Schisandra Chinensis - A Living Stimulant

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Schisandra chinensis - beautiful vine and home doctor

Schisandra chinensis is a unique relict plant in its properties, the fruits of which, and the entire plant as a whole, should be considered medicinal raw materials due to the high content of stimulating and tonic substances.

All parts of the plant contain schisandrin - a substance that has an exciting effect on the human nervous system. It is especially abundant in the seeds of this plant. Therefore, preparations made from lemongrass help to restore strength, relieve fatigue, increase a person's working capacity, and give him strength during heavy physical exertion.

Schisandra chinensis is a natural natural stimulant of the human central nervous system, it increases physical and mental performance.

In terms of its importance in Chinese medicine, Chinese magnolia vine ranks second after ginseng. There it is called a plant of fruits of five tastes: the pulp of the berries is sour, the skin is sweet, the seeds are of a burning taste, and the fruit itself is salty and tart.

The name of this plant is not accidental - its flowers, leaves and shoots, when rubbed, exude a smell that resembles the smell of lemon.

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Lemongrass is a perennial, lignified, winter-hardy vine that winds around the support clockwise and can climb it to a height of eight meters. Its bark is brown, scaly, shoots are dark brown.

For many years I have been growing lemongrass in my garden, I tried to study all its features.

It propagates by seeds and vegetatively. Seeds require stratification, but before carrying out these works, it is necessary to dip all the seeds in water and throw out the floating ones. Schizandra has a lot of empty seeds, although they seem normal in appearance. I believe that the easiest way is to sow freshly harvested seeds in boxes, then place these boxes in the basement and store there all winter at a temperature close to zero. In the spring, put them in the shade and after 25-30 days the seeds will germinate. And then take care of them as usual. With good care, young lemongrass plants can reach a height of 15 cm by the end of the growing season.

At the age of two, seedlings can be planted in a permanent place. It should be noted that during the first two to three years, lemongrass plants grow slowly, they build up the root system.

The seedlings planted in a permanent place begin to bloom and bear fruit from the fifth or sixth year.

The vegetative method of reproduction preserves all the maternal qualities of this plant, so lemongrass is easiest to propagate by dividing the bush, by root shoots or by layering. But you must always remember that the root system of Schisandra is very delicate, it should not dry out during transplantation, because it is located in the uppermost layer of the earth. Therefore, it is necessary to plant this plant in a well-drained, humus-rich soil with a slightly acidic reaction. And tillage around the bush must be done very carefully.

When choosing a place for planting, it is necessary to take into account the fact that lemongrass plants love the sun, they bear fruit poorly in shaded areas, and also that they need long-term reliable support. If you notice that lemongrass leaves with normal care acquire a light shade, then the plant needs partial shade. The lighter the leaves, the more shadow should be.

The sex of a plant can be determined during flowering, while the plant itself can be both dioecious and monoecious - with one male or one female flowers. In addition, the plant can change its sex from year to year. In all likelihood, this depends on the influence of the weather conditions of the previous year.

Lemongrass flowers form in the leaf axils of young shoots. They are small white, fragrant, open in early June. The female flower has a peculiar pistil with carpels sitting tightly on it; after pollination, each carpel gives one berry. Therefore, a cluster of berries, or rather the fruit of schisandra, develops from one flower. As it ripens, the receptacle lengthens and a dangling raceme is formed, it consists of 10-25 fruitlets with a diameter of 5-10 mm each. When ripe, they are green at first, eventually turn white, and when fully ripe, the fruits are bright red.

Pollination of Schisandra chinensis flowers is greatly influenced by weather conditions at the time of flowering. They are not pollinated by bees, flowers are pollinated by various small insects, and in cold weather you can pollinate them by hand. To do this, you need to take a male flower with stamens and place it in a female flower close to the pistil.

The bunch of lemongrass fruit is 5 to 10 centimeters long. The fruits of the plant are red, of various shapes, 5-10 mm in diameter. Inside their juicy red pulp and one or two large, yellowish-orange, shiny seeds. When ripe, the fruits do not fall off, the mass of the brush can be up to 15 grams, they ripen in late August - early September.

Schisandra chinensis is a plant unique in its properties. It is not only decorative, but also has a wide range of chemicals that create a complex of healing qualities of this plant. Moreover, these substances are found in all parts of the plant - in the leaves, stems, roots and fruits. Therefore, all parts of lemongrass can be used for medicinal purposes. Plant lemongrass in your garden for a natural stimulant to help you regain your strength and energy.