Oak is a tree belonging to the genus Quercus and consists of a wide variety of species, such as red oak, white oak, Mongolian oak, more than 200 species in total. In central Russia, the most famous is the English Oak (Quercus robur). Everything from this tree is used for medicinal purposes: bark, acorns, as well as its leaves. Various phytochemical compounds present in oak leaves that provide many health benefits. The article will tell you the 15 most useful properties of oak leaves.
What it looks like and where it grows
In ancient times, half of all European forests were oak forests. The breed was used as building materials and firewood. Due to deforestation, the area where oak trees grow has decreased significantly and currently accounts for about 3% (in Europe).
The tree has several varieties. Common oak is common in Russia. It is also called petiolate because of its long stalks. This is a forest-forming species that is found in a strip of coniferous and broad-leaved forests, mainly in the European part. It grows with the following crops:
- elm;
- Linden;
- maple;
- ash;
- spruce.
Oak usually forms pure stands only in river floodplains. It prefers the following soils:
- moderately moist forest gray loams;
- degraded chernozems;
- brown soils (in the mountains);
- alluvial soils.
Oak can also be found in the region of Western Europe and the Ural Range. This is a light-loving tree, demanding on soils. The culture does not tolerate overly moist soil.
Culture has its own characteristics. The large tree has a powerful crown and a powerful trunk. The height can reach 40 cm, and the age is 2000 years. However, on average a tree lives about 400 years. Growth (in thickness) continues throughout the entire period of life. Growth in height stops when the tree reaches 200 years.
The oak crown is formed by thick and spreading branches. The bark is characterized by strength. A mature tree can be identified by the dark color of the trunk. The large oblong leaves have rounded teeth. They bloom closer to June. Flowers are represented by dangling earrings. They reach a length of 3 cm.
The fruits are oblong acorns that pigs and wild boars eat. They grow up to 5 cm. In summer, acorns are green. During the autumn months, the fruits gradually turn yellow and then fall off. Beautiful hats have a smooth surface. There are bitter slices inside.
Oak trees bloom at the age of 40 and sometimes 60 years. It is noteworthy that this period coincides with the appearance of shoots. Thus, flowering and leafing occur in May.
Oak acorns ripen by October
Types of oak
Many oak trees, despite autumn, remain covered with brown-yellow leaves that hold tightly to the branches.
What is their secret? There are different types of these trees. People distinguish them as follows: winter oak and summer oak. The summer forest blooms its leaves along with other trees. It falls in October-November. The rough-legged foliage appears much later and lasts longer. When the first frosts come, it dries up, turning into an amazing herbarium created by nature itself. Dried leaves continue to hang on the branches, unaffected by winds and other bad weather. On a note!
Once upon a time, winter oaks were planted in forest belts that protected fields. Buzzard foliage retained snow and reduced wind speed.
In our latitudes there are 19 varieties of these trees. Buzzards and summerbirds are common in the regions of central Russia. There are oak trees that are firmly rooted on the rocks. They are called rocky or sessile flowers. The crown of the rock tree grows high and straight, and the trunk is much thinner than that of its forest counterparts. Sessile oak grows up to 30 m in height and lives for about 800 years. It can be found on any hilly hill in the form of a separately growing tree.
Red oak is found in North America. Its foliage is thin and shiny, with deep grooves. On each side of the leaf sharp edges-blades are visible.
Fun fact!
North American oak leaves are bright red, not green.
There are also these trees:
- weeping;
- swamp;
- petiolate;
- Georgian;
- long-legged;
- chestnut-leaved;
- Mongolian.
What are the benefits of oak leaves?
The raw materials are intended for internal and external use. The use of products made on the basis of blanks contributes to:
- healing of cuts and minor wounds, ulcers;
- improving stomach function, as well as eliminating gastritis and colitis;
- treatment of gynecological pathologies;
- decreased blood pressure;
- strengthening blood vessels by reducing the risk of cholesterol plaque formation.
Oak leaves have the following effects:
- anti-inflammatory;
- calming;
- anthelmintic;
- hemostatic.
Attention! The beneficial effects of the products on the body are possible only if the recommended dosages are observed.
Oak plant: photos, types, cultivation, planting and care in open ground
These long-lived deciduous and evergreen trees are very diverse in foliage structure, overall size and habit. All of them form acorns - ovoid fruits-nuts, the base of which is immersed in a cup-shaped plus - an extension of the stalk, covered with budding, sometimes fringed scales. Oak trees have a spreading crown and a deep, extensive root system, so they are not suitable for a small area. The trees discussed below are more or less cold-resistant, although this indicator greatly depends on the species. Winter temperatures are of course important. However, much more damage is caused by spring frosts, which damage the opened buds. As a result, in some regions oaks, instead of slender trees, grow in the form of twisted bushes.
Oak
Methods of preparation and use
Raw materials are used both for the treatment and prevention of gynecological and skin diseases, and pathologies of the digestive system. Dosage forms are characterized by a variety of applications.
Tea
The drink is suitable for daily consumption. However, tea made from oak leaves can bring not only benefits, but also harm. It is not recommended to exceed the recommended dosages, so as not to provoke problems with the digestive tract.
To prepare tea, you need to pour half a liter of boiling water over several sheets. Raw materials are taken both fresh and dried. The product is infused for several hours.
We recommend reading: Tea with thyme: beneficial properties and contraindications
Oak leaf tea is drunk throughout the day to improve well-being.
Decoction
The dosage form is intended for external use. One tablespoon of dry oak leaves is mixed with the same amount of bark and filled with water (200 ml). The composition is boiled for three minutes, cooled and filtered.
A decoction of oak leaves and bark is recommended for use in the form of poultices, lotions and rinses.
Important! They also practice internal administration of healing agents.
Use of galls on leaves
Galls are growths on leaves that look like balls. They grow in the second half of summer. These formations are the result of insect activity, but, surprisingly, galls are considered especially useful in medicine.
Leaves with galls are collected, dried, brewed as tea and drunk with honey or sugar. Green galls are considered the most useful. When consuming oak leaves with galls, it is worth considering that you cannot take too much of them - no more than 3 grams at a time. This is a fairly strong diuretic, so it can put too much strain on your bladder.
Use of oak leaves in folk medicine
Raw materials are actively used in folk medicine. This is due to the beneficial effects of oak leaves in decoctions and infusions.
To improve the functioning of the digestive system
To prepare a healthy drink, take 20 g of raw materials (leaves and bark) and pour 200 ml of boiling water. The composition is covered and simmered for 30 minutes in a water bath. Then the resulting broth is cooled and filtered. It is necessary to restore the previous volume of 200 ml by adding boiled water.
A decoction of oak leaves helps eliminate menstrual pain
For diseases of the oral cavity
Gargling with a decoction of oak leaves is considered an effective way to eliminate diseases of the gums and throat. The drug is effective for the following pathologies:
- stomatitis;
- gingivitis;
- tonsillitis.
Oak leaves and bark are mixed in equal proportions. Take 100 ml of water per tablespoon. The mixture is boiled for several minutes and then filtered. The resulting product is used to rinse the mouth.
Attention! The liquid should be at a comfortable temperature so as not to cause hyperemia.
Gargling the gums and throat with an oak decoction helps eliminate pain.
For sweaty feet
If an unpleasant odor appears regularly, take baths. Take a glass of water for two tablespoons of raw materials (bark and oak leaves). The composition must be boiled for two minutes and left.
Baths with the addition of a decoction of oak leaves and bark help reduce sweating
For hemorrhoids
The use of infusions in the form of enemas is recommended in the presence of nodes. To prepare the medicine, pour four crushed leaves and a small spoonful of bark into a glass of boiling water. The mixture is infused for an hour. The resulting composition can be diluted with water before use.
Enemas with oak leaf infusion also help with peptic ulcers and dysentery
For diseases of the excretory system
It is advisable to treat pathologies of the kidneys and genitourinary tract with means including leaves and oak bark. The raw materials are mixed using a 10:1 ratio and poured with a glass of boiling water. The drink is consumed after it has cooled once a day in the morning.
An infusion made from oak leaves treats cystitis and urethritis.
For varicose veins
For vein diseases, drugs are made for external use. A liter of boiling water is poured into 20 young leaves and 40 g of oak bark. The product is left to infuse for three hours, after which it is poured into the bath. The legs float for 20 minutes.
After warm baths with the addition of oak leaf infusion, you should lie down under a blanket
Oak bark
Oak bark contains tannins, which are used in medicine and the leather industry. In Russia, leather was treated only with oak bark. The processing of leather is called tanning. This word began to be used even if the skin was treated with other compounds (willow bark or chrome salts).
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Oak bark has the following beneficial properties:
- relieves inflammatory processes;
- heals wounds;
- treats stomach diseases (if you use its decoction);
- eliminates allergic reactions;
- helps with colds;
- heals gums.
For medicinal use, oak bark is collected in the spring. After collection, it is dried for 2-4 days. It must be stored dry and brittle.
Important!
Herbalists consider the bark collected from a young trunk or branch to be the most healing.
Collection and preparation
Young oak leaves have medicinal properties. The shoots are collected in mid-summer (June, July). During this period they contain the maximum amount of useful substances.
Young trees up to 5 m in height are suitable for harvesting raw materials. They are distinguished by flexible branches and strong shoots. It is advisable to cut the leaves along with them and tie them into peculiar brooms. They are hung to dry in a dark place. Raw materials are stored for about a year.
During this period, it is important to provide fresh air to the dried leaves. The sun's rays provoke the loss of nutrients.
How to treat
It is advisable to treat powdery mildew or brown spot on oak when the first signs appear. If the disease appeared more than a week ago, then it is already useless to fight it. To get rid of the disease, you need to:
- Trim the tree, removing all damaged trunks and leaves.
- Replace the top layer of soil in the tree trunk circle.
- Spray the tree with special products such as Fundazol, Topaz, Vitaros.
If the tree shows signs of necrosis or vascular diseases, then the tree can no longer be helped. Measures to combat these diseases consist of their prevention. It is important to regularly trim trees and promptly cover wounds with varnish or bactericidal agents.
To combat pests, trees are regularly sprayed with fungicides. Affected leaves and branches must be removed and burned. A good way to prevent the spread of diseases and pests is to collect and destroy fallen leaves.
Botanical description
Common oak is a deciduous tree. Height: 15-40, up to 50 m.
Root
The root system is powerful, consisting of a very long oak taproot and lateral roots.
Trunk
The trunk is powerful and thick. At a young age, irregular, geniculate, later straight, cylindrical. Oak trunk diameter: 1-1.5, up to 3 m.
The bark is thick and covered with deep cracks. The color of young trees is silver-gray, and from 50-60 years of age it changes to brown, dark gray, and blackish. Thickness (for old trees): up to 10 cm.
The crown is huge, powerful, highly branched, dense, spreading, tent-like or wide-pyramidal, asymmetrical.
Branches
The branches of the common oak are strong. The bark of young shoots is smooth, shiny, with transversely elongated lentils. The color of young trees is brown, olive-brown, reddish-gray, then changes to silver-gray.
Leaves
The buds are hemispherical, ovoid, obtuse. The scales are numerous, five-rowed, glabrous, with cilia along the edges. Color: light brown. Length: 5 mm, width: 4 mm.
The apical buds are surrounded by smaller lateral buds, which are located at some distance.
The leaves of common oak are bare, hard, almost leathery, simple, alternate, oblong-obovate, entire. The upper part is blunt or notched, the base is heart-shaped, with 4-6 rounded lobes with shallow notches between them and protruding veins. They are located on short (1 cm) petioles. Color of the upper part: dark green, shiny, lower part – lighter, yellowish. Length: 4-15 cm, width: 2.5-7 cm.
Flowers
Oak flowers are unisexual. One tree bears both male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers. Staminate - consist of five to seven-parted, fringed, membranous, greenish perianth at the edges and five to six (up to 12) stamens with short filaments and large yellow anthers. Collected in long, hanging, cylindrical inflorescences-earrings containing 10 or more flowers. They are located singly or grouped in 2-3 pieces. on the tops of last year's shoots or at the bottom of young shoots.
The pistillate flowers are reddish, on short stalks, collected in 2-3 pieces. on one reddish stalk. They are located on young shoots.
Fruit-seeds
The fruit of the common oak is an acorn (nut). Glabrous, ovoid, has a spine at the apex, immersed 1/3 of the length in a shallow cup-shaped plus (length 0.5-1 cm).
Color: brownish, brownish-yellow, shiny, with longitudinal greenish stripes. Length: 1.5-3.5 cm, diameter: 1.2-2 cm. Arranged in pairs, less often from one to five on one stem-peduncle (3-8 cm).
Flowering-reproduction
Blooms: in April-May (during the blooming of leaves and growth of young shoots). The fruits ripen: in September-October.
It reproduces by seeds (acorns), as well as stump shoots.
What kind of leaves does poplar have in late autumn?
But this is basically, in general, poplar leaves in the fall come in three colors - green, red, yellow, and when they fall they turn brown.
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