Dereza (goji berry), properties and contraindications. Goji berry (Chinese dereza): medicinal properties and features of use

AT recent times goji berries have become very popular. They are used both to replenish the body with nutrients and to reduce the number of fat cells. However, not everyone knows that the scientific name of this culture is common dereza (Lycium barbarum). The fruits of this plant are also called "wolfberry" or " Tibetan barberry". The name "goji" itself came to us from China, it is there that the fruits of common dereza have such a name. Goji berries are grown today in the fertile Himalayan valleys. Their homeland is Tibet, the Ningxia Hui region. These fruits today rightfully belong to the most valuable medicinal crops that exist in the world. Next, we will talk about how to plant and grow common dereza in Russia.

Dereza ordinary. Characteristics of culture

The goji plant (common dereza) is a low-growing shrub belonging to the nightshade family. The plant is cultivated in various countries. Consider where the common dereza grows. So, culture can be found in China, in Asia, in the Kuban, in the Caucasus, in Ukraine and in some regions of Russia.

The common dereza shrub has the following distinctive characteristics:

• The fragile shoots of this culture are covered with thin spines. In length, the branches reach about 340 cm and hang down. They have a yellowish tint. Thanks to the beautiful color scheme plants, it is classified as an ornamental species.
• The bark is usually gray in color.
• During flowering, the flowers are purple or pale pink. The soft aroma of flowers is also noteworthy, thanks to which dereza is popular with summer residents.
• Goji fruits are usually small in size, up to one and a half centimeters in length, they are bright red or orange in color. The appearance of fruits can be expected in the 2-3rd year after planting the crop on the site.

• The berries of common dereza are quite juicy. It should be noted that they should never be eaten raw. Therefore, the fruits are usually dried in the shade, only after drying they can be consumed. The taste of dry berries is sweet-salty, sometimes sour. They taste the same as nightshade.
• These berries contain very a large number of various nutrients, vitamins, calcium, antioxidants, zinc, phosphorus, iron and other useful components.
• The diameter of the crown of dereza bushes is about 600 cm.
• The plant has a large root with many branches. Due to the massiveness of the root system, the culture can not be planted on all types of soil.
• Dereza leaves have a beautiful shade. They are green above and blue below. The shape of the leaves is elongated, oblong.
• Saplings of common dereza begin to bloom from the beginning of summer. Culture pleases with its flowering throughout the summer period. In the month of September, after the plant has faded, you can expect the appearance of fruits.

Varieties of common dereza

Reproduction of dereza takes place in several ways:

• Seeds. This method is the most popular. Common wolfberry seeds can be purchased at any flower shop or it is possible to collect them on your own. suburban area. If planned planting material sow in open soil, it is recommended that the seeds be stratified. If sowing is carried out in a greenhouse, then stratification can be dispensed with. Seeds are planted in greenhouses spring period. Sprouted seedlings are pinched. This allows you to increase the number of shoots on one bush of culture.
• vegetative method. In this case, reproduction takes place with the help of small cuttings, the length of which does not exceed 100 mm. The shoots that are selected for planting must be semi-lignified or lignified. This improves the survival rate of the culture. Cuttings are planted in greenhouses summer period. You can buy seedlings of common wolfberry in flower shops or summer residents. To improve the formation of the root system, cuttings can be pre-planted in autumn in containers with fertile soil. Containers with seedlings should be placed on a warm balcony.
• Self-sowing. In this way, dereza breeds in the Caucasian fields.

Benefits of common dereza fruit

You can talk for a long time about the benefits of the fruits of common wolfberry. Therefore, we will focus only on the main points:

• One of the most valuable properties is that the substance contained in these berries helps fight harmful neoplasms. According to studies, people who regularly eat wolfberry fruits are less likely to suffer from serious ailments such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.
• In addition, wolfberry fruits have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. The work of the heart muscle is normalized.
• These berries contain a sufficient amount of polysaccharides. Thanks to them, the fruits of common wolfberry have a tonic effect. Eating these berries stimulates cells to actively perform their functions.
• It contains a valuable adaptogen, which gives the body vitality, activity and endurance.
• In addition, these berries can replenish the beneficial intestinal microflora, as well as support its vital activity.
• In addition, the fruits are used as a prevention of high blood pressure. Useful material, which are part of the berries, make the walls of blood vessels more elastic.
• Lutein, which is found in the fruits of common wolfberry, is good for the eyes. In particular, it prevents the appearance of pathologies of the lens.

• With regular use of the fruit, the excessive accumulation of fat cells is eliminated.
• The use of this berry contributes to the normalization of gastrointestinal motility, and also helps to remove harmful toxins from the body.
• Phytosterols, which are part of the fruit, help to balance the hormonal background.
• In addition, the use of berries eliminates anemia, mineral deficiency and raises hemoglobin levels, helps with stress and improves sleep. Therefore, these fruits can be safely called natural remedies from insomnia and depression.
• Improves brain function.
• The berries contain lycopene, which activates the immune system, is the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Improves the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa.
• Due to the content of glycosides, these berries cause a decrease in blood glucose levels in patients with chronic diabetes.
• They purify the blood well and are a means of preventing various pathological processes in cells. This delays their aging.
• It should also be noted that these berries restore, in some cases, the broken structure of DNA molecules. This fact has even been confirmed scientific research. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Chinese who live in the Himalayan regions are considered to be long-lived.

Growing common dereza

Choosing a site for planting common dereza

Before deciding to land this plant on your site, you need to understand that it is quite unpretentious and grows very quickly. If you do not follow it, then it can grow throughout the area, adding to the inconvenience of other plants. Getting him out of the area will be problematic. Often this plant is grown in wastelands, along ditches and ditches, as well as in apiaries. Any soil is suitable for planting dereza. She feels great even on drained marginal soils. The only condition for the normal growth of a plant of any variety is sufficient sunlight. Therefore, for its planting, it is better to choose well-lit areas without shade from other trees and plants.

Planting dereza ordinary

Spring is the best time to plant this plant. It is extremely rarely planted in autumn, although it tolerates slight frosts. In the southern regions, where temperatures rarely drop below zero in winter, autumn planting possible. The common dereza plant should overwinter in a shelter. It is unpretentious in the choice of soil, but most good results gives on slightly acidic-strongly alkaline soils. In this case, the site should be well lit by sunlight.

The order of planting dereza ordinary:

1. To plant a wolfberry seedling, it is necessary to prepare a hole 0.4 m deep and about half a meter wide.
2. The pit before planting is abundantly watered and mulched with humus or peat.
3. After planting a plant seedling, which needs to be slightly deepened, the soil is prepared for backfilling. To do this, 30-45 grams of potassium sulfate or wood ash, 150-230 grams of superphosphate and up to 8 kg of compost are mixed with the ground.
4. It is necessary to plant wolfberry seedlings with a small interval so that they do not interfere with each other's development. Optimal distance between the holes - 1.5 - 2 meters.

Dereza ordinary: care

• The plant in the process of its growth does not require special care and grows on its own. It should not be watered abundantly, even if it is a dry summer. Abundant watering, it requires only in the process of planting. Otherwise, watering once a week will be enough.
• The plant needs fertilizing only during the growing season. In other cases, dereza develops quite normally even without fertilizers, because it takes root well on poorly fertile soils.
• The plant is quite resistant to pruning. In place of the cut branches, young shoots quickly grow. Mechanical pruning, which is often used in ornamental gardening, will not damage dereza.
• With severe frosts in mid-latitudes, the plant may freeze and die. To avoid this, it is covered during the winter. Cover them with spruce branches or polyethylene. It creates inside optimal microclimate with slight frosts. If the winters in the region are very severe, many gardeners transplant the crop into deep containers and clean it in a warm room.

Dereza ordinary: photo

Dereza ordinary: video

Boxthorn - ornamental shrub up to 2.5 m high, sometimes there are trees up to 10 m high. Dereza branches are usually prickly. The leaves are arranged alternately or collected in bunches. Leaflets simple, entire, petioles short. Flowers grow in axils singly or in bunches. Flower calyx 3-5 toothed, preserved during fruit development. The corolla of the flower is funnel-shaped, cylindrical or conical, with a limb of 4-5 lobes. The fruit is a berry with many seeds.

Dereza vulgaris

This type of dereza has several names: Goji, ordinary lycium, Berber dereza, barbarian dereza. China is supposedly the homeland of common wolfberry, although it has spread throughout the world.

common dereza(Lycium barbarum) is found in the literature more often than others. It is a thorny shrub up to 3 m tall. Grows on edges, in thickets of bushes, on scree and dry slopes, wastelands, found along roads, near hedges. The crown of common dereza is dense. Its branches are long, light yellow, thin, at first grow straight, then droop. The leaves are narrowly elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, the petioles are short. Lilac-purple flowers with a diameter of 2 cm, solitary or in groups of 2-5 grow in the axils of the leaves. The leaves emit a pleasant smell. The fruit-berry is small, oblong, orange or red, multi-seeded. The roots are thick, deep, form a lot of hard root offspring.

Propagated by seeds that germinate fairly quickly, do not need pretreatment. They are sown in a greenhouse, they are left to winter there ..

You can also propagate with semi-lignified cuttings, which are cut into 5-10 cm with a “heel” (a small piece of old wood). They are planted in a greenhouse in July-August. The rooting rate is high.

It grows well on soils of medium fertility, it is useful to feed young plants. It tolerates pruning without problems, then grows back from the old wood.

Winter hardiness of the plant is average, better in winter time store in containers in the basement or cool room.

Medicinal properties of common dereza

Ripe dried berries of dereza are medicinal raw materials. In China they are called Goji - Gou Qi Zi. The fruits are harvested when they turn bright red. Dry, separate the stalks. Dry again until the skin becomes brittle, then peel it off. Dried fruits contain many vitamins, ascorbic acid, trace elements, proteins.

In Asian medicine, dereza berries are used for various diseases: hearing loss, dizziness, anemia, blurred vision, diabetes, infertility, impotence. In Chinese ethnomedicine, it is believed that berries improve the functioning of the kidneys, liver, and can even defeat old age.

It is believed that wolfberry preparations are strong antioxidants, an anti-stress agent, especially in combination with ginseng. They are prescribed as a tonic for chronic fatigue syndrome and at the same time for sleep disorders. Drugs improve memory, relieve anxiety, stimulate hematopoiesis. Dereza fruits are effective for anemia. In combination with turmeric and ginseng, they help regulate cholesterol levels, which is useful in old age. Dereza also helps to reduce the risk of cataracts, is indicated for weakening of vision, rapid eye fatigue.

The fruits are used in dried form, fresh, dry fruit extract, in the form of juice. It is recommended to use dry fruits per day 2-3 g. In Tibet and China they are used in more.

High doses of dereza can cause diarrhea. When you start eating berries, kidney function and digestion may be disrupted. If this happens, the dose should be reduced.

In Chinese medicine, the bark of wolfberry roots is also used. The plant is dug up in the spring or late autumn, thoroughly washed roots, remove the bark, dry it in the sun. Used for cough, fever, tuberculosis.

Common dereza is a good honey plant.

The climatic conditions of the Moscow region are ideal for growing common wolfberry or, as this plant is commonly called all over the world,. Now it is hard to find a person who has not heard about the miracle goji berries. They help not only with weight loss, but are also an excellent healer for many diseases, contain a large number of useful trace elements. And most importantly - you do not need to look for them in stores, but you can grow them yourself and pamper your body all year round.

a brief description of

Seedlings can be either purchased at the store or grown by yourself. Goji seeds germinate fairly quickly and do not need to be processed.
Soak them before planting in a solution or and wait a couple of hours. pick up medium loose, preferably neutral.

Did you know?Tibetan monks still throw goji berries into wells from which they drink water. They believe in their healing and rejuvenating properties, which are the key to their well-being and longevity.

For seedlings, choose a well-lit, warm place where it is easy to maintain the required humidity and temperature. Avoid drafts or overheating from various sources heat.

When the seedlings have germinated, put them in a slightly dark place, and after the appearance of a few green leaves, you can plant them in different pots about 7 cm deep. This will make it easier for the roots because of their rapid growth.

When the seedling is ready for planting in the ground, properly prepare a hole for it, as described above. Deepen the finished bush when disembarking, pour water well and. If you grow goji berries from seeds, then they will bloom in the second year, but bear fruit in the third or fourth.

It is best to plant seedlings in spring when the air temperature is above 20 ° C; this is not recommended in autumn, since there is a high risk of plant death in winter.

Did you know?In China, goji berries are used as a waste-free plant. In certain doses and proportions, their leaves, bark, berries can be effectively used for the preparation of medicinal drinks and preparations.

Given the climatic conditions of the Moscow region, it is recommended to plant a bush first in, in which it should be kept for 6 months.

In the first months after planting, a very slow development of the seedling is observed. Outwardly, the plant is similar to a tomato bush, but gradually growth is faster, and the height is already about 80 cm.

As they develop, they green leaves, flowering begins in the form of small purple and white flowers that last until the first frost.

How to care

The most important care for goji berries is in the first year of their life. It is during this period that the plant has the greatest vulnerability and is subject to various environmental threats.

Watering

The first two years for a plant are decisive for it. So take it responsibly.

You can use the shelter of the trunks with a special film during prolonged frosts or rains. In adulthood, it is resistant to both drought and rain. Additionally, you need only in the dry period, if the plant is located in direct sunlight.

top dressing

In order to grow healthy, fertilize seedlings before planting in it. After that, annually in the spring, apply compost and special ones with a high content of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

If you are a beginner gardener, you can purchase ready mixes for the specialist shop. You can make your own compost and other mineral supplements.

pruning

The growth of wolfberry is quite fast, and soon the plant can reach a height of 3-4 meters. Pruning of the bush is carried out in order to increase productivity and improve the appearance.

To do this, remove the extra skeletal branches, leave the strongest. Fruit shoulders are formed on them, and then fruit branches are formed on the shoulders themselves. To stimulate their growth, carry out annual pruning of branches, as a result of which no more than four buds are left on each. It will also be useful to build a special support structure for the bush so that its shoots do not creep along the ground.

In principle, light frosting for a plant is not particularly dangerous, since it is able to quickly recover with the help of young shoots.
If you are still afraid of frost damage to the bush, plant the plant in deep containers and store them in basements until spring.

Dereza ordinary (her Latin name- lyceum barbarum) - in our country, a well-known shrub that can grow along roads, in forest belts, it turns out that it is the same as the Chinese Goji berries, which have been so popular lately in our country.

The berries of this plant are popularly called the fruits of love because they are able to increase potency in men and increase libido.

This is perennial is a deciduous shrub that sheds foliage for the winter and belongs to the Solanaceae family. Often it is planted in park areas as a decorative perennial, but common dereza often runs wild. This perennial has taken root on almost all continents, and China is considered its homeland.

In the countries of the East, dereza is considered medicinal plant and have been actively used for the treatment of many diseases for more than one century. But at present this perennial shrub predominantly found in forests and along roads as a wild species. It is also often used as a hedge that limits garden plots, or as a division of parks into certain zones.

Dereza grows in almost all European countries, in the northern regions of the African continent, in Asian countries, on the American continent. You can find this ornamental shrub in Australia. In the central regions of the European continent, dereza prefers to grow in areas well-lit by the sun, where there is no stagnation of moisture in the soil.

Dereza ordinary - a well-known shrub in our country

This perennial can grow to a height of 2.5 - 3 m. Its shoots are quite thick, erect, and the tops are drooping, the branches of the shrub are covered with sharp thorns. The foliage can be oblong or elliptical, the leaves on the tops of the shoots are strongly pointed, and those near the main trunk are tapering. Dereza flowers are small, funnel-shaped, the color of the petals is purple with a lilac tint, but can also be brown. In diameter, they do not exceed 1 - 2.0 cm. The shrub begins to bloom in early summer, and the fruits ripen in early autumn. Ripe berries are oval in shape, have a bright red color. The flowers have a pleasant scent that attracts bees. The taste of dereza berries resembles a mixture of cherries and cranberries, they are used with pleasure in fresh, added to fruit salads, yoghurts or muesli.

Numerous shoots coming from the branched roots of a perennial are often intertwined with the shoots of others. shrub plants and sometimes form impenetrable thickets.

Gallery: goji berry (25 photos)

Medicinal properties of goji berries (video)

Other names for common dereza

This shrub, which is both healing and decorative, among the people has many names: wolfberry, barbarian dereza darmoros, field jasmine, deribas, spear, goji, Tibetan barberry, lycia, take, bulldugun and many others.

In total, there are about 85 species of this perennial shrub. And the bush itself is so unpretentious that it takes root in almost all regions. the globe, and each district gives it its own name.

The goji shrub, which is both healing and decorative, has many names among the people.

About the features of growing wolfberry

This shrub is much easier to plant on garden plot, but getting rid of it if the shrub is fed up is extremely difficult. These bushes are unpretentious, and their root system grows underground in different directions, so this plant spreads quickly, displacing other weaker perennials and annuals.

Dereza grows well on almost all soils, but it does not tolerate stagnant water in the soil. Frost resistance different varieties shrubs in all varieties is different, but all species grow well and bear fruit only in sunny places. It is easiest to propagate this plant by cuttings or by transplanting root shoots growing from the mother bush.

Dereza care includes annual pruning and occasional watering. Since the shrub grows strongly during the season, it actively suppresses everything growing nearby. So weed in trunk circles there is nothing to these bushes - weed grass simply does not grow there.

Dereza grows well on almost all soils, but does not tolerate stagnant water in the soil

The composition and nutritional value of the common wolfberry berries

Ripe berries of field jasmine contain a large number of various active substances, vitamins and mineral elements:

• flavonoids;
• steroidal saponins;
• ascorbic acid;
• thiamine;
• riboflavin;
• beta carotene;
• zeaxanthin;
• many amino acids;
• hyoscyamine;
• Zn, Fe, Cr, Mg, Se, Ca, P.

The nutritional value of ripe wolfberries is as follows: 100 grams contain about 20 kcal.

Ripe berries of field jasmine contain a large number of various active substances, vitamins and mineral elements.

Collection, preparation and storage of goji berries

Berries are considered the most valuable in this perennial, although bark from the roots and foliage are also collected from this shrub. Ripened fruits should be collected only in dry and clear weather. An oilcloth is spread around the shrub, and a thick piece of wood is tapped on the shoots, knocking down the ripened fruits, like apples or pears. But you can also pick berries by hand, but this is not very convenient, because the shoots of common dereza are prickly.

The collected berries are taken away from the garbage and laid out to dry under a canopy or in attics (or in other well-ventilated areas), and they should be laid out thin layer. Dried raw materials are stored in a dry, darkened room, placed in glass jars with lids. Dry berries keep healing properties within 12 months. Pharmacies sell dried berries packed hermetically. At the same time, their shelf life is extended.

Ripened goji fruits should be harvested only in dry and clear weather.

Foliage should be harvested during the active flowering of the shrub. Collect leaves from the top of the shoots in sunny time. Drying should be fresh air under a canopy, but it is also possible in well-ventilated rooms, laying out a thin layer on cotton fabric. Foliage should be periodically stirred. Dried leaves retain their medicinal properties within 12 months.

The bark of the root system should be collected and dried either at the end of September or at the beginning of April until the sap flow in the bush has begun (or has already ended). The roots are dug up, cleaned of dirt and thoroughly washed under running water. running water, dry. Then the bark is carefully separated from the roots and put to dry on paper sheets in a thin layer in rooms with good ventilation. The shelf life of such raw materials is up to 24 months.

Do goji berries help to lose weight (video)

Medicinal properties of common dereza

Fruit wolfberry(dry or fresh) have the following medicinal properties:

• tone and strengthen the body;
• improve the functioning of the circulatory system;
• relieve dizziness;
• relieve headaches;
• improve vision;
• improve lung function;
• normalize the work of the kidneys;
• prevent fatty liver;
• reduce blood sugar levels;
• prevent the formation of "bad" cholesterol;
• contribute rapid burning fats and prevent their deposition in the body;
• prevent the early onset of aging.

Also, the fruits of common wolfberry enhance the effectiveness medicines that reduce pressure.

The fruits of common wolfberry enhance the effectiveness of drugs that reduce blood pressure

The use of common dereza in medicine

Dereza berries are used to prepare decoctions. To do this, 30 - 40 g of dry berries are poured into 1.5 cups of boiling water and simmered for 1/6 of an hour, removed from the stove and infused for 60 minutes, then filtered. The decoction should be added boiled water so that its amount is equal to the original volume of the liquid. It should be taken three times a day, 100 mg. Such a decoction helps well with neurasthenia, is able to increase potency.

In a similar way, a decoction is prepared from the bark of wolfberry roots. This decoction is recommended when a fever occurs.

Pharmacies sell hermetically packed dry fruits of common wolfberry.

Dereza berries are used to prepare decoctions

goji berries for weight loss

To reset overweight, it is recommended to take inside the infusion of goji berries. To do this, pour 20 g of fresh or dried berries into 200 g of hot (but not boiled) water, cover and leave for ½ hour. A day should drink 100 mg in the morning and evening before meals.

My passion for plants began at a young age. As long as I can remember, I always, if there was such an opportunity, brought various shoots of flowers from everywhere into the house. I took it from relatives, acquaintances, brought it from school. I liked to watch the process itself, how a beautiful thing grew out of a tiny process. flowering plant or just decorative foliage. This hobby, or rather, one might say, is already my life, without which I cannot imagine myself, has not left me to this day. True, this hobby has long gone beyond the apartment into my favorite garden, in which I plant various flowers and plants.

I like to grow not only some beautiful flowers, without which, of course, it is impossible, because they are always pleasing to the eye, starting with early spring and until late autumn, but also various useful plants. One of these plants, which is both decorative and useful, appeared on my garden plot 4 years ago, this lycium (Lycium) Boxthorn, known to us as goji. Goji is a transliteration Chinese name plant, which has become commercial, and has nothing to do with the true botanical name of the plant.

There are 88 species of lycium (wolfberry) that grow in tropical, subtropical, partly in the temperate zones of both hemispheres, mainly in South America. In nature, lycium can be found in the steppes, plain and mountainous deserts and semi-deserts, along desert river valleys, in the southeast of Europe, in the Caucasus and in Central Asia, in China.

In Russia, mainly dereza Chinese is bred ( Lycium chinese) and common dereza (Lycium barbarum). The latter is considered the most unpretentious species.

From everything we can conclude that the common dereza is unpretentious, decorative and useful plant. I advise everyone to have such a plant in their area.

"Ural Gardener", No. 12, 2017