Aylant the highest

In the southern part of Russia, in recreation areas and parks of culture, you can sometimes see exotic trees that differ from other trees in their unusual leaf shape, as well as beautiful flowers in the form of a panicle. As it turned out, the culture has a number of useful and healing properties. This article will focus on a plant that was brought from Asia and is called "Chinese ash", and its second name is "Aylant the highest."

Plant characteristic

The trunk of this tree can grow up to 25 m, and sometimes even reaches 35 meters. In general, Ailant the tallest belongs to tall trees and belongs to the legume family.

The tree has a trunk that is about half a meter in diameter. The bark is gray in color with characteristic notches. When the tree is still young, its crown is in the shape of a pyramid. At the same time, the leaves look delicate, lush and airy. An adult plant has large spreading branches that form a kind of tent. Branches that have just grown droop, while having a distinctive color from other leaves. The lifespan of ailant is on average 100 years.

In general, this culture has a lot of names. Ailant translated from the Indonesian language means "tree of the gods". But other names do not differ in such nobility. One of them, for example, "stinker". The reason for this is the fact that the male flowers of the tree have an unpleasant odor, like the sap of leaves pounded between the palms.

The leaves of the culture are very large, about 50 cm long. They grow in such a way that they resemble palm leaves. However, each sheet contains many elongated and pointed to the tip of the leaves, 12 cm each. The color of the leaves is dark green.

This culture can have both bisexual flowers and only male flowers. The tree blooms from the beginning of summer, having light green inflorescences of a fairly large size. There are times when the tree blooms in the fall, but the flowers will be much smaller. When flowering ends, fruits are formed in the crown, which have a bright brown hue and are lionfish. Each lionfish is about 4 cm long.

Growing area

The birthplace of aylant is China. Since it was here that the tree began to be domesticated and grown for production purposes. Ailant is a favorite delicacy of the silkworm, so its propagation and distribution was used to produce silk.

Currently, the tree is actively cultivated in China, Japan and other Asian countries. Now the tree grows not only for silk, but also for decorative purposes. Ailant is planted in parks, gardens and squares. The culture feels comfortable in a subtropical climate, but grows it in areas where the climate is mildest. Such territories include Ukraine, the Caucasus, Crimea, Krasnodar Territory and others. The culture does not have good frost resistance, so where the winters are harsh, the tree can freeze. Ailant is also popular in Europe, America and Australia.

A number of chemical elements

As mentioned above, this tree is unusual. It contains a lot of different elements and has healing properties. Various parts of the plant include tannins, alkaloids, carotene, carbohydrates, essential oils, vitamin C and many other elements that the body needs during various ailments.Ailant the highest can be used in pharmacological production, since it is suitable for the manufacture of antiseptics, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs.

Medicinal use

Since the leaves and bark of Ailant are excellent at fighting all sorts of inflammations and have antiviral properties, the funds made on the basis of these parts are often used in folk medicine, namely for the treatment of diseases such as dysentery, malaria, and they are also used as an antihelminthic agent. ...

The tree itself and the bark have excellent antimicrobial properties and are therefore considered natural antiseptics. The plant's wood extract is added to preparations that help get rid of skin diseases, such as lichen.

A very long time ago, back in the seventies, such a drug was prepared from the fruits of this culture, which was used to treat angina.

Also, on the basis of a tree extract, a lot of drugs are prepared, which are used when the body is damaged by leaves, in case of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in case of other intestinal infections.

In addition, preparations based on tree bark help fight gallbladder diseases and are effective in treating hemorrhoids.

Well, preparations based on Aylant remove excess fluid from the body, therefore they are used during rheumatism, arthritis or sciatica. The plant also has a hemostatic, laxative and wound healing effect. Crop seeds contain toxic substances and are not used internally.

Preparation of raw materials

As mentioned above, various parts of the tree are used for medicinal purposes. These are roots, and leaves, and flowers, and fruits of a tree, and bark.

To collect the bark, this must be done in early summer before the tree blooms. It is during this period that the process of separation of bark from wood occurs very easily.

If the roots of the plant are needed, then they need to be dug out before the winter period or immediately after the snow melts, until the active sap flow in the tree begins. The main part, which is actively used in medicine, is the fruit of the Chinese ash tree. Therefore, they are harvested when they are already ripe. The inside of the fruit contains a lot of useful and necessary ingredients. The fruits are harvested and dried according to the rules of preparation.

The leaves must also be harvested in early summer before flowering begins. If the flowers of the tree are needed, then they must be collected dry, so that there are no traces of precipitation or dew on them.

The collected parts of the tree, according to the technology, must be dried in ventilated rooms, where bright sunlight does not fall. It is optimal to use awnings, attics, as well as any other rooms protected from the sun for this purpose. You should not dry raw materials at temperatures above 70 degrees, since very little nutrients will remain in this way.

Contraindications

Like any homeopathic remedies, remedies made on the basis of ailant should be taken very carefully and not to exceed the indicated dosage, and it is also not worthwhile to self-medicate. Although, as such, no contraindications have been identified for Aylant.

Do not use wood-based preparations for those people who suffer from an allergic reaction to any of its components, as well as people with chronic allergies. Pregnant and lactating women and children do not use these drugs.

During processing or formation of the crown of the plant, you should also be careful, wear gloves, since the juice that gets on the skin can cause irritation.

Application area

This plant is actively used and enjoys success mainly in folk medicine, since official medicine denies the effect of herbal preparations.

In addition to possessing medicinal properties, this culture looks very impressive and is used for decorative purposes. The plant adapts well and takes root to new conditions. In addition, it grows very quickly, which makes it possible to plant greenery and improve the necessary areas in a short time. This culture is especially popular in subtropical zones, since it grows and blooms best in a warm, mild climate, for which it received such love almost all over the world.

As mentioned above, the tree is very actively used in the production of silk, since the ailanth silkworm produces a very high quality thread. In addition, the tree and its sap are actively used in industry.

For medicinal purposes, various parts of the tree are used, since antiseptic and antimicrobial drugs are made from them. Preparations based on Chinese ash are effective in the treatment of diseases such as dysentery, helminths and help with menstrual irregularities. Despite this, care should be taken, since the sap of the plant is considered poisonous, which is why it is not used in official medicine. In addition to drugs that are made from parts of God's tree, you can simply make ordinary decoctions on its basis and use it during acute respiratory viral infections, at temperature, radiculitis, with stones and diseases of the bladder, with constipation, as well as for rapid tissue regeneration.

They actively use wood, creating compositions in landscape design. If a plant grows in a region that is comfortable for it, then the branches and leaves grow at a high speed, flowers appear very quickly and look beautiful, ennobling parks and squares, both free-standing trees and complementing the group. Due to the high growth rate of shoots and roots, rapid reproduction and the formation of shoots, the highest ailanth is used when it is necessary to plant greenery or improve the site in a short time.

The juice of the bark is actively used for industrial purposes: it is used to make paints and varnishes, and the juice is also used in the embalming of corpses.

Various building materials and wooden products are made of wood, since the structure of the trunk is very convenient in processing, and, moreover, it has a beautiful noble shade. Burnt wood is used to make gunpowder.

Planting and growing rules

A tree does not require increased attention to itself if it grows in conditions close to natural growing conditions. The trunk of a tree can grow up to 3 meters annually. The described plant is not afraid of common diseases and pests, and is also undemanding to the composition of the soil and to regular light.

Experienced gardeners do not recommend planting this culture on the site, since it grows at a tremendous speed, and you will need to make sure that the ailant does not fill all the free space.

The optimal place for tree growth will be a shaded area, light partial shade, and also where there are no drafts. It is better to think through all the points at once, since the transplantation negatively affects the plant.

As with planting any tree, it is necessary to add the necessary fertilizers... The size of the pit should be spacious, approximately 3 m in all directions. In addition to fertilizers, manure and ash are introduced into the planting pit, after which the place is ready for planting a new plant.

Chinese ash is propagated by seeds and seedlings.

If tree seeds are properly stored in dry and well-ventilated areas, they are suitable for growing for 2 years. The seeds are pre-soaked in warm water for one day.

The optimal time for planting is March or April, when the soil has already thawed. Seeds are planted to a depth of about 3 cm. This method of propagation is rarely used by gardeners, since it takes a lot of time and effort, compared to planting ready-made seedlings. In addition, the germination rate of Chinese ash seeds is 50% and this is also not very convenient. A tree that will be grown from seed is more demanding for regular maintenance.

A more popular way is to propagate Chinese ash with seedlings. It is chosen because there is no risk that the plant will not take root, and besides, this method takes little time and effort.

When the planting hole is already prepared and fertilized, the next day the seedling is placed in its center and watered abundantly. After 3 weeks, the plant will take root and start growing. When choosing a planting material, it should be borne in mind that male varieties have an unpleasant odor and it is better not to plant them on the site.

Care rules

The tree tolerates drought very well and is also capable of growing in any soil. If the conditions are not too suitable for the plant, then the tree will grow slowly, and its final growth will be no more than 15 m. In addition, the lifespan of the ailant in this case will be reduced by three times.

As mentioned above, during planting, manure, ash, as well as the necessary mineral fertilizers are introduced into the planting pit. Such complex preparations as Kemira, Kristalon, Azofoska and others will be optimal. They can be easily purchased at specialized stores.

Starting next year, the plant is fed in early spring and late autumn. At the same time, both organic and mineral fertilizers are applied.

Aylant is very responsive to watering. In this case, the water should be warm, since cold water negatively affects the roots of the plant. In order for moisture to penetrate as deep as possible to the roots and to be retained in the soil for as long as possible, it is necessary to dig up the soil around the trunk at least twice a year.

As it turned out, Chinese ash is not a frost-hardy plant. If you are growing in a cold region, the tree should be thoroughly cooked before winter and covered. Also, if the climate is characterized by severe winters, it is better to immediately choose an elevated area, sheltered from the wind, or use group plantings.

Common diseases and pests

To protect the tree trunk from pests, it is necessary to wrap it with cardboard before the winter period, and make another layer of roofing material on top. This will save the plant from rodents and additionally protect it from severe frosts.

The tree is so resistant to other other insect pests that it belongs to a number of ideal crops, if you do not pay attention to the very active growth of the trunk and overgrowth.

However, a high growth rate of a tree can also become a positive quality, especially if you need to quickly plant greenery in squares or the surrounding area.

Conclusion

God's tree is a very beautiful, unusual culture that has a lot of useful properties and is used in industry, in pharmacology, for the manufacture of silk. Due to its good survival rate and unpretentiousness, Ailant the highest can be grown on any soil where urgent landscaping of the space is required.