Bearberry description of appearance
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Bearberry is an evergreen creeping subshrub, its creeping shoots can reach a length of up to 1.3 meters.
Bearberry has oblong, ovate leaves. Their length is from 1 to 2 centimeters and their width is 4–8 millimeters. The leaves are thick, leathery with short petioles.
The top of the leaf is dark green, shiny, with visible veins. The lower part of the leaf is lighter.
The flowers are small, white-pink, and pitcher-shaped. The anthers of the stamens are dark red, jagged along the edge, and pubescent inside. At the ends of the branches, the flowers are collected in clusters into drooping inflorescences.
Bearberry fruits are small red-wax-colored spherical berries. They are the size of lingonberries, or slightly larger. The berries have a fresh, sweet, tart-sour taste. Bearberry blooms from April to June, and the berries ripen closer to autumn.
Bearberry is not a poisonous plant, but its berries are inedible.
The difference between bearberry and lingonberry
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The fact is that bearberry is very similar to lingonberries, one might say they are similar, like twins. But there is still a difference!
- There are no dots on the underside of the bearberry leaf.
- At the base the leaves are more elongated and narrowed.
- The edges of the sheet are not folded.
- Bearberry berries are denser, have a seed inside, and look mealy when crushed.
Contraindications to treatment
Bearberry should not be taken if:
- acute renal failure;
- glomerulonephritis;
- children under 12 years old;
- lactating and pregnant women;
- patients with hypersensitivity to the plant.
Bearberry is contraindicated during pregnancy, since the plant has a tonic effect on the muscles of the uterus, which can lead to miscarriage or premature birth. Despite this, some doctors prescribe plant preparations to pregnant women when inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and edema are detected, considering them safer than chemically synthesized drugs. However, there are limitations for this group of patients, and they should not be neglected.
Bearberry application
Saffiano boots.
Photo: Yandex.Pictures Previously, bearberry was valued as a food product.
- The berries of the plant contain a large amount of starch and it can be easily obtained in the field. Mash the berries in water, strain the pulp through cheesecloth and let it settle.
- In the old days, dried bearberry berries were pounded and a dish called oatmeal was brewed from the resulting flour, which has a pleasant bready smell.
- The root part of the plant contains tannins, so they are used in the tanning of high-quality leather, including morocco.
- The plant often forms continuous thickets - turf. Bearberry burns poorly even in the driest time of the year, so the thickets can become a barrier to ground forest fires.
But most of all, bearberry is valued for its healing leaves.
Reproduction
An evergreen shrub characterized by slow growth. In the wild, it loves places with grass and lichens. Young plants are able to reproduce quickly, increasing their area 7 times per year.
With age, the growth rate declines. Growing bearberry from seeds is a difficult process.
A more effective method is vegetative, which can be of three types:
Cuttings
In the fall, it is necessary to prepare branches no shorter than 10 cm. The cutting areas can be treated with a solution that stimulates root growth. Greenhouse conditions need to be created: constant air temperature (25°) and high humidity.
As soon as the leaves begin to grow, plant them in a permanent place. This is usually done in the spring, when all the frosts have passed.
Dividing the bush
This method involves separating part of the plant so that there are enough root shoots. Then treat with charcoal and plant. After planting, the plant needs to be watered and mulched.
Daughter shoots
Young branches are separated from the parent root system and planted in a prepared place.
Bearberry medicinal properties
In modern medicine, bearberry is a recognized medicinal plant; it is included in collections of medicinal raw materials in many countries.
Bearberry leaves contain arbutin, which is broken down into glucose and hydroquinone in the human body. This gives a therapeutic effect, which consists of a diuretic and disinfectant effect.
Hydroquinone is a disinfectant of internal organs, so an extract from the leaves is used for inflammatory diseases in the urinary tract and bladder.
The leaves also contain organic acids, tannins, flavonoids, and essential oil. Bearberry leaves are included in several diuretic teas due to their diuretic and astringent effects.
- Flour obtained from berries is in some cases recommended for baby nutrition.
- In cases of digestive disorders accompanied by diarrhea, bearberry leaves can also help. They contain large quantities of tannins, which have an astringent effect.
- Leaves in the form of infusion and decoction are used to treat inflammatory diseases of the renal pelvis (pyelitis), bladder (cystitis) and urinary tract.
- Bearberry leaves and shoots are strong antiseptics and can be used for pyelonephritis with purulent inflammation of the parenchyma.
- Herbal infusions and decoctions are also recommended for the treatment of gout.
Long-term use of bearberry is not recommended, since a decoction of the leaves irritates the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.
Chemical composition
The main chemically active substances of the plant are phenols and phenol glycosides (their derivatives):
- arbutin (up to 20% in shoots) – its content is higher in autumn;
- methylarbutin;
- n-methoxyphenol;
- hydroquinone;
- 2-O-galloylarbutine;
- piceoside;
- 6-O-galloylarbutin.
Bearberry leaves are also rich in:
- terpenoids (ursulic and oleic acids, uvaol, erythrodiol, lupeol, α- and β-amyrins);
- anthocyanins (cyanidin, delphinidin);
- catechins;
- resin;
- wax;
- iodine, zinc, copper and manganese;
- ascorbic acid.
The following were found in the shoots of the plant:
- flavonoids (isoquercetin, quercetin, myricitrin, myricetin, hyperoside);
- C-benzylated dihydroflavanones (hamanetin and isochamanetin);
- iridoids (monotropein and unedoside);
- phenolcarboxylic acids with derivatives (up to 6% gallic acid, n-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, lilac acid, ellagalic acid, protocatechoic acid, vanillic acid, methyl gallate, corilagin);
- up to 35% pyrogallic tannins (ellagitannins and gallotannins);
- organic acids (formic, quinic, galsic, malic, etc.);
- small amount of essential oil;
- micro- and macroelements.
Traditional medicine recipes
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In ancient times, dried bearberry leaves were brewed and drunk as tea for any kidney disease.
Decoction and infusion of leaves for the treatment of acute and chronic nephritis
- To prepare a decoction, pour one tablespoon of crushed leaves into a glass of water. Place on the fire and simmer over low heat for 5–10 minutes. Then cool and strain. Drink one tablespoon 5 times a day half an hour after meals.
- To prepare the infusion, you need one tablespoon of crushed raw materials, pour a glass of boiling water. Cover with a lid and let sit for half an hour. Take the same as a decoction.
For the treatment of diarrhea
For indigestion and diarrhea, a decoction or powder of dry leaves is recommended.
- Decoction: prepared at the rate of 1/10. Take one tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
- Powder from dry bearberry leaves (crushed in a mortar) take 1 gram 2 times a day.
For the treatment of nervous diseases
- A decoction helps: pour one tablespoon of bearberry into three glasses of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until about 1/3 of the liquid has evaporated. Divide the remaining broth into 3 daily servings.
Planting and care rules
"Bear's ear" is planted in open ground in the spring before the growing season begins or in the fall after its completion. Planting and caring for bearberry require special conditions:
- The soil should be light and acidified (ph 4.5-5.5). You can increase the acidity level yourself: add peat and pine needles (5:2). Sand is added for airiness. The application of mineral fertilizers is encouraged.
- Provide drainage. This will prevent moisture from evaporating quickly, which will reduce watering.
- Bright lighting.
Before planting, you need to dig a ditch 15 cm deep. Place planting material with a ball of earth there. Fill the trench, compact it and water it.
It is advisable to choose flat areas so that there is no groundwater nearby. Make the beds high, the distance between the rows is 20-25 cm. After planting, the plant must be mulched with peat chips, pine needles or sawdust.
When watering, avoid stagnation of water and drought. Sprinkling or drip irrigation is recommended. When ripening fruits, pay special attention to moisture intake. If there is not enough of it, the next harvest will be low.
When the plant has fully adapted, fertilizing can be applied. You cannot use organic matter; it can “burn” the bush. Use potassium sulfate, ammonium sulfate or superphosphate.
Caring for “bear berries” also involves annual pruning. If you take good care of the plant, it can become a wonderful decorative ornament throughout the year. This is proven by photographs of bearberry, in which it looks like a natural green carpet.
In early spring, it is necessary to shorten the longest and largest branches. If they are not pruned enough, the shoots will die off faster. If over-pruned, the foliage will not be thick and lush.
In places with a harsh climate, shrubs are insulated for the winter with spruce branches, on top of which they are covered with non-woven material.
