Sweet clover is another name. Herb yellow sweet clover: medicinal properties and contraindications for diabetes and epilepsy. Yellow clover application

Sweet clover, or yellow(lat. Melilotus officinalis) is a biennial herbaceous plant of the legume family ( Fabaceae).

Common names: moth grass, wild buckwheat, yellow barkun, female sweet clover, hare's chill.

Description

Biennial herbaceous plant up to 1-2 m high, with the smell of coumarin (the smell of fresh hay). Tap root. The stem (usually one) is straight, branched, glabrous, slightly pubescent in the upper part. The leaves are alternate, trifoliate with two lanceolate entire or toothed stipules, on long petioles.

The flowers are small, bright yellow, moth-like, on short pedicels, collected in multi-flowered axillary racemes (with 30-70 drooping flowers). The calyx is five-toothed. Corolla of moth type.

The fruit is a single-seeded, ovoid bean, with transverse wrinkles. The seeds are oval, green-yellow, smooth or finely tuberculate.

Chemical composition

The herb of sweet clover contains coumarin (up to 0.9%), coumaric acid, dicumarol, melilotin, melilotic acid, methylotoside glycoside, flavonoids, purine derivatives, fat-like substances, mucus, protein (17.6%), essential oil (0.01 %), ascorbic acid (up to 389 mg%), carotene (up to 84 mg%), vitamin E (more than 45 mg%). Up to 42% fatty oil is found in the seeds.

The above-ground part contains ash - 7.00%; macroelements (mg/g): K - 24.10, Ca - 18.20, Mg - 3.00, Fe - 0.50; microelements (CBN): Mn - 0.12, Cu - 0.40, Zn - 0.35, Co - 0.08, Mo - 11.20, Cr - 0.04, Al - 0.12, Ba - 023 , Se - 18.60, Ni - 0.19, Sr - 1.12, Pb - 0.09. B - 65.20 µg/g. Concentrates Fe, Sr, Mo, Se, especially Mo, Se.

Distribution and habitat

It is found everywhere in Russia, often as a weed of grain crops and clover.

Common in all natural and administrative regions of the Saratov Right Bank. In the Rtishchevsky district it was noted near the village of Temp.

Features of biology and ecology

It grows along forest edges, in ravines, along roads, in dry meadows, wastelands, in bushes on fresh and dry soils.

Blooms from June to autumn; the fruits ripen from July to late autumn. Propagated by seeds.

Economic importance and application

In medicine

The herb of sweet clover is harvested as a medicinal raw material. Preparations of sweet clover have an expectorant, sedative, emollient, analgesic and anticoagulant effect, improve venous circulation and lymph flow. In large doses, they depress the central nervous system and adversely affect smooth muscles.

Sweet clover is also used externally to soften and absorb infiltrates, boils, carbuncles, abscesses, edema, and cuts.

Sweet clover tea is given to patients with embolism, thrombosis, thrombophlebitis and myocardial infarction. Due to the presence of dicoumarin, blood viscosity decreases and its coagulability decreases.

In other areas

In the Caucasus, young roots are used as food raw or boiled, and the leaves are used as a culinary spice. Used to make green cheese. The leaves are used as a flavoring agent in the dairy, meat, fish, tobacco and soft drink industries. It is used to flavor soap and as an odor fixer in the perfumery and alcoholic beverage industry.

Insecticide for moths, raticide. Feed for farm animals. Used to feed livestock as silage. Its nutritional value is not inferior to alfalfa.

Honey plant. Produces from one hectare up to 300 (800) kg of honey, light amber, transparent, sweet, with a pungent aroma. They are bred near apiaries, in special apiary areas, and on the slopes of ravines.

Literature

• Burmistrov A. N., Nikitina V. A. Honey plants and their pollen: Directory. - M.: Rosagropromizdat, 1990. - 192 p. - ISBN 5-260-00145-1. - P. 55
• Elenevsky A. G., Radygina V. I., Bulany Yu. I. Plants of the Saratov Right Bank (flora summary). - Saratov: Publishing house Sarat. pedin-ta, 2000. - ISBN 5-87077-047-5. - P. 41
• Nikolaychuk L. V., Zhigar M. P. Healing plants: Medicinal properties. Culinary recipes. Application in cosmetics. - 2nd ed., stereotypical, - Kh.: Prapor, 1992. - P. 65-66
• Universal Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants / Comp. I. Putyrsky, V. Prokhorov. - Mn.: Book House; M.: Makhaon, 2000. - pp. 121-122

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Yellow clover (medicinal) (Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall.) is a biennial herbaceous plant from the legume family. The root is taproot, branched. The stem is straight, tall, up to 1 m, branched, dense, woody at the base. The leaves are trifoliate. The middle leaf is long-stalked, the two lateral leaves are almost sessile. The flowers are yellow, fragrant, moth-like in shape, collected in elongated racemes. The fruits are one- to two-seeded beans, small, ovoid. One individual produces up to 17,000 seeds. Blooms in June-September.

Sweet clover is a plant of dry wastelands, slopes, edges of roads and fields. Contains 0.4-0.9% coumarin and its derivatives, the plant has the smell of fresh hay, which intensifies when dried. In addition to coumarin, the plant contains mucus, choline, tannins and resins, and flavone glycoside (in flowers).

For medicinal purposes, the above-ground part of the plant with flowers is used, excluding the lower woody parts of the stem. Sweet clover herb is included in the extractable plaster and is used for emollient poultices for abscesses and suppurations. Such poultices help open abscesses and furunculosis. A decoction of the herb is taken internally for coughing.

In folk medicine, a decoction of the sweet clover herb is drunk for coughs and abdominal pain; nursing mothers use it to increase the amount of milk. Vapors from the herb when boiled affect sore ears due to inflammation of the middle ear. Sweet clover infusion is taken for migraines and menopausal complaints. Externally, the infusion is used for swelling of joints affected by rheumatism, for inflammation of the nipples in nursing women, and for purulent wounds. An infusion of sweet clover for external use is prepared from two teaspoons of the herb, which is poured with half a liter of boiling water and left for 20 minutes in a well-sealed container, consumed cold. An infusion for internal use is prepared from two teaspoons of crushed herbs, poured into two glasses of water and left for 2-3 hours (daily dose). When taking sweet clover preparations, you must be careful, since excessive doses cause vomiting, headache, drowsiness, and toxic doses can cause liver damage and hemorrhage.

The no less widespread white clover is very similar to the described species. It is distinguished by the white color of its flowers. In folk medicine, a decoction of its herbs was used for fever and abdominal pain. An ointment was prepared from its flowers and leaves, mixed with butter, which was used to heal cuts and for colds. But the effect of the white clover herb is somewhat weaker than the yellow one.

Both types of sweet clover are good honey plants and good forage plants. They tolerate soil salinity well and are therefore promising for the development of salt marshes. Sweet clover is part of hay, causing its pleasant smell. In some places, pots float with yellow sweet clover grass to prevent milk from souring.

When collecting, you should not mix two types of sweet clover. Collect the flowering tops of plants with leaves and flowers, separating them from the rough stems. Dry the raw materials in the open air or in a well-ventilated area.

In folk medicine it is used mainly as a remedy for seizures and hemorrhoids. The favorite form is tea, but ointments made with pork fat are also made. They are used by sweet clover to care for veins and as a rub for swelling of the legs.

Latin name: Melilotus officinalis.

English name: Yellow Melilot, Ribbed Melilot or Common Melilot.

Family: Legumes - Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Common names: bottom grass, Burkun, Burkunets, female sweet clover, wild buckwheat.

Pharmacy name: sweet clover herb - Meliloti herba (formerly: Negba Meliloti).

Parts of the medicinal plant and preparation used: They collect the flowering herb Melilot officinalis, preferring the upper, non-coarse parts. Dry in the shade. Temperatures above 35°C are undesirable. The aroma intensifies during drying, so dry it slowly.

Botanical description: Sweet clover is a biennial plant with a branched, ascending or erect stem. The height varies between 50 and 150 cm. The leaves are trifoliate, with a serrated edge. Numerous yellow butterfly flowers are collected in long, loose, spike-shaped racemes. The whole plant smells of coumarin. This smell intensifies significantly as it dries. Sweet clover blooms from June to August. The usual habitats of sweet clover are gravelly wastelands. It is also found along forest edges, wastelands and railway embankments. The tall clover (Melilotus aliissimus Thuill.) differs little from the described species. It is also used for medicinal purposes. Less effective is the white sweet clover (Melilotus albus Med.) - with white flowers.

Habitat: continental Europe, Minor, Middle, Central Asia, the Caucasus. In Ukraine and Russia it is found everywhere. Sweet clover grows in wastelands, meadows, and along roads.

Active ingredients: melotin, from which coumarin is released during drying by enzymatic cleavage; saponins, tannins, flavonoids, mucilage and some essential oil (primarily in flowers).

Sweet clover - healing properties and uses

The effect of sweet clover extends mainly to the veins. We can say that thanks to sweet clover, capillary resistance (the resistance force of the thinnest blood vessels) increases and capillary permeability decreases. The main area of ​​application of sweet clover is varicose veins and hemorrhoids. There are numerous herbal preparations that are taken orally, as well as ointments containing the active ingredients of sweet clover. Due to the changing content of the active ingredients of sweet clover in pharmaceutical raw materials, many doctors believe that the use of tea should be abandoned, but I think that it can still be recommended for vein diseases.

In the monograph developed by the commission of the German State Health Service, under the heading of the use of sweet clover and its preparations, it is indicated:

Internal use of sweet clover: disorders in chronic venous insufficiency, such as a feeling of pain and heaviness in the legs, night cramps in the calves, itching and swelling. As an adjuvant in the treatment of thrombophlebitis, post-thrombotic syndrome, hemorrhoids and lymphostasis.

External use of sweet clover: bruises, sprains and superficial hemorrhages.

• Recipe for herbal tea from sweet clover: 1-2 teaspoons of crushed raw materials are scalded with boiling water and left for 10 minutes. After straining, the tea is ready to drink. Dosage: 2-3 cups per day.

Sweet clover in folk medicine

In folk medicine, sweet clover is used mainly as a remedy for seizures and hemorrhoids. The favorite form is tea, but ointments made with pork fat are also made. They are used to care for veins and as a rub for swelling of the legs. A herbal cushion of sweet clover is placed on inflamed joints and tumors; they also try to use it on boils and carbuncles so that they ripen. Tea from sweet clover is also used for coughs. A German reference book from 1926 lists a collection called “softening herbs,” which includes sweet clover. This mixture is still used today, so I present its recipe.

• Emollient herbs: marshmallow leaves, mallow leaves, sweet clover, chamomile, flax seed are mixed in equal quantities and ground into a coarse powder for compresses. The mixture is placed in a linen bag, which is kept in hot water for 10 minutes and then applied to the sore spot.

Side effects. There is no need to worry about side effects when using sweet clover. Sometimes, however, it causes headaches in sensitive people when taking tea, which is due to the presence of coumarin.

In the article we discuss sweet clover. You will learn what the plant looks like and what medicinal properties it has. We will tell you how to use products based on it to treat varicose veins, hemorrhoids and hypertension. Let's look at contraindications for use and tell you how sweet clover is used in cooking.

Sweet clover is a herbaceous representative of the legume family (lat. Fabaceae). Latin name: Melilotus officinalis. The plant is popularly known as yellow burkun, wild buckwheat, burkunets, female sweet clover, meadow burkun, Italian grass.

What does it look like

Appearance of Melilot officinalis Melilot officinalis has a thick tap root with many shoots. The plant has a strong coumarin odor, which can be compared to the smell of freshly cut grass.

The plant has a straight branched stem. The shoot height is from 1 to 2 meters.

The leaves are lanceolate, toothed, growing in groups of 3 on a long petiole. The surface of the leaf is bluish-green above, pale below.

Small yellow flowers are collected in loose drooping inflorescences in the form of brushes. Each flower consists of 10 stamens, 1 corolla and 5 petals. Sweet clover blooms from mid-summer to early autumn. The grains with pollen are ellipsoidal. Pollen color is yellow.

The fruits are smooth, flattened beans. Consist of one, rarely two seeds. The length of the bean is 3−4 cm. It begins to bear fruit in August.

Where does it grow

Sweet clover is found in the steppe and forest-steppe zones. Grows in meadows, wastelands, along roads. The plant often forms thickets together with white sweet clover, which differs only in the color of the flowers and the shape of the beans.

Sweet clover grows almost throughout Russia. Found in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, North America and the British Isles.

For more information about sweet clover, watch the following video:

Flowers, leaves, shoots

The entire upper part of the plant has medicinal properties: shoots, leaves, flowers. In pharmacies you can find pharmaceutical products containing this plant in combination with horse chestnut and blueberries.

Chemical composition

Sweet clover contains:

• organic acids;
• essential oil;
• tannins;
• coumarins;
• vitamin A;
• vitamin C;
• glycosides;
• flavonoids;
• slime.

Medicinal properties

Sweet clover has been well studied, unlike white sweet clover, which is why it is more often used as a medicinal plant. It has expectorant, analgesic, anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory effects. Plant-based products are used to treat diseases of the respiratory tract, hearing organs and gastrointestinal tract.

Sweet clover herb has a calming effect. Plant-based products reduce blood pressure and restore the functioning of the nervous system. They are used for nervous disorders, migraines and insomnia.

The plant helps women cope with mastitis and menstrual irregularities. Products based on it normalize hormonal levels.

Sweet clover accelerates wound healing, treats furunculosis and acne. The plant is added to homemade ointments for external use.

How to collect

As soon as the plant blooms, you can begin to prepare medicinal raw materials. The grass is cut along with the flowers and dried under a canopy, spreading them out in a thin layer.

Store sweet clover in fabric bags or glass containers in a dark, ventilated place. Shelf life - 2 years.

How to use

Sweet clover herb can be bought at any pharmacy. Based on sweet clover, infusions and decoctions are prepared for oral administration. The plant is used for the preparation of monocomponent products or added to medicinal preparations.

Infusion of sweet clover is used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

The drug has an anticonvulsant effect and improves blood circulation in all organs. An infusion of the plant is used externally for inflammation of the joints, rheumatism and radiculitis.

Sweet clover decoction is used to treat respiratory diseases accompanied by cough: bronchitis, asthma, tracheitis.

Decoction for varicose veins

Sweet clover reduces capillary permeability, eliminates heaviness in the legs and relieves swelling. A decoction of the plant is often used to treat varicose veins and thrombophlebitis. The product is taken orally and lotions and foot baths are made on its basis.

Ingredients:

1. Sweet clover herb - 1 tablespoon.
2. Water - 400 ml.

How to prepare: Grind the herb, add warm water, cover and let steep for 4 hours. Filter the finished broth using a strainer or gauze.

How to use: Take 1 tablespoon 3 times daily before meals.

Result: The decoction eliminates cramps, swelling and heaviness in the legs. The drug is effective for venous insufficiency.

Tincture for pregnancy (for infertility)

During pregnancy, products based on sweet clover are contraindicated for use, as the plant is poisonous. Herbal tincture is used to treat female infertility. The product normalizes hormonal levels and, with regular use, increases the chances of conception.

Ingredients:

1. Sweet clover officinalis - 100 gr.
2. Vodka - 500 ml.

How to prepare: Pour vodka over the dry herb, cover with a lid, and put in a dark and cool place for 2 weeks. Strain the finished product.

How to use: Take 10-15 drops before each meal, but no more than 4 times a day.

Result: The tincture normalizes hormonal levels and stimulates ovarian function.

Infusion for hypertension (pressure)

Sweet clover is used to normalize blood pressure, constrict blood vessels and increase the level of leukocytes in the blood. An infusion of the plant increases cardiac output. The drug is taken for 3 weeks; a two-week break is required before repeating the course.

Ingredients:

1. Sweet clover officinalis - 5 gr.
2. Meadowsweet - 15 gr.
3. Horsetail - 10 gr.
4. Horse chestnut - 10 gr.
5. Water - 500 ml.

How to prepare: Combine the herbs, pour into a thermos, pour boiling water and leave for 5-6 hours.

How to use: Take ⅓ glass of infusion three times a day between meals.

Result: The infusion reduces blood pressure and normalizes heart rate. This healthy recipe is effective for coronary heart disease.

Ointment for hemorrhoids

Sweet clover is used to treat hemorrhoids. A decoction of the plant is taken orally, and the ointment is used externally. Complex treatment quickly eliminates the symptoms of the disease.

Ingredients:

1. Sweet clover flowers - 20 gr.
2. Vaseline - 50 gr.

How to prepare: Grind the flowers into powder using a rolling pin, combine with Vaseline and mix.

How to use: Apply the product to the anal sphincter after each bowel movement.

Result: The ointment eliminates pain, relieves inflammation and itching, and resolves hemorrhoids. The product is suitable for the treatment of external hemorrhoids.

Use of sweet clover in cooking

Southern peoples use sweet clover in cooking as a seasoning for meat and fish dishes; sweet clover is especially popular in the Caucasus. Fresh leaves and flowers of the plant are added to salads, first courses and drinks. They are often used in home canning.

Sweet clover - honey plant

Appearance of sweet clover honey. Honey from sweet clover nectar has high taste characteristics.

Along with buckwheat, acacia and linden, sweet clover honey is a first-class product. It has a white or light amber color and a pleasant subtle vanilla aroma.

200 kg of honey are produced from 1 hectare of sweet clover thickets. An artificially grown plant produces up to 600 kg of honey per hectare.

Contraindications

Contraindications to the use of products based on sweet clover:

• pregnancy period;
• internal bleeding;
• liver and kidney pathologies;
• low blood pressure;
• poor blood clotting.

Sweet clover is a poisonous herb, so you should strictly adhere to the dosage of drugs based on it. Uncontrolled use of sweet clover causes side effects:

• nausea and vomiting;
• dizziness and headache;
• drowsiness;
• hemorrhages;
• paralysis.

Classification

Sweet clover is a biennial representative of the genus Melilotus, the legume family (Latin Fabaceae). The plant belongs to the order Legumes (lat. Fabales), class Dicotyledons (lat. Dicotyledones), department Flowering (lat. Magnoliophyta).

Varieties

The genus Sweet clover includes 22 species of herbaceous plants. The most famous of them:

• white sweet clover;
• Indian sweet clover;
• arable sweet clover;
• sweet clover;
• melilot serrated;
• large-fruited sweet clover.

Melilot officinalis infographics

Photo of sweet clover, its beneficial properties and uses
Infographics on sweet clover

What to remember

1. Sweet clover is used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
2. The plant is poisonous, so before using products based on it, you should consult a specialist.
3. In the culture of southern peoples, it is customary to use sweet clover in cooking. It is added to soups, main dishes and drinks.

Melilotus officinalis Desr.
The legume family is Fabaceae or Legummosae.
Common name: moth grass, wild buckwheat, yellow barkun, female sweet clover, hare's chill.

Description

Biennial plant up to 2 m high, with the smell of coumarin (fresh hay). The stem is straight, branched, glabrous, slightly pubescent in the upper part. The leaves are alternate, small, compound, trifoliate with two lanceolate stipules, on long petioles, with serrated edges. The flowers are yellow, small, moth-like, on short pedicels, collected in multi-flowered axillary racemes (with 30–70 drooping flowers). The fruit is a single-seeded, ovoid, naked bean, with transverse wrinkles. The seeds are oval, green-yellow, smooth or finely tuberculate. Propagated by seeds.

Spreading

It is found throughout most of Russia, especially in the forest-steppe and steppe zones, often as a weed of grain crops and clover. Absent in the North, Eastern Siberia and the Far East. Yellow clover grows in the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Crimea, and Central Asia.

Habitat

It is found as a weed in dry wastelands, slopes of ravines, along the edges of fields and near roads, in pastures, and in sparse light forests. It forms large thickets on the flood banks of the Volga. The plant is winter-hardy and drought-resistant. Grows well in soils rich in lime. Promising for the development of solonetz soils of forest-steppe, steppe, and semi-deserts.

Flowering time

Blooms in June–September. The fruits ripen from July to late autumn.

Collection time

June–September.

Harvesting method

The melilot herb is harvested during flowering, cutting off the tops and side shoots up to 30 cm long without thick and rough stems with knives. Do not collect sweet clover herb on roadsides and near dirt roads, where it is covered with dust. Raw materials are harvested in dry weather, when the dew has disappeared, since when wet it warms up and darkens very quickly. The raw materials are immediately sent for drying. Dry the raw materials in attics with good ventilation or under sheds, spreading them out in a thin layer (up to 5–7 cm thick) on paper or fabric and turning them over periodically. Drying is completed when the stems become brittle. You cannot overdry the raw material, as then almost all the leaves fall off. Dry in dryers at a temperature not exceeding 40°C. The smell of the raw material is coumarin (the smell of fresh hay), the taste is salty-bitter. The shelf life of raw materials is 2 years. Is an export item.

Chemical composition

The grass contains coumarin (up to 1.2%) - a substance with the smell of fresh hay, dicoumarin, which prevents blood clotting, melilotin, melilotic and coumaric acids, glucoside melilotoside, purine derivatives, fat-like substances (up to 4.3%), up to 21% protein , protein (17.6%), up to 25% fiber and essential oil (about 0.01%), mucous substances, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, carotene.

The plant is poisonous in large quantities!

Applicable part

Grass (tops of shoots with leaves and flowers).

Application

Sweet clover is recognized by official medicine. An infusion of the herb is prescribed as a sedative, diuretic, expectorant, antibacterial, antispasmodic, analgesic and lactogenic agent. In scientific medicine, sweet clover herb is used to prepare an extractable green patch and is included in emollient mixtures that accelerate the opening of abscesses and boils. Dicoumarin isolated from sweet clover is used as an anticoagulant for thrombophlebitis. Employees of the Pyatigorsk Pharmaceutical Institute have obtained a biogenic stimulant "Meliocin" from officinalis and white sweet clover, which is 2 times more active than aloe extract, and FIBS - 3-4 times.

Use in homeopathy. The homeopathic remedy Melilotus is made from fresh flowering plants. Used for severe headaches, migraines and nosebleeds, for menopausal ailments and psychoses due to hyperemia, for melancholy. For children suffering from seizures, Melilotus also provides relief. Dilutions of D4 and Dg are recommended. Take 5-10 drops every two hours or several times a day.

The most widespread use, sweet clover, is found in folk medicine in many countries. In folk medicine, fresh herbs, infusion, tincture, powder and decoction of yellow clover are used:

• As a laxative, it is included in emollient preparations;
• For diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lungs;
• For gynecological diseases;
• With flatulence;
• For hypertension, atherosclerosis;
• In collections - for the treatment of epidemic encephalitis;
• For abscesses, furunculosis, mastitis;
• For articular rheumatism, gout;
• For malignant tumors;
• For the treatment of hemorrhoids;
• For stomach diseases;
• As antispasmodic and astringent;
• As an irritant, distracting, anti-inflammatory, cleansing;
• For insomnia, neurasthenia, heart pain and headaches;
• For cystitis;
• As an analgesic and wound healing agent;
• As an anticonvulsant;
• As a lactogenic agent;
• For thrombophlebitis.

Contraindications

In large doses, it depresses the central nervous system and has an adverse effect on smooth muscles. With prolonged use and overdose, it causes dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, sometimes liver damage, hemorrhages (under the skin, into muscles, internal organs) and even paralysis of the central nervous system. It should not be used during pregnancy, internal bleeding, or decreased blood clotting. The medicinal use of sweet clover is possible only as prescribed and under the supervision of a physician.

Poisoning of animals is associated with feeding them spoiled hay or sweet clover silage. When hay rots (under the influence of mold fungi), poisonous dicoumarin is formed, which has an anticoagulant effect. Poisoning develops with a latent period of 3–5 days and is characterized by bleeding, hemorrhages, dyspeptic disorders, depression of liver function, hematuria, and allergic reactions are possible. Penetrating the placenta, dicoumarin can cause fatal bleeding in the fetus. Poisoning is especially dangerous if there is a lack of vitamin K in the diet. In case of poisoning, sick animals are given food rich in vitamin K (alfalfa, clover hay, carrots, etc.). Cattle are administered intramuscularly with 0.1–0.3 g of vitamin K and calcium-containing preparations (calcium gluconate, calcium chloride).

Other uses

• Sweet clover grass and its flowers are sprinkled on clothes to protect them from moths.
• Sweet clover is a good honey plant. It produces 200–600 kg of honey per hectare. Planting it near apiaries, on the slopes of ravines, wastelands and in unsuitable areas is highly desirable. This will allow the plant to be used not only as food and melliferous, but also as fodder, technical and medicinal.
• Salads, okroshkas, and soups are prepared from young and fresh leaves.
• An aromatic mixture of dry leaves and inflorescences is used as a dressing in soups, salads and compotes to improve taste.
• The leaves are used as a flavoring agent in the dairy, meat, fish, tobacco and soft drink industries.
• Dry and fresh leaves are used to make wines, liqueurs, and tinctures.
• Young thickened roots are edible when fried or boiled.
• In the Caucasus, young roots are used as food raw or boiled, and the leaves are used as a culinary spice.
• Used to make green cheese.
• Leaves in Tajikistan and France - for dyeing fabrics yellow.
• Feed for farm animals. It is used to feed livestock as silage (it is poorly eaten fresh). Its nutritional value is not inferior to alfalfa.
• A good green manure enriches the soil with nitrogen. Popular as a good ameliorator of solonetz soils. It has been established that after using sweet clover, the tobacco yield increases.
• Used to flavor soap and as an odor fixative in perfumery.
• Occurs in culture.

Mode of application

Externally, an infusion of the herb in the form of washes, baths and compresses is used for abscesses, ulcers, boils, inflammation of the mammary glands and rheumatic joints. Crushed and boiled flowers with fat or oil increase the suppuration of abscesses. In case of inflammatory infiltration, long-term use of poultices from the sweet clover herb and the use of compresses - herbal pillows - give good results. Crushed leaves are applied to tumors to soften them and to wounds to draw out pus.

When using sweet clover preparations, you should follow the dosage and remember that long-term and uncontrolled use of sweet clover is not advisable.

Powder

Powder of sweet clover herbs and flowers is used to prepare ointments, poultices and in cooking as a seasoning.

Infusion

• Infuse two teaspoons of sweet clover herb in 2 cups of cold boiled water in a closed container. Take 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day for hypertension, headaches, insomnia, irritability.
• Infuse two tablespoons of the herb for 10 minutes in 0.5 liters of water in a closed container on a hot stove. Use for baths and compresses.
• Two tablespoons of raw materials are placed in an enamel bowl, poured with 200 ml of hot boiled water, covered with a lid and heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, cooled at room temperature for 45 minutes, filtered, and squeezed. The volume of the resulting infusion is brought to 200 ml with boiled water. The prepared infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Take 1/3–1/2 cup 2–3 times a day as an expectorant and anti-inflammatory agent.
• Brew 200 g of herb in a liter of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, use for poultices, compresses, washes for abscesses, boils, pustules, conjunctivitis.
• Brew a tablespoon of dry raw material with a glass of boiling water and leave in a thermos for 2 hours. Drink 1/2 glass 2 times a day, morning and evening.
• A tablespoon of sweet clover herb in 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Use 1/4 cup 3 times a day before meals as an anti-inflammatory.

Tincture

• Pour two teaspoons of crushed sweet clover herb into 0.5 liters of 40% alcohol or vodka. Leave for 15 days. Used as a sedative for headaches, insomnia, neurasthenia, nervous attacks, hysteria and melancholy. Use 5-10 drops 2 times a day.
• Pour 1 part of the herb (preferably fresh) with 10 parts of 40% alcohol, leave in a dark place for 10-15 days, strain, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 years. Use externally for migraines or internally, 15 drops 2 times a day.

Decoction

10 g of raw material is poured into 200 ml of water, boiled for 30 minutes, then filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

Fresh greens. Poultices

Crushed leaves are applied to tumors to soften them and to wounds to draw out pus.

For poultices for cold abscesses, slowly forming boils, flux, inflammation of the middle ear, suppuration of the mammary gland in women (chest, mastitis), use sweet clover flowers steamed in boiling water, which are applied to the sore spot.

Ointment

• Grind two tablespoons of fresh sweet clover flowers with 2-3 tablespoons of fresh butter. Use as an ointment that accelerates the maturation of abscesses for joint diseases.
• 50–60 g of fresh sweet clover flowers are thoroughly ground with 3 tablespoons of butter.
• Sweet clover - 1 part; Highlander - 1 part; Potentilla goose - 1 part; lush cloves - 2 parts; multi-colored carnations - 2 parts. Grind the raw materials in a coffee grinder or mortar to a powder. Grind 20 g of powder with 80 g of melted lard or goose fat, keep the mixture in a water bath for 4 hours, stirring, strain hot (1 part - 1 teaspoon). Use for hemorrhoids.
• Mix 1 part of clover broth, thickened to half, and 4 parts of butter. Use for furunculosis and joint diseases.
• The ointment is prepared from 2 tablespoons of freshly dried and powdered flowers, which are mixed and ground well with 50 g of Vaseline or any fat base. Used for thrombophlebitis, furunculosis and joint diseases.

Collections and mixtures

• Sweet clover, herb - 3 parts; horsetail, grass - 3 parts; valerian, roots - 10 parts; lemon balm, herb - 5 parts; Rhodiola rosea, root - 5 parts; zamanikha - 1 part; chickweed - 1 part; Chernobyl - part 1. Pour 1 teaspoon of the mixture into a glass of boiling water, leave in a thermos overnight, drink 1/3 glass 3 times a day 1 hour after meals and at night with 1 teaspoon of honey for excessive excitability, menopause, and nervousness. Course - 21 days.
• Sweet clover, herb - 1 part; meadowsweet - 3 parts; white willow, bark - 3 parts; horsetail - 2 parts; smooth hernia - 2 parts; horse chestnut - 2 parts; golden capillary - 5 parts. Pour 1 tablespoon of the collection into a glass of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 5–6 hours, drink 1/3 glass 3 times a day between meals for coronary heart disease with hypertension. After 3 days, check blood clotting; if there is no effect, add hawthorn, flowers or motherwort to the collection - 5 parts each. Course - 30 days, break 10 days. Repeat the course. Treatment lasts 2–3 years with changes in fees every 3 months.
• Sweet clover, herb - 1 part; centaury umbrella - 1 part; Oregano - 1 part, coltsfoot, flowers - 1 part. Infuse 1 tablespoon of the mixture in 250 ml of boiling water for 2–3 hours, strain. Take 1/3 cup 5-6 times a day for 3-4 weeks for inflammation of the ovaries.
• 12 g of yellow wax are melted with 22 g of rosin and 1 tablespoon of animal fat (goat, goose, badger, etc.). Add 1 teaspoon of sweet clover herb powder and heat over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, strain into a jar and place on sore spots to ripen boils in osteomyelitis.
• Sweet clover, herb - 40 g; chamomile, flowers - 30 g; Marshmallow officinalis, herb - 30 g. Place the mixture in a canvas bag, pour boiling water over it and warm it in a vessel on the stove for 10 minutes. Used for poultice. The poultice heals wounds and reduces pain in joints swollen from rheumatism.
• Sweet clover, herb; marshmallow, leaves; mallow, leaves; chamomile, flowers; flax, seed - all equally. Mix and grind into a coarse powder for compresses. The mixture is placed in a linen bag, which is kept in hot water for 10 minutes and then applied to the sore spot.
• Sweet clover, herb - 1 teaspoon; hops, cones - 1 teaspoon. Pour 250 ml of hot water, cook for 5 minutes, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 1/4 cup 3 times a day before meals for headaches.

Goodies

There are many recipes for preparing dishes using yellow clover, however, do not overuse sweet clover. Excessive consumption of this aromatic herb can cause nausea (sometimes even vomiting) and headaches!

Sweet clover powder

Ingredients: dried leaves and inflorescences of sweet clover.

Preparation: Grind the dried leaves and inflorescences in a coffee grinder or pound in a mortar and sift through a sieve. Use as a spice for first and second courses, appetizers, sauces, and drinks.

Salad with clover

Ingredients: young sweet clover leaves - 20 g; fresh cucumbers - 50 g; green onions - 25 g; egg - 1 piece; salt - to taste; sour cream (mayonnaise, vegetable oil) - 25 g.

Preparation: Cut young sweet clover leaves, add chopped fresh cucumbers, green onions, hard-boiled egg, salt, mix. Season with sour cream (mayonnaise, vegetable oil).

Cabbage soup with clover

Ingredients: broth or water - 500 ml; potatoes - 80 g; carrots - 40 g; onion - 25 g; sweet clover leaves - 20 g; sorrel - 100 g; tomato sauce - 50 g; egg; sour cream - 25 g; dill and parsley.

Preparation: Boil chopped potatoes in salted broth or water. 5 minutes before readiness, add chopped sweet clover leaves, sorrel, season with sautéed onions, carrots, and tomato sauce. Before serving, place slices of hard-boiled eggs, sour cream, and sprinkle with dill and parsley into plates.

Okroshka with clover

Ingredients: bread kvass - 500 ml; beef - 70 g; potatoes - 50 g; egg; fresh cucumbers - 50 g; sweet clover leaves - 20 g; onion - 25 g; salt, mustard, sugar - to taste; sour cream - 25 g.

Preparation: put pieces of boiled beef, boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, fresh cucumbers, crushed sweet clover leaves and onions, mashed with salt and mustard, and sugar into the bread kvass. Season with sour cream.

Fried sweet clover roots

Ingredients: young roots; vegetable oil; salt - to taste.

Preparation: Wash the young roots, fry in vegetable oil, add salt. Serve as a side dish for meat or fish dishes.

Belarusian-style meatballs with sweet clover

Ingredients: minced beef - 250 g; sweet clover leaves - 20 g; onion - 20 g; raw egg, ground black pepper, salt; breadcrumbs - 15 g; ghee or vegetable oil - 25 g.

Preparation: Add crushed sweet clover leaves, onion, raw egg, ground black pepper, salt to the ground beef and mix thoroughly. Form the mixture into small balls, bread them in breadcrumbs and fry them in ghee or vegetable oil.

Meat stewed with clover

Ingredients: meat - 250 g; onion - 50 g; carrots - 50 g; potatoes - 200 g; sweet clover leaves - 20 g; bay leaf, pepper, dill seeds, water.

Preparation: fry the pieces of meat, transfer to the goose pan, add chopped onions, coarsely grated carrots, chopped potatoes, sweet clover leaves, bay leaves, pepper, dill seeds, add water to cover the surface of the meat, and simmer over low heat until tender.

Drink with clover

Ingredients: water - 1 l; leaves and inflorescences of sweet clover - 10 g; sugar - to taste; cranberry or cherry juice - 75–100 ml.

Preparation: Place sweet clover leaves and inflorescences, sugar, cranberry or cherry juice into boiling water, bring to a boil and cool.

Seed propagation in the garden strawberries we are used to, unfortunately, leads to the appearance of less productive plants and weaker bushes. But another type of these sweet berries, alpine strawberries, can be successfully grown from seeds. Let's learn about the main advantages and disadvantages of this crop, consider the main varieties and features of agricultural technology. The information presented in this article will help you decide whether it is worth allocating a place for it in the berry garden.

Often, when we see a beautiful flower, we instinctively bend down to smell its fragrance. All fragrant flowers can be divided into two large groups: nocturnal (pollinated by moths) and daytime, whose pollinators are mainly bees. Both groups of plants are important for the florist and designer, because we often walk around the garden during the day and relax in our favorite corners when evening comes. We are never overwhelmed by the scent of our favorite fragrant flowers.

Many gardeners consider pumpkin to be the queen of garden beds. And not only because of its size, variety of shapes and colors, but also for its excellent taste, healthy qualities and rich harvest. Pumpkin contains a large amount of carotene, iron, various vitamins and minerals. Thanks to the possibility of long-term storage, this vegetable supports our health all year round. If you decide to plant a pumpkin on your plot, you will be interested in learning how to get the largest possible harvest.

Scotch eggs - incredibly delicious! Try to prepare this dish at home, there is nothing difficult in preparation. Scotch eggs are a hard-boiled egg wrapped in minced meat, breaded in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried. For frying, you will need a frying pan with a high side, and if you have a deep fryer, then that’s just great - even less hassle. You will also need oil for frying so as not to smoke in the kitchen. Choose farm eggs for this recipe.

One of the most amazing large-flowered tubs of Dominican Cubanola fully justifies its status as a tropical miracle. Warm-loving, slow-growing, with huge and in many ways unique bells of flowers, Cubanola is a fragrant star with a complex character. It requires special conditions in the rooms. But for those who are looking for exclusive plants for their interior, a better (and more chocolatey) candidate for the role of indoor giant cannot be found.

Chickpea curry with meat is a hearty hot dish for lunch or dinner, inspired by Indian cuisine. This curry is quick to prepare but requires some prep. The chickpeas must first be soaked in plenty of cold water for several hours, preferably overnight; the water can be changed several times. It is also better to leave the meat in the marinade overnight so that it turns out juicy and tender. Then you should boil the chickpeas until tender and then prepare the curry according to the recipe.

Rhubarb cannot be found in every garden plot. It's a pity. This plant is a storehouse of vitamins and can be widely used in cooking. What is not prepared from rhubarb: soups and cabbage soup, salads, delicious jam, kvass, compotes and juices, candied fruits and marmalade, and even wine. But that's not all! The large green or red rosette of leaves of the plant, reminiscent of burdock, acts as a beautiful background for annuals. It is not surprising that rhubarb can also be seen in flower beds.

Today, the trend is to experiment with unusual combinations and non-standard colors in the garden. For example, plants with black inflorescences have become very fashionable. All black flowers are original and specific, and it is important for them to be able to select suitable partners and location. Therefore, this article will not only introduce you to an assortment of plants with slate-black inflorescences, but will also teach you the intricacies of using such mystical plants in garden design.

3 delicious sandwiches - a cucumber sandwich, a chicken sandwich, a cabbage and meat sandwich - a great idea for a quick snack or for an outdoor picnic. Just fresh vegetables, juicy chicken and cream cheese and a little seasoning. There are no onions in these sandwiches; if you wish, you can add onions marinated in balsamic vinegar to any of the sandwiches; this will not spoil the taste. Having quickly prepared snacks, all that remains is to pack a picnic basket and head to the nearest green lawn.

Depending on the varietal group, the age of seedlings suitable for planting in open ground is: for early tomatoes - 45-50 days, average ripening periods - 55-60 and late ones - at least 70 days. When planting tomato seedlings at a younger age, the period of its adaptation to new conditions is significantly extended. But success in obtaining a high-quality tomato harvest also depends on carefully following the basic rules for planting seedlings in open ground.

Unpretentious “background” plants of sansevieria do not seem boring to those who value minimalism. They are better suited than other indoor decorative foliage stars for collections that require minimal care. Stable decorativeness and extreme hardiness in only one species of sansevieria are also combined with compactness and very rapid growth - rosette sansevieria Hana. The squat rosettes of their tough leaves create striking clusters and patterns.

One of the brightest months of the garden calendar pleasantly surprises with the balanced distribution of favorable and unfavorable days for working with plants according to the lunar calendar. Vegetable gardening in June can be done throughout the entire month, while the unfavorable periods are very short and still allow you to do useful work. There will be optimal days for sowing and planting, for pruning, for a pond, and even for construction work.

Meat with mushrooms in a frying pan is an inexpensive hot dish that is suitable for a regular lunch and for a holiday menu. Pork will cook quickly, veal and chicken too, so this is the preferred meat for the recipe. Mushrooms - fresh champignons, in my opinion, are the best choice for homemade stew. Forest gold - boletus mushrooms, boletus and other delicacies is best prepared for the winter. Boiled rice or mashed potatoes are ideal as a side dish.

I love ornamental shrubs, especially unpretentious ones and with interesting, non-trivial foliage colors. I have various Japanese spirea, Thunberg barberries, black elderberry... And there is one special shrub, which I will talk about in this article - viburnum leaf. To fulfill my dream of a low-maintenance garden, it is perhaps ideal. At the same time, it is capable of greatly diversifying the picture in the garden, from spring to autumn.