Often, when we plant flowers in our garden, we don’t realize that they can not only decorate flower beds, but also heal our body. These plants include thick-leaved bergenia, the medicinal properties and contraindications of which are known both in folk and official medicine.
This plant came to gardeners from the Altai Mountains, Kuznetsk Alatau, Western and Eastern Sayan Mountains, Baikal and Transbaikalia, where bergenia grows in the wild. It also grows in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China.
There are more than 10 species of this plant and all of them are suitable for growing in garden plots. But it is the thick-leaved bergenia that will not only decorate flower beds, but also take care of your health.
Bergenia thick-leaved - description, photo
Bergenia thickleaf is not the only name. In Latin it is bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia) - such beautiful name it was given in honor of the German botanist Carl August Bergen, who studied it.
Saxifraga is also about bergenia and they called it that not only because in natural conditions it most often grows on rocky slopes, rocks, and embankments. Ancient Slavs and Tibetan healers used bergenia to treat kidney stones; with the help of this plant, the stones were crushed and removed from the patient’s body.
Bergenia - low perennial herbaceous plant with a thick creeping rhizome reaching several meters in length and 3.5 cm in thickness. The rhizome is black on the outside and yellow at the break. The leaves are entire, wide, elliptical or almost rounded, up to 35 cm long, glabrous, shiny, leathery, collected in a basal rosette. Flower arrow without leaves, up to 50 cm high, bearing a large spreading paniculate inflorescence.
Look at the photo, the plant is really very attractive and is popular among gardeners for good reason. 
Bright green large fleshy leaves form beautiful bush, which at the beginning of summer pleases with its flowering in the form of a stem with numerous bell-shaped flowers of lilac-pink color. 
After flowering, the plant does not lose its attractiveness; the rich greenery will delight the eye until the end of the growing season; it will even disappear green under the snow. 
Bergenia looks beautiful among stones, near ponds, and is used to decorate flower beds and garden beds. 
But today we will talk not about landscape design, but about medicinal properties about bergenia and possible contraindications.
Bergenia - benefits and medicinal properties
In places where saxifrage grows, it is considered a cult plant, and every year folk healers and those who know about the benefits of the plant make preparations of rhizomes and leaves. A magical healer from snowy Siberia - this is what this plant is called and for good reason:
- Tannins containing tannin were found in the leaves and rhizomes of bergenia.
- Glycosides berberine and arbutin and starch were found in the rhizomes.
- hydroquinone was found in the leaves of bergenia, ascorbic acid, sugar.
- It also contains essential oils, manganese, iron, resins, and phytoncides.
Why are the above substances interesting for us:
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels, normalize blood pressure, gently reducing it
- relieve migraine headaches, relieve depression, anxiety, improve sleep
- Saxifraga brings great benefits to the genitourinary system, removes kidney stones
- normalize the functioning of the digestive system, improve intestinal microflora, cleanse from waste and toxins
- Thanks to tannins and tannin, including bergenia, it has astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
- the glycoside berberine endows the plant with hemostatic and wound-healing properties
- Bergenia is the richest plant in the world in terms of arbutin content, and this substance has antibiotic properties. Studies have shown that drugs based on bergenia can suppress E. coli and dysentery coli, help with sore throat, stomatitis, and bleeding gums.
- The antioxidant properties of the plant prevent the growth of cancer cells
The first thing we do in our garden plots in the spring is remove old foliage. Begenia differs from other plants in that its foliage after the winter cold, having undergone natural fermentation, accumulates a huge amount of useful substances.
Leaves that have overwintered on the plant for at least three winters are especially valued. 
They are located at the very root, blackened and are collected in the spring. After collection, they are dried under a canopy, spread out on paper. In this form they retain their healing properties for 2 years. They are used to make tea and decoction.
Beneficial properties of tea
If you hear names such as Chingir, Altai, Mongolian tea, know, this is sometimes called incense.
Tea made from dry leaves is truly healing moisture, which:
- quenches thirst well
- relieves physical and mental fatigue
- improves the functioning of the digestive tract
- normalizes blood pressure
- has a beneficial effect on blood vessels
- stimulates the heart
- strengthens the immune system
- relieves the first symptoms of a cold
If you drink tea from bergenia leaves in the morning on an empty stomach, it will give you strength and energy for the whole day.
Tea recipe:
1 tbsp. l. dry leaves pour 0.5 liters. boiling water, cover and after 10 minutes the drink is ready.
Can be done different variants tea, adding your favorite herbs (mint, oregano, fireweed), honey, lemon to dry bergenia leaves, and also brew with black or green tea.
Decoction of leaves in folk medicine
A decoction is prepared from bergenia leaves and used to treat a variety of diseases:
- to relieve inflammation of the bladder, the decoction is taken orally
- in the form of rinses treat stomatitis, bleeding gums
- decoction baths are used for hemorrhoids
- as a lotion for acne
- for oily seborrhea, rub into the scalp
Decoction recipe:
1 tbsp. l. pour 1 cup of boiling water over the raw materials and hold in a water bath for 15 minutes, cool, strain. If taken orally, then 1 - 2 tbsp. l. 3 times a day after meals.
Uses of bergenia root
If the leaves are often used in the form of tea, then the bergenia root is used exclusively medicinal purposes. The roots are dug up after flowering throughout the growing season, washed, cut into small pieces and dried using a dryer or laid out on paper under a canopy. Store in cotton bags and beneficial features are stored for 4 years. A decoction, infusion, and extract are prepared from the roots.
Decoction recipe:
1 tbsp. l. pour crushed dry roots with 1 cup of boiling water and keep in a water bath for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the broth from heat, strain after 15 minutes and squeeze out the roots. For oral administration, pour the decoction into a glass and add boiled water until it is full. Take 3 times a day before meals, 1 - 2 tbsp. l.
The decoction is taken to strengthen blood vessels, for colds and respiratory diseases, for pulmonary tuberculosis, for heartburn and bloating, and compresses are made for rapid healing of wounds.
Extract recipe:
3 tbsp. l. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over chopped dry roots and cook over low heat with a lid on. As soon as it has reduced by 50%, remove from heat and immediately strain and squeeze out the roots. Take 25-30 drops orally 2 times a day. For external use, dilute 1 tbsp. l. extract in 1 liter of water.
Bergenia extract is used:
- for baths for hemorrhoids - the procedure is carried out daily 20 minutes before bedtime, the extract is diluted in warm water.
- for diarrhea, dysentery, take orally
- for stomatitis, gum inflammation, periodontal disease, sore throat - in the form of rinses
Infusion recipe:
1 tbsp. l. crushed dry roots, pour 200 ml of boiling water, cover, leave for an hour, strain. Take 1 tbsp. l. up to 4 times a day
The infusion is taken to strengthen the immune system, for hypertension, rheumatism, sore joints, and for stomach disorders.
You can also use the root in dry form if you grind it to a powder. This powder can be sprinkled on ulcers and bleeding wounds. The powder can be used to make compresses for resolving hematomas.
Bergenia plant for women
Women should pay attention to this plant, as it helps solve a number of gynecological and other problems:
- Douching with a decoction has received good reviews (pour 2 tablespoons of crushed roots into a glass of boiling water, hold for 30 minutes in a water bath, strain. Do warm douching at night for a month.) This procedure relieves inflammation in the appendages, treats fibroids and cervical erosion
- Traditional medicine recommends taking root extract for heavy menstruation
- Douching with an infusion of roots and taking the decoction internally helps with cystitis
- The plant is also used in cosmetology; it has proven itself well in the treatment of acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and is used for enlarged pores on the face.
Used for cosmetic purposes alcohol tincture:
1 tbsp. l. dry roots, pour 0.5 cups of medical alcohol. Cover and place in a dark place for 6 days.
The prepared alcohol tincture is applied to the face and washed off after 15 minutes. clean water. It is recommended to do this procedure 2 times a week to relieve inflammation.
In addition, watch the video.
Does bergenia have any contraindications?
The attractiveness of the plant in terms of beneficial effects on the body is great, but one must always remember that traditional medicine can be a good addition and does not replace traditional treatment. if you have chronic diseases, then consultation with your attending physician is required.
It is also important to know about contraindications so as not to harm your health:
- Use only dry leaves that have undergone natural fermentation. In the latest green leaves contain toxic substances.
- Doctors do not recommend giving any medications or tea from bergenia to children under 6 years of age, due to the fact that the high content of tannins can disrupt digestion.
- For the same reason, those who suffer from constipation should not take incense.
- If you have a disease such as thrombophlebitis or you have rapid blood clotting, then this plant should not be used orally.
- It is possible, but with caution, for people with cardiovascular diseases, especially those who suffer from tachycardia.
- With low blood pressure, you can make combined teas with bergenia and herbs that increase blood pressure.
Let's summarize the above - bergenia is interesting not only as a beautiful landscape plant, its medicinal properties are also of interest. Plant this wonderful plant in your garden plots, use it for the benefit of your health, but do not forget about the contraindications.
Be healthy.
Elena Kasatova. See you by the fireplace.
Bergenia or thick-leaved bergenia is one of the most beautiful plants, with the help of which gardeners and simply aesthetes ennoble their personal plots and front gardens. Florists also value this plant, primarily for its extraordinary beauty and excellent preservation.
In addition, bergenia is a good honey plant. But perhaps most of all, the flower is valued for its healing properties, which help cure many ailments. Medicines from the plant are often used in veterinary practice. Otherwise, bergenia is called early flower, saxifrage, Siberian tea.
Botanical description
Bergenia is a perennial herbaceous medicinal plant, which can reach a height of seventy centimeters. Bergenia has a creeping, creeping, fleshy, thick, horizontally located, branched dark brown rhizome, leafless, thick, pink-red stem, up to seventy centimeters high.
The plant is endowed with large dark green, basal, shiny, round-heart-shaped or oval leaves, located on long petioles and correct form, soft, white, pinkish or purple five-membered flowers. Bergenia fruits are dry ellipsoidal capsules with two diverging lobes. The seeds are small, oblong, black in color.
The plant begins to bloom at the beginning of the summer period - in June, and the fruits begin to ripen at the end of summer. The plant loves to grow on rocky slopes, in deciduous and coniferous forests, on screes and rocks. Badan is not whimsical plant, shade-tolerant and exceptionally winter-hardy.
How are plant materials prepared?
In alternative medicine, mainly bergenia root and leaves are used. It is recommended to harvest rhizomes at the beginning of the summer. Collection must be done manually. Next, the roots are cleaned of impurities and soil and washed under running water. If the roots are large, they must be cut, preferably lengthwise.
The next stage is drying the raw materials. You can dry the roots on outdoors, under a canopy. IN as a last resort, drying is allowed in a well-ventilated room or in the attic. But the most best option– use of special dryers. It is very important to adhere to the temperature regime - a maximum of forty degrees.
Properly dried bergenia root will break easily and have a strong astringent taste. It is recommended to store prepared raw materials in cardboard or paper boxes in a well-ventilated, dry room. Storage duration is four years, no more.
As for harvesting leaves, only three-year-old, blackened ones are suitable for medical purposes. They are collected in the spring after the snow melts, dried in the open air and placed in paper bags for further storage. The shelf life of raw materials is one year.
Chemical composition, pharmacological properties
This herbaceous perennial contains significant amounts of:
- arbutin;
- hydroquinone;
- ellagic and gallic acids;
- carbohydrates;
- vitamins;
- tannins;
- flavonoids;
- catechins;
- minerals;
- essential oils;
- dextrin;
- sugars;
- starch;
- bergenina;
- resinous substances.
Medicines based on bergenia have anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antimicrobial, wound-healing, antitumor, immunomodulatory, adaptogenic, anti-stress, antispasmodic, antipyretic and cardiac stimulating effects.
- moderate decrease in blood pressure;
- strengthening vascular walls
- increased heart rate;
- elimination of bleeding;
- relief and elimination of headaches and migraines;
- treatment of whooping cough, tuberculosis, rheumatism, stomatitis, tonsillitis, dermatoses, gastritis, endemic goiter, hemorrhoids, laryngitis, fever, rheumatoid arthritis, uterine fibroids, erosions, pneumonia.
Bergenia in alternative medicine recipes
Preparation of herbal infusion
Brew three tablespoons of dried leaves and flowers of the plant with three milliliters of boiled water, simmer in a water bath for half an hour, and cool. Take fifteen milliliters of medication four times a day. The product helps to significantly improve immunity.
Periodontal disease, stomatitis: treatment with infusion
Take twenty grams of dried and crushed roots of the plant and brew the raw material with 400 ml of boiled water. Leave for half an hour, filter. Use the product as a mouth rinse. The same infusion can be used for douching for gynecological ailments.
Dysentery: therapy with bergenia
Brew three tablespoons of finely chopped, dried rhizomes with 300 milliliters of boiled water, leave for about two hours. Strain and drink ten grams medicinal product four times a day. The treatment course is three weeks.
Preparation of a healing remedy
Pour 30 grams of chopped, dried bergenia roots with water and bring to a boil. Leave the product to simmer over low heat for half an hour. Cool, filter, drink 50 ml of the medicine four times a day as an anti-inflammatory, astringent, blood purifier. The medicine helps treat colitis, enterocolitis, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal ailments, pneumonia, furunculosis, tonsillitis, rheumatism.
Treatment of rhinitis
Combine bergenia with elecampane and St. John's wort. Grind all ingredients and mix well. Brew 20 g of vegetable mixture with 300 ml of boiling water. Simmer the product for thirty minutes, and then leave the medicine to brew for a couple of hours. Take 50 ml of the medicine twice a day, preferably warm. If desired, you can add sea buckthorn oil to the infusion, just a few drops.
Bergenia in the treatment of fever, endemic goiter
Brew dried, finely chopped leaves, preferably old and blackened ones, in 500 ml of boiled water. Place the product on the stove and simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Drink the medicine as tea four times a day.
Preparation of a hemostatic decoction
Combine bergenia with cinquefoil rhizome, snakeweed, burnet roots, and licorice. Grind all the plants and brew thirty grams of raw material with 400 milliliters of boiled water. Boil the product for thirty minutes. Don't forget to stir the mixture. Strain and drink half a glass of the broth six times a day.
Bergenia in the treatment of duodenitis
Mix crushed bergenia root with calendula, flax seeds, calamus and oak bark. Pour ten grams of raw material with 500 ml of boiling water. Let the product infuse for four hours. Take 50 ml of the medicine five times a day. The treatment course for duodenitis should be fourteen days.
In Mongolia, the mountainous regions of China, Altai and other harsh regions of Asia, bergenia or bergenia grows, the medicinal properties and contraindications for taking which have long been the focus of folk and official medicine.
The indigenous inhabitants of the places where it grows have long valued the plant for the tonic properties of the drink they brewed with it. Today, based on thorough research into the composition of “Mongolian tea,” doctors have not only confirmed the guesses of traditional healers, but have also seriously expanded the scope of use of bergenia.
Useful substances in bergenia
For medicinal purposes, the roots and leaves are used, which contain an incredible amount of tannins, antioxidants, trace elements and other bioactive compounds that have a healing effect on the human body. In a number of indicators, bergenia is many times superior to other plants.
For example, in terms of the strength of its positive effect on the liver, bergenia is superior to milk thistle, which is widely used in hepatoprotective preparations. And the concentration of tannins in bergenia plant materials is 2–4 times higher than in the famous oak bark.
Of greatest interest are the perennial roots of bergenia, the use of which in medicine is due to the presence of:
- from 15 to 35% tannins;
- polyphenolic compounds;
- essential oils;
- fructose and glucose;
- starch;
- flavonoids;
- phytoncides;
- salts of iron, copper and manganese;
- resin
Bergenia contains a record amount of arbutin and gallic acid. An unpretentious frost-resistant plant can grow in one place for many years, while the beneficial properties of bergenia, namely its rhizomes, only increase. The collection of raw materials begins only on clumps that are at least 10 years old. IN Lately biochemists and doctors are taking a closer look at the lush rosettes of leaves.
Useful properties of bergenia
Today, preparations based on bergenia are included in the arsenal of not only folk, but also official medicine. The range of medicinal properties of bergenia root and contraindications that must be taken into account when using it depends entirely on the composition of the plant material.
Properly prepared leaves and roots:
- have pronounced astringent properties;
- able to relieve inflammation;
- resist inflammation;
- stimulate the healing of wounds of various natures;
- resist microbial and bacterial infections;
- strengthen blood vessels;
- activate heart rate.
According to medical research, the medicinal properties of bergenia tea are not limited to this already considerable list. The benefits of this natural product have been fully confirmed:
- for digestive disorders;
- for inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity and larynx;
- for skin problems, including difficult-to-heal ulcers and tissue damage caused by bruises;
- at elevated body temperature;
- with gripping, spasmodic pain.
Bergenia infusion helps speed up rehabilitation, strengthen immune defense and keep oneself in control even under severe emotional stress. As part of herbal mixtures, bergenia helps improve appetite, raise tone and improve psycho-emotional state.
Bergenia, which has no contraindications, and its medicinal properties are actively used to improve skin health. Decoction and cosmetical tools based on it, they are useful for increased skin secretion, acne and the inflammatory processes caused by it. The decoction can be added to water for washing and bathing the body in case of excessive sweating.
In gynecology, bergenia root is also actively and successfully used:
- for menstrual irregularities and heavy, debilitating bleeding;
- with painful periods;
- for the treatment of erosions;
- during rehabilitation after childbirth and termination of pregnancy.
To treat gynecological diseases, a decoction of bergenia is used in the form of douching. Skin imperfections are eliminated with the help of external use of the product, and to alleviate the condition of gastritis with low acidity and other diseases, infusions from the roots and leaves are taken orally.
Preparation of bergenia leaves and roots for medicinal purposes
Bergenia roots for the preparation of medicinal preparations and tonic, strengthening tea are harvested after flowering, from August to August. If the crop is grown on the plot, it is easy to obtain perennial rhizomes during transplantation.
The medicinal properties of bergenia leaves and contraindications for their use are close to the qualities of the roots. However, it is better to collect this plant material not in summer, but in spring. This is done in Altai and Mongolia, where traditional tea is prepared. The greens that emerge from under the snow undergo natural fermentation and also contain not only tannins, tannins and antioxidants, but also ascorbic and other organic acids.
Perennial rhizomes located in the lower layers of soil:
- selected from the ground;
- carefully clean the soil from the brown scales covering the roots;
- washed in running water;
- dried;
- cut into pieces 10–15 centimeters long.
Drying of rhizomes and leaves is carried out with constant ventilation, in a dry room, at an air temperature not exceeding 45 ° C. The dried parts of the bergenia must be stirred to avoid caking and mold. The finished product should be stored in paper bags, glass or wooden containers.
To prepare tea, the leaves are crushed by rubbing with the palms of your hands. Fermented raw materials color the infusion beautifully Brown color and gives the drink a slightly bitter and astringent taste.
The stronger the fermentation, the softer the taste.
To enhance and enrich the medicinal properties of bergenia tea, the following is added to the herbal mixture:
- linden blossom, raspberry leaf for colds and inflammatory processes in the throat;
- lingonberry leaf, bearberry and St. John's wort for genitourinary diseases;
- rose hips and black currant leaves, spruce we are talking about rehabilitation and strengthening of the body.
Contraindications to the use of medicinal properties of bergenia
Bergenia is one of the most bioactive plants of the domestic flora. Therefore, in addition to its medicinal properties, bergenia has contraindications that must be taken into account when taking it.
When used externally as a wash, rinse, lotion or compress, the plant does not exhibit negative properties. However, taking the decoction orally is possible only after consulting a doctor.
In addition, you need to remember that systematic use of the decoction, even in the absence of contraindications, gives a strengthening effect.
Since incense increases heart rate, it should not be taken if you have tachycardia. Hypotonics after tea or a medicinal decoction from this plant, in addition to the benefits, can cause an additional drop in blood pressure and the resulting deterioration in well-being. If the patient has varicose veins or a predisposition to the formation of blood clots, increased blood clotting can only aggravate the condition.
Medicinal bergenia in our garden - video
Bergenia thick-leaved, also known as Mongolian tea or Saxifraga thick-leaved (Bergenia crassifolia), is a herbaceous perennial. The plant belongs to the Badan genus and the Saxifraga family, is shade-tolerant and easily tolerates acidic peat soils.
Characteristics and composition of bergenia thick-leaved
The plant has a creeping, fleshy, rather thick rhizome, which can reach several meters in length. There are numerous root lobes and quite strong branching, which turns into a powerful and vertically directed root. The stem part is thick, without leaves, bare, pinkish-red in color, about half a meter high.
The foliage is collected in a dense basal rosette of dark green color in summer and reddish color in autumn period. The leaf blade is wide elliptical or almost round in shape, with a rounding at the base.
The flowers are small in size, regular in shape, five-membered. Bracts are completely absent. All flowers are collected in dense apical paniculate-corymbose inflorescences of lilac-red or pink color. After flowering, ellipsoidal fruits are formed in the form of a dry two-lobed capsule with numerous, elongated, smooth seeds of almost black color.
The healing properties are determined chemical composition, which is represented by tannins from the group of gallotannins, isocoumarin bergenin, glucose and sucrose. The foliage contains a sufficient amount of tannins, arbutin, free hydroquinone, gallic and ellagic acids. Plant raw materials are used as a highly effective astringent, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory, as well as an antimicrobial agent that can strengthen vascular walls and smoothly reduce blood pressure.
Features of growing bergenia in the garden
The plant is quite unpretentious and can easily be grown in a personal or garden plot. This type of planting can become a real decoration local area, and caring for the crop will not require much time and effort.
Planting dates and technology
It is best to sow bergenia before winter. The seedling boxes are filled with standard nutritious flower soil, after which planting furrows are made at a distance of 30 mm from each other. The sowing depth is approximately half a centimeter. The box with the seeds must be taken outside and placed under the snow. In the first ten days of March, crops are brought indoors and grown at temperature conditions 18-19ºC. With this method, mass shoots appear in about two or three weeks.
Measures for caring for seedlings include regular moistening and thinning of seedlings. In the last spring month, seedlings are planted in individual planting containers and subjected to hardening procedures, after which they are planted on permanent place V open ground. The depth of the planting holes should be approximately 60-80 mm. It is advisable to arrange the holes in a checkerboard pattern with a distance of 40x40 cm.
How to plant bergenia in spring (video)
Rules of care
Caring for bergenia in home gardening is not at all difficult. In flower beds well illuminated by the sun's rays, the plant blooms well and has brighter flowers, but the bushes are somewhat smaller.
The culture is extremely difficult to tolerate waterlogging. IN spring period, after the soil dries, all damaged leaves must be removed from the above-ground part of the plant, after which the plant is fed with the main complex mineral fertilizers. The next feeding should be done about a couple of weeks after flowering, at the stage of new foliage growth.
Garden crops do not need regular irrigation. The main watering should occur at the stage of budding and flowering during the dry period. Bergenia is able to survive the winter well without shelter, and leaves and flower stalks that are frozen in winter, as a rule, are restored very quickly and easily.
Options for use in landscape design
Bergenias are famous for their bright and very beautiful inflorescences, represented by fairly small goblet-shaped flowers located on leafless peduncles. Each inflorescence can consist of hundreds of flowers, which are surrounded by large and shiny leaves, collected in a basal rosette, shaped like an “elephant’s ears.”
In modern conditions landscape design Such an ornamental crop as bergenia is simply irreplaceable in flower garden compositions represented by narrow-leaved or any variegated crops. The plant looks very original in combination with such ornamental crops, like hostas, arabis and phlox. Areas near water and rocky slopes can be used very effectively with bergenia.
Propagation of bergenia
In home gardening, the ornamental bergenia crop can be propagated in several ways, including the use of seed material and bush division. For seed propagation, large planting material with good germination rates.
Sowing is carried out in a planting mixture consisting of peat and river sand, with drainage in the form of fine crushed stone. The air temperature in the germination room should be approximately 20-22 o C. The germination process takes about a month, after which rapid and intensive development of seedlings is noted, which are planted in open ground at the end of May.
In about two years, if the growing technology is followed, the bush grows quite well, so it becomes possible to divide the plant into bushes. For this purpose, it is recommended to carefully dig up the root system at the base and carefully separate the new shoots with part of the rhizome. The delenki are planted in a separate place prepared in advance. With spring bush division, the ornamental crop blooms in summer.
Caring for bergenia after flowering
After flowering, bergenia can be propagated by cuttings. This method is very popular among amateur gardeners and allows you to get a new plant with minimal costs time and effort.
In the autumn, it is necessary to remove all inflorescences, which will prevent self-seeding in the local area. Also All diseased or damaged above-ground parts of the crop must be removed. It is advisable to treat bergenia with Fundazol or other copper-containing products in the autumn in preparation for winter, including Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride or copper sulfate.
Features of growing bergenia (video)
Medicinal properties of rhizomes and other parts of bergenia
Bergenia has many beneficial qualities, including anti-inflammatory, astringent, antibacterial and diuretic properties. With the help of drugs based on this plant, dysentery, erosive changes in the cervix, fibroids, bleeding, oral candidiasis, and high blood pressure are treated.
The active substances of the plant are able to fight pathogenic microorganisms, and also effectively suppress putrefactive processes and the growth of malignant tumors. The use of Mongolian tea helps fight depression, promotes restoration of performance, and helps fight fever and diarrhea. In Tibetan medicine, bergenia is used in the treatment of pneumonia and tuberculosis, problems with the digestive system, including nausea and heartburn, as well as flatulence.
Collection and storage of medicinal raw materials
Most often for the purpose of subsequent medicinal useRhizomes or roots of bergenia are harvested in June and July. The rhizome can be dug up quite easily, since it is located almost at the very surface of the soil. The dug up roots are cleared of soil, washed, slightly dried and cut into separate pieces of different lengths.
Vegetable raw materials need to be dried in the sun, and the main drying is carried out only in the shade or in special drying chambers. Drying should be slow, which will completely preserve the tannins. Properly prepared plant materials are brittle and can be stored for four years in a dry and relatively cool place.
The use of bergenia in folk medicine
Bergenia is widely used for preparing various dosage forms, including decoctions, infusions, teas, tinctures, as well as lotions:
- for the treatment of colitis 10 g of plant material should be poured with a glass of boiling water, then heated for half an hour on water, leave until room temperature and strain. Take a tablespoon three times a day;
- for the treatment of tuberculosis and other pulmonary pathologies, including pneumonia, whooping cough and laryngitis, you need to pour a couple of tablespoons of crushed rhizomes into half a liter of boiling water and simmer for a quarter of an hour over low heat, then strain. Take a quarter glass three times a day;
- for gargling and douching you need to prepare an aqueous extract based on three tablespoons of crushed rhizomes and a glass of boiling water. The product must be simmered over low heat and infused, then strain;
- The alcohol extract is very effective from 10 g of crushed plant materials and half a glass of vodka. The extract is infused for ten days in a dark place, after which it is filtered and stored in the refrigerator.
For external use, 10 g of crushed rhizome is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for a couple of hours in a thermos. In the strained infusion, gauze or cotton wool is generously moistened, after which a compress or lotion is applied to the affected areas a couple of times a day.
Useful properties of bergenia (video)
Badan during pregnancy
The foliage of the medicinal perennial is quite widely used during pregnancy as effective remedy, which can prevent uterine bleeding. However, doctors strongly recommend that you seek advice before using such a remedy. Failure to comply with this rule can provoke negative consequences represented by nervousness, hormonal imbalance and severe tachycardia.
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Medicinal and ornamental plant Bergenia (Mongolian tea, bergenia)
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Short description
Unpretentious, beautiful plant bergenia gained popularity in gardening due to its decorative appearance. The leathery, rounded evergreen leaves of the plant gave it the second name “Elephant Ears”. In addition to its decorative properties, bergenia, or bergenia, as this plant is also called, is widely used in landscape design and in medicine as a medicinal raw material.Bergenia belongs to plants of the Saxifraga family. In Asia and Siberia it has another name - Mongolian tea. There are about 10 varieties of bergenia.
The plant develops quickly, thanks to its long, thick, branched bunch of rhizomes, which can reach up to 4 - 5 cm in diameter. Several plants planted nearby close their leaves and completely cover the soil. The leaves reach 30 - 40 cm in length, and the flower stalks that appear on bergenia in spring can grow up to 60 cm. Depending on climate zone, flowering can last from March to July. When flowering ends, the plant produces new leaves. By winter, the bright green leaves take on a new color – crimson. In spring, the bell-shaped flowers of the plant collected in clusters are a wonderful decoration of the garden.
The plant owes its name to a German botanist and doctor von Bergen, who lived in the 18th century.
Types and places of growth
Main types of bergenia:- Hybrid ( mainly plays an aesthetic role).
- Gissarsky ( rare).
- ciliated ( lives in the Himalayas, Tibet).
- Cordifolia ( grows in the Altai region).
- Thickleaf ( the most popular, has a wide growing area).
- Pacific ( typical place of growth - Far East, China).
- Ugamsky ( grows on the Ugam ridge, which is located on the border between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan).
Growing
Growing this plant is not difficult, it is completely unpretentious to the composition of the soil, and can grow even on heavy clay soils. The plant loves partial shade, although it can easily withstand direct exposure. sun rays, and full shade. Bergenia's hardiness allows it to withstand both drought and frost. From garden pests The danger to bergenia is the weevil. If the planting is very crowded, plants, rhizomes and leaves can become infected with fungi. Care consists of mulching several times a year and cutting off flower stalks. Reproduction occurs by root divisions.Badan in the garden
The plant is widely used in landscape design. It can be found not only in natural and private gardens, but also in urban gardens that decorate the city. Bergenia looks great together with shrubs and trees on the slopes of rocky embankments and hills, near the water, in a light forest belt, along park paths. Tulips, heuchera, primula, narcissus, lungwort, hellebore, rhododendron, magnolia, and azalea look organic next to it. The plant's smooth leaves provide a beautiful contrast to the feathery or curly foliage of other plants.Bergenia looks very characteristic: it has a thick rhizome that branches and creeps along the ground; large, numerous leaves grow from the rhizome.
The name of the family to which bergenia belongs - Saxifragaceae - means that it can grow in mountainous areas. The most common variety of the plant is the thick-leaved bergenia.
Properties of bergenia
This plant amazingly combines medicinal and decorative properties and takes root well in any conditions in garden plots.Its action:
- Astringent.
- Antimicrobial.
- Antitumor.
- Adaptogenic.
- Capillary strengthening.
- Immunomodulatory.
- Antispasmodic.
- Anti-stress.
- Antihypoxic.
- Vascular strengthening.
- Cardiac stimulant.
The rhizome contains up to 30% tannins, as well as: isocoumarin, starch, bergenin, polyphenols, tannin, ascorbic acid. The older bergenia becomes, the more tannins accumulate in the rhizome.
The root has a strengthening effect on vascular walls. When drinking a decoction of the rhizome, the pulse quickens slightly and the blood pressure drops.
Liquid extract and decoction of bergenia rhizomes are taken several tablespoons before eating in case of poisoning, gastrointestinal diseases, enterocolitis, after chemotherapy. To prepare the decoction, pour 30 grams of crushed rhizome into 0.5 liters of boiling water and keep on low heat for no more than 15 minutes. If you boil the mixture more than an hour, you will get a liquid extract. The decoction is useful for rinsing the mouth for bleeding and inflammation of the gums.
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding initiated by inflammatory processes in the appendages and uterus ( endometritis, oophoritis, salpingitis, salpingoophoritis), bleeding due to fibroids or fibroids, heavy menstruation - for all these conditions and diseases, it is recommended to drink two tablespoons of the decoction twice a day or one teaspoon of rhizome extract twice a day. It is useful to mix a decoction of bergenia roots with decoctions of boron uterus or other anti-inflammatory herbs.
Externally, for the treatment of the above gynecological pathologies, as well as for the treatment of cervical erosion and heavy discharge, douching is carried out with a diluted extract of bergenia rhizomes or a decoction ( the decoction should be diluted in a 1:1 ratio with water, and the extract should be added 1 tablespoon per 0.5 liter of water). The same solution helps well with hemorrhoids in the form of baths.
Properties of black leaves
Bergenia is the predecessor of black tea; it has been brewed and drunk since ancient times. The plant's old lower leaves periodically begin to die. They turn black and dry out, but, nevertheless, they do not fall off or rot for a long time, and therefore they have to be cut off. To brew healthy tea, they take exactly these leaves, which in a dried state hung on the plant for at least three years. It is advisable to collect leaves in spring. After drying, they are ready to eat. The leaves are very useful and are a good substitute for the popular folk remedy- bearberry. They have a hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effect, and are also useful for diseases of the stomach and intestines.Bergenia rhizomes have similar properties, but since they grow slowly, harvesting them is quite difficult. However, the leaves are an excellent alternative to rhizomes. In Tibetan folk medicine Bergenia leaves were used to gently reduce blood pressure, strengthen vascular walls, and increase heart contractions.
Tea can also be brewed from succulent leaves that have simply overwintered under the snow. This tea is credited with tonic and anti-stress properties. Its binders are especially valuable; strengthening male strength; vascular strengthening properties. Tea is drunk both hot and cold.
Contraindications to the use of bergenia root
- For those with increased blood clotting.
- For those with hypotension.
- For those with tachycardia.
Hypotonic patients can take a decoction of rhizomes along with herbs that raise blood pressure in order to neutralize the property of bergenia to lower blood pressure.
By the way, not only rhizomes have medicinal value: in addition to them, leaves, seeds and flowers of the plant are used in pharmaceuticals.
