The medicinal herb promotes recovery from pneumonia and bronchitis. Decoctions and infusions stimulate appetite, cleanse the blood, and increase the secretion of gastric juice. Thanks to its tannins, verbena helps in the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract. Preparations from the plant reduce temperature, enhance the body's protective functions, and relieve intestinal spasms. Used in the treatment of female diseases.
Pharmacological studies have established the sedative effect of the herb on the parasympathetic nervous system. Medicines with antidepressant properties restore the central nervous system during prolonged stress and nervous exhaustion [5].
In folk medicine, verbena is used to treat inflammation of the throat and oral mucosa and is used as a diuretic and tonic. The leaves of the plant contain 100 mg% vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and has an anti-scurvy effect. Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties are used in the treatment of skin diseases, furunculosis, and non-healing wounds.
What it looks like: photo of verbena and its flowers in a flowerbed
The height of the bush can reach 1-1.2 m. Stems can be of the following types:
- creeping, erect and prostrate;
- smooth or drooping.
The leaves of verbena, as well as their location, can be:
- whole, dissected or feathery incised;
- jagged or oval-elongated;
- rarely whorled.
As for the flowers, they are also replete with variety:
- in the form of a 5-toothed cup;
- in the form of a 5-lobed corolla;
- collected by brush, spikes or paniculate inflorescences.
Flower color can be:
- dark blue and light blue;
- yellow;
- white;
- dark red;
- salmon;
- pink.
Below is a photo of perennial verbena flowers.
Description of the plant
Verbena can be perennial or annual. The medicinal species belongs to the Verbenovaceae family. Thanks to its powerful roots, the plant reaches a height of more than 60-70 cm. The leaf blade has a rich green color. Verbena grass is covered with small hairs, the stem is quadrangular, straight, and rough and bristly. At the end of the stem there are spike-shaped inflorescences. The flowers change color and may appear purple or lilac.
Medicinal
Important! Some inflorescences, in addition to the main color, may have red or white eyes, but this is a rare occurrence. This color cannot be achieved in indoor conditions.
Flowering begins at the beginning of summer (June-July), and verbena begins to bear fruit at the end of summer, but often in early autumn (August-September). During ripening, the fruit is divided into four dry lobes, similar to brown nuts.
Fruits of the plant
Verbena grows in bright, moist and fairly warm places. The culture is not picky about its living conditions and is often located in the wild: along the coastlines of reservoirs, near roads, in vacant lots, forest edges, and in the cultivated area as a weed.
Varieties of flowers
The high popularity of verbena in floriculture is due to the unpretentiousness, attractiveness of the flower and its wide variety of species. Below are the names and descriptions of various types of verbena flowers, as well as their photos:
Canadian. Belongs to perennials.
Under favorable climatic conditions, flowering can last until the end of October. The bush is short - 20 cm. The shape of the leaves is openwork, the inflorescences are in delicate shades - white, pink, lilac.
Tough. A variety of verbena that is grown in Russia as an annual, despite the fact that it is considered a perennial.
The color of the inflorescence is lilac. Hard, pubescent, elongated leaves are concentrated on the branched stems.
Buenos Aires. This plant variety should be classified as tall, since the stems can grow up to 1 m.
The perennial subshrub or shrub forms many lateral branches with thin leaves of a jagged and elongated shape.The inflorescences are umbrella-type, the leaves are jagged and elongated. The perennial blooms are represented by small lilac flowers.
Hybrid. The variety was obtained from several species.
The plant is herbaceous, its height reaches 50 cm, and has many side shoots. The leaves are drooping and shaped like a triangle. The variety is distinguished by a wide palette of flowers. There are 30 types in total - from the lightest to the darkest. Find out more about hybrid (finely cut) verbena here.
Important! The main advantage of verbena over other types of ornamental flowering crops is that it blooms for a long time and has high seed germination even if stored for 2 years.
Read more about verbena varieties Buenos Aires, Bonar and others here.
Also, lovers of verbena may be interested in reading about ampelous verbena and its medicinal properties and its benefits and contraindications.
Bibliography
- O.Yu. Kulyak, G.V. Adamov. “Verbena officinalis. Review of phytochemical and pharmacological research."
- R.M. Khaitov, B.V. Pinegin. "Immunomodulators: mechanism of action and clinical applications." Institute of Immunology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow.
- A.T. Podolyak. “Description of 300 medicinal plants and methods of their use for common diseases”, Istok Publishing House, 2015.
- Antiinflammatory activity and chemical composition of extracts of Verbena officinalis. M Deepak, S S Handa.
- Antioxidant effect of lemon verbena extracts in lymphocytes of university students performing aerobic training program. L Carrera-Quintanar, L Funes, E Viudes, J Tur, V Micol, E Roche, A Pons.
Where does it grow?
This decorative culture arose on two continents at approximately the same time. These are American (from Chile to Canada) and Eurasian (Caucasus, Central Asia). Today you can see some types of verbena even in the countries of the Far East and throughout Europe.
For many varieties of crops, the subtropical or tropical climate of South and Central America remains favorable. This includes a wild plant. But in Russia the plant grows only in the southern regions, where it is warm and quite humid.
But due to prolonged cultivation, it was possible to develop stronger, frost-resistant varieties that do not require close care, while they give a lot of positivity and good mood with their appearance and ease of care.
Traditional medicine recipes
Chronic hepatitis
Make a collection of the following medicinal plants, taken equally (by weight):
- verbena officinalis (herb),
- common agrimony (herb),
- white jasmine (grass),
- common horehound (herb),
- arnica montana (flowers),
- medicinal marigolds (flowers),
- cumin (fruit),
- buckthorn laxative (bark),
- birch warty (leaves).
1 tbsp. collection pour 250 ml. boiling water Cover with a lid, wrap and leave until warm. Strain, squeeze out the raw materials.
Take half a glass three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is up to 5 months.
Cirrhosis of the liver
Make a collection of the following medicinal plants, taken in equal quantities (by weight):
- verbena officinalis (herb),
- common agrimony (herb),
- St. John's wort (herb),
- horsetail (herb),
- birch warty (leaves).
- tansy (flowers),
- common yarrow (inflorescences),
- cinnamon rosehip (fruit),
- snake knotweed (rhizomes),
- creeping wheatgrass (root).
2 tbsp. collection, pour 400 ml into a thermos. boiling water Leave for 3 hours. Strain, squeeze out the raw materials.
Take 100-125 ml. three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is up to 5 months.
Amenorrhea and hypomenorrhea
Make a collection of the following medicinal plants, taken equally (by weight):
- verbena officinalis (herb),
- knotweed (grass),
- oregano (herb),
- common yarrow (inflorescences),
- common horehound (herb),
- St. John's wort (herb),
- elecampane (rhizomes),
- Schisandra chinensis (fruit),
- cinnamon rosehip (fruit),
- Icelandic moss.
8 gr. collection pour 400 ml. hot boiled water. Place the container in a water bath and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, insulate and leave for 1 hour. Strain, squeeze out the raw materials. Bring the resulting decoction to its original volume using boiled water.
Take half a glass three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is up to 4 months.
Collection for external use
Make a collection of the following medicinal plants, taken by weight:
- verbena officinalis (herb) – 10 g;
- chamomile (flowers) – 5 gr.;
- rose (petals) – 10 gr.;
- summer oak (bark) – 10 gr.;
- Salvia officinalis (leaf) – 5 gr.;
- horsetail (grass) – 10 gr.
Pour 1 liter of all herbs. boiling water Cover the container with a lid, wrap it up and leave until warm. Strain, squeeze out the raw materials.
Used as an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing agent for rinsing and lotions for various skin diseases and damage to the skin.
Rules of care
Growing verbena is absolutely not difficult, so this is a unique opportunity for those who are just about to start growing a decorative flower at home. Care comes down to the following activities:
Watering. During intensified growth and intensive flowering, the crop requires regular irrigation. Starting in mid-summer, water the plant less frequently. It is enough to moisten the soil 2-3 times a week. One bush will require approximately 5 liters of water. The soil should not be allowed to become waterlogged, as this can cause the development of diseases.- Loosening the soil. This procedure is extremely necessary for the plant during extreme heat, when abundant irrigation is performed. Loosening will saturate the root system with the necessary oxygen.
- Removing weeds. If planting verbena flowers was done in a group, then weed crops should be removed during the first time after planting, when the bushes have not yet gained strength and have not grown. If verbena flowers are grown as a single plant, then weed crops should be constantly removed.
- Mulching. It should be carried out immediately after planting this beautiful herbaceous plant in open ground. Use rotted leaves or sawdust for mulching. Such actions will allow the gardener to loosen the soil less often and get rid of weeds.
- Feeding. If you apply mineral fertilizers in a timely manner, the plant will bloom for a long time and not get sick. Apply organic matter once throughout the season. If you oversaturate the soil with nitrogen, this will have a detrimental effect on flowering. Use mineral fertilizers 3-4 times during the entire growing season.
- Stimulation of flowering. If you apply fertilizers correctly and promptly remove wilted elements, this allows you to get long and abundant flowering, which lasts until the first frost.
Beneficial features
Verbena is used to reduce temperature during fever, relieve muscle spasms, and increase the secretion of sweat and bile.
When using medicines from the plant, the healing process of skin lesions is accelerated. They treat gum inflammation and eliminate bad breath.
The medicinal plant is also used for the treatment of various neurological and mental conditions, including stress, nervous disorders, strong emotional experiences and tension, increased fatigue, depression, insomnia and loss of strength.
One of the main beneficial properties of verbena is considered to be anti-atherosclerotic. It is due to the fact that the plant has the following actions:
- Strengthens the walls of veins and arteries;
- Improves microcirculation;
- Normalizes vascular tone and increases their elasticity;
- Restores damaged capillaries;
- Reduces cholesterol levels.
The use of verbena helps eliminate many female pathologies, including symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, menopause, menstrual irregularities and the genitourinary system. The plant is also recommended for men to normalize sexual function.
Reproduction methods
Seeds
The seed propagation method is suitable even for the most inexperienced gardener. March is considered the optimal time for planting. In winter, the germination process occurs slowly, but as soon as spring arrives, the plants come to life faster. You will be able to see the first shoots in 2 weeks.
Just before planting, verbena seeds should be soaked in a biostimulant in advance. It allows the plant to grow and develop faster. Place planting material evenly in a prepared container filled with a damp substrate. Cover the container with glass and film to create a greenhouse effect.
REFERENCE! The container with seeds should be in a dark room where the temperature is 25 degrees. If the specified temperature has been observed, then after 3 days the first sprouts will hatch.
After their formation, place the container with seedlings in a cooler climate.
Irrigation is carried out by spraying. Excessive soil moisture is unacceptable. When planting seeds in separate cups, picking is not required. If you grow seedlings in large containers, then as soon as the first leaf is formed, you will have to pick.
After transplanting young plants into separate containers, you need to wait 2 weeks so that they can take root. After this, nitrogen-containing fertilizers can be applied. In tall plants, to form a lush bush, you need to pinch the top at the initial stages of development.
The seedlings should be transplanted into open ground in early June. Just pre-harden it before doing this. To do this, take the seedlings outside, increasing the time of such a “walk” every day. When planting, maintain a distance of 20-30 cm between plants.
Cuttings
Performed in the spring. To do this, you need to use the upper shoots. Cut them off as carefully as possible, leaving a cutting with 4 pairs of leaves. The lower part of the cutting should be cleared of foliage and buried in the ground.
For planting verbena, as a beautiful herbaceous plant for open ground, a substrate consisting of sand and peat is best suited. Until the root system of the cuttings is completely formed, keep them under a transparent film.
Find out more about growing verbena from seeds and propagating by cuttings here.
Verbena in Christianity
Verbena is considered a sacred plant in Christianity. It was called "cross grass" because these flowers grew on the ground covered with the blood of Christ. Legend has it that verbena was found on Mount Golgotha. It was applied to the wounds of the Savior crucified on the Cross to stop the bleeding. The verbena plant was harvested during special phases of the moon. Before picking a plant, believers were required to be baptized.
Diseases and pests
With proper care of verbena, it is possible to avoid the appearance of various diseases, because the plant’s immunity is quite stable. Problems can arise if gardeners overwater their flowers or the weather is too hot outside.
Then there is a possibility of developing powdery mildew. This is a fungal disease in which the leaves begin to dry out. You can cure it with cheese, using Saprol or Fundazol.
The plant may be affected by aphids or mites. To get rid of them it is worth using insecticides. Excessive moisture can lead to the development of blackleg, spotting and rot.
NOTE! It is quite difficult to combat molds and nematodes, which lead to the development of these diseases, so it is necessary to pay special attention to prevention.
Indications for use
The use of verbena is effective in the presence of the following diseases:
- acute respiratory infections;
- Bronchitis;
- Laryngitis;
- Hepatitis;
- Tracheitis;
- Pneumonia;
- Cholecystitis;
- Gastritis, accompanied by low gastric juice;
- Cholelithiasis;
- Hypotension;
- Headache and toothache.
Since verbena cleanses blood vessels from cholesterol plaques and improves blood circulation, the plant is indicated for the following pathologies:
- Thrombosis;
- Thrombophlebitis;
- Ischemic disease;
- Phlebeurysm;
- Gout;
- Atherosclerosis;
- Rheumatism;
- Angina;
- Peripheral circulation disorders.
External use of verbena is indicated for various skin diseases, eczema, ulcers, scabies, furunculosis, rashes and difficult-to-heal wounds.
