Foxberry

Foxberry

Lingonberry, cowberry, upland berry and Borovinka are the names given to the berry of the people.

Lingonberry - a small shrub of the family cranberry height of 25-30 cm Rhizome creeping, branching stem, erect. The leaves are leathery, oval, with the edges slightly rolled down, dark green, shiny, light green bottom, matte, with scattered brown dots (glands).

The flowers are pinkish, collected in a short, drooping apical brush, corolla bell-shaped, with four teeth, rolled out.

Fruit - spherical bright red shiny berries.

Lingonberry grows and gives abundant harvests, not only in the usual places, but also in the swamp, in an environment that is not fit for its habitat, heavily waterlogged.

The underground economy cranberries large and complex, its rhizomes grow up to 5 years under the ground, only for the 6th year of coming to the surface and give life to the young bush. Rhizome length is 6 m and bears up to 20 dead and at 5-6 young bushes. Each segment of the rhizome is home to around 20 years old, then dies and is replaced by a new, wholly owned subsidiary branch.

So think about the future of the crop at the plantation before you collect bouquets of branches with ripe cranberries, pulling them from the roots.

All valuable in this plant: and berries, and leaves.

Leaves cranberries are widely used for medicinal purposes. They are harvested in early spring with the appearance of the plants under the snow until May and July (until the shoot out small, like a waxy, white- pink flowers with a pleasant smell) and fall after fruiting. At other times, it is impossible to collect the leaves: they turn black when dried.

Leaves are plucked by hand without uprooting. And we must note that the roots of this perennial plant are deposited in the ground only 2 - 4 cm and is therefore easily vulnerable.

Lingonberry leaves contain tannin glycoside arbutin, hydroquinone, and gallic, hinnuyu, tartaric acid, vitamin C.

During the bitter- tart flavor berry cranberries are valued less than the acidity. Harvested fruit does not deteriorate due to the presence of benzoic acid in them, which actively prevents the development of yeasts.

Cowberry contains many manganese and potassium, ascorbic acid, carotene, pectins, organic acids (malic, citric, benzoic, etc.), tannins.

The berries can be watering, pickle without sugar. Lingonberry jam - a nice side dish for grilled meats and game. Cook cranberry compote, candy, cook juices, toppings for sweets.

Therapeutic use of cranberries

* Infusion of leaves, cranberries used as a diuretic for kidney, liver, as well as rheumatism and gout. 10 g of leaves pour 100 g of boiling water, insist 2 hours, strain. Take 1-2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day before meals.

* Berries cranberries consumed in vitamin deficiency.

* In general weakness, colds, constipation, headache, flu take a drink from the juice of cranberries. 50 g of juice diluted with 150 g of cooled boiled water, add sugar or honey to taste. Drink 100 g 3-4 times a day after meals.

* For constipation, liver disease, kidney disease, colitis, take 100 grams of infusion of berries cranberries 4 times a day before meals. 200 g of berries in a colander poured boiling water and then soaked in 400 g boiled water cooled 6:00.

WARNING!!!

The leaves and berries cranberries do not have any contraindications?