Eryngium (Eryngeum foetidum) is a plant of the Apiaceae family, a herbaceous annual and perennial plant, depending on the species. It is often used in folk medicine because it has a number of healing properties.
The height of the plant depends on the species and ranges from 30 cm to 1.5 m. The stem is thick with a color transition from green to bluish purple. The leaves are carved oblong, the inflorescences are umbrella-shaped, the flowers have blue and light blue petals. The eryngium blooms all summer, from June to the end of September.
Distinctive features
Plants from the Umbrella family can be found on all continents - there are more than 3,500 species. Eryngium or eryngium belongs to this large family; about 250 species grow on the Eurasian continent. Grows in steppes, bush thickets, dry meadows and hills, near roads.
It is easily recognized by its characteristic bluish stem branching from above and dissected, prickly, hard leaves of a bluish-blue or bluish-green color. The aboveground part turns completely blue when the plant is in a favorable environment. The height of the lush, spreading bush reaches 35-150 cm. The fleshy tap root is capable of accumulating moisture, which allows it to go without water for a long time.
The decorative effect of the plant is given by the unusual shape of the inflorescences - they resemble a dense round head framed by a blanket (wrapper) of hard, prickly leaves. The inflorescence consists of small blue-blue flowers, which become deep blue in soils with a high lime content.
The species received its name because of the blue color of the inflorescence-head, and because of the prickly, hard leaves, the flower is popularly called blue thistle.
Eryngium: varieties and nuances of care and reproduction
Eryngium (lat. Eryngium) is a genus of perennial (rarely biennial and summer) herbs of the Apiaceae family. Grows in the tropics, subtropics and temperate latitudes. Other names for blueheads, eryngium.
Description
The height of representatives of the genus depends on the species, ranging from 40 to 150 cm. The root system is taproot. The stem is erect (sometimes semi-recumbent), bare, bluish in color, branched at the top. The leaves are hard, leathery, round or ovate, lanceolate, pinnately dissected, serrated, spiny along the edges. The basal leaves are long-petiolate, the stem leaves are sessile. At the beginning of plant growth, the color of the leaves is green, then acquires a whitish tint. The leaf blades of adult plants are steel blue in color.
Feverweed
The flowers are small, collected in ovoid, umbrella-type inflorescences. The heads are up to 2 cm in length, often blue-blue in color, located at the tops of branched stems. The flower is framed by a cup-shaped involucre with dissected leaves, spiny, equal in length to or exceeding the size of the flower, located horizontally or elevated. The color of the flowers is intense blue, blue-blue, blue-lilac. The fruits are scaly two-seeded seeds.
Habitat: sandstones, steppes, meadows, mountainous areas, bushes. The eryngium can be found along roadsides, in vacant lots, in dry fields, and on sandy river banks. Because of its similarity to the thistle, eryngium is often associated with weeds.
The eryngium blooms in July–August. Dried flowers retain their decorative properties and are used to create flower arrangements. Some species are used in official and folk medicine. The herb has calming, analgesic, blood purifying, and expectorant properties.
The plant is winter-hardy. The leaves overwinter partially (in the rosette), the stem dies off for the winter.
Dried eryngium
Popular types and varieties
Many species of eryngium are domesticated and grown as ornamental plants.
Alpine eryngium (E. alpinum). It grows wild in the mountains of eastern Europe. The height of the bush is up to 70 cm. The stem is erect, branched at the top, ribbed. The basal leaves are ovoid, the stem leaves are pinnately dissected and spiny. The flowers are collected in a dense large head, located in separate bracts. The involucre is multi-leafed, with dissected spiny leaves, longer than the size of the inflorescence. It differs from other species in the bright blue or blue-violet color of the entire plant. Blooms in July.
Amethyst eryngium (e. amethystinum). Native to southern and central Europe. Height is about 70 cm. The leaves are leathery and spiny. The flowers are round or ovoid, blue or dark blue. The involucre is lilac-blue during flowering. It blooms for more than a month in July.
Eryngium bourget (Burgatti, lat. e.bourgatii). Homeland: Iberian Peninsula. Rarely found in gardening. Low-growing, up to 40 cm. Differs in the bizarre color and shape of the leaves. The blue-green, curved, spiny leaves are decorated with a pattern of white veins.
Giant eryngium (e. giganteum). Biennial tall (up to 150 cm) species. The leaves are leathery, the basal leaves are smooth, the trunk leaves are strongly dissected, spiny, gray-blue in color. The flowers are steel blue, large, up to 100 inflorescences are formed on one bush. The involucre leaves are large, spiny, silver or gray-blue in color; during flowering, a metallic sheen appears in the veins of the leaves. Flowering period - July - August. It is an excellent honey plant.
Separately, it is worth highlighting the “Silver Ghost” variety, which absorbs all the best qualities of this species. A metallic sheen is present in all leaves of the plant; the involucre of the inflorescence has the largest diameter in the genus (up to 12 cm), forming a lush collar around a large (up to 6 cm) inflorescence.
Giant eryngium flower
Eryngium flatifolia (or flat, lat. e. planum). Perennial plants up to 1 m high. Stems with a blue tint, highly branched at the top. The leaves are hard, leathery, thin, round in shape. The flowers are faded blue, blue or dark blue, small, multiple. The involucre leaves are blue-green, serrated, subulate-needle-shaped, lanceolate. Looks lean. Winter-hardy. Widely used in medicine.
Seaside eryngium (Sea podub, lat. e. maritimum). Grows wildly in Crimea, Transcaucasia, and the Baltic states. Stems up to 70 cm tall, thick, silver-blue in color. The leaves are round or heart-shaped, entire, with spiny teeth. The flowers are blue, pale, the head of the inflorescence is spherical. The leaves of the involucre are wide, entire, and spiny.
Plain eryngium (Rovny, lat. e. campestre). Grows in steppes and wastelands. Does not have blue shades of color. The leaves are deeply dissected.
Hybrid eryngium (e. hybridum) is obtained by crossing different species. Breeders have developed many varieties that differ in color and shape of leaves and flowers. The leaves of some varieties (“Jat Fraud”, “Sani Jackpot”) have variegated or double colors.
Popular hybrids in gardening:
- e. Tsabel is the most popular among gardeners;
- e. Variegated - small blue heads protrude from a star-shaped white wrapper;
- e. Three-part - interesting with the contrast of steelheads and deep blue leaves of the wrappers.
- Hybrids with green flowers: e. Eburneum, e. Agavolistiogo, e. Proteiflorum.
Photo gallery of species
Growing and care
Lighting. Prefers open sunny areas.
The soil. Light sandy and sandy loam soils, well drained. Eryngium is flat and Bourget prefers heavy clay soils. The plant develops well, and the color becomes brighter.
Advice. Adding a deoxidizing agent (lime, ash) to the soil before planting contributes to a brighter color of the flowers.
Watering. Rare, moderate. Some species tolerate drought without watering. After watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the plant.
Care. Needs systematic weeding. Tall varieties are tied to a support in mid-summer. For the winter, the ground part is cut off. It develops well without fertilizing.
Shelter. Most species tolerate winter well without shelter. Some hybrids need additional protection in winter.
Diseases and pests. Practically not affected.
Planting eryngium in the ground
Reproduction
The eryngium is propagated in two ways: by dividing bushes and by seeds.
It is immediately worth noting that propagation of this plant by dividing the bush is ineffective and is used only as a last resort. The division is carried out in May. The fragile roots of the plant break a lot, so you need to be very careful. The survival rate of the cuttings is very low.
Growing eryngium from seeds is more rational. Sowing is carried out in open ground immediately after collecting seeds (in autumn). The shoots are unfriendly and appear a month after sowing. The plant tends to reproduce by self-sowing, but spring shoots are rare.
When growing seedlings, seeds are sown in February in containers with loose soil mixture. They are transplanted into open ground in the spring with complete preservation of the earthen coma. The younger the seedlings are when transplanted, the greater their chances of survival.
Hybrid varieties are propagated by microcloning. This cannot be done at home.
Eryngium in the flower garden
Use in landscape design
The unpretentiousness of eryngium allows it to be used in all areas of landscape design. They decorate flower beds, mixborders, and rockeries. It gets along well with almost all plants, while complementing the composition with exotic inflorescences.
Blueheads also have decorative value when cut. Preparations for bouquets are made when all the flowers in the inflorescence are open. Dried stems with flowers remain unchanged for many years. Florists paint the heads of inflorescences in different colors. In bouquets, eryngium looks impressive, harmonizing with almost all flowers.
The eryngium is not demanding and can grow on its own. But we still need to look for a more capricious representative of the flora in the reproduction. Thanks to its wide range of uses and exotic appearance, eryngium is gaining more and more popularity every year.
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Popular types
Several species of eryngium are cultivated as garden plants, but the most widespread are the following:
- flat-leaved or flat (Eryngium planum) - perennial, distinguished by a violet-blue hue of leaves and stems, average height of the bush (30-60 cm), grows well in poor soils;
- alpine (Eryngium alpinum) - perennial, tall bushes (up to 80 cm), few large inflorescences (4 cm in length), surrounded by a beautiful carved wrapper of bluish leaves;
- giant (Eryngium giganteum) is a tall biennial species, stems grow up to 1.5 m, whitish inflorescences are oblong, wrappers are silver or greenish-blue.
Eryngium planum
Eryngium alpinum
Eryngium giganteum
Eryngium campestre
In steppe zones, a less decorative variety grows - field eryngium (Eryngium campestre). It is sometimes planted in the area because of the medicinal properties it has. The height of the thick (about 1 cm) branching stems reaches 60 cm, the inflorescence is umbrella-shaped, resembling an oblong or round head. The bush, dying, takes the form of a tumbleweed.
How can you use the plant in landscape compositions?
Combination of eryngium with other flowers
In practical terms, the use of eryngium has several important points. Firstly, a lot depends on the plant variety, because there are low-growing varieties up to 40 cm high, medium-sized varieties over 40 cm and tall varieties over 1 meter. Secondly, the specific shape of the plant, despite its versatility, is not suitable for classic French flower beds. Thirdly, for placement on alpine hills, in a rose garden or as a hedge (which is also quite interesting), in addition to eryngium, you will need more plants to complement the composition.
The somewhat wild, unbridled energy of the flower will go well with wild stone, rocks and the following flowers:
- Dahlia;
- Phloxes;
- Lilies;
- Garden geranium.
The soft blue color will look great in a combination of red, pink, and white flowers.
A little mysticism
The peculiarities of its appearance and the spines on its leaves contributed to the spread of the belief that eryngium has a magical property – it drives away evil spirits. That’s why one of the popular names for the flower is chertogon.
Bunches of stems and roots were dried and hung over the front door or planted nearby, believing that they would not allow devils, various evil spirits and otherworldly entities into the house. To protect the interior, dried flowers were placed in bags and placed on shelves.
The plant is under the protection of the planet Venus and the water elements, which endowed it with light magical powers and powerful energy. Eryngium arvensis, which has whitish inflorescences, is used in rituals related to health, and Eryngium flatifolia (bluish flowers) is used as a talisman and in love magic. It is not used in rituals associated with black magic.
The simplest rituals:
- cleansing space from negative energy, protection from the evil eye - a bouquet collected on the waning moon is hung in a visible place;
- protection from otherworldly aggressive entities, demons - several stems of eryngium and thistle are placed under the threshold or placed above the doors, but not in the corner - there it has the opposite effect;
- to remove negative energy from the apartment, they set fire to a branch and fumigate the space;
- Half of the flower, swallowed by each member of a married or loving couple, helps to harmonize relationships.
Legend of the flower
In England there is a legend about how and why this plant became widespread. During the reign of Queen Victoria, one rich lady, who was a passionate admirer of everything unusual, wanted her favorite flower to grow everywhere, and quietly planted its seeds in the gardens of the area.
The appearance of a strange plant with prickly leaves of a non-standard color caused a stir among the residents, especially since on moonlit nights the smooth leaves shone with a ghostly silvery light. He was even compared to a ghost who came from the plant kingdom. Among the population, the strange plant was called "Miss Wilmott's Ghost".
The legend has continued in modern times - breeders gave one of the varieties the name Silver Ghost. The flowers of this variety are large (up to 12 cm in diameter), there are about 100 of them on the bush. The death of the plant after flowering further confirms the legend of its ghostly appearance.
Eryngium in garden design
Like any plant with an extraordinary appearance, prickly eryngiums require the gardener to have a delicate taste. Such charismatic specimens need to find a worthy environment. These plants always add striking structural forms to flower beds. But, of course, such an unusual plant is unlikely to create a harmonious duet with popular flowerbed annuals, such as marigolds or petunias.
Eryngiums are ideal for growing in natural-style mixborders, gravel gardens, rock gardens or containers, and are also used as fresh and dried cut flowers. Choose the planting site carefully so as not to disturb the plant with transplants, as it really does not like to be disturbed.
Ideal neighbors for eryngium: sage, penstemon, perovskia, echinacea, various ornamental grasses. The eryngium looks most impressive in large clumps among grasses or other perennial plants. At the same time, in order to set the rhythm of the flower garden, it is recommended to plant several identical clumps throughout the flower garden.
Another technique is to grow so-called “meadow plantings,” when plants are planted not in groups, but in scattering, as if they had grown on their own. In the latter case, scatterings of blue eryngium stars will appear here and there from under the petals of neighboring plants, which will create the magnificent effect of a real meadow.
The eryngium looks most impressive in large clumps among grasses or other perennial plants. © JOY
Seeds - collection, how to choose
Eryngium seeds ripen well even in temperate climates and the crop can reproduce by self-sowing. The fruits of the dvosemyanka ripen in late summer or early autumn and are easy to collect yourself. To prevent the seeds from spilling out, you need to tie the inflorescence with gauze, cut it off after ripeness and dry it in the fresh air in the shade. Store in a cloth or paper bag, indicating the date of collection and variety. For sowing, freshly harvested material or stored for several months is best suited - it is sown in winter.
When purchasing ready-made seed material, you need to pay attention to the shelf life (12 months) and characteristics so that you do not purchase a one- or two-year-old variety instead of a perennial.
Collection and storage of raw materials
The roots and herb of eryngium are used in folk medicine. The grass is harvested during the flowering period. The top shoots are cut to a length of about 25-30 cm. The collected raw materials are laid out and dried in the open air. Next, the eryngium must be crushed. Finished raw materials are stored for 2 years in canvas bags or tightly closed jars.
Harvesting of rhizomes begins in autumn or early spring. They must be cleaned of soil residues, washed and cut into several pieces. Place the prepared root elements under a canopy or in a well-ventilated area. Store in the same way as grass. Shelf life is no more than 3 years.
Growing options
You can grow eryngium by planting seeds in open ground or as seedlings. The seeds do not have very good germination, but sowing with a reserve makes it possible to grow the required number of seedlings. The crop is undemanding to the soil, the main thing is that it is loose, so a not very fertile area is better suited than fertilized soil. You can add sand, peat, and compost to heavy soils.
Sowing in open ground
Sowing in an open area should be carried out with the onset of the first frost, when the soil above is slightly frozen. I'm going to dig up in advance and level the surface. Place the seeds in shallow furrows, trying to distribute them evenly, at a distance from each other. With dense plantings, it will be difficult to plant seedlings in the spring - the roots are injured, and rooting will take a long time. Shelter for the winter is not required.
If the seeds are sown immediately after collection, then the young plants that have grown by the beginning of the cold weather should definitely be covered with any covering material and spruce branches placed on top.
Sowing seedlings
The best time for sowing seedlings is February-March. The seeds, evenly distributed over a damp surface, are lightly sprinkled with sand or sifted soil, covered with a transparent film and placed in a warm, cool (about 18 ° C) bright place.
It is convenient to place the seeds in 2-3 pieces at a distance of 4-5 cm between the nests. With further cultivation, they can be replanted in groups.
Germination will take place within 3-4 weeks. Before sprouts appear, the film must be removed regularly to remove condensation. Moisten the soil without allowing it to dry out. Remove the cover after friendly shoots appear. There is no need to apply fertilizers.
At the growth stage of seedlings, care consists of maintaining the temperature within 18-20 ° C - they grow worse in a hot room. Even under optimal conditions for seedlings, they are characterized by slow growth and by the time they are transplanted into the ground, the seedlings are short and the roots are weak. Because of this feature, you can avoid picking, but immediately plant them in a permanent place. Rare plantings allow replanting with less damage to the root system.
If the seeds are sown densely and picking is necessary, then it should be done without waiting for two leaves to appear, trying to leave more soil on the roots. Start hardening when the air warms up a little - the crop is not afraid of the cold.
Planting and care at home
Eryngium is easily propagated by seeds. They can be planted directly in open ground or as seedlings. If there is a plant in the garden, self-seeding is possible. As soon as you manage to get out into the garden, you can immediately move on to planting seeds. They are sown shallowly with a distance of 40-50 cm between future bushes.
Seeds for seedlings are sown in February-March. You can use universal soil. There is no need to bury the future eryngium, but the distance must be made as large as possible or each seed should be planted in a separate container, since the plant does not like frequent transplants. Cover the crops with glass or film. Grow at a temperature of at least 20°C on the sunny side. Watering is moderate. The greenhouse is removed when sprouts appear. It is advisable to plant seedlings directly into the ground, without first picking. In May, the seedlings are taken outside and after 1-2 weeks they are planted in the ground.
The eryngium is unpretentious and does not require care at all.
- It is important not to overwater the plant even in dry weather.
- The soil should have good drainage to avoid stagnation of water.
- Weeds are not good neighbors for eryngium, so they need to be gotten rid of.
- For lush flowering, branches should be pruned after flowering.
- It is recommended to tie tall species to supports.
- Most species of eryngium are adapted to frost. But heat-loving varieties should be covered with dry leaves or spruce branches for the winter.
The advantage of the plant is its resistance to pests and diseases.
Planting seedlings, care
Eryngium is a cold-resistant plant, so planting in open ground is carried out in May, when it is not hot, which facilitates rapid adaptation to a new place.
Seeds sown in autumn will sprout in spring, and if transplanting from a seedling bed is required, this must be done before the heat gets hot. Transplantation of seedlings that sprouted in autumn is carried out in early spring.
The optimal place for the crop is sunny, with slight shading, the soil is light and infertile. Maintain a distance of 40 cm between seedlings and try to keep a lump of earth on the roots.
Care consists of moistening the soil in dry, hot weather - there is no need to water regularly, because the plant reacts poorly to excess moisture. Weeding and loosening is necessary constantly to maintain the soil in a loose state. For tall varieties, install a support.
Chemical composition of Eryngium flatifolia
It is the chemical composition that determines the unique medicinal properties of the field eryngium. It contains the following substances:
- ascorbic acid, provitamin A;
- tannins;
- essential and fatty oils;
- organic acids – glycolic, malonic, citric, oxalic, malic;
- tannides and triterpene saponins;
- quercetin, kaempferol;
- minerals – sodium, zinc, potassium.
Important! The exact chemical composition of Eryngium flatifolia has not yet been studied, since no serious research has been carried out.
Other methods of reproduction
In addition to the seed method, there is an alternative option - dividing the bush. But it is too traumatic for brittle roots and rooting in a new place is difficult, with great stress for the plant, so it is rarely used.
Another way to propagate a crop is to use young plants that have sprouted after self-sowing. They are dug up along with a lump of earth and planted in a permanent place.
Treatment of cough with decoction of eryngium roots
If you have a severe chest cough, treatment with erythematosus will quickly eliminate the main cold symptom. Drinking a rich decoction helps thin mucus, remove phlegm from the respiratory tract, and make breathing easier.
For lesions of the mucous membranes caused by coughing attacks, treatment with a home remedy will also bring invaluable benefits - it will initiate tissue healing. Preparation:
Cut several roots of the plant into large pieces (you will need a full tablespoon of plant mass).
- Pour the mixture with cold water (240 ml), put on high heat.
- After boiling, reduce the heat and cook, avoiding strong boiling, for a quarter of an hour.
- Strain after half an hour - the product should infuse.
- Add 50 grams of bee honey to the warm liquid, stir the homemade medicine until the product is completely dissolved.
Use an antitussive drug three times a day, 25-30 ml. The individual characteristics of the body should be taken into account - the bee product can cause serious allergies.
If, after drinking the decoction, you experience attacks of nausea, vomiting, or the skin becomes covered with rashes, it is better to avoid adding a sweet ingredient. It is not recommended to replace honey with sugar - you will have to use the product in its pure form.
It is not recommended to use herbal medicine for more than two weeks. If the cough has not lost intensity during this time, you need to visit a doctor and undergo an additional examination.
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Useful properties, composition, application
Since ancient times, folk healers have used the beneficial properties of eryngium to treat various diseases, passing recipes from generation to generation. It is still used now as an independent medicine or in combination with medications, but only after receiving the recommendations of the attending physician. Based on dried raw materials, decoctions, tinctures, and infusions are prepared.
The most useful substances (sugars, polysaccharides, various organic acids, phenolcarboxylic and acetylene compounds, tannins, flavonoids, vitamin C, alkaloids, coumarins) are found in eryngium flat-leaved and field - they are used in folk medicine.
Application area:
- respiratory diseases - bronchitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, fever, pharyngitis, tracheitis;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, genitourinary system, gallstones, kidneys;
- skin diseases and diseases of the oral cavity - dermatoses, diathesis, periodontal disease, ulcers, neurodermatitis, eczema;
- prevention and treatment of diseases of the skeletal system - rheumatism, joint pain;
- contributes to the normalization of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Substances in the composition of medicinal raw materials act as antispasmodics, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, diuretic, lactogenic, astringent, blood purifier and tonic.
Folk signs
Eryngium is a versatile plant; in addition to decorative and medicinal qualities, it also has mystical ones.
In Russia, this plant is often called thistle or thistle. Dried eryngium herb was hung over the threshold of the house in order to ward off not only evil spirits, but also unkind people.
However, from a botanist's point of view, thistle is a different plant.
Another interesting property and sign of eryngium is an increase in sexual desire. In former times, women collected eryngium roots, candied them and treated them to their husbands.
Contraindications for use
Decoctions and infusions of eryngium are not recommended for everyone - there are strict contraindications for use.
Who should not:
- pregnant women;
- women on the eve of menstruation - in order not to provoke bleeding, you should stop taking erythematosus 2-3 days before the start and do not use it for 7 days;
- patients diagnosed with hypertension.
Recipes based on eryngium
The recipes use the medicinal properties of the roots and aerial parts of the plant. If you harvest them yourself, you need to dig up the roots in spring or autumn, and cut off the stems during flowering. Cleanly washed and chopped roots and chopped stems are dried in the shade in the fresh air. Store in a dry place for no more than 2 years.
Application options:
- lotions on affected areas of the skin - 1 tbsp. l. dry raw materials from roots and stems + 500 ml of water, boil over low heat for a quarter of an hour, apply after filtering and cooling;
- stomach and intestinal colic, hemorrhoids, epilepsy – dry root (25 g) + boiling water (500 ml), boil for 10 minutes, leave for half an hour, drink the strained decoction 3-4 times, 1/2 cup;
- whooping cough, cough, acute respiratory infections - dry raw materials (1 tsp) + boiling water (1 glass), leave under a fur coat for 1-2 hours, drink 1 tbsp. l. 5-6 times a day;
- kidney disease, kidney stones - add 1 tbsp to 500 ml of boiling water. l. herbs, boil for 5 minutes, take 100-125 ml three times a day;
- recovery after a heart attack - decoction (1 tbsp. dry mixture + 250 ml of boiling water, boil for 5 minutes) take 1 tbsp for 21 days. l. 5 times a day;
- stomach ulcer – decoction (2 tablespoons of raw materials + 0.4 liters of boiling water, boil for 4-5 minutes, leave for 2 hours) take 125 ml before meals 3-4 times a day.
Description of eryngium
Eryngium , or eryngium (Eryngium) is a magnificent herbaceous perennial, which is often attributed to cultivated thistles, but still deserves much more respectful treatment. Reaching a height of 30 to 100 cm, eryngium captivates with its weightless lace appearance.
The shoots of eryngium are densely branched at the top, solid, rounded, heart-shaped below and pinnately dissected leaves on the shoots form a lush bush that looks like a luxurious decoration of any composition and genuine lace, and the play of metallic and blue shades adds luxury to the plant. But the eryngium is valued primarily for its capitate inflorescences, surrounded by rigid, spiny involucre leaves, in which blue or light blue small flowers sit in the axils of the lanceolate bracts.
In nature, the number of eryngiums is not limited to two hundred species, but only about a dozen species are used in garden culture - and magnificent hybrid eryngiums, as well as giant, amethyst, Bourget, alpine, seaside, and flat-leaved. Regardless of the variety and species, all eryngiums reproduce in the same way (simply the same).
