Irga: an overview of the berry bush and the secrets of its cultivation. Berry irga: description, useful properties and contraindications, planting and care What is irga and where does it grow

Irgu has been cultivated in our latitudes for over 100 years. However, this plant has not taken root in gardens and cottages. It is grown only by enthusiastic gardeners. However, this is undeserved, since irga is very useful for the human body. What valuable substances are contained in the fruits of this plant and what health problems can be solved with their regular use, you will learn from our article.

plant history

North America is considered to be the birthplace of the irgi. Presumably, she was first brought to Asia Minor, and then came to Siberia. Already from there it spread throughout Europe, where it began to be planted from the 16th century. In Russia, irgu began to be cultivated since the 19th century. There, the famous biologist Ivan Michurin was mainly engaged in it, planting it on the territory of the whole of Russia.

The spread of shadberry around the world is attributed to birds, which became carriers of seeds and delivered them even to Africa. Today, the plant is grown in gardens for the purpose of eating, and also as an ornamental crop - in Canada and the USA, its bushes are planted on lawns near houses, in squares as decoration.

Previously, the Slavs used the fruits of the plant willingly. Then they noticed their healing properties. Firstly, berries allowed to satisfy hunger. And secondly, they helped for a long time not to get sick with colds and other diseases. Also in those days, they began to prepare remedies from the bark and leaves of the plant. Today, after analyzing the chemical composition of the fruits, leaves and bark of the shadberry, we have confirmation of the healing qualities of the fruit shrub and an idea of ​​which organs and systems it can be useful for.

Description

Irga is a shrub or a low tree, the trunk of which reaches a height of 6 m. The plant belongs to the pink family. Irgi has dark green dense leaves of a rounded or ovoid shape. Flowering occurs in April-May.

The plant produces inflorescences in the form of corymbose brushes with 10-12 small flowers of white or milky color. After the flowers fall, small spherical, oval or pear-shaped berries of dark blue, blue-black color with a bluish bloom are formed. Their size is 0.6-1 cm. Weight - 0.35 g.

Irga bears fruit from three to four years of age. With proper care, her fruiting is plentiful. Happens annually. Edible fruits ripen in July - August, can hang on a tree until October. Plants that are 10-20 years old bring a crop of 5-10 tons per hectare.

The tree grows for about 40 years. It is characterized by unpretentiousness, winter hardiness, medium heat resistance, photophilous.

Did you know? Irga among different peoples has special names. So, in Russia it is called cinnamon, sea buckthorn, wine berry, in Germany - rock pear, in Italy - willow delicacy.

Variety of species

There are 25 species of shadberry that grow in Europe, North America, North Africa, China, Japan, the Caucasus, and the Crimean Peninsula.
The most common of them are ordinary, round-leaved, spiky, Canadian, alder-leaved, blood-red. They differ in the shape and size of the crown, height, but they all have similar fruits.

Did you know? Philologists suggest that the name irga came from the Mongolian languages ​​and is translated as a shrub with very hard wood. And the scientific Latin name - Amelánchier - is of Celtic origin. It indicates the honey taste of the berries.

Useful composition of berries

As we have already noted, people have noticed for a long time that irgi berries can be beneficial. Let's look at their composition in more detail. So, 100 g of fruits contain 40 g, which is 44.4% of the required daily allowance for a person.

They also include vitamins, sugars, pectin, dietary fiber, phytosterols, organic acids, flavonols. The leaves and bark contain tannins and stearic substances.

Benefit for health

The composition of the fruits, leaves and bark of the shadberry also determines the value of this product for the human body.
They have the following properties:

• restorative;
• tonic;
• wound healing;
• astringent;
• hypotensive;
• cardiotonic;
• bactericidal;
• anti-inflammatory.

Regular use of irgi leads to a decrease in blood pressure, strengthening of the walls of blood vessels, their greater elasticity. The berry has a beneficial effect on the activity of the cardiovascular system.

This is an excellent prophylactic against myocardial infarction and varicose veins, beriberi and atherosclerosis, thrombosis and peptic ulcer, the occurrence of cancerous tumors. It normalizes sleep, treats intestinal disorders.
It can be used as an astringent and enveloping agent. Irga helps with problems with the oral mucosa, inflammation of the throat. Means from berries help to heal wounds faster, including purulent ones.

In addition, irga is a powerful antioxidant. With its help, you can cleanse the body of toxic substances, radionuclides. The systematic eating of berries can reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood.

Pectins in the composition of fruits improve appetite, improve the activity of the digestive tract. Riboflavin takes part in metabolic processes, has a beneficial effect on the organs of vision.

Doctors advise older people to eat more irgi fruits as a multivitamin natural remedy and a storehouse of vitamin P, a substance whose content in sufficient quantities helps to avoid the development of many diseases that are characteristic of people over 60 years old.

Irga can be eaten by almost everyone, if there are no contraindications. With only carbohydrates and only 45 kcal, but at the same time perfectly satisfying hunger, berries are perfect for those who are worried about their weight.
With proper use of irg juice mixed with currant, you can get rid of up to four kilos per week.

Harm or contraindications

Despite the useful composition, fruits and products based on leaves, flowers and bark can not be consumed by everyone.

• prone to hypotension;
• having individual intolerance;
• suffering from allergic reactions.

Since irga has a sedative effect, it is undesirable to use it immediately before driving a car. There may be a decrease in concentration and depression of the nervous system. Berries should be consumed in moderation, since excessive eating of them can provoke undesirable reactions of the body.

Application

Irgi fruits are used in cooking and folk medicine. Traditional healers also prepare remedies from the bark, leaves and flowers. In addition, healthy tea is brewed from them.

berries

The fruits are eaten, they are used to make jam, marshmallow, jelly, jam, wine. Compotes and kissels are made from dry berries. They give drinks a beautiful color. To preserve the fruits for use in the winter, they can be frozen or dried.

The juice from the shadberry can be drunk both to quench thirst and for medicinal purposes. Juice is prepared in two ways: with and without added sugar.

• With sugar. Add a glass of granulated sugar to the squeezed liter of juice, heat until it dissolves.

Important! Any remedy from irgi, which is drunk systematically for therapeutic purposes, can only be used as an additional therapy. It should not be used as a substitute for medications.

• Jam. The selected berries, separated from the pericarp, are blanched for two minutes in boiling water. Pass through a colander. Sugar syrup (60%) is prepared, berries are placed in it, put on low heat and brought to a boil. Insist throughout the night. Then bring to a boil over low heat again. Add citric acid (1 g / 1 l). Arranged in pre-sterilized jars. Roll up lids. For one kilo of berries you will need 0.3-0.4 kg of granulated sugar.

Bark, leaves and flowers

The bark for medicinal purposes is harvested from the end of spring. Its most valuable property is anti-inflammatory. Decoctions and infusions are prepared from the bark. The decoction is advised to use for problems with the gastrointestinal tract, including to eliminate diarrhea.

Also rinse your mouth with a decoction for stomatitis, sore throat, gingivitis. It is prepared from a teaspoon of crushed raw materials and a glass of boiling water. Simmer in a water bath for 20 minutes. For a quick effect, the rinsing procedure should be carried out three times a day.

From the flowers prepare a means to normalize blood pressure. A tablespoon of flowers is poured with a glass of boiling water, insisted for an hour. Before being used for medicinal purposes, it is passed through gauze. Drink half a glass three times a day. The recommended time is half an hour before meals.

A decoction is made from the leaves for external use. They wash the wounds for speedy healing. Also used for rinsing the mouth and throat. Leaves are crushed. Two tablespoons are placed in two cups of boiling water. Insist in a closed and wrapped container for half an hour.
In case of disorders of the digestive system, diarrhea, a decoction is prepared from the leaves and bark: pour a tablespoon of crushed raw materials with boiling water, boil for half an hour. Pass through gauze before use. Drink four times a day for a tablespoon.

Important! Self-medication can lead to worsening of the condition and aggravation of the disease. Before using folk remedies, you should consult your doctor.

Breeding

The plant is propagated in several ways:

• seed;
• vaccination;
• cuttings;
• layering;
• dividing the bush.

Irgi species can be bred by seed and vegetative methods, and varietal specimens - only vegetatively. The seed method is the easiest. You can simply remove the seeds from the fruit and plant them in the ground, watering abundantly and putting mulch.
So they prostratify during the winter, and in the spring the seedlings can be planted. Seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place when they are three years old. Irga is a tasty and valuable berry. Its regular use fresh, in teas, preserves, jam helps to solve many health problems.

Specially prepared decoctions, infusions from leaves, flowers, and bark also have a medicinal effect. However, it should be understood that such treatment can only be additional. Before starting it, you should get the approval of the attending physician.

» Irga

For many centuries, people have been treated with the help of plants. Sometimes we do not even suspect how many useful properties an inconspicuous-looking herb or berry has.

One of these useful plants is irga. Today, a small number of people know about it, but in the Middle Ages it was actively used by healers and healers to prepare various potions. Let's take a closer look at the beneficial properties and contraindications for the use of this unique berry.

Irga belongs to shrub ornamental garden plants of the apple genus, the Rosaceae family. The scientific name of this plant is "amelanchier", which means "honey" in the language of the Celts.. You can also find such a name as "lady", which is more common among the people.

There are almost two dozen different varieties of this plant. It is a tall shrub with deep green leaves. Irgi fruits are red-violet round berries of small size, sweet in taste. They ripen in mid-summer. The average lifespan of this shrub tree is 60 years..

Irga grows in northern Africa, America, central and southern Europe, as well as in Japan. In Russia, the shrub can be found in many regions, but it is most common in the Crimea and the Caucasus..

The composition and beneficial properties of irgi for the human body

Irgi berries are widely used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. They contain many vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the human body.

• Phytosterols, which are part of the berry, have an anti-sclerotic effect, strengthen blood vessels, reduce the fragility and fragility of capillaries and prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
• Thanks to pectins contained in irga, the work of the gastrointestinal tract is restored, appetite improves, toxins and carcinogens are removed from the body. A decoction of these berries also helps relieve stress and fatigue, normalizes the functioning of the nervous system. In addition, irga is an excellent immunomodulator.
• Vitamin C helps fight infections, improves metabolism and lowers blood cholesterol levels.
• Bioflavonoids (Vitamin P) help maintain normal blood sugar levels, prevent blood clots and support heart function in coronary disease and hypertension.

Vitamin P is very rarely found in food. The game is one of the few plants where this substance is contained in sufficient quantities, and the beneficial effect of the berry on the human body is largely due to the presence of this component.

• Riboflavin (vitamin B2) actively participates in metabolic processes, normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands and is necessary to maintain normal vision.

Berries are low in calories (43 kcal), due to which they are actively used in weight correction programs.

In folk medicine, not only berries have been used, but also leaves, bark and flowers of shadberry. Decoctions of these components have a wound healing, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect.

Harm and contraindications: who should not use irgu?

The benefits of irgi are obvious, but at the same time, it can harm the human body if used in the following cases:

• presence of diabetes(the berry is rich in carbohydrates, which can lead to a sharp increase in blood glucose levels);
• obesity(excessive consumption of berries can lead to weight gain);
• low blood pressure(the components contained in the fruits help to reduce blood pressure);
• prone to skin rashes(irga can cause severe reactions in people with allergies);
• low blood clotting(the substances that make up the berry contribute to blood thinning).

In childhood, the use of irgi should not exceed 50 grams per day. otherwise there is a risk of allergy.

You can pick berries away from roads and industrial complexes. Irga has a high ability to absorb toxins and heavy metals.

The use of irgi in traditional medicine

In folk medicine, irga has found wide application. Decoctions, teas and healing infusions are prepared on the basis of the fruits, inflorescences, leaves and bark of this plant.

Apply irgu in the following cases:

• heart disease, high blood pressure and varicose veins;
• poisoning and diseases of the digestive tract;
• high cholesterol in the blood and the presence of cholesterol plaques;
• diseases of the nervous system and increased fatigue;
• prevention and complex therapy of diseases of the organs of vision;
• low vascular patency and increased capillary fragility;
• ARI and SARS;
• periodontal disease and bleeding gums;
• diseases of the bronchopulmonary system;
• recovery of the body after illness;
• purulent wounds, burns and abrasions.

In these cases, you can eat fresh berries, take irgi juice diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio, or prepare tinctures. Medicinal teas are prepared from flowers and leaves, and for external use in the treatment of wounds and burns, a compress from a decoction of the bark of the plant is necessary.

Irga helps not only to alleviate the condition in various diseases, but also saturates the body with useful substances, and also has a healing and rejuvenating effect.

When can irga hurt?

Even a healthy person who uses Irga for general strengthening purposes can harm his health if he consumes this product in excess. What can happen in this case?

Among other things, irga has a strong sedative effect. Excessive consumption of juice, tincture or tea can lead to drowsiness, loss of energy and decreased attention.

Also, signs of allergies may appear even in people who have not previously suffered from such manifestations.

When using irgi in combination with dairy and sour-milk products the digestive system is disturbed, which leads to discomfort, bloating and diarrhea.

Children can eat no more than 50 grams of berries per day, the norm for an adult is 100-150 grams.

Recipes for decoctions and teas with leaves and berries

Traditional medicine offers a huge number of ways to prepare medicinal potions based on berries, flowers, leaves or bark of shadberry. If you have health problems or to replenish the balance of beneficial trace elements in the body, you can use one of the recipes.

flower infusion

The tincture is prepared on the basis of vodka, but those who cannot tolerate alcohol can replace it with water. To prepare a remedy, you will need to do the following:

• pour into a small saucepan or a liter jar 2-3 tablespoons of dried flowers;
• pour 2 glasses of vodka or boiling water;
• if alcohol is used you need to infuse the drink for 3 days, in the case of boiling water - wait for cooling, after wrapping the container with tincture;
• when the drink is infused, it must be strain.

Tincture is consumed 3 times a day, taking one tablespoon 15-20 minutes before meals.

berry juice

Berry juice can be consumed fresh, diluted with water, or canned. Prepare canned juice in this way:

• berries are thoroughly washed and allow excess water to drain;
• pound with the help of a pestle to a state of puree;
• squeeze juice in a juicer or manually using gauze;
• diluted with the juice of a more acidic berry(since irga has a high sugar content, you can add cranberry, cherry or currant juice);
• warm up, but do not bring to a boil, and roll hot into jars.

Before proceeding with canning, jars need to be doused with boiling water. Drinking juice is recommended at 50-100 grams before meals.

In case of disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, it is not recommended to drink juice. In these cases, tea from flowers or leaves of shadberry, as well as a decoction of the bark, is suitable.

Berry tincture

To prepare a healing tincture of shadberry berries, you will need a glass jar and high-quality vodka. The drink is prepared in this way:

• berries are brought to puree state with the help of a pestle;
• jar ¾ fill crushed mass;
• pour vodka, leaving unfilled space 3-4 cm from the neck of the vessel;
• insist 2-3 days in a dark cool place;
• filter and throw away the rest of the berries.

It is better to store this tincture in the cold. It is recommended to take the remedy 3 times a day, a tablespoon before meals.

Leaf based tea

It is better to use fresh leaves for making tea, but in extreme cases, dried leaves are also suitable.

A few leaves of irgi are poured with boiling water and allowed to brew for 15-20 minutes.. You can add 1 teaspoon of natural honey. Flower tea is prepared in the same way.

It is better to drink tea in the evenings, it perfectly calms the nervous system and provides a healthy sound sleep.

A decoction of the bark

The decoction is intended not only for internal, but also for external use. With the help of compresses, festering wounds can be treated, as well as burns can be treated. To prepare the product, you need:

• grind the bark using a coffee grinder;
• pour into a saucepan 2 tablespoons of the resulting powder and pour 2 cups boiling water;
• put the dishes on low heat and boil the remedy for 15-20 minutes;
• cool the drink and strain through a sieve or gauze;
• add 1 cup cool boiled water.

Take tincture 3-5 times a day for ½ cup. If the product is prepared for external use, it is not necessary to dilute it with water.

Like any medicinal plant, irga can provide invaluable benefits to the human body when used correctly, and can also harm. For this reason, it is necessary to follow the rules for the preparation of therapeutic agents and control their dosage.

Irga ( Amelanchier) Rose family ( Rosaceae)

Description of irgi:

Irga is a deciduous shrub or small tree, there are twenty species. This shrub grows in the temperate climate of the northern hemisphere, is distributed wild in North America, in some parts of Europe, in a small part of North Africa and Asia Minor, East China, on the Korean Peninsula and on the Japanese Islands. In our country, irga grows in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Irga is a very unpretentious plant that can tolerate frosts down to minus 45 degrees, during flowering up to 5 degrees. It can grow on any soil, except marshy soils with a low standing groundwater. The main condition for productivity is the presence of the sun, then her berries ripen large, juicy and tasty. In the wild, it can be found in thickets of small shrubs, in a sparse forest, on forest edges, it is found in the mountains at an altitude of up to two kilometers above sea level. On the territory of Russia, round-leaved shadberry (A. rotundifolia) and Canadian game (A. canadensis) are common, cultivated as a fruit crop (yield from a bush is 8–15 kilograms, fruiting is extended over time, so the fruits are harvested in several doses or at a time, ripe the fruits do not crumble), melliferous (blooms early and profusely in spring) and an ornamental plant.

Reproduction of irgi:

Irgu is propagated by seeds, grown from cut cuttings, root shoots and dividing the bush. Irgi bushes grow very strongly, due to root offspring. It is better to propagate the irgu with one-two-year-old seedlings, in spring or autumn, when planting, they are buried to a depth of 8-10 centimeters, for better rooting. The distance between the seedlings, depending on what you will use this shrub for. If it is a hedge - the distance is from 0.5 - 1.5 meters. If the irga is grown as a fruit shrub, the distance is 3-4 meters. A hole for planting a bush is dug 40 centimeters deep and 70 - 80 centimeters in diameter. After planting, the plant is watered - about a ten-liter bucket of water per plant, then mulched with earth or peat. The aerial part is cut to a distance of 15 centimeters from the ground for better growth of side shoots.

Irgi properties:

Fruits, bark and leaves of shadberry have many positive properties because of this shadberry is used in folk medicine, medical and dietary nutrition, winemaking and cooking.

Irga surpasses grapes in the amount of vitamin C, contains up to 12% sugars, malic and other organic acids, is rich in carotene, has a high content of tannins and dyes, flavonols, vitamins P, group B, trace elements, fiber, pectins; the seeds contain fatty oil, and the bark and leaves contain tannins.

Irga in folk medicine is used as:

1. A sedative that improves sleep and strengthens the body;
2. Vision improvements;
3. Improving digestion and strengthening the stomach;
4. For the prevention of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases;
5. To strengthen the walls of blood vessels and increase their elasticity;
6. To improve heart function and lower blood pressure.

Video about irga, its properties and cultivation on the site:

Irga photo

Since ancient times, people have appreciated the healing properties of green plants. Among them, one can single out a pretty shrub - shadberry, whose berries, bark and leaves have a number of useful properties.

This deciduous shrub grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It can be found in North Africa and America, in the countries of the Far East, in the Caucasus and in the Crimea. Often it grows in forest glades, in the mountains and among thickets of various shrubs.

Irga feels great on any soil, with the exception of swampy areas where stagnant waters are present. The main thing is that there is enough light for the fruit to ripen. In such conditions, the berries are large, juicy and healthy. This is especially true for cultivated varieties. On average, up to 15 kg of berries can be harvested from each such bush during the entire period of fruit ripening.

General description of the shrub and its beneficial properties

The deciduous shrub irga confidently takes its place of honor in the summer cottages of greenery lovers. The plant looks especially attractive in early spring. When the first leaves appear on the branches, the bush is covered with delicate villi. From the side, it seems that he is dressed in a silvery shawl, which gives the plant a unique charm. In the photo of the irgi, you can see a lot of cute flowers decorating the spring shrub. They are pink or white.

When the inflorescences begin to fall, the delicate villi that covered the green leaves disappear with them. Often the leaf plate of the shrub can be olive or pinkish in color.

The bark of the trunk is usually gray or brown with a pinkish sheen. To the touch, it is slightly velvety.

Leaves and bark of the shrub have excellent medicinal properties. They are carefully dried, crushed and stored in a cool room. Useful substances are stored for about 2 years.

The plant is distinguished by a dense crown of simple green or gray leaves. During the fruiting period on the shrub, you can see miniature fruits with pink barrels, collected on one brush. Unripe berries are cream-colored, and when ripe, they turn purple or purple.

Irgi berries have a pleasant taste. Delicate sweetness and juiciness of the fruit attracts young children and adults. Garden birds also like to eat them, after which they spread the seeds of the shadberry throughout the district.

Berries should be collected from the shrub only when ripe. Otherwise, they will lose their healing properties.

Irgi properties

Each fruit contains a huge number of useful substances:

• dietary fiber - up to 25 percent;
• glucose;
• fructose;
• vitamins: C, P, B;
• pectin;
• phytosterols;
• carotene;
• cellulose;
• various micronutrients.

Each of these components has a beneficial effect on the human body.

The beneficial properties of the berry berry appear when it is used:

• to strengthen the intestinal walls;
• improving food digestion;
• with diseases of the heart or blood vessels;
• with a lack of vitamins;
• against tonsillitis or tonsillitis;
• to maintain a diet;
• as a sedative.

Often, the juice from the fruits of this shrub is attributed to the elderly, for good heart function. Tincture of inflorescences helps to normalize sleep and pressure. In the presented photo, the berries of the irgi are clearly visible in its external features.

In cooking, the fruits of the shrub are used to make various drinks, preserves or jams. Raw berries are used as a filling for tartlets and even cakes. They make fragrant marmalade and purple marshmallows.

Fruits can be dried, while maintaining a vitamin set. In winter, you can make a decoction of them to increase immunity.

To get the maximum benefit from the use of wonderful berries, contraindications and beneficial properties of irgi should be taken into account. For example, if a person suffers from poor blood clotting, the fruits can harm him. This is especially true for those who work with various dangerous devices. If you get injured, it will be much more difficult to stop the bleeding.

Also, the berry is useful as a sedative, but its frequent use leads to a slow reaction. It is worth thinking about this for drivers of cars that are in constant tension. At a crucial moment, they can lose their vigilance and suffer. Therefore, it is wiser to adhere to the golden principle - it is better to have a little bit of different than to go in cycles in one.

In order not to lose the ripened crop of berries, it is advisable to install a scarecrow on the bush. Otherwise, birds that love the purple fruits of irgi will replenish their vitamin supply, and people will be left with nothing.

Introduction to variety

A pretty green plant that adorns country houses and summer cottages, attracts the attention of gardeners. In the photo, the irga is shown against the background of other park cultures, as its bright highlight. According to some reports, there are about 25 species of this plant. Some of them are of particular beauty.

Irga canadian

A charming variety in the territory of the northern latitudes is Canadian irga. Some know it as a fig or northern grape. From its wonderful fruits, a miracle drink is prepared, which is similar to wine.

The shrub can grow up to 7 meters. Its oblong stems form a wide dense oval-shaped crown. The leaves of the shrub have an ovoid shape, an unusual color. When the plant is just blooming, they are brownish, in summer they are gray, and in autumn they are reddish or golden.

To the touch, the leaf plate is soft with a gentle fluff, slightly rough. The shrub blooms in late spring with large white flowers, which are collected in graceful brushes.

The fruits of the shrub resemble. Round light pink "apples" as they ripen, first acquire a blue, and then a purple hue. Ripe fruits are covered with a wax coating. The taste is sweet, because the berries contain little acid and a lot of sugar.

In nature, there are various types of such shrubs. Description of varieties of Canadian irgi indicate all the charms of this useful plant:

Snow-white inflorescences are collected in brushes, on which dark red fruits develop. As they mature, they become almost black in color.

If there is a desire to grow a shrub in an urban environment, "Ballerina" perfectly tolerates gas pollution. At the same time, the berries do not accumulate harmful substances.

Irga Lamarck

Deciduous large shrub plant - Lamarck's irga reaches up to 5 m in height. Differs in green leaves of an oval form with a gear frame.

Inflorescences are small, white. They appear on the bush in huge numbers, which looks very beautiful. The fruits of irgi Lamarck have useful properties, therefore they are widely used in cooking.

Irga ordinary

This fruit-bearing deciduous erect shrub grows up to 3 m in height. It has a wide crown, consisting of thin branches. At first they are silver in color, and with age they acquire a brown tint. At the tips of young shoots, corymbose inflorescences resembling stars are formed. The buds are usually white with a pinkish tinge. They bloom for about 10 days. During this period, the bush looks especially attractive against the background of other garden plants.

Irga vulgaris can grow in one place for about 15 years. She is not afraid of strong winds, droughts or frosts.

Healing berries appear when the shrub is at least 4 years old. In size, they are slightly smaller than those of artificially bred varieties. Color - dark blue, almost black with a whitish coating.

Irga round-leaved

Deciduous garden shrub - round-leaved irga reaches 4.5 m in height. Her young shoots are slightly lowered. They are painted bright brown.

Leaf plate, on average - 3.5 cm wide, and 4 cm long. The upper part is painted in dark green, the lower part is painted with a soft white tint. In autumn, it acquires a scarlet and bright yellow color. Elliptical shape, oval tip. The margin of the leaf is serrated.

Inflorescences in the form of corymbose brushes up to 10 flowers of white, yellowish or cream color. The berries on the bush appear first green, then scarlet. When fully ripe, they acquire a dark blue, almost black color. Each fruit has a gray coating. They have useful properties, slightly acidic in taste. Ripens gradually, starting in July.

Irga spiky

A shrub of this kind during the flowering period resembles a fragrant bird cherry. It is a compact version of an ornamental plant with a height of 2 to 6 m.

Irga spiky has oval leaves with small notches. During flowering, they are practically invisible due to the many white or pinkish inflorescences. Later, the shrub is covered with healing berries with an unusual sweet taste.

Representatives of this variety live up to 30 years of age. This makes them leaders among other fruit bushes.

Irga spiky can tolerate frosts over 15 degrees, for which it is valued by the inhabitants of Siberia.

Having become acquainted with such a pretty plant, you can see that it has a double benefit. This is both an original decoration of a summer cottage, and a storehouse of useful substances at hand. Is it wise to pass by a magnificent garden shad? It's worth thinking about.

Irga shrub is a relatively new crop in summer cottages, but its popularity is growing year after year. When growing shadberry, you can ennoble the site, as these shrubs have highly decorative qualities. In addition, the beneficial properties of irgi are also high: its dark blue berries contain a lot of ascorbic acid, have a pleasant taste, and there are a lot of tannins in the bark.

What does irga look like: photo and description of species

Irga is a fast-growing multi-stemmed shrub, reaching 2-2.5 m in height. Under natural conditions, it grows in the Crimea and the Caucasus on rocky sunny slopes, along the edges of the forest, among shrubs. In Europe, irga was introduced into culture 350-400 years ago, and in the USA and Canada - more than a hundred years.

Many amateur gardeners are already growing irgu on their site, and even more of them are interested in the peculiarities of growing this plant, the value of berries. The attention of gardeners is attracted by winter hardiness, unpretentiousness and abundant annual fruiting of shadberry, resistance to diseases and pests.

As can be seen in the photo, the irga shrub has simple, dark gray-green leaves, brown-gray bark, white flowers, bisexual, collected in inflorescences-brushes:

Photo gallery

Fruits are juicy, fresh-sweet 8-15 mm in diameter, bluish-black with delicate skin and wax coating, 6-12 pcs. in the brush. In appearance, the fruits are similar to blackcurrants.

During the period of abundant flowering in late April - early May, it is very decorative. The flowers withstand spring frosts down to -5°C without damage. The bush itself in winter endures frosts down to -30? C, without hilling and shelter.

The fruits of shadberry are very tasty and healthy, in amateur gardens of the southern region of Russia they ripen at the end of May, along with early varieties of strawberries and edible honeysuckle.

Starting from the end of May, they are harvested during June in 3-4 doses. Uncollected fruits on the branches dry up and do not fall off until October. Willingly eaten by birds.

There are three types of shadberry in the gardens: alder-leaved, Canadian, blood-red. All of them have valuable nutritional, medicinal and decorative qualities.

Below are photos and descriptions of irgi of all these types.

Alder-leaved- is a multi-stemmed shrub up to 4 m high with a smooth dark gray bark. The leaves are elliptical, almost rounded, turning bright yellow in autumn. The flowers are white, with a barely perceptible aroma. The fruits are purple, sweet, up to 15 mm in diameter and weighing up to 1.5 g. With good care, it can produce up to 10 kg of berries from one bush.

Canadian- a tree-like shrub with thin drooping branches up to 5 m high. Young leaves are pinkish, purple or copper, dark red or orange in autumn.

Look at the photo, what the Canadian irga looks like - the flowers of this shrub are large, loose in the inflorescence:

Photo gallery

The fruits are sweet, with fleshy dark pink pulp, weighing up to 1 g. The maximum yield is up to 6 kg of berries per bush.

blood red- slender shrub up to 3 m high with an ascending crown. Leaves are bright green, turning orange in autumn. The flowers are large, with elongated petals. Fruits weighing up to 0.7 g, sweet, fragrant, palatable, dark - Almost black. Productivity up to 5 kg of berries from one bush.

How to propagate irgu: planting and care (with photo)

Irga propagates by root offspring, dividing the bush and seeds. Tolerates shade when young.

The root system is fibrous, powerful, penetrates the soil up to 2 m, therefore it shows sufficient drought resistance and unpretentiousness to.

Before propagating the irgu, prepare planting pits 0.4 x 0.4 × 0.4 m in size and add there. After planting, when caring for the irga, the bushes are cut by a third.

Water abundantly and mulch with humus or sawdust. The best planting time is autumn. This plant lives up to 40 years, and begins to bear fruit annually and abundantly already from 3-4 years, by 5-7 years it reaches a period of full fruiting.

In the process of growing irgu, it is necessary to remove weak, damaged branches from fruit-bearing bushes, excessive root shoots, leaving no more than two young shoots annually.

You also need to shorten excessively long shoots. Irgi bushes planted on the eastern side of the site protect the garden from the prevailing eastern winds.

Irga is responsive to good care, when fertilizing and watering it grows well and gives a large yield, up to 8-10 kg from one bush.

In autumn, our attention will be attracted by the bushes of shadberry in their bright autumn clothes. The color of the leaves is unique.

They form inside the bushes, in shading, a range of yellow tones in the transition to orange. In the light, we see all the transitions from red-orange color to purple and violet-borage with remnants of green-malachite areas near the veins.

Before planting an irgu, keep in mind that bees will often visit your site.

This berry bush is a good honey plant.

The bees willingly sit on the flowers of the shadberry, which give them an early spring bribe, however, more pollen than nectar.

In culture, irga is not yet very widespread.

But it is unpretentious, successfully tolerates a sharply continental climate and at the same time gives stable and high yields of fruits.

It is undemanding to the soil. When growing shadberry, give shrubs a sunny place, in shaded places they bear fruit noticeably worse, although in 5-10-year-old plants this does not manifest itself so sharply.

Here you can see photos of planting and caring for irga on personal plots:

Photo gallery

What is useful irga and recipes from berries

The nutritional and medicinal value of the berries of this plant is very high. What is useful irga and how can it be used?

Harvested fruits cannot be stored for a long time. The usual shelf life is 2-3 days, during which time they must be processed or dried. You can dry the fruits in the sun. On warm sunny days, they dry out in 2-3 days. Compotes, jelly, stuffing for pies are prepared from dried fruits.

To prepare juice from fresh fruits, they should be sorted out, removing spoiled ones, washed and dried (drying will increase their sugar content and improve flavor). Then the fruits are passed through a juicer. The resulting juice is heated to a temperature of +80 ... +85? C and poured into hot bottles or jars and immediately corked. The juice from the berries of the shadberry prepared according to this recipe has a low acidity, therefore, the juice of more acidic berries is often added to it.

Irgi jam is made on the basis of: 300 g of sugar per 1 kg of fruit. From irgi get excellent quality wine.

In folk medicine, not only the fruits of the shadberry are used, but also the leaves and bark, which contain many tannins. From dried leaves and bark, decoctions are prepared, which are used for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Leaves are harvested in spring or early summer, before the plant fades, and bark is harvested in spring, during the movement of juice, usually when thinning bushes. Leaves and bark are dried under canopies with good ventilation.