Thistle: medicinal properties and contraindications

Money tree - under such a name is known to the vast majority of people. Each owner of the plant believes that sooner or later this succulent will bring wealth and prosperity to his house.

Chemical Composition

Despite the fact that as a remedy people use colostrum long ago, her thorough chemical analysis of scientists have not been carried out, since almost immediately in the plant were found arsenides - salts of arsenic, which have the peculiarity to accumulate in the tissue of the bones. The presence of arsenic has caused doubts about the appropriateness of the use of Thistle. That is why official medicine has not adopted this plant, although it does not deny that the amount of arsenic is so small that its external use will not do any harm.

Scientists confirm the presence in the plant of volatile compounds with bright antibacterial properties - phytoncides and flavonoids. Their most important property is that they are excellent antioxidants that suppress oxidative processes in the body and stimulate it to fight infection more actively, as well as having a rejuvenating and wound-healing effect.

How does the money tree look like?

Thistle (krasula scientifically) can not be confused with any other plant. It is succulent, thorough: on a thick and massive stem, which looks more like a trunk, are arranged strong branches with shiny fleshy leaves, sitting in pairs opposite each other. So there is nothing surprising about the name: it comes from "crassus", which is Latin for "fat".

Most people call this plant a money tree, which is also for a reason: its leaves are shaped like coins.

Representatives of different species of fatty grow to a height of a few centimeters to three or four meters.

Ordinary, ordinary flower grower rarely get to see the blooming of the Thick plant: although it is unpretentious, it rarely blooms. A young plant will never show flowers. It needs to grow up to at least 7-10 years, to present the owner with white or creamy-yellowish panicles, consisting of a considerable number of small fragrant flowers with five petals. Their scent is sweet and so strong that it can cause a headache.

Types

There are over 300 species of Thickwort, almost all of which are native to the southern hemisphere of the planet - southern and southwestern Africa, tropical regions, the island of Madagascar. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Crassula grows on the Arabian Peninsula.

As a houseplant, florists cultivate many varieties of Thistles. Sometimes in appearance you would not think that they are relatives, so they differ in general appearance, shape and color of the leaves, size.

All colostrums botanists divided into groups: arboreal, declining (or ampelic) and colony-shaped. Stand alone is a group (or assembled) Thick plants.

The tree-like name speaks for itself - they are very similar to trees in miniature. It is to them that the money tree belongs. In home conditions, these plants can grow up to 2 m in height. But among them there are some whose height does not exceed 50 cm. On windowsills in apartments and offices, most often you can see such varieties of Thistles as oval (the most common and more common, its second name is ovate), ovata, portulaca, silvery and gollum.

The tapering (or ampelina) Thistle is absolutely not like a tree. It is a grass - with long and thin shoots, its leaves are small. In natural conditions, they occupy huge areas of soil, as if covering it with a carpet. As a houseplant, the ampelia tolanki is grown in hanging cachepots, from where it descends, forming beautiful compositions. Usually these are representatives of the plaunate and false-plaunate, as well as the perforated crassula.

The most unusual and attractive are column-shaped colostrils. They do not grow large, as a rule, their height does not exceed 15 cm. But their leaves have a very beautiful, bizarre shape, and they grow so densely and close together that they create a column shape 1 to 5 cm wide. Those who are strongly fond of fatty plants, try to assemble a collection of plants of this species. Particularly spectacular are the Buddha Temple, resembling a Chinese pagoda, as well as the hemispherical and rocky varieties.

The group (or harvested) Thistle is characterized by its small size. It does not grow more than 10 cm in height. This, like the ampelia, is also a groundcover variety, but its shoots are short, but strongly branched. The branches grow so fast that they cover the area like turf. If you plant it at home in a wide and shallow pot, it will soon form very picturesque thickets.

Gathering and storage

Before you use thistle for medicinal purposes, you need to take care that there were enough useful substances in it. That means you can not strongly "fry" it in the sun. If the plant will be exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, it will overheat, the leaves will turn red and then turn brown. This means that the medicinal ability is lost.

Only fresh, juicy green and shiny leaves are used to prepare medicinal compositions with crassula. They cannot be stored for a long time: they retain their value for no more than two days. Therefore, do not make a lot of them, they are usually plucked and immediately put into action.

Prepared infusions and decoctions can be kept in the refrigerator no longer than one day. Juice can be preserved for long storage, preparing on its basis an alcoholic tincture.

Medicinal properties of the money tree

In folk medicine, the oval (or egg-shaped) colostrum is used. It has a beneficial effect on the human body, even if it just stands on the windowsill. Already the very presence in the room it improves the composition of the air due to the fact that contained in it phytoncides destroy all harmful bacteria. As a result, people are better in mood and performance, sleep becomes normal, and sufferers of acute respiratory infections easier to tolerate the disease and recover faster.

Thistle is widely used for external use. Since ancient times, folk healers have known about its antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, regenerating and antipruritic abilities. It is recommended for the treatment of cuts, wounds, abscesses, burns. Wounds are disinfected and heal faster when the juice or pulp of the plant is used. If the head itches because of eczema or psoriasis, colostrum will relieve the irritation. Applied to the place of the insect bite leaf eliminates itching, swelling and even herpes on the lip.

Thickwort can significantly reduce the pain of arthritis, arthrosis or gout - the healing green porridge in this case acts as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. With colds, the compositions based on the plant drip into the nose, gargle the throat.

Another name of the plant - callus - came from its ability to soften old dry calluses, corns, for which folk healers prescribe a compress. The same remedy will help to fight toenail fungus and eliminate ingrown nails.

Use the plant to relieve hemorrhoids and varicose veins, because it can strengthen the walls of blood vessels. In the first case, use compositions based on colostrum and Vaseline (or olive oil), in the second - an alcoholic tincture.

Thistle in folk medicine

There are a number of ailments, in which colostrum is indispensable and is used often, because in such forms it does not bring harm to the body.

From runny nose

If your nose is stuffed up, you can make drops of colostrum. You need to squeeze the juice from the leaves, dilute it with water, and one part of the juice to take two parts of water. Drip just one drop in each nostril, but often - every hour. If the runny nose is delayed and there are fears that it will be chronic, you can begin to rinse the nose. The solution for rinsing should be made from the juice squeezed from 5-6 leaves, mixed with 3 tablespoons of boiled water. If you do not have a special kettle called a neti-pot, you can use a rubber bulb or syringe without a needle. Rinse your nose three times a day.

For sore throat and toothache

The juice of the colostrum is suitable not only to save them from angina, but also to eliminate problems in the mouth - to relieve toothache, heal ulcers with stomatitis. To prepare a healing composition, you need to squeeze the juice of 10 leaves and mix it with a glass of warm boiled water. Gargle your throat or mouth 3 to 4 times a day.

For varicose veins.

Tincture in alcohol to combat varicose veins is prepared from 6-7 leaves of Thistle, poured 200 g of vodka. Leaves can be lightly torn into several pieces or pour the whole. Insist this remedy in a glass jar in a dark place for 2 weeks. Ready-made tincture should be gently rubbed on the legs - starting from the ankles and moving up - to the knees and hips.

With hemorrhoids

To relieve pain and heal anal fissures or hemorrhoids, you can prepare a home remedy based on petroleum jelly and colostrum juice. They should be mixed in equal proportions, put on a cotton-gauze tampon and gently inserted inside. To make the remedy work faster, repeat the procedure 2 times a day.

To treat joints

To relieve the pain of arthritis, rheumatism, as well as sprains and bruises, you need to make a compress. Grind the green leaves to make a pulp (you can use a blender or chop the plant very finely with a knife). The resulting mass on the sore spot, cover with a clean cloth and fasten the bandage. Keep a compress from 2 to 3 hours, better - all night. If the pain is intense, you can repeat the procedure in the morning.

For toenail fungus

Fighting fungus is difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Healing remedy prepared at home from colostrum will improve the therapeutic effect of pharmacy medication, reduce the cure time and reduce costs.

To start the treatment, you must first prepare a bath for steaming feet: add a little baking soda or soap in hot water. After steaming the feet with scissors, a knife or a blade, carefully scrape off the top dead layers of the nail. Remove the skin from a leaf of Thistle, put the pulp on the nail and wrap with plaster or bandage. Do this procedure in the evening, keep the compress overnight. In the morning, remove it, steam your feet again and apply a drugstore fungus ointment to the affected nails.

Treatment of burns, wounds, abscesses, ulcers and bruises

Burns and wounds are treated with a lump of colostrum leaves. It should be put on a gauze napkin or cotton pad, put to the sore area and fasten with a bandage or plaster. After 4 hours, change the bandage.

For herpes and insect bites

When there is a herpes on the lips (or a cold, as it is called), the juice, squeezed from the leaves of Thistleberry will help to get rid of it quickly. You need to finely chop a couple of leaves (or break them in a blender), from the resulting squeeze the juice with a cloth and put it on the blister. The inflammation will pass more quickly.

The same juice can anoint redness caused by mosquito bites. You can apply the juice up to 6 times a day, it will eliminate the itching and get rid of the swelling.

For toothaches

Arsenic's ability to kill the tooth nerve can be used to calm a toothache. It is necessary to break a leaf and put the broken side to the painful tooth. Spit running saliva without swallowing, so that arsenic does not get into the stomach.

Cystitis and pyelonephritis

The use of colostrum for the treatment of cystitis and pyelonephritis is based on its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions. But before you apply this method, it is worth well to think and consult a doctor.

Infusion for the treatment should be made of 5-6 leaves, poured a cup of boiling water. The composition to soak under a lid for an hour, drink 2 times a day for an hour before meals on a tablespoon.

Types of healing compositions

It is very convenient when there is a medicinal plant on the windowsill, which does not need to be prepared in advance. As soon as there is a need, you can tear off a leaf and immediately prepare healing compositions from it.

Infusion .

Put 5-6 leaves krasula in a cup and pour boiling water over them. Use the composition after an hour, when it is infused, drink 2 times a day for an hour before meals on a tablespoon. This remedy can treat inflammation of the bladder and kidneys and make a bath to relieve the suffering of hemorrhoids.

Tincture .

To prepare a tincture in vodka, in a half-liter jar you need to pour the leaves of the Thistle about half. Add to the top of the vodka, cover tightly and send in a dark place for about a month. When the composition is infused, use it for compresses, which treat joints, sprains, inflammation of nerves in the face, as well as wipe their feet with varicose veins.

Alcoholic tincture can be harvested for the future, as its beneficial properties are preserved for at least a year.

Decoction

Chop the leaves of Thistle and throw in boiling water (5-7 leaves per 200 ml of water). Boil for half a minute and remove from the fire. You can use this composition for baths with hemorrhoids.

Oil .

Mix in equal volume the juice obtained from the leaves of the money tree, and olive oil. The resulting healing oil can be used with fungal skin lesions. It will reduce swelling, and if there is itching, remove it. To combat nail fungus, you can add to the oil not the juice, but the pulp of the leaves of the plant.

It is better to apply the oil overnight, making compresses on a gauze napkin or cotton pad, put on the problem area, cover with food film, which should be reinforced with a plaster or bandage. Treatment should be carried out every day and do not interrupt until the manifestations of fungus do not disappear.

Ointment

To prepare a healing ointment, you need to take petroleum jelly and lanolin (5 tablespoons each). For this volume, you will need 3 tablespoons of juice from the leaves of the Thistle. Mix all the ingredients and put in a water bath for 15-20 minutes. During this time you should get a homogeneous consistency. After removing the container from the bath, transfer the healing mass in a glass, tightly closed container and store in the refrigerator.

Use the ointment to relieve pain in rheumatism - it is necessary to smear it on painful joints, preferably before bedtime. Also folk medicine recommends the composition to alleviate the suffering of hemorrhoids.

Juice

To get the healing juice, you need to collect the leaves of the Thistle, pick them, rinse and dry them with a paper towel. Crush the leaves into a pulp with a blender or with a meat grinder, and then squeeze the juice from the resulting mass with a clean cotton cloth.

Freshly prepared juice is used for therapeutic purposes. If you want to leave it for longer storage, you need to preserve it - that is, pour it in alcohol or vodka.

The juice is used to treat hemorrhoids, wounds, herpes, purulent inflammation, dental infections, angina, fight fungus of the skin and nails. This product has the ability to relieve itching and skin irritation, reduce swelling and various types of rashes.

The remaining cake after pressing the juice can be used for compresses or applications.

Cosmetic applications

Even our grandmothers, wishing to become beautiful, used this plant to prepare facial masks, as well as to improve the condition of the hair. It is also used to make cleansing lotions. The money tree helps the skin of the face to become cleaner and more youthful. Compositions based on it soothe the skin and neutralize the negative effects of the environment.

To strengthen the hair

You need to crush a handful of leaves, pour them 2 liters of boiling water and send to the stove. Boil for a very short time - no more than 30 seconds. Remove from the fire, wrap in a towel and keep under it until it cools. Strain the decoction and set aside. Mix the remaining mass of leaves with kefir - 2 tablespoons will be enough. This mass is applied to the scalp and rub into it. Wrap your hair with a bag and towel and keep the mask on your head for about 40-50 minutes, then rinse first with plain water, then - decoction. Useful substances contained in the colostrum stimulate the rapid growth of hair and strengthen it. If you repeat these procedures for a couple of weeks, the hair will not only get stronger, but also gain a healthy shine.

Acne Mask

This simple mask will help with acne, pimples and inflammation on the skin.

You need to pick a large, juicy, resilient and shiny green leaf, break it so that the juice splashes, and rub the place where the liquid is released, every acne and inflammation. Do not wipe your face, wait until the juice is absorbed. You can repeat wiping your face several times a day, and in two days the skin will be unrecognizable - it will be clean.

Mask from excessive oiliness of the skin

This mask is useful because it dries the skin and removes excess sebum.

Take a few leaves, wash and dry them with a paper towel. Crush the leaves with a blender to a pulp. Beat the white of a chicken egg, mix it with the mush from the colostrum, add a teaspoon of ground "Hercules". Gently mix until homogeneous and apply to the skin. Wash the mask off after 15 minutes with warm water. The skin will dry up, oily shine will disappear, pores will shrink, but this procedure should be repeated every 7-10 days.

Rejuvenating mask

Take a teaspoon each of colostrum pulp, honey and warm milk, thoroughly mixed with half a teaspoon of yeast (not dry, but fresh) and a drop of eight drops of vitamin E. Stir everything again and apply to your face. With the mask on your face to lie quietly for 15-20 minutes, then wash your face with warm water. If you do such a procedure for a week, your face will noticeably freshen up.

Lotion for the skin

Lotions on colostrum are prepared in order to get rid of acne. They help to cleanse the skin and bring it to a normal level of oiliness. To prepare a lotion at home, you need to take 10 leaves of the plant, wash them, crush them, pour a glass of boiled water at room temperature and insist under a lid for about 5 hours. Then strain the composition, squeeze the pulp and use the resulting liquid to wipe your face - in the morning and evening after washing.

You can pour a tablespoon of lemon juice into the lotion. And for the healing composition to be even more effective, it would be nice to freeze it, pouring it in portions into ice molds. The resulting cubes should be used in the same way as the lotion itself.

To treat nail fungus

Turn 2-3 leaves into a mush and add 5 drops of sesame oil. Put the resulting mixture on a cotton pad and then fix it on the sore nail with a plaster. Leave it on the nail all night long.

If the nail is ingrown.

Money tree can also eliminate such a cosmetic defect as an ingrown nail. To do this, you need to make a compress from the thickened toenail pulp. Soak the leg and put the pulp on the nail, then wrap the finger in clingfilm. After 4 hours, the skin will be so soft that it will be possible to remove an ingrown nail.

Contraindications for use

The main danger of the money tree is the arsenic compounds it contains. They should beware of pregnant women: do not take the risk and use the composition on the basis of this plant - you can cause damage to the unborn baby. Breastfeeding mothers for the same reason should not be treated thistle - possible ingress of unhealthy substances in the milk. Prohibited drug from this plant and children under 16 years.

In addition, in the process of treatment it is possible to manifest an allergy to the money tree or individual intolerance of its individual components. If this is revealed, you should choose other medicines for treatment.

But even a person who is not included in these risk groups, you should not consume compositions from the money tree too many days in a row and in no case do not exceed the recommended dosage, otherwise you can get poisoning, accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Treated with compositions based on the money tree, prepared in home conditions, can not be longer than 2 weeks, otherwise the process of accumulation of arsenic salts in the body will begin.

How to properly care for Thistle

The first condition for growing a healthy beautiful tree is the right choice of window sill. The plant should have enough sun, so it is suitable for it windows looking south, southeast or southwest. However, you need to make sure that the sun does not scorch their green leaves, otherwise they will become reddish. To do this in the middle of the day you need to shade the thistle with a curtain or use blinds. If the windows of the apartment only face north, you can't grow a healthy crassula without a phytolamp.

To make the crown grow evenly, the flower should be turned from time to time to the glass with one side or the other.

Thick plants will feel great on a balcony or veranda in summer. Comfortable for her air temperature is 22-28 degrees. In this plant is useful to a large difference between day and night temperatures.

In winter, the money tree likes to rest, so he needs to create a temperature of 14 to 16 degrees. On a heated loggia it will calmly survive and a lower temperature - from 8 to 10 degrees. However, you must remember - the redwoods do not tolerate drafts. If the winter in the room where there is a toadstool, will be hotter than it should be, it may well drop the leaves.

A very important point in the cultivation of tombstones - watering. It reacts acutely to excessive moisture in the soil. As with all succulents, the roots of the money tree can rot and the leaves will begin to fall off intensely.

In the summer heat, an adult money tree requires abundant watering just once every 2 weeks, a young plant - once a week. In autumn and winter, watering should be done once every 3-4 weeks. Water that has leaked into the tray must be poured out. If the room where the crassula is damp, water even less often.

Water for watering can not be taken from the tap, it must stand for a couple of days. Spray or shower the plant is not necessary: the leaves can lose their decor. It is better to wipe them with a damp cloth.

Soil for Thick plants should not be very nutritious, but friable and breathable. You can buy ready-made soil mixture for succulents or prepare it yourself, for which you need to mix one part each of humus, leaf soil, river sand, fine gravel and add three parts of sod soil and 2 tablespoons of ash. Drainage in the pot is mandatory, you can use expanded clay, pebbles or small stones. On top of the drainage put a couple of tablets of activated charcoal to prevent fungal diseases.

Since the root system is shallow, it is better to choose a shallow pot, but wide and heavy enough so that the plant can not tip it over.

March is the best time to transplant. Young plants require annual transplanting, adults once every 3 years is enough. An important condition - the root neck when transplanting must not be buried.

After transplanting, the flower should be placed in the penumbra for 7 days, so it can adapt to new conditions, and the roots strengthened in the soil. If the plant has grown to such a size that it is already difficult to transplant, you can do with replacing the top layer of soil in the pot.

So that the branches do not grow haphazardly and break under their own weight, you need to start shaping the tree when it is still young: until it reaches the desired height, you should remove side branches so that the trunk remains bare at the bottom about 15 cm in height. When the desired height is achieved, you can then prune off the crown and any strongly growing side branches. Then they will not stretch out and new side shoots will grow. As a result, the tree will become thick and beautiful.

Is the thistle dangerous for cats

Money tree, so useful to humans, the little brothers will not do good, on the contrary, the habit of biting the leaves of indoor plants will turn into poisoning. If the juice of the plant enters the digestive system of the animal, even in small quantities, it can cause vomiting, impaired coordination of movements, slowed heart rate (bradycardia) and even depression.

To discourage the cat or cat from fatty plants, you need to place lemon or orange peels on the windowsill. You can also drop drops of citrus essential oil on the pot with the plant.

Can we give a money tree?

According to folk omens, to give a thistle to another person is the same as giving him your money, in this way you can fall into poverty. The only case when giving a money tree will benefit is to make a gift from the heart to someone for a wedding, so that it becomes a symbol of the well-being of the young family.

The tree is decorated for the wedding: the trunk is wrapped with scarlet ribbon, coins and bills rolled up in tubes are hung on the branches. At the same time, it would be nice for both parties that the one who received such a gift paid with a couple of coins.

Interesting facts about the thistle

1. To have money in the house, do not buy a large tree. According to omens, it is better to grow it yourself from a small branch, stolen from a wealthy family. The smaller the sprout and the sooner it takes root, the sooner the owner will find good luck.
2. So that the money tree will love the house and its owners and more likely to contribute to the growth of wealth, it is necessary to communicate with it: wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, count them as if they were real coins, tell the plant about your plans, you can say some kind of incantation for wealth. It is better to dedicate Wednesday to talking with colostrum, because it is the most active and energetically charged day of the week.
3. To krassula attracted money, for it pick up an expensive red ceramic pot. If you could not find such a thing, you can tie a regular red ribbon or draw red stripes on it, which should symbolize an endless financial flow.
4. It is believed that electrical appliances - televisions, computers, heaters - do not allow money energy to circulate freely, so do not place a plant near them. As soon as the profit is made, a stack of several coins is placed near the pot with the thistle. According to beliefs, they will play the role of a money magnet.
5. Also a strong magnetic effect for money have bills, twisted a tube and tied on red satin ribbons to the branches. From time to time it is necessary to change bills for new ones to avoid braking of financial energy. For the New Year, the tree can be decorated with good chocolates in shiny foil - they are also tied on red strings or ribbons.
6. The money tree blooms very rarely. But, as the grandmothers say, if it is still covered with brushes of small flowers, you must make a wish of the material plane, and it will definitely come true.
7. The very fact of blossoming predicts that money will soon fall on the owner of the flower - immodest, enormous sums. Perhaps it will be a big win in the lottery or an unexpected inheritance.

Photo of a money tree