Perhaps no other plant is as popular among the people as fireweed. Where the Ivan-tea grass grows, probably not only the villagers know, but also the townspeople who go on nature. What is so fond of the plant? Why is there such an interest in him? These and some other questions will be answered in the article.
Plant name
Ivan tea and narrow-leaved fireweed are two of the most common names for this representative of the flora. But in those places where Ivan-tea grows, it is often given other names. It depends on the region, traditions, customs associated with tea drinking, collection of medicinal raw materials, the level of development of traditional medicine.
In this regard, about twenty names of the grass under consideration are known today. And each of them is justified. Wild hemp, creak-plakun, firefighter, Kolor-Kuril tea, rash, Ivanov tea, wild violet, mother liquor - this is only a small part of the list of names of the same plant.
Places of growth
Conflagrations are the most common places where Ivan-tea grows. He “settles” here one of the first when other plants still cannot adapt to new conditions of existence. But as overgrowing fires with trees and shrubs, Ivan-tea dies.
Thick forests and their edges, hillsides, glades, clearings, dry peat bogs, sandstones - these are also the favorite places of the fireweed. Thickets of wild raspberries will certainly attract Ivan tea.
Where does this grass grow in Russia? It is not difficult to answer the question, since the plant is found everywhere. But it received the greatest distribution in a strip of coniferous and mixed forests of Siberia and the European part of the continent. It is Ivan-tea that is especially popular among the local population.
Photos (where this is an amazing plant growing in Ukraine, not all Ukrainians know) confirm that the mountainous areas of Transcarpathia are a favorite place for fireweed. But the timing for collecting leaves to get quality tea is very limited. This is due to natural conditions - dry weather is suitable for collecting, and during the flowering of willow tea, the rainy season falls and abundant precipitation grew.
The seeds of the plant are carried by the wind over long distances and retain their germination for many years. This circumstance contributes to the wide spread of fireweed not only in Russia and Ukraine, but throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Plant description
Ivan tea belongs to the perennial herbaceous plants of the cypress family. Its height can be from 50 to 150 centimeters, it all depends on the growing conditions. Attractive flowers appearing in July-August. They are pink-lilac in color, collected in large inflorescences, located in the upper part of the stem. In autumn, fluffy fruits similar to pods are formed in place of a flower. The leaves are long, narrow, with short petioles.
Plant use
In those places where Ivan-tea grows, people have long used it for various purposes, so the plant can be called universal. Medicine, cosmetology, cooking, beekeeping, human life - these are the areas where the use of amazing grass was found.
Fireweed is distinguished by the fact that a person has learned to use all parts of a plant. The roots are eaten raw and cooked. Of these, decoctions and infusions are made. In some peoples, the roots were used to make flour. In certain proportions, it was mixed with wheat flour and baked bread.
Different types of drinks are prepared from the leaves of the fireweed. They can also be used in dishes as a substitute for white cabbage.
From the stems of the plant, after special processing, strong ropes are obtained that are used in everyday life. The fluff that forms after flowering is used instead of cotton wool, and also as a packing for pillows. Here is the widespread use of Ivan tea. The photo (where this universal plant grows, we have already discussed) allows you to get additional information about it.
It is also worth adding that among individual entrepreneurs there are many who have opened tea production lines for leaves of fireweed today. Using special equipment and the secrets of the technology of production of the drink, they get good results. This enables consumers to enjoy a drink with amazing properties.
Healing properties
In those places where Ivan-tea grows, few locals doubt its healing properties. Since ancient times, the plant has been used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Ivan tea is prescribed to normalize the blood formula, metabolic processes. Drinks prepared from fireweed increase the amount of breast milk in nursing mothers. In addition, Ivan tea has a diuretic, choleretic, laxative effect.
Preparations based on fireweed are able to have an antioxidant effect. Such drugs are included in a program aimed at restoring the body after courses of chemo- or radiation therapy.
The data of modern studies aimed at studying the chemical composition of plant parts can explain the positive effect that those who use willow tea get.
