Where does fireweed angustifolium grow. Everything about Ivan tea - medicinal properties, photos, recipes, collection rules, harm

Ivan-tea or narrow-leaved fireweed is a real gift from mother nature. Even our ancestors prepared a healing drink from it, which served as a miracle cure for many diseases, strengthened health. Fireweed can be found in various regions of the country. This is not a solitary plant, it forms extensive thickets. You need to harvest raw materials at the time of flowering, in order to collect, you need to know exactly what Ivan tea is and what this amazing plant looks like.

Description of Ivan tea

Most often in nature you can find Ivan-tea, the height of which does not exceed 1.5 meters. But sometimes this grass reaches two meters. The rhizome of the plant is thick, has a dense brown-yellow skin. Buds appear very quickly, so on garden plot you can plant part of the root of the plant.

Fireweed has a straight, rounded stem. It is densely covered with leaves with short petioles. The leaves are elongated, up to 12 centimeters in length. The ends of the leaves are pointed, the shape is lanceolate. Leaf margins may be finely toothed or entire. The leaves are dark green above and bluish green below, although sometimes you can find leaves with pinkish and reddish hues.

Fireweed flowers are pale pink or purple-red. Rarely found in nature willow-tea, blooming white. The flowers are large, about 3 cm in diameter. They are collected in racemose inflorescences, the length of which can be 40 centimeters. The flowering period begins in the second half of summer, lasts about a month. Ivan tea flowers close before rain, so picking is best done in dry and sunny weather.

At the end of flowering, fruits appear that resemble a fluffy box in the shape of a pod. The seeds are oblong, naked, with white thin hairs, they are easily carried by the wind, flying several kilometers from the mother plant. Germination of seeds is rather weak, they do not tolerate neighborhood with many plants, especially with trees or shrubs.

The use of Ivan tea

Fireweed has long been popular in Russia, the recipe for its preparation was passed down from generation to generation. To get a healing and tasty decoction, fireweed leaves were first collected, then dried, scalded with boiling water, ground in mortars, laid out and dried in a Russian oven. Koporye tea in the village of Koporye was made more than in a complicated way making it fermented. Fireweed herb has been used to brew healthy tea.

Soups and salads were prepared from fresh leaves, fresh roots were added to dishes during cooking, flour was obtained from dried roots, from which bread and cakes were baked. Even fireweed fluff was used by people, the fluff was spun, scarves were knitted from it, pillows stuffed with willow-herb fluff were light, it was sweet to sleep on them. Strong ropes were woven from the fibers of the stem.

Useful properties of fireweed

All parts of fireweed have healing properties: stems, flowers, leaves, roots. The aerial part is harvested during the flowering period, trying to choose a period when the flowers are not fully opened. The roots are harvested in November, the young shoots are harvested in May.

Studies conducted by scientists have shown that Ivan tea is characterized by anti-inflammatory and enveloping properties, so it is successfully used to treat colitis, ulcers and gastritis. Often a decoction is used as a tonic and prophylactic for heart disease.

Fireweed leaves contain a record amount of vitamin C, therefore it is recommended for frequent colds, during the recovery period after an illness, and for skin diseases. There are a lot of manganese, iron, copper, vitamins, biologically active substances in fireweed. Due to its rich composition, the herb is an excellent tonic, soothing, tonic.

For external use, compresses with a decoction of willow-tea are used to heal wounds, ulcers and bruises. The components of the plant are part of some cosmetic products - masks, creams, lotions.

Before tea first appeared in Russia, our ancestors drank herbal infusions. The herb Ivan-chai was especially popular, information about the beneficial properties of which even went down in history: it is absolutely known that the prepared infusion was served at the prince's table and sent abroad in dried form.

The genus Ivan-tea includes perennial herbaceous plants that belong to the Cyprian family. In the genus, biologists have fourteen species, among which the most famous is Ivan-tea narrow-leaved or fireweed.

Fireweed grows in the temperate latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, including in the subarctic and arctic regions. Grass Ivan-chai is a light-loving plant, therefore it prefers to grow in open areas, sandy soil, on the edges of coniferous forests, and appears one of the first on land damaged by clearings and fire. At night, fireweed needs high humidity, so another condition for its appearance is the presence of rivers, streams, lakes, peat bogs, and forests near it.

Such requirements for the terrain are not accidental, since they allow the plant not to die even in forty-degree heat: despite the fact that during the day, under the influence of temperature, the leaves of the plant wilt and fade strongly, during the night, due to moist air, they leave and become strong and stiff in the morning.

Grass prefers to grow away from trees and shrubs (an exception is made only for raspberries): the seeds of the plant are so weak that they absolutely cannot tolerate competition from many plants. That is why, as soon as bushes and trees begin to populate its territory, fireweed dies out (therefore, experts always advise taking into account the characteristics of the area where Ivan-chai grows when sowing this herb).

Name etymology

Ivan-tea, in addition to the main one, has a large number of names, among them the most popular are Willow-grass and Willow-grass, which, like the main name, appeared due to the similarity of the leaves of the plant with willow leaves.

There is another story about why the herb is called Ivan-chai. Here, the red-violet hue of the flower has already played its role: the plant was named so in honor of the young man who always walked in a red shirt and almost never left the fields. Therefore, when someone saw a red spot among the greenery, he said: "This is Ivan, tea, wandering."

Description

The length of willow-grass is from 50 to 200 cm. It can be identified only by one description of red-violet, white, purple or pale pink flowers collected in tassels.

The stem of the plant is straight, like that of any grass, not subject to lignification. It has no branches, densely strewn with pointed leaves, the length of which ranges from 4 to 12 cm and from 0.6 to 2 cm in width. Leaves are matte dark green above, light green or reddish below.

Fireweed has a thick creeping rhizome, from which smaller roots diverge, while additional buds develop on those that are near the surface of the earth, contributing to rapid vegetative reproduction.

The length of the roots may well be several kilometers, and they can grow up to ten years. Due to the dead shoots of fireweed, a fertile layer of soil begins to form, which is gradually populated by other plants, gradually displacing fireweed from their place of residence.

Bloom

Fireweed begins to bloom in the second half of summer and the flower does not fade for a month. The diameter of one flower is about three centimeters, it usually has four petals and, together with the rest of the flowers, forms an inflorescence, the length of which is from 10 to 45 cm. One flower has four short and the same number of long stamens. The pistil has a long lower ovary, a column bent downwards, and has a fleshy nectary at the base.

Fireweed fruits look like pod-shaped fluffy, slightly curved boxes about nine centimeters long, inside of which there are many seeds (from 10 to 30 thousand oblong grains with thin white hairs can be obtained from one plant).

Each seed is attached to a parachute fluff, and when the fruit ripens, under the influence of air masses, it is quite capable of flying hundreds of kilometers from the mother plant.

Application

The recipe for brewing willow grass was not only passed down from generation to generation for many centuries, but was also a family secret, so it is not surprising that the history of the appearance of many infusions and decoctions is unique and there are a great many recipes on how to make a drink. Moreover, people have long noticed beneficial features plants (another answer to the question of why fireweed was so popular in Russia).

To create a delicious decoction, willow-grass leaves were first dried, then scalded with boiling water, after which they were ground in mortars, laid out on baking sheets and dried in ovens. The plant was used not only as a drink, but also salads and soups were prepared from fresh leaves, fresh roots replaced cabbage, and flour was ground from dried ones. People also found use for the fluff of fireweed fruits: they spun it, knitted scarves and even stuffed pillows, and ropes were made from the stem fibers.

Benefit

The healing properties of fireweed decoction have long been used by people in the treatment of colds - flu, tonsillitis, colds. They not only drink it as an infusion, but also gargle with a decoction of fireweed. All parts of fireweed are successfully used: stems, roots, leaves, flowers: they all have medicinal properties. Young shoots are harvested in May, roots - in November, and the ground part - during the flowering period (the inflorescences should not be completely dissolved by this time).

Numerous studies conducted by scientists have shown that fireweed is characterized by enveloping and anti-inflammatory properties that allow it to be successfully used during the treatment of ulcers, colitis, gastritis. Often, a decoction is prescribed for cardiological diseases and is used as a prophylactic and tonic in case of a disposition to this disease.

It has also been found that the content of vitamin C in fireweed leaves is three times higher than that of lemons, so herbal tea is often recommended for diseases caused by a lack of this vitamin.

Fireweed leaves contain a sufficient amount of iron, manganese, copper (trace elements that stimulate hematopoiesis). It contains a lot of vitamins and other biologically active substances that have soothing, tonic, and tonic properties, and the antioxidants that are present remove toxins.

Found a decoction and external use: compresses soaked in it are successfully used to accelerate the healing of wounds, bruises, ulcers, cosmetics are made (herb components are often included in creams, masks, etc.).

Contraindications

Despite the fact that Ivan tea has extremely beneficial properties, it should be used only after consulting a doctor who is well versed in herbs, because only the correct use can give a positive effect.

Like many healing herbs, fireweed has contraindications. Since it has sedative properties, with drugs that have similar action, it should not be used: violations may occur in nervous system. Fireweed should be carefully used together with antipyretics (their properties may be incompatible), caution is also advised for thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins.

Another not very pleasant moment is that if you take Ivan-tea infusions daily for more than a month, you can cause disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, since the herb has a slight laxative effect.

Fireweed is a herbaceous perennial in the fireweed family. Among the people, it is more popular under the names Ivan-chai, Kuril tea, willow-grass, wild hemp, fireman, down jacket. The plant is common in the temperate climate of Eurasia and North America. You can meet him on the forest edges and sunny glades. Fireweed is a truly versatile plant. With its flowers, it turns the area into a continuous pink cloud for almost 2 months, which allows the bees to collect nectar for healing and very tasty honey. You can talk about the healing properties of fireweed for a very long time and still not consider each one. These qualities make Ivan tea simply an indispensable plant on the site.

Botanical description

Fireweed - perennial, less often annual herbaceous plant 40-150 cm high. The rhizome grows strongly in depth and in width. It forms new growth points and numerous side shoots. Strongly branched stems are bare or densely pubescent. On them, up to the very top, next leaves grow close to each other. They sit tightly on the stem or have short petioles.

Oval or linear sheet plates are pointed at the end. Their length is 4-12 cm, and the width is 7-20 mm. Small teeth are located along the edge of a dark green or bluish-blue leaf. The reverse side is often covered with purple-red short pile.

In July, flowers bloom, collected in loose panicles at the top of the stem. They are stored for 30-50 days. Small regular corollas consist of 8 petals arranged in 2 rows. They are round or square in shape. Petals are painted in white, pink or crimson. The flower diameter is 25-30 mm. Flowering is accompanied by a strong honey aroma.

In August-September, fruits ripen - fluffy curved seed pods that look like pods. The tiny oblong seed with a smooth surface has long thin hairs resembling a tuft. Ripe fruits open and the wind carries the seeds over long distances.

Types of fireweed

In total, more than 220 plant species have been registered in the fireweed genus. Many of them are found only in wild nature, the following varieties are most often grown in culture.

Fireweed narrow-leaved (Ivan-tea). Herbaceous perennial 50-150 cm high has strong creeping roots that form a large number of processes. The erect stem is slightly branched. It is densely covered with lanceolate sessile leaves. The foliage grows alternately and is randomly scattered along the stem, so it is difficult to trace a single helix. Dark green or bluish leaves grow 4-12 cm long and 0.7-2 cm wide. Along the edges, the leaves are covered with small bluish glands, which on the lower surface acquire a purple-red or pink hue. In mid-July, bisexual flowers bloom up to 3 cm in diameter. They are collected in a loose brush 10-45 cm long at the top of the shoot. Flowers with soft pale pink or white obovate petals persist until the end of summer. By September, the fruits ripen - fluffy curved achenes with small oblong seeds.

A plant 0.5-1.5 m high is distinguished by a thick root and upright branched stems. On the entire surface of the shoot there is a perpendicular glandular pile. Opposite petiolate oval or lanceolate leaves are covered with teeth on the sides. Their surface is also pubescent on both sides. Flowers bloom singly in the axils of the upper leaves. The cup in the form of a cut bell with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm consists of lilac, purple or dark pink obovate petals. Around the pistil is a ring of stamens. After pollination, a seed pod 4-10 cm long, similar to an open pod, ripens.

The plant is the most winter hardy. It is found in the arctic and subarctic zones. Shoots 50-70 cm long are covered with broadly oval or spear-shaped leaves with a pointed edge. The length of the leaf is 10 cm. The stem and edges of the leaves are painted in pinkish-lilac color and pubescent with a short pile. Flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. They consist of dark pink wide petals. The diameter of the corolla reaches 3-5 cm.

Grass 3-15 cm high has filiform roots and erect, unbranched stems with a smooth surface. They grow opposite bare broadly lanceolate leaves and small pinkish flowers.

Low-growing mountain herbs with decumbent stems 10-90 cm high, densely pubescent. The growth forms a continuous carpet on the ground. Blue-green arcuate leaflets grow oppositely. In June-August, pink, white or red flowers bloom in the form of a wide open bell.

Reproduction methods

Ivan-tea is propagated by seed and vegetative methods. Seeds are chosen fresh. In March, seedlings are pre-grown from them. To do this, prepare boxes with loose, fertile soil. A mixture of sand, peat and leafy humus will do. Small seeds are distributed on the surface, lightly pressed with a ruler and sprayed. The box is covered with a transparent material and placed in a well-lit place with a temperature of +18…+25°C. Shoots appear in 4-6 days. Seedlings with 2 true leaves dive in separate pots. Landing in open ground, depending on the region, are produced in May-June, when constant warm weather is established. Before planting, seedlings are hardened outdoors for a week. It should be planted on a cloudy day or with light rain so that the seedlings do not suffer from the hot sun. In the middle of summer, the length of the sprouts will reach 10-12 cm. Flowering will come next year.

At vegetative propagation use the method of dividing the rhizome. It is best to do this in early spring. A large plant is dug up on its own plot or in a forest clearing. It must be remembered that horizontal processes can be 1.5 m from the main shoot. The dug out root is carefully cleared of the ground and the stolons are separated. Each division must have at least one point of growth. The cut point is treated with ash and the delenka is immediately planted in moist ground.

Care rules

Fireweed is considered an unpretentious plant. It thrives well with little or no care. For planting, choose open sunny places or a slight shade. So that tall stems do not break from the wind, Ivan tea is planted along fences or walls of houses. Its creeping rhizome behaves quite aggressively and needs to be limited. To do this, the landing site is limited to slate or plastic sheets dug into the ground to a depth of 1 m.

The soil for planting should be loose and moderately fertile. It is recommended to add ash to it in advance. Fireweed grows very well in former conflagrations, so gardeners often pre-light a fire on the site.

The plant needs regular watering. In the absence of precipitation and on hot days, it is irrigated twice a week. It is advisable to do this in the evening so that the sun does not burn the leaves and flowers through the drops of water.

Plants do not need regular feeding. Only on depleted soils in the spring they make once mineral complex. It is recommended to loosen the soil at the roots every month for better aeration. Young plants need to be protected from weeds. In the future, weeds will no longer bother the gardener.

In autumn, the ground part is cut to a height of 15 cm. In anticipation of snowless, frosty winters, the soil above the roots is covered with dry foliage or spruce branches, but fireweed winters well even without shelter.

The composition and medicinal properties of Ivan tea

Foliage, flowers and roots of fireweed are used in folk medicine as a medicine. The ground part is harvested during flowering. Immediately after the dew has disappeared, it is cut, dried in the shade in the open air, and then crushed and stored in cloth bags for a year. The roots are dug in September. They are thoroughly washed and dried.

Ivan tea is rich in the following active substances:

• tannins;
• carbohydrates;
• flavonoids;
• pectin;
• trace elements (iron, manganese, copper);
• macronutrients (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium);
• vitamins.

As the name suggests, the medicine is prepared as a decoction. It is water extracts that contain the largest amount useful substances. Fireweed has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, sedative, antipyretic, hypnotic, vasoconstrictive and analgesic properties.

It is not necessary to drink it as a medicine, in courses. Some people simply replace their usual tea and coffee with this decoction. Such a drug strengthens the body, helps fight colds and nervous disorders. Even doctors recommend drinking Ivan tea for anemia, cholecystitis, hepatitis, cystitis, influenza, acute respiratory infections, gout, hypertension and cardioneurosis.

The drink is very popular among men and for good reason. With its help, prostatitis, prostate adenoma, infertility, impotence and other sexual disorders are prevented.

Many people drink Ivan tea in any amount without consequences, but those who are prone to allergies should take the first dose with caution. Also, do not abuse the drink for people with increased blood clotting, pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under 6 years old.

Where else is fireweed used

Fireweed is often used in cooking. Dried leaves are added to meat dishes, salads and soups as a fragrant condiment. Fresh young grass, like nettles, is added to borscht and other soups.

Thickets of fireweed near the apiary are irreplaceable. The plant is a good honey plant. Over the summer, bees will collect 400-800 kg of nectar from 1 ha. Fireweed honey is very useful, it is rich in active substances and vitamins. It is recommended to strengthen immunity, fight against nervous breakdowns and insomnia. Freshly harvested honey is runny and has a greenish-yellow color. After a few weeks, the product crystallizes and becomes like whipped cream. Its aroma is very delicate, and the taste is pleasant, soft.

Decorating the garden, fireweed is planted in groups near the border, in the background of the flower garden, in the rock garden, as well as on the high banks of fresh water. The roots strengthen the soil well in ravines and embankments. Inflorescences, similar to candles, form an airy pink haze above the thickets. The plant can be combined with umbrella flowers to achieve geometric diversity.

Ivan tea can be called a real gift of nature, because from this plant, which is also called fireweed, they prepare a healing drink that improves health.

Ivan tea grows in all regions of our country. At the same time, the plant does not grow alone, but forms rather extensive thickets in the form of a flower carpet.

To make healthy tea from fireweed, you should know in advance what this perennial looks like. And since the collection is carried out during the flowering period, it is especially important to be able to recognize the flowers of willow-tea.

Height of this herbaceous plant can reach two meters, but most often in nature there are specimens of willow-tea with a height of 0.5 to 1.5 meters. Ivan tea has a rather thick rhizome with a dense brown-yellow skin. Buds quickly appear on it, so the plant is propagated by parts of the root planted in the garden.

Stem ivan-tea is straight, it has a rounded shape and is densely covered with leaves that have short petioles. The leaves of this plant are long - from 4 to 12 cm in length. Their shape is lanceolate, and the ends are pointed. The edges of the leaflets can be either solid or with small teeth. The color of the leaves is dark green above, and their lower surface is more often bluish-green, although there are also reddish and pink (less often) shades.

Flowers ivan tea has a diameter of about 3 centimeters. Their color is lilac-red or pale pink, although there are also plants with white flowers. These large flowers are collected in inflorescences-brushes, the length of which reaches up to 40 centimeters. Fireweed begins to bloom in the second half of summer. Flowering lasts about a month.

One of the most unusual, but at the same time useful plants on our planet is the narrow-leaved fireweed, which is popularly called Ivan-tea. Even in ancient times, people knew about its exceptional healing properties, but even today the herb is widely used to heal various ailments and to give strength and energy to the whole body.

Description and range

Drinking a fragrant drink from Ivan-tea began in the 12th century. Due to its availability, it was mainly consumed by the poor, however, representatives of the rich classes did not disdain a cup or two of delicious tea. In the 13th century, the monks of St. Petersburg began to grow Ivan tea, dry it and make it raw material for brewing. Reviews of this unique drink quickly reached Europe. Until the 19th century, this product occupied one of the first places in Russia's foreign trade, but after the Revolution it was undeservedly forgotten, and only recently they started talking about the drink again.

What does it look like and why is it called that?

Ivan-chai has a straightened stem of a rounded shape, its foliage is dense, the leaf plates are quite long, their size varies from 4 to 12 cm, the shape is pointed, lanceolate. Leaf blades are painted a rich dark green above, and the lower surface usually has a bluish tint, less often reddish and less often pink.

The flowers are large and reach 3-4 cm in diameter, painted in white-pink or purple-red. Quite rare, but, nevertheless, you can find plants with milky white flowering. Flowers gather together in inflorescences in the form of brushes, reaching a length of 40 cm. Flowering begins in the second half of summer and lasts about a month. The fruits look like small pod-shaped boxes, they ripen seeds that can be easily carried by wind and rain.

The legend associated with this beautiful flower is very interesting. They say that in one small village near St. Petersburg there lived just a guy Ivan, who constantly walked in a red shirt. He spent a lot of time in the forest and was known as a good herbalist. Local residents more than once caught him picking berries, herbs and healing roots, and every time they met the young man, they shouted "Ivan, tea, wanders."

One day the boy disappeared and no one knows how and why this happened, but immediately after his disappearance, on the outskirts of the village, unprecedented flowers of an amazingly beautiful bright scarlet color bloomed. People mistook them for a herbalist's shirt and out of habit said "Ivan, tea, wanders." Hence the name of the herb - Ivan-tea.

However, the plant has a lot of other names:

• "willow-grass"- because of the similarity of the leaves with the leaves of the weeping willow;
• "firefighter"- the flower received a similar name because it is the very first to appear on the ashes;
• "plakun"- with any attempt to pull a plant with a root out of the ground, it makes a creak that looks like a sob;
• "wild flax"- this name is explained by the good bast characteristics of the stems;
• "breadbasket"- the poor dried the grass, ground it and added it to flour, such an additive significantly saved, or even completely replaced sweet sugar;
• "down jacket"- when fireweed blooms, a large amount of fluff is released, which in ancient times was collected and filled with mattresses and pillows.

Where does it grow in Russia?

Ivan tea has a truly extensive habitat, it grows in the Central zone of Russia, and in addition, it can often be found in the Caucasus, as well as the Far East and Siberia. It is ubiquitous in areas with sandy loamy soil, in forest clearings, and even near railway tracks. It is this grass that grows first in the forests where the fire occurred, although as young trees and shrubs grow, the plantings thin out.

In most cases, he chooses the wet banks of small rivers and streams. This is due to the special moisture-loving fireweed, it is in such places that it grows as violently as possible.

Quite often, Ivan tea is found in forests, both coniferous and deciduous. At the same time, the seeds are carried by the wind over fairly long distances, which is why grass can be found anywhere, even in a suburban area away from wild meadows and forests. However, fireweed does not grow in swampy areas, the seeds do not fully ripen in conditions of strong shading.

When collecting Ivan tea, try to give preference to places remote from busy roads and railway – such plants absorb all the harmful exhaust gases and can be hazardous to human health.

Varieties

Ivan tea has about 14 varieties, the most common are the following.

• narrow-leaved is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its height, as a rule, is 1-1.5 m, but sometimes it can even reach two meters. It has a dense strong root system, strong erect stems and abundant foliage. Leaf blades are rich green, darker above, fading to a bluish tint below. Flowering pink-purple, in rare cases white. A drink made from narrow-leaved Ivan-tea is characterized by powerful healing properties, therefore it is widely used in herbal medicine.

• broad-leaved distributed in the North and the Far East, has rather elongated leaves, the size of which reaches 10 cm, the shape is spear-shaped, the ends are narrowed. There may be hairs on the leaf plates. Dark pink flowers, racemes. The plant is very popular among the indigenous population, the Eskimos eat it raw, and also brew it like regular tea.

• Caucasian- lives in the lower reaches of the rivers in the Caucasus, as well as in the Stavropol Territory and Adygea. This is a small plant, the height of which does not exceed 50 cm, the size of the leaves is 1-3 cm, the inflorescences are pink, round, the flower brushes are shortened. This plant is mainly grown as an ornamental.

• Dodonei- reaches a meter height, characterized by single, slightly branched stems. The flowering is milky white or light pink, the leaves are even linear-lanceolate in shape, the edges of the leaf plates are without notches. Most often grows in the middle belt and subalpine belt.

• Steven- another undersized plant with bare and very narrow leaves, their width rarely exceeds 3 mm, leaf plates have hairs.

• Fletcher- perennial grass up to 45 cm high. The plant has rather powerful roots and dense stems with large quantity shoots that are densely covered with leaflets of a linear configuration with pointed ends. The length of the sheet reaches 4 mm. It blooms with rich bright pink flowers from June to August. It is resistant to low temperatures and is ubiquitous in our country and in European countries.

• Colchis- common in the Caucasian regions, where it grows at considerable heights, forming entire alpine meadows of incredible beauty. The plant is undersized, flowering is bright pink.

Low-growing plants are considered ornamental, therefore they are widely used in landscape design. The narrow-leaved and, to a slightly lesser extent, broad-leaved Ivan-tea varieties give the greatest benefit.

What is in the herb?

Fireweed grows almost throughout the entire territory of our vast country, it is absolutely adapted to any weather conditions. Its ground part is collected from July to September (at the time of flowering), the root part is collected in spring or autumn. In flowers, as well as leaves, stems, roots, there are:

• tannin components- for the most part of the pyrrogal group, they have a strong astringent, antimicrobial and hemostatic effect;
• flavonoids- these are quartzetin and kaempferol, they have a diuretic and mild antispasmodic effect;
• vitamin C- helps to increase immunity, resistance to colds and fungal infections;
• mucous components– are characterized by the ability to envelop, relieve convulsions, inflammation and pain;
• alkaloids- are considered good analgesics and in small concentrations stimulate metabolism and normalize blood circulation;
• pectin– favorable for the organs of the digestive system;
• chlorophyll- exhibits a strong wound-healing effect, normalizes metabolic processes in the human body;
• polysaccharides- are an active participant in all immune processes;
• organic acids- necessary to maintain the balance of acids and alkalis in a normal state;
• mineral elements- manganese + iron, necessary to improve the quality of the blood, and nickel + molybdenum, which create the conditions for maintaining strong immunity.

Useful properties of narrow-leaved fireweed

Due to the presence of a huge amount of nutritional components, fireweed has a strong healing and immunostimulating effect. One of the most pronounced are antimicrobial and antispasmodic properties, due to which the herb is widely used for the treatment of enteritis, gastritis, and in addition, pathologies of the prostate and urinary system.

The plant has a sedative effect, helps to reduce nervous tension, improve the psycho-emotional state and improve sleep.

Drinking tea allows you to increase hemoglobin, restore electrolyte balance in the vessels and get rid of migraines.

Fireweed is very useful for the gastrointestinal tract and the normalization of metabolic processes, thanks to it you can forget about constipation, heartburn and such unpleasant problems as diarrhea and dysbacteriosis for a long time.

The plant is widely used for the relief of inflammatory processes and effective prevention infectious diseases - with the systematic use of tea, pathological processes slow down and even stop. It should be noted that such a useful chemical composition not even in oak bark.

Ivan tea is characterized by a powerful urinary and choleretic effect, it significantly improves water-salt metabolism, fights various viruses and allergy manifestations.

Herbal drink is extremely useful for young mothers with breastfeeding because it has the ability to increase lactation. The result of including it in the diet of a nursing woman is to maintain the production of the required volume breast milk, thanks to which women get the opportunity to feed their children for as long as possible, which is extremely beneficial for newborn babies.

Fireweed is universally prescribed for a comprehensive cleansing of the body, it helps to remove all unnecessary toxins and toxins, and also regulates the functioning of endocrine organs.

Herbal tea has a pronounced anti-aging effect, helps slow down age-related changes, improves skin condition, makes it fresh, very radiant and smooth.

Ivan tea is necessary not only for the fairer sex, but also for men, since it can have a beneficial effect on prostate adenoma, and also normalizes potency and supports erectile function. As a result, men, even at a respectable age, retain the ability to sexual life and even conception.

As for the fairer sex, fireweed is considered one of the most powerful means in the fight against cystitis, thrush and other diseases of the pelvic organs. This drink is also often consumed for weight loss.

Contraindications and harm to health

There are few contraindications to taking fireweed, but, nevertheless, they exist. Most importantly, it should be borne in mind that with constant continuous use of the drink for more than a month, there is a high risk of digestive dysfunction.

Herbal infusions are not advised to drink with varicose veins, as well as with thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.

Some pediatricians believe that tea should not be included in the diet of children under 2 years old, however, official medicine is well aware of cases when herbal decoctions helped even the smallest crumbs.

The list of contraindications also includes an allergic reaction and a sharp individual intolerance to the components of the herb.

Application rules

The scope of Ivan tea is wide and is by no means limited to brewing tea. Young green leaves are often used to prepare vitamin salads and soups - for this they just need to be cut without any preliminary heat treatment. However, this plant does not have a pronounced independent taste, like wild garlic, for example. However, in field conditions, grass is indispensable.

Leaves can also be added to first courses, young succulent parts of the plant are also used for this. The leaves can also be brewed into tea, but most often the flowers of the plant are used to make a drink, for this they are boiled in water for 5-7 minutes, after which they are either used as tea leaves or added to jelly with rhubarb or berries.

The proportions for making such tea are the same as for ordinary black tea - to make a cup of aromatic drink, take half a teaspoon of herbs and pour a glass of boiling water. If desired, you can add sage, oregano or mint. This combination significantly improves the taste and nutritional value of the infusion.

Ivan-tea is recommended to use up to 5-6 times a day, while tea leaves can be used up to 3 times by adding a little boiling water to it. The beneficial properties of such a drink are preserved, although the taste is slightly weakened.

The brewed drink can be stored for up to 3 days, after throwing out the grass.

Tea is drunk hot or cold, preferably without sugar. If desired, you can add honey, as well as drink it with halvah or dried fruits.

Features of growing a plant

Fireweed seeds are formed quite abundantly and are carried along with fluff by wind and rain, so it would be fair to assume that fireweed should grow everywhere, but this does not happen at all. The reason is that the grass is very demanding on light, and its seedlings are very weak and cannot tolerate the slightest competition from other weeds.

To enjoy the taste and healing properties of fireweed, some try to grow it on their own in their area. In this case, you should know that the plant will develop well in areas open to sunlight and in nutritious, mineral-filled soils. In addition, the plant responds well to high humidity in the evening and at night. These requirements are best met by areas near lakes, rivers, streams and forest plantations.

When sowing such "fluff" on your own personal plot it is necessary to resort to small tricks so that it does not scatter in different directions.

To begin with, at home, it is necessary to prepare the seeds for planting - for this, narrow strips are cut from ordinary toilet paper and a paste is applied to them in a drip method in increments of 8-9 cm.

Using tweezers, you should grab small pieces of fluff with seeds and attach to the drops. When the glue dries, roll the paper into a tube and fix it with a thin rubber band.

Fireweed is planted in spring or autumn, work is carried out on a dry sunny day. To do this, make a fire in the prepared area and wait for the coals to appear. After that, they are leveled with a rake and covered with moss, sawdust or peat - when burned, they give another layer of ash.

After a day, it is necessary to make small grooves in the burnt earth, into which to put the prepared paper, deepening by 2-3 cm, after which pour abundantly with water, always melt or rain. There is no need to carry out any more actions, then nature itself will do everything.

Ivan-chai will begin to grow much better if you equip a garden pond or a small fountain near it - this will ensure the level of humidity required for the growth and development of fireweed.

If there is no way to attach the seeds to the paper, then you can resort to another planting option - the seeds are pre-mixed with sand and sown like carrots.

As Ivan-tea grows, it will give root shoots. The plant will finally gain a foothold in the allotted area after 5-6 years, and after that the colony will gradually begin to become obsolete.

At this point, another place for the plantation should be prepared. It is optimal if this is the area where potatoes used to grow.

Fermentation Secrets and Koporye Tea Recipe

In order to preserve the beneficial properties of fireweed tea, they resort to herb fermentation - with this method of harvesting, the concentration of minerals and vitamins remains maximum and the tea retains its nutritional value and healing properties.

The most famous harvesting option starts with collecting grass, it is best to do this in the morning immediately after the dew has completely dried. Weed grass is dried in a shaded place, after which it is rubbed with hands and stuffed into a glass container, covered with a wet canvas cloth and stored in a warm place for 1.5 days.

The prepared composition is dried in the oven with constant stirring. As a result of such actions, a powdered composition is formed, which should then be used to brew tea.

The second method came to us from ancient times - the collected leaves and flowers are laid out in a thin layer on moistened cotton or linen fabric, after which they are wrapped in a strong roll and fixed with an elastic band. Then the workpiece is additionally moistened with water from a spray bottle so that the fabric cannot absorb the juice released from the plant. Immediately after this, they begin to actively bend and then unbend the workpiece so that active grinding of the raw material and its grinding begin inside the roll. Then the canvas is kept for 2-3 hours in a warm place to begin the primary fermentation of the fireweed.

The readiness of the raw materials will be signaled by a peculiar aroma, reminiscent of slightly sour fruit compote.

The third method of obtaining fermented willow tea is used much less frequently. To do this, the raw material is divided into 2 parts. Juice is extracted from the first half using a simple juicer and the second part of the workpiece is poured with the resulting liquid. The mass is placed under oppression and stored for three days, after which it is dried in the oven.

For information on how to prepare Ivan tea at home, see the video below.

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