Forest handsome Amur velvet - a perfect example of landscape gardening

An amazing and beautiful tree grows on the banks of the Amur River. By the name of a beautiful full-flowing river, it was called Amur velvet. Also this plant is distributed in the Far East in the Khabarovsk and Primorye Territories, Sakhalin and the Kuriles. It can be found in the forests of Manchuria, China and Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

In the Amur region, Amur velvet is included in the summary of rare and endangered plants and is taken under protection in the Khingan Reserve.

Porous leaves, in shape resembling ash leaves, create an unusually beautiful openwork crown. The outer layer of the bark is a cork with a velvety structure, the ash-gray color of which often has a silvery tinge, which gives the plant additional decorative effect. The inner layer of the bark - the bast - bright yellow. In the middle of summer ordinary flowers appear on the tree, and in the autumn you can see small black berries. It was thanks to the bark that the tree got both its names: velvet is also called the Far Eastern cork tree.

In addition to the picturesque appearance of Amur velvet, the photo of which confirms its refinement and beauty, has many healing properties.

In all parts of the plant, scientists found alkaloids. The roots are rich in berberine, cardicin, coumarins, yatrorricin and some other nitrogen-containing substances. The bark contains carbohydrates and starch, steroids and polysaccharides, and lub - tannins. In leaves, a large content of essential oils, phytoncides and flavonoids, vitamins and tannins. In the flowers found a substance diosmin, and in the berries contain essential oils. It is thanks to oils that the leaves, berries and bast of the tree have a specific, easily recognizable flavor.

For medicinal purposes, everything is used: roots, bark and bast, leaves, flowers and fruits.

In a number of experiments, researchers concluded that therapeutic drugs based on Amur velvet lower blood sugar and blood pressure, increase the body's resistance to tumors and sarcomas, have choleretic properties, expressed antimicrobial, antipyretic, fungicidal and anthelmintic properties.

Decoctions and infusions of this plant help to cope with diseases of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, dermatitis and diabetes, And also improve the psychoemotional state, exert a tonic and restorative effect.

Along with the healing properties, there are also negative qualities. Do not abuse this medicine, since an overdose (especially if you take the berries inwards) can lead to severe poisoning, because of which the fruit of the tree is contraindicated for children. Allergic reactions are also possible.

Velvet Amur is a good honey plant. Its medicinal properties are attributed to medicinal anti-tuberculosis properties. The bark is used to produce a technical cork, and a yellow pigment is obtained from the bast to paint silk, cotton and flax. The leaves serve as food for spotty deer.

Velvet Amur is a relic - a living monument of nature that grew up to the Ice Age.

Due to its decorativeness and unpretentiousness since the middle of the 19th century, this wonderful tree has been used for landscaping cities and towns. The life of this handsome man is about 300 years old.