrated.

The fruits of the plant are spherical red drupes 6–10 mm in diameter.

This type of holly blooms from May to June, while it bears fruit from September to February (this slowly growing plant can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees).

Holly holly prefers moist soils and shady forests.

Holly leaves have anti-febrile, cardiotonic, antiseptic and diuretic properties, therefore they are used in the treatment of colds, fevers, coughs, bronchitis. In addition, remedies from the aerial part of the plant are indicated for dropsy, rheumatism and arthritis.

Universal tincture
2 tbsp carefully crushed holly leaves pour 150 ml of vodka, after which the agent is insisted for a week in a dark place. The strained agent is taken in 25 drops (tincture is diluted in 50 ml of water) twice - thrice a day, half an hour before eating.

Infusion for physical and mental fatigue
1 tbsp holly leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused under a tightly closed lid for half an hour. Then the infusion is filtered and drunk one-third of a glass, three times a day between meals.

Paraguayan holly

This evergreen tree, reaching a height of 1 - 6 m (trees with a height of about 10 - 15 m are rare). Paraguayan holly has large serrated ovoid leaves (leaf length is 5 - 16 cm). The fruit of the plant is a red drupe 4-6 mm in diameter.

The habitat of this species of holly is the territory of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Paraguayan holly (namely leaves and young shoots of a tree containing a large number of caffeine) is used to prepare tonic mate tea, the consumption of which has a beneficial effect on both the physical and mental state of a person. According to popular beliefs, this tea contributes to the achievement of divine peace, strengthening friendships and family relationships.

Holly Chinese (broad-leaved)

This type of holly, whose homeland is China, is considered to be a relative of the European holly - a shrub tree with pointed leaves and red drupes.

The leaves of the Chinese holly are widely used to obtain a healing drink called kudin.

The effect on the body of Chinese holly:

• Contribute to the removal of phlegm.
• Stop cough.
• Toning the stomach.
• Improved digestion.
• Increase in vitality.
• Promoting weight loss.
• Radiation protection.
• Decrease in the concentration of lipids in the blood, as well as cholesterol.

Important! All types of hollies are poisonous, and therefore the use of products based on them should be carried out with extreme caution, and only after consulting a doctor.

Holly picking

In folk medicine as medicinal raw materials leaves, fruits, bark, as well as holly roots are used.

The leaves are harvested in spring and summer, while in the process of collecting them one should be very careful, since even fallen and dried leaves retain spines, the prick from which can be felt even with gloves. The foliage is dried in a dryer or in a warm room.

The berries are harvested in late autumn, after which they are dried in a warm room or in a dryer.

The bark is removed from young branches, and in those places where it is softer. But the old bark, which has a rough texture and the presence of brownish spots, is undesirable. Drying the bark is similar to harvesting holly leaves.

Holly composition

All types of holly contain the following basic elements.

Purine alkaloids (theobromine, theophylline)
Substances that are similar in composition to caffeine and have a similar effect on the body with the latter. Thus, in therapeutic doses, theobromine promotes excitation of the heart muscle and an increase in the amount of urine excreted through irritation of the renal epithelium. At the same time, compared with caffeine, theobromine has a less pronounced stimulating effect.

Important! The fruits and leaves of holly (any of its species) contain the glycoside ilicin, a toxic substance that, if consumed in excess, can cause serious poisoning (for example, eating only 25 berries can be fatal). At the first signs of poisoning (we are talking about nausea, dizziness, a sharp decline in strength, diarrhea and vomiting), it is urgent to rinse the stomach, make a cleansing enema and call an emergency medical team.

Holly drinks

Holly leaf tea - kudin

Kudin tea, which belongs to the so-called "bitter teas", is prepared from the leaves of the Chinese holly (or broad-leaved), which grows in more than ten provinces of China, each of which is rightfully proud of its kind of kudin. But still, it is generally accepted that the best raw materials for making this drink (we are talking about tea of ​​the highest category called Kuding Shui Xu) are supplied by Sichuan province. high quality The tea from the leaves of the holly, collected on the Yellow Mountain, is also famous.

Kudin tea is made from the leaves of broad-leaved holly, which grows on moist, shady mountain slopes, in canyons, and also along the banks of channels. At the same time, only barely green young leaves of the plant are subject to collection, which are collected and processed according to ancient technological principles. So, young leaves are twisted into spirals, after which they are calcined on fire or dried in the sun. The raw materials obtained in this way are divided into grades depending on the quality of both the raw materials themselves and processing.

Kudin can be twisted, spiral, connected, sheet or pressed.

Properties of tea Kudin

• Eliminates foci of inflammation.
• Removes poisons, toxins and slags.
• Removes manifestations of a hangover syndrome.
• Lowers blood pressure.
• Prevents the formation of cancer cells.
• Promotes effective reduction weight.
• Stimulates the work of the heart.
• Tones the body.
• Provides almost all vitamins and other biologically active substances necessary for a full-fledged human life.
• Takes away the heat.
• It thins the blood, which prevents the formation of blood clots.
• Prevents the development of hypertension.
• Normalizes lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, which helps cleanse the liver.
• Improves the process of digestion.
• Promotes the accumulation of phosphorus, which is necessary for nerve cells.

Indications for use
Kudin tea is indicated for:

• colds;
• depressed immunity;
• overweight;
• nervous disorders;
• mental and physical fatigue.

Important! People with diagnosed chronic gastroenteritis should refrain from drinking kudin tea.

How to brew kudin?
It should be noted that kudin is an amateur drink, because it has a bitter taste, and the older the leaves from which the tea is made, the more bitter it will be (and the caffeine content in such a drink will be higher).

But the degree of bitterness depends not only on the degree of maturity of the holly leaves, but also on the temperature of the water in which the tea is brewed. So, when brewing tea at a temperature of 100 degrees, it acquires a very bitter taste, while at a water temperature of 80 degrees, the drink will acquire a rich aroma and a less bitter taste.

But the main thing is not to overdo it with the amount of tea leaves. It is recommended to brew half or a third of the kudin sticks for one cup of tea - then the bitterness after the very first sips will be replaced by a powerful sweet aftertaste.

By the way, the least amount of bitterness can be obtained when brewing holly needles, which can be brewed in the same way as ordinary tea (the recommended dose is two needles per 250-300 ml of hot water).

Kudin can be brewed in a gaiwan, which is a bowl with a lid and a saucer. It is gaiwan that is used in China as teapot and cups for drinking tea at the same time.

The peculiarity of this method of making tea is that a smaller volume of tea is used in the brewing process than in ordinary teapot, since in gaiwan the contact of water directly with the tea leaves is longer, and, consequently, the tea will be stronger.

Before preparing tea, gaiwan is poured with boiling water and dried, after which dry kudin is placed in the device, which is poured with hot water. It is recommended to drain the first brew (namely, brewed tea) 2-3 minutes after brewing, and then pour the tea a second time.

Paraguayan holly tea - mate

A strong mate drink made from the twigs and leaves of the Paraguayan holly, which grows exclusively in the territory South America, has a bitter taste and a slight sweetish aftertaste.

Most often, the Paraguayan holly is formed in the form of a small bush, since only the tips of young twigs and leaves are used as raw materials. In the wild, this tree reaches a height of 13 meters, has a whitish bark and hard (almost inflexible) bristly leaves at the edges, which blacken in the process, as a result of which, in order to preserve a rich green color, they must be heated on fires.

This kind of processing is called sapeking and consists in the fact that fresh leaves are fried in special drums that slowly rotate over a fire, or they are heated over a flame (in the latter case, branches with leaves are subject to heating). After drying, the treated foliage acquires a characteristic smoky flavor.

Important! Dried raw materials from the moment of drying to the moment of sale are aged for a year.

Properties of mate tea

• Stimulates mental as well as physical activity.
• Helps increase concentration.
• Improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and excretory system.
• Promotes the rapid recovery of the body after food poisoning.
• Normalizes blood pressure (namely lowers blood pressure).
• Strengthens blood vessels and capillaries.
• Promotes weight loss and consolidation of the results.
• It normalizes the psycho-emotional state, improving mood and relieving depressive states by suppressing the release of the hormone adrenaline.
• It prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases, supplying the blood with oxygen and all the nutrients necessary for the normal functioning of the heart.
• Removes cholesterol, thereby preventing the development of atherosclerosis.
• Prevents the accumulation and breakdown of lactic acid in the muscles.
• Promotes cell renewal.
• Removes waste and toxins.
• Accelerates the process of wound healing.
• Fights free radicals, thereby strengthening protective properties organism.
• Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.
• Tones the body.
• Suppresses appetite by inhibiting the activity of the center of hunger.
• It prevents the development of hypertension due to the flavonoids, vitamins and purine alkaloids that are part of the plant, which enhance the release of an endothelial vasodilator agent.
• Accelerates metabolism, which contributes to increased fat burning.
• Normalizes metabolism.
• Regulates oxidative and reduction processes.
• Eliminates spasms by relaxing the smooth muscles of the internal organs.
• Stimulates the respiratory center and improves contractions of the respiratory muscles.
• Neutralizes the action of microbes.
• Eliminates inflammatory processes.
• Relieves pain.

The peculiarity of mate tea is that this drink has a "directed" mild tonic effect on the body. The fact is that mate contains saponins, thanks to which caffeine penetrates much more easily, and, therefore, acts on the parts of the brain.

muscle weakness;

scurvy;

poisoning;

wound healing;

spasms;

Despite the fact that mate tea has tonic properties, it is indicated for insomnia, because by suppressing the production of the hormone adrenaline, it eliminates tension, relieves fatigue and helps the body to plunge into the so-called deep sleep phase. As a result, even after a short sleep, a person feels rested, well-rested, full of strength and energy.

How to brew mate?
To prepare mate, you need special dishes that can retain heat for a long time. Most often, such dishes are made from a small round pumpkin (in the absence of such, you can opt for clay pots, which should have the shape of a pumpkin).

So, mate powder is poured into the dishes and poured with boiling water (it is important not to stir the powder). Please note that boiling water is poured quite a bit (just enough to form a fairly thick slurry). It is advisable to pour boiling water in such a way that the powder in in full didn't get wet right away. Next, a special tube called "bombing" is inserted into the dishes, the lower end of which is equipped with a fine metal mesh that does not let the powder through. The prepared drink is slowly sipped through the straw, while boiling water should be added to the vessel from time to time. It should be noted that as boiling water is added, the taste of tea changes, and for the better.

Such tea will invigorate for 8-10 hours (ordinary coffee or green tea tones up for a maximum of 6 hours).

Happy tea!

Kudin tea: preparation - video

Mate tea: benefits, preparation - video

Before use, you should consult with a specialist.