Chemeritsa (Veratrum) is a perennial herb from the Melantiev family. It grows in many parts of Europe and Asia. The ancient Romans used this perennial to scare off rodents and insects on the farm. Useful substances are found in the roots and shoots, so the plant is highly valued in folk medicine.
Domestic gardeners often call the cheremitsa "puppeteer", "veratrum or" chemerka ". The cultivated species of the flower attract with the beauty of the leaves and inflorescences. They are planted in the garden next to other blooming greenery.
Description of the plant
Chemeritsa is a herbaceous perennial characterized by an overgrown superficial root with a thickened base and a straight, powerful stem. The rhizome over time becomes overgrown with thin short processes. Above the ground, a shoot with a length of 50 to 150 cm rises, covered from top to bottom with wide sessile plates arranged in a spiral direction. The shape of the leaves is oval, the tips are sharp. The surface of the leaf is convex due to protruding veins. The length of each plate does not exceed 30 cm. There is a layer of soft, delicate felt on the back of the sheet.
The life span of a cheremitsa can be about 50 years. The flowering phase begins decades later. Flowers form at the top of the stem first. The range of colors is yellow, white or green. The diameter of one bud is approximately 1 cm. The buds bloom in the middle of summer and sit densely next to each other. The freshness of the flowers lasts until the end of August. Insects and wind pollinate the inflorescences, in the place of which soft seed pods subsequently ripen. Elongated brown grains ripen inside the fruit.
The plant is considered toxic, therefore it is necessary to place cultural plantings of cheremitsa away from children and pets. Always wash your hands after contact with grass.
In the area where the hellebore is located, it is dangerous to place bee hives. The bees that have collected the flower nectar from the cheremitsa survive, but honey should not be eaten.
Types and varieties of hellebore with photos
There are 27 species in the hellebore genus. Breeders have also bred several hybrids. Only 7 species are grown on the territory of the Russian Federation. The most popular perennial specimens include:
Lobel's hellebore (Veratrum lobelianum)
The culture grows in the forest-coniferous zone of Siberia, the Caucasus and contains such healing substances as mineral salts, vitamins, amino acids and alkaloids. The height of the main stem reaches a couple of meters. Wide green leaf blades adorn the stem along its entire length. The length of yellowish panicle inflorescences is about 60 cm.
Chemeritsa white (Veratrum album)
This species chooses an open, lighted area, for example, meadows or mountain slopes. The plant tissues contain many alkaloids. The shoot height barely exceeds one meter. The fleshy root lies close to the surface of the soil. The lower layer of leaves is formed from plates up to 30 cm long. Approaching the top of the shoot, the leaves become smaller and narrower.The grass blooms with lush paniculate inflorescences, painted in a white tone.
Black hellebore (Veratrum nigrum)
The species is distinguished by folded leaves up to 40 cm long. The plates are arranged in regular order. At the top of the stem, the leaves are collected in groups of 3. The color of the flowers is reddish with brown spots. Panicles are formed from the buds. The corolla, peeking out in the center of the inflorescence, grows up to 1.5 cm.
Growing hellebore
Cheremitsa are grown by seed method or with the help of cuttings. Growing a crop from seeds is not always fruitful and requires a lot of strength and patience. Grains collected from achenes are immersed in the soil for the winter, sprinkled with earth on top and watered. By spring, the seedlings come to life. Young plants are planted, keeping the distance from one seedling to another at least 25 cm. At first, the cheremitsa needs regular watering and shelter from the sun. Then the plants will be able to quickly adapt to environmental conditions and grow greenery.
In areas where severe winters prevail, gardeners recommend starting the cultivation of perennials from seedlings. Sowing will be organized in March. The boxes are filled with sand mixed with peat and moistened. The seeding depth of the grains is not more than 5 mm. The boxes are covered with foil and transferred to a cold place. After 1.5-2 months, the containers with crops are returned to the heat. As soon as the first leaves appear above the ground, the film is removed. The growth of seedlings is uneven, so the germination process is sometimes delayed for several months. Cultivation of hellebore seedlings is carried out first in a greenhouse, and then transplanted to the site.
In the spring, hellebore is grown by root layers. To do this, the bushes are dug up, the rhizome is shaken off the ground and cut in parts, leaving the kidney and filamentous roots. Planting divisions should be carried out taking into account the observance of a distance of at least 30 cm.To activate the growth of seedlings, they are shaded and watered abundantly.
Planting and caring for hellebore
Caring for hellebore is simple, but it is important to follow certain rules. The only thing to pay special attention to is the location of the culture in the garden. The area where the perennial will grow should be slightly shaded. For this purpose, neighboring fruit trees or fences will do a great job, which will protect the seedlings from the hot sunlight at noon.
The soil is selected light with high drainage properties. Loams containing compost and sand are considered the most suitable for growing a young flower. Acidic soil types inhibit the plant. Puppeteer transplants are not always successful.
The hellebore needs to be watered frequently, but in moderate doses. The decorativeness of the grass will deteriorate if time is not given to irrigation during a drought. The top layer of soil is kept moist.
Before the beginning of the growing season, the soil is enriched with compost or manure, and flowering seedlings are periodically fed with mineral complexes.
In order for the culture to delight the owners and guests with its beauty, wilted flower stalks are cut off in time. At the end of the season, the stems and yellowed foliage are removed. Frozen parts of hellebore are also subject to pruning with the arrival of spring. Many flower varieties are frost-resistant, so they don't need shelter.
Application of hellebore
Thanks to the lush relief foliage, the hellebore will perfectly complement any flower garden or lawn planting. The plant is often planted near bodies of water to create a backdrop for other flowers. Cultures such as phloxes, gladioli or eremurus.
Due to the toxin present in the tissues of perennials, it is used, as a rule, to repel insects and parasites. Freshly prepared herbal infusion is sprayed on trees and shrubs in the garden.
Internal use is strictly limited. Ointments and alcoholic tinctures from cheremitsa are used as external remedies in folk medicine, which effectively help in the treatment of gout, rheumatism and various fungal diseases.Cheremitsa has an anthelmintic, diuretic and laxative effect.
