Despite the fact that aspen is very famous in temperate climates, people often confuse it with other trees, most often with poplar. Knowing the differences between aspen, it is not very easy to recognize it among other trees, especially for novice gardeners.
In addition, aspen is incredibly resilient; eradicating an uninvited guest from a garden plot becomes a real problem.
Aspen is the closest relative of poplar. Translated from Latin into Russian, aspen means “trembling poplar.” And indeed, when the wind blows, the entire aspen tree begins to tremble from top to bottom.
How does this happen? This question, as well as the question of how to find aspen among other poplar trees, will be answered below.
What does aspen look like and where does it grow?
Aspen (also called trembling poplar) is a wild growing tree of medium height, which can reach 35 m. The diameter of the trunk in rare cases reaches 1 m, although usually this figure is much smaller. Aspen has many varieties, but in folk medicine they traditionally use Common aspen , which can be found everywhere in mid-latitudes.
The edges of the leaves, which have a rounded shape, are cut with large teeth. Their petioles are long, but flattened in the middle, so with every blow of wind the foliage begins to tremble, which is a characteristic feature of the tree. Trembling poplar is a dioecious plant. In males, earrings have a pink or reddish tint, while in females they are green.
Aspen grows quite quickly : after 50 years, its trunk rises 20 meters above the ground. But its lifespan is also short-lived: the life of a tree usually ends after 90 years. It is very rare to find specimens whose age is 130 years.
This tree is found in latitudes with temperate and cold climates throughout the entire European and Asian continent. Aspen often forms entire species tracts, either preferring edges or sunny glades of dense forests.
Fount of wisdom
Sayings and proverbs are laconic wise sayings that have a deep meaning and help to understand many things. For example, what is good and what is bad, or what effort is needed to complete a task. These statements teach justice, good thoughts, and convey the experience of generations, collected over more than one century. In general, they give what a person needs at a certain period of his life.
Proverbs, sayings, popular expressions make our speech richer and richer
Basically, proverbs and sayings are instructive in nature, because they contain, one might say, a real way of life, created over the years, which contains an understanding of life in general or its certain moments. Since ancient times, they have been helping people to understand everything around them, formulate their thoughts and absorb, like a sponge, important and valuable rules that can be useful in life. But not everyone is given the opportunity to adopt this experience, since sometimes people do not realize the meaning of a particular proverb.
Composition and medicinal properties of aspen
The properties of common aspen are explained by its chemical composition, which contains a number of useful substances. The most valuable of them is salicyl, which is a natural analogue of aspirin. Once in the human body, this organic compound relieves inflammation and lowers the increased body temperature caused by it. The highest concentration of salicyl is in the bark of the tree, so it is widely used in alternative medicine.
Aspen also contains:
- vitamins;
- bitterness;
- tannins;
- a number of glycosides;
- complex fatty acids and other acids;
- micro- and macroelements.
- carbohydrates;
- ethers, etc.
What ways do fleas come into an apartment?
The peak intensification of the spread of these parasites is observed in the warm season. Many people, when they see a flea, are amazed, where did this scourge in high-rise buildings come from? Let’s answer that fleas appear in an apartment in different ways:
- Like many other parasites, these are brought in on wool from the street by pets.
- The habitat is the entrances of high-rise buildings, from which uninvited guests jump into the housing through open doors.
- If your neighbors have such a problem, then both your apartment and your neighbors may suffer.
- Parasites jump on clothes, bags, shoes while visiting the basement, and thus migrate to living rooms.
- Blood-sucking insects also appear after rats are born.
- Increased humidity is an ideal microclimate for the spread of fleas. Definitely dampness most often provokes their appearance.
We suggest you familiarize yourself with how to get rid of flour moths in production. It is a common opinion that earth fleas only appear in dirty rooms where the required level of sanitation is not maintained. This is only partly true - flea larvae actually find it more comfortable to develop on the floor of a poorly cleaned room. But adult individuals often appear in fairly clean residents, and anywhere they can penetrate and regularly feed on the blood they desire.
As a rule, fleas enter an apartment or house with pets that regularly walk outside and do not wear flea collars. Even a couple of fleas that jump on a dog, over time, scatter eggs throughout the home - they will then hatch into larvae, which will quickly turn into full-fledged parasites.
However, fleas often enter the room in other ways:
- They enter from various infected neighboring premises - from entrances and basements, from attics, as well as from neighbors who keep cats or dogs and do not monitor cleanliness.
- They are brought into an apartment or house with mice and rats.
- Through doors and windows from the street (yard).
- They are brought into the house by a person on clothing, or directly on the body.
What aspen looks like (video)
Therefore, remedies prepared from leaves and especially tree bark help in treating diseases. They provide:
- antipyretic effect;
- anti-inflammatory;
- blood thinner;
- stabilizing the functioning of the endocrine system;
Also, taking aspen increases sweating.
Therefore, the tree is used in the treatment of a number of diseases, primarily associated with inflammatory processes. Also, aspen bark is an ingredient for a folk remedy for treating diabetes.
Differences in bark
Birch is the only tree in the world with white bark. It is difficult to confuse it with other plants.
Due to growing conditions, it can acquire a greenish, yellowish, and in rare cases red and even black tint.
Another difference is the presence of black lentils and raised cracks.
Aspen bark is green-gray and can fade to beige or blue.
At the bottom it is usually rough. May have deep cracks. In the middle part of the trunk, it is smooth and has a green tint.
When splitting aspen firewood, the bark comes off in large pieces. Birch bark is thin and soft. Its top layer is birch bark, consisting of many thin layers. This is the most significant difference.
Photo gallery
By the leaves
Aspen leaves are dark green.
The shape is close to a circle. The part of the leaf facing the sun is glossy, rich green. The back side is matte, as if slightly dusty.
The leaf is attached to the branch by a long thin stalk. Because of this, aspen leaves tremble violently in the wind.
In autumn they turn yellow, and in some varieties they turn red.
Birch leaves are much smaller. They are easy to distinguish from the rest. The shape is classic, with serrated edges.
Young leaves are bright, juicy, green. Then they fade a little. In spring, the leaves are sticky and slightly stick to your hands.
Preparation of medicinal raw materials
Crushed aspen bark, ready for preparation, is sold in pharmacies and herbal shops. But, having gone to the forest, you can collect and produce plant materials yourself: no special skills or knowledge are required for this.
The leaves of the tree are collected in May or June. After this, they need to be dried in a special dryer at a temperature of about 55 ° C or spread on paper in a dry, warm and well-ventilated room. You can also use the heat of a stove oven preheated to 60°. In a similar way, the buds of trembling poplar are harvested in early spring.
It is a little more difficult to collect aspen bark. To do this, you will need a sharp knife to make the job easier. You need to go to the forest from approximately April 20 to June 1, because during this period there is an active movement of sap. You need to choose young trees whose trunk diameter is no more than 8 cm. Using a knife, make two round cuts around the tree at a distance of 30 cm from each other. Then the bark is cut vertically between them and carefully removed. You need to make sure that there are no pieces of wood left on it. The same manipulations can be repeated with branches.
When you get home, you should wash the bark and dry it in the oven, cutting it into small pieces of 3–4 cm. The temperature should not exceed 60 °C. Drying can also be done in a dry, ventilated area, but in this case the process will take up to a week.
It is forbidden to dry the leaves and bark in direct sunlight. This way, most of the useful things will evaporate from the healing raw materials. Harvested aspen can be stored for up to 3 years, although it is considered most useful in the first year after harvest.
Aspen superstitions
It has long been believed that aspen is a cursed tree. The sources of this belief are extremely contradictory and do not adhere to a single strategy. The only thing that connects all versions is their connection to gospel events.
According to one of them, the aspen frightened Jesus Christ with its rustling, and he promised it in his hearts that from now on it would shake until the end of time. Another legend says that it was not the Savior himself who was angry with the tree, but his parent, the Virgin Mary. Another myth claims that Judas, the seller of Christ, hanged himself on an aspen tree, and since then the tree has been “unreliable.”
At the same time, rumor prefers to bashfully keep silent about where the aspen could have come from in Palestine: the description of the tree and its habitat confidently deny such a possibility. It is not growing now, has not grown in the foreseeable past, and is unlikely to grow in the future. However, scientific reliability is not necessarily combined with myths and legends.
Their combination, by the way, is also quite bizarre and contradictory. In some regions, aspen is not used in the construction of houses (because the inhabitants will tremble from illness), in others, aspen rafters are used, and that’s okay.
Despite the declared “curse”, the tree was actively used in the construction of churches (the already mentioned ploughshares of domes), wells (dry aspen is not saturated with moisture), baths (it conducts heat poorly), in the manufacture of wooden utensils (it is even claimed that it will not sour for a long time soup and milk).
The use of aspen in folk medicine
Mostly in folk medicine, aspen bark is used, which is most valuable due to its composition. Products are made from it in a variety of forms: decoctions, infusions, alcohol tinctures and even ointments.
Decoctions and infusions from aspen
There are 3 main ways to make a decoction and infusion of aspen bark:
- Finely crushed bark is poured with clean water in a ratio of 1:4 . Place the container on low heat, wait until it boils and leave for another 30 minutes. After this time, the broth should sit for at least 6 more hours, tightly closed with a lid. This “greenhouse effect” will help the beneficial substances to be released into the water. If the bark was purchased at a pharmacy, then the boiling time is reduced to 5 minutes, since the raw material has already undergone heat treatment. This remedy is taken half a glass three times a day 30 minutes before meals. The decoction is especially useful for diabetes.
- An infusion of aspen bark is very useful for pulmonary tuberculosis and inflammatory diseases . To prepare it, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of raw material is poured into 0.5 liters of hot water and left for 12 hours. Drink a glass in the morning and evening.
- Otherwise, an infusion is prepared for the treatment of diabetes: the bark and boiling water are combined in a ratio of 1:3 and left for 10–12 hours. It is preferable to take the product in the morning on an empty stomach. Between courses of treatment, each of which lasts 3 weeks, there should be a 10-day break.
The most useful are decoctions and infusions immediately after preparation. Over time, the beneficial substances disappear from them. Although the liquid may have an unpleasant aftertaste, it is not recommended to sweeten it, even with sugar substitutes.
Aspen ointment
The ointment will help with areas of inflammation on the skin, burns and dermatitis. The bark should be burned, and the resulting ash (10 g) mixed with Vaseline (20 g). This remedy can be stored in the refrigerator and used if necessary until recovery. Very soon the unpleasant symptoms will disappear.
Tincture of aspen with vodka
A universal tincture of aspen with vodka suppresses inflammatory processes in the body, enhances the functioning of the immune system and improves health thanks to vitamins and minerals. To prepare it, you need to mix the bark and vodka: for 100 g of raw materials you will need 200 ml.
The bottle is placed in a dark place for 2 weeks. After this, you need to strain the liquid and consume 15–20 drops before meals. To make it easier to drink the tincture, it is diluted in a third of a glass of still mineral water.
How to brew aspen bark
Tea made from aspen bark is recommended for diabetics, people during the recovery period after infectious diseases, and also for prevention when there is a tendency to increase blood sugar levels. It is enough to pour a couple of glasses of boiling water over the bark (2 tablespoons) and leave it in a teapot or thermos for 30–60 minutes. Drink immediately after preparation.
Kvass from aspen for the treatment of diabetes
Aspen kvass is not only good for health and lowers sugar, but also pleasant on hot days because it is very refreshing. To prepare it, you will need a 3 liter jar. It is filled with either dry bark (a third of the container) or fresh bark (half a jar). Also add 2/3 cup granulated sugar, water and 1 teaspoon of fat sour cream. In a couple of weeks, the unusual and healing drink will be ready.
Interesting facts about the tree
Aspen is used not only in medicine; it is necessary to note some facts:
- Aspen bark is a favorite delicacy of deer, elk and hares, so if the tree is grown at home, it is necessary to protect the trunk from unexpected guests.
- In the old days, when fermenting cabbage, several aspen branches were placed in a container. This additive improves the taste and eliminates harmful microbes that appear during cabbage fermentation.
- Wood is used for processing log houses in wells, since the material does not decompose or rot.
- Artificial vanillin was made from rotten wood.
- Due to its antibacterial and hemostatic properties, antipyretics were previously made from aspen material.
- Ash from aspen was used as an organic fertilizer because, unlike other types of wood, it contains a large list of useful substances.
Aspen is a tree that is distinguished by its external characteristics. To compare varieties, it is necessary to study not only the photo and description, but also the natural appearance of the plant.
Wood is valued not only for its appearance. The bark and leaves of the crop have medicinal properties; an equally valuable factor is the wood, which is used in construction. Therefore, the crop is often planted in plots to decorate and improve the quality of the soil.
Advice
In addition to medication and alternative treatment, you should strictly follow a diet and change your lifestyle.
A folk remedy will eliminate unpleasant symptoms, proper drug treatment will relieve hemorrhoids, but if the factors that caused the disease are not removed, it will return.
You should drink more water, eat foods containing fiber, move and be in the fresh air, and then the risk of re-inflammation of the nodes will decrease.
Lumber
Since aspen wood raw materials have a number of specific characteristics, they cannot be classified as universal materials that are widespread in construction and industrial production. Therefore, lumber from this tree, for the most part, has limited use.
One of the advantages of lumber is its low cost, however, this only applies to “rough” wood, which has a fairly large rejection rate of about 60-80%. For exterior work, the upper part of the tree is used, since its middle often rots during growth.
Lumber is subject to severe shrinkage and changes in volume and weight during drying, so it is not of great value as a building material.
Wood processing
Being a fairly common and accessible natural raw material, aspen lends itself well to various types of mechanical processing: sawing, cutting, peeling, planing, etc. The largest percentage of material entering processing falls on plywood-match, pulp and paper, container production and sawmilling.
Since aspen wood survives peeling and planing operations well, it is successfully used for the manufacture of plywood and matches. At the same time, it is especially highly valued in match production.
Due to the absence of resinous and aromatic secretions, aspen wood is suitable for the production of barrels and boxes. Also, this material, which has a natural white color and a sufficient length of fibers, is used for the manufacture of paper and cardboard, fiberboard, particle boards, etc.
In addition, after appropriate processing, aspen wood can serve as a raw material for hydrolysis-yeast production, the production of a petroleum fuel substitute and other purposes.
The video shows the processing of aspen waste from a match factory on a granulation line:
Identify by flowers
Yes, yes, don’t be surprised, both the birch and aspen are blooming.
Only the flowers are not ordinary.
Earrings are birch flowers. They appear during the fruiting period. They consist of scales fused in the center, 2-4 cm long. In early spring they are green, and with the arrival of warmth they turn brown.
Aspen also has flowers. They are collected in earrings. A characteristic fluff is visible between the seeds. They are red and up to 15 cm long.
And green ones - they are thinner and shorter.
By fruit
Trees can also be distinguished by their fruits.
Aspen has elongated boxes consisting of 2 or 4 leaves. Inside there are many small seeds with a puff. Aspen blooms in late May early June.
The birch fruit resembles a nut with thin wings. The fruits are very light and small. 5000 nuts weigh 1 gram. They are easily carried by the wind.
Compresses
- The very first and simplest way is to apply leaves to hemorrhoidal cones. You need to thoroughly wash a few leaves and apply them for a couple of hours, then remove them. After an hour, you need to apply new leaves, then wash with cool water. You need to repeat the procedure every other day, 3 times a week. The course of treatment is only 7 days. In this short time, the symptoms of hemorrhoids should go away.
- Aspen leaves should be finely chopped. You can cut it with a knife, then grind it, you can put everything in a blender, the main thing is that it turns out something like a paste. You need to lie on your stomach, spread the resulting mixture on gauze and apply it to the anus for a couple of hours. After the specified time, rinse everything off with cool water and anoint the anus with baby Vaseline. It is recommended to lie down for another hour after the procedure. If during the procedure you feel discomfort in the anus, you should wash everything off immediately. The manipulation should be repeated every two days, gradually reducing the amount of ointment. Treatment should be stopped after the disappearance of hemorrhoids.
