This plant is found in the form of a shrub or a low tree. Belongs to the genus Lokh (Elaeagnus), the family Lokhovyh (Elaeagnaceae). The homeland of the narrow-leaved sucker is North America and also China. This is a light-loving plant. The soil can be any. Soil moisture should be moderate. It grows up to 10 meters in height and lives up to 60 years. It can be planted with cuttings or branches, also with seeds.
Description of the tree
Loch is a small, deciduous tree with a wide and spreading crown. The bark is red-brown in color, there are thorns, it reaches 3 centimeters in length. The trunk, during the growth period, takes on a curved shape. The tree produces pubescent young shoots with a silvery shade. Possesses a powerful and strong root system.
Foliage. The shape of the leaves is oval, reminiscent of laurel, narrowed at the base and pointed at the top. The bottom is white, and the top is gray-green. The surface is covered with scales. On the tree, the leaves are held by cuttings, the length of which is 4-7 cm.
Flowers. The tree blooms with single, small flowers. Their inner part is orange-yellow, the outer part is silvery. They have a strong aroma and a lot of nectar. Flowering falls in June, lasts up to 20 days.
Fruit. From August to September, the fruits begin to ripen. It is an oval or spherical drupe with a sweet taste and reddish-yellow color. The weight of the fruit is about 3 g, the length is 1 cm. The ripening process is uneven, but those fruits that are already overripe are still on the branches for a long time. For full ripening, the fruit of the sucker needs a long warm period. A plant that has reached 3-5 years old begins to bloom and bear fruit.
Where does the goof tree grow
In natural nature, this plant can be found in the Caucasus, Ukraine and the vastness of Central Asia. In Russia, the narrow-leaved elk grows in its European part. He loves forest-steppe and steppe, and also prefers river banks. On the abandoned territories of Kazakhstan, whole thickets of such shrubs have formed and even began to be called "tugai forests".
The plant is resistant to droughts, grows on any soil, does not even disdain saline and poor soil. Suckers growing in sandy soils produce many adventitious roots. They are unpretentious to the conditions of the city, they calmly relate to the dusty polluted air. But severe frosts, in winter, are hard to endure.
The plant grows fast enough. For each year it grows by 1 meter. After 4 years of existence, the tree releases side shoots.
The fruits of the narrow-leaved sucker
Outwardly, they are similar to dates and have an astringent, sweetish taste, and are very nutritious. They are easy to assemble thanks to their thin long stalks. They can be stored for a long time. Even room temperature allows them to be kept throughout the winter.
The fruit contains: fiber, salts, phosphoric and potassium, tannin (a substance with an astringent effect), proteins 10%, vitamins, up to 40% sugar. The fruit has a red bone and flesh. They can be used both fresh and frozen and dried. With the help of dry fruits, infusions and medicinal decoctions are prepared, and frozen ones are used to decorate desserts.
Such fruits are of considerable value in scientific medicine. Such a drug as pshatin is made precisely from the fruit of the sucker. It helps with stomach or intestinal problems. Due to their astringent properties, these fruits have found application in folk medicine, for indigestion, and also helps with cataracts. A decoction of such fruits is good to use for colds, chills, respiratory diseases. It is also used as an effective remedy for inflammation in the oral cavity by rinsing.
You can also use the fruits for food. Good to add to bread baking, soups and more. Both fresh and chopped are suitable.
Care and landing
Taking care of such a plant is quite simple. Every year you just need to feed it and loosen the soil near the trunk. With the onset of spring, dilute with water and add urea, mullein and amine nitrate. Apply Nitroammofosk at the beginning of autumn. For the winter, young trees need to be well covered. In the spring, dried branches are pruned. In the summer, a haircut is performed twice (at the beginning and at the end of summer).
You can propagate it in any way: seeds, layers, cuttings. But the layers can take root only after the second year of life. Sowing seeds is the most reliable way. Already in the first year of life, seedlings appear here and grow up to 1 meter.
Before planting, it is advisable to choose a place and prepare the ground. The site must be protected from the wind so that gusts of wind do not destroy the young plant. The soil is desirable slightly acidic and neutral. Lime will help with high acidity.
Planting should be done in the last month of autumn or early spring. Between the seats, a distance of 2-3 meters is required, the depth of the fossa is up to half a meter. Before planting, sand, fertile soil and compost should be placed in the pit, and the bottom should be covered with pebbles or small stones (a kind of drainage). For healthy growth and development, wood ash can be added to the soil; nitrogen fertilizers and double superphosphate will not interfere. In the first days (3-4) good watering is required.
Where is the goof tree applied
Its leaves, flowers, bark and fruits are used for medicinal purposes. Scurvy, heart disease, edema and colitis, for all these ailments, decoctions and infusions made from sucker flowers are recommended. Medicinal infusions from the leaves of the plant can help with gout, during an attack of rheumatism and heal wounds.
The leaves and bark of the plant are natural dyes for leather, they give black and brown color. The fruit of the tree can be consumed and used in cooking. Various musical instruments can be made from wood, and the sucker also serves as a material for the production of furniture and all kinds of carpentry products.
This is a wonderful melliferous plant. Honey from the nectar of sucker flowers turns out to be of a beautiful amber color and has an amazing aroma and pleasant taste. The tree can be used for single plantings, as well as group plantings. Well suited for landscaping any area, haircut is easy. It can be used to strengthen the soil.
Looks great as an ornamental plant, due to silvery leaves, bright bark, yellow flowers and red fruits.
