Common lumbago or sleep grass. Backache - "Sleep-grass": planting, growing and care. Wild lumbago and flower photos

Backache is a small miracle that everyone knows well. In spring, as children, we brought bouquets of these magnificent flowers, we called them snowdrops. I clarify that it was in childhood - since now it is rarely possible to find a clearing in the forest, illuminated by beautiful flowers of lumbago. They are all called snowdrops.

It is one of the snowdrops, but the name is common. Snowdrops are a group of plants that bloom in early spring. Shooting is one of them. In general, this plant has many names: sleep-grass, snowdrop, pulsatilla, backache. It belongs to the buttercup family.

This family has one noticeable feature - it is difficult to find in it a species with nondescript flowering. Whether it's a clematis or a catchment area, a delphinium or a bathing suit, these are always colorful showy flowers. But among the favorites of the family, the kind of backache is a clear leader.

This is a delightful early flowering plant. Backache blooms profusely in May, two to three weeks. The height of the blooming lumbago is 15-20 cm, then it stretches a little, reaching a height of about 30-40 cm.

The lumbago is colored brighter and more diverse among its ranunculus family. The coloring is the most diverse purple, blue, lilac gamma, enhanced by golden stamens. Some species are yellow or white.

Pulsatilla is in the lead not only because of its exquisite, large, goblet flowers. In the spring, when the snow has just melted, the first green blades of grass awaken the mood of the holiday.

Through the withered grass, on the first warm days, growth buds wrapped in silvery thick fur “shoot through” them. In the sun, a fluffy tussock develops quite quickly and in just a couple of days turns into a fantastic bouquet of beautiful flowers on stems pubescent with silk.

The decorative effect of the lumbago persists during seed ripening and after flowering. The lumbago has pinnate, basal dissected leaves, and each flower gives seedlings with long awns, which form fluffy gray bunches in the form of a plume.

Under natural conditions, lumbago is widespread. You can meet them in the subtropics and in the polar latitudes. Most often, backache grows in sunny glades, in dry pine forests, in the steppes, in mountainous areas - on gravel screes, in alpine meadows.

That is why gravel gardens or rocky hills can be an ideal place for growing backache in gardens. Backache develops a powerful and deep root system.

Growing conditions for lumbago

It is better to plant the backache in slightly shaded places, although it also develops well in open areas. Backache - a plant that prefers deeply processed, fertile, sandy-gravel loams, alkaline substrates. Backache categorically does not tolerate stagnant water, so it cannot be planted in lowlands or places where water accumulates. Winter-hardy shot.

Application

Pulsatilla is a very beautiful plant, it will always find a place in the garden. Backache is planted in groups on the lawn, various compositions, in mixed flower beds, in rocky gardens - rockeries and rock gardens.

Shoot Care

In a hot, dry period, the backache must be watered without flooding the flowers. Backache is a flower that develops better on fertile soils filled with mineral fertilizers, so you need to feed. Backache reacts positively to the presence of lime in the soil.

Adult plants cannot be transplanted; backache does not tolerate transplantation well. If, nevertheless, there is a need to transplant a backache, then this should be done in spring or autumn, digging up a plant with a large clod of earth.

The lumbago is listed in the Red Book, so it is impossible to dig up or pick its flowers. Still, the backache does not last long in the cut. And wild-growing dug up plants may not take root in the garden, because adult specimens do not tolerate transplantation.

Reproduction of lumbago

Pulsatilla reproduces only by seeds. It is better to sow it with freshly harvested seeds in spring in warm soil or in June-July. Pulsatilla seeds are sown to a depth of about 1-1.5 cm. Seedlings must be watered abundantly (avoiding stagnant water), and they must also be mulched. Mulch helps to store moisture in the soil, protects young backache from overheating or cold.

Syn.: sleep-grass, urguls.

Pulsatilla is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants with an erect stem covered with hairs, pubescent petiolate leaves collected in a basal rosette, single flowers of white-violet, silver-violet, lilac or lilac. The lumbago is a primrose flower. The plant is used in folk medicine and in homeopathy for the treatment of a number of diseases.

Ask the experts

In medicine

Backache is not used in official medicine. However, in homeopathy it is used to make the drug Pulsatilla, which is taken for menstrual irregularities, pelvic inflammatory processes, uterine bleeding and diseases of the endocrine system.

Contraindications and side effects

The plant is poisonous when fresh. If the juice comes into contact with the skin, a chemical type burn of the first or second degree occurs. When taking a fresh plant inside, you can get an intestinal burn. In no form (even dried) can lumbago be used for ulcers, gastritis, hepatitis, during pregnancy and lactation, as well as for children. Before using homeopathic medicines, you should consult a specialist.

In horticulture

Some types of lumbago are used in landscaping and gardening. It is especially valuable because it blooms very early. Most often, three types of lumbago are grown in gardens:

Spring lumbago (lat. Pulsatilla vernalis). It grows wild in Karelia. It has white and purple flowers.

Meadow lumbago (lat. Pulsatilla pratensis). It reaches a length of 70 cm, its flowers are silver-violet.

Common backache (lat. Pulsatilla vulgaris), the most popular species in horticulture. This species has many varieties, depending on the variety, the flowers can be white, purple, lilac.

Backache is grown from seeds, because. the plant does not tolerate transplantation. Most species are sown in open ground in June-July. Seedlings can be planted in early spring, and transplanted into open ground in early summer. However, some species need to be sown in the ground in the fall, because. they need stratification, sprouts in this case appear in May. The common lumbago, which is most often grown in Russia, can begin to bloom in the second year, but some highland species will take several years.

The best place for backache is rockeries or alpine hills. It is necessary to carefully consider the choice of site, the plant does not tolerate dampness, prefers places with light shading. It is advisable to plant the lumbago on a site with a slope to ensure that there is no stagnant water.

The soil should be loose and fertilized. As a fertilizer, you can use lime, nitrogen, throughout the season it is worth feeding the plant with potassium and phosphorus.

In other areas

In Russia, backache was used (and sometimes still is used) for various magical rituals. It is believed that it helps from the evil eye, attracts wealth. And if a person falls asleep in a clearing with a backache, which is otherwise called sleep-grass, then he will have the gift of foresight.

Previously, the lumbago was used by artists, paint was obtained from it.

Classification

Backache (lat. Pulsatilla) is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Ranunculaceae family (lat. Ranunculaceae).

Botanical description

Pulsatilla is a herbaceous perennial plant with an upright stem and a long rhizome. The height can be from 5 to 40 cm. The stem, leaves and petals of the lumbago are hairy. The leaves are petiolate and are collected in a basal rosette. The flowers are solitary, with a large number of stamens and pistils, large, depending on the species, they can be of different colors. Flowering continues from April to May.

Spreading

Backache grows mainly in the west of the European part of the CIS countries, from Karelia to the Nikolaev region, grows in the Far East, in the Baikal region and Transbaikalia. Pasque prefers coniferous forests, open sandy hills, dry slopes.

Distribution regions on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

The lumbago is prepared with great care, not forgetting that the juice of the plant causes burns, gloves must be used. Collection is carried out during the flowering period. The lumbago is dried in the shade, in the open air, laying out the collected plant in a thin layer. After drying, you can use backache no earlier than three months later, otherwise the plant will not have time to lose toxic substances. Store raw materials in paper bags for no longer than three years.

However, all types of lumbago are included in the Red Book and their collection is prohibited.

Chemical composition

Anemonin, saponins, phytoncides, tannins, resins were found in the composition of the grass of the lumbago.

Pharmacological properties

The pharmacological properties of lumbago are little studied.

Application in traditional medicine

Backache has been used in homeopathy for about 200 years. It is used to make a drug called Pulsatilla. This drug is mainly considered "female", it is prescribed for menstrual irregularities, ovarian diseases, neoplasms in the mammary glands, cystitis. It is also used for nervous disorders, hysteria, neurasthenia, various neuralgia. Pulsatilla is also prescribed for gastrointestinal diseases.

In folk medicine, the most commonly used meadow lumbago (Pulsatilla pratensis) and open lumbago (Pulsatilla patens). It is believed that it has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, a sedative effect, lowers blood pressure, slows down breathing and heart rate.

A decoction of lumbago flowers is used for infertility. With rheumatism, rubbing is done with a tincture of lumbago. An infusion of the plant is used as an anesthetic during childbirth, a remedy for insomnia, and even as a remedy for impotence.

History reference

Backache, or sleep-grass, has long been used in folk medicine and magical rites. It is not surprising that many legends are associated with it. One of them says that once the evil spirits loved to hide under the flowers of the lumbago, Archangel Michael saw this and “shooted” the flower with a spear, expelling the evil spirits. Since then, the leaves of the lumbago began to look cut into pieces, and the flower began to be considered a "clean" plant, which evil spirits avoid. Therefore, our ancestors carried dried lumbago flowers with them, wanting to protect themselves from various troubles.

Literature

1. Yuzepchuk S.V. Rod Pulsatilla Adans. // Flora of the USSR: in 30 volumes / ch. ed. V. L. Komarov. - M.-L. : Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1937. - T. VII / ed. Volumes B. K. Shishkin. - S. 285-307. - 792, XXVI p. - 5200 copies.

2. Kolesnikova E. Bells of spring // Real owner: Journal. - 2013. - No. 6.

3. All about medicinal plants in your beds / Ed. Radelova S. Yu .. - St. Petersburg: SZKEO LLC, 2010. - S. 214. - 224 p.

The well-known flower lumbago or sleep-grass is loved by many gardeners not in vain. Surprisingly delicate and attractive plants bloom in spring, and the variety of colors of inflorescences amazes with an abundance of shades. Many of them are characterized by double flowers.

The most common of the species has a blue or purple color, although there are many species and varieties with white, pink, yellow, red, maroon-brown and even almost black inflorescences.

The plant belongs to the herbaceous perennials of the Buttercup family. All parts of sleep-grass are pubescent, that is, they have small hairs. This gives the primrose a special charm and a very delicate look.

In the wild version, the lumbago flower is common in pine forests and open sandy areas of the western part of Europe, central Russia, the Baikal region, Transbaikalia, the Far East, the Caucasus and America. The genus includes a total of no more than 45 species.

Common types

Spring lumbago one of the most charming representatives of culture. This perennial of extraordinary beauty is characterized by compactness and the ability of the ground green part of the plant to endure winter, that is, not die off. The flowers are light purple with a pearly sheen bloom together. Adult bushes can reach a diameter of 30-40 centimeters.

Backache yellowing has a bright color inflorescences. Bright yellow flower petals with bluish patches on the outside attract attention with their decorative appearance. The height of the bush barely reaches 20 centimeters. The flowering period varies from early April to June.

Chinese the species has a bluish-violet or dark purple color of flowers. This plant develops in height from 5 to 25 centimeters, depending on the growing conditions. Outside, the petals are covered with a dense layer of hairs, and inside they are smooth with a bright yellow core of many stamens and pistils. This species is not characterized by full disclosure of buds. Flowers at the peak of decorativeness remain collected, similar to a bell. Blooms from March to early June.

Blooms quite late lumbago Kostychev. In nature, the perennial prefers rocky slopes and rocky soils. It has pink flowers. In height reaches only 15 centimeters. Unusual in their color, the flowers are quite large in size. Under favorable conditions of detention, they are able to develop in diameter up to 6 centimeters. Pink sleep-grass blooms in June.

Lugovoi the species is perhaps one of the largest species of this genus. In height, the plant develops up to 35 centimeters. Depending on the variety, the flowers can be painted in pale lilac, reddish, violet-black and deep purple. Blooms from late April to early June.

Pulsatilla ordinary known for its wide variety of varieties. It is this species that is characterized by terry inflorescences with a different color. In height, the plant can grow up to 30 centimeters, and the width of the bush can reach half a meter. Most often, flowers bloom before the leaves appear. Unlike many types of common backache, decorativeness is also characteristic at the time of fetal formation. A round, many-haired fruit is formed on each peduncle after flowering is completed.

Landing and care

Flower backache or sleep-grass prefers a sunny place. It should be borne in mind that this plant does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. It will do best on sandy soil. The soil for planting this crop must be well processed, weeds removed and fertilized. Nitrogen-containing compounds are suitable for perennial, you can add a little lime. Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied to stimulate abundant and decorative flowering.

Sleep grass will be a wonderful decoration or perfect as a border plant. Do not forget that plants of the same species are actively pollinated among themselves and eventually lose varietal characteristics. For this reason, lumbago of different varieties should be kept at a distance from each other.

Reproduction of sleep-grass

Adult representatives do not tolerate transplants at all. The best way to propagate sleepgrass is to grow seedlings from seed or buy the plant in a container. The seeds are harvested as they mature. In some species, it occurs in May, while others are ready for collection only in July.

To obtain seedlings in early spring, the seeds are placed in a container-greenhouse with fertile loose soil. Shoots appear in 2-4 weeks. Since plants do not like transplantation, the seeds in the container must be placed at a distance of 10 centimeters from each other, so that the root system of the seedling is minimally damaged during subsequent movement into open ground. Young perennials are planted in a permanent place in June.
Most species bloom in the second year of life, although some of the species are able to give the first flower stalks only after 3-4 years.

Increasingly, attractive lumbago flowers are grown on personal plots. These beautiful primroses brighten the landscape when other plants have not even woken up yet. You will learn how to grow lumbago and care for them from our material.

Description

The lumbago flower, which is also called snowdrop, sleep-grass, anemone and pulsatilla, is a prominent representative of the Ranunculaceae family. In its natural environment, this perennial herbaceous plant can be found on rocky slopes, forest edges and meadows in Siberia, the Caucasus and the European part of Russia. There are 40 types of culture, and 25 of them are listed in the Red Book.

For cultivation in gardens and flowerbeds, the common lumbago is more often used. This shrub reaches 30 cm in height and 20 cm in diameter. It has thinly dissected, pinnate leaves, painted in bright green tones. At first they are strongly pubescent, but then become smooth.

The plant blooms in mid-April - early May. At this time, pubescent bell-shaped buds appear on its stems. Their diameter reaches 4-9 cm. The petals are painted in purple, purple and occasionally white tones. But thanks to the efforts of breeders, varieties with red, yellow and even black buds have been bred.

The best varieties of common lumbago

Breeders have bred many varieties of this primrose. But the following varieties have gained particular popularity among gardeners:

• Rote Glocke. The buds of this variety are shaped like tulips. At the beginning of flowering, they are painted in a rich red color, but then turn pale and become pinkish.
• papageno. The variety is distinguished by the large size of the buds. Their diameter reaches 7-8 cm. The snow-white petals of the culture are dissected at the tips, which gives the flowers additional volume.
• Papageno Black. This variety is valued by gardeners for the large size of the buds up to 8 cm in diameter. The petals of the bells are painted in rich purple tones.
• Mrs van der Elst. The variety is distinguished by a soft pink color of bells. They reach up to 9 cm in diameter.
• White Swan. In translation, the name of the variety means "white swan". And this name suits the variety, because the buds of the culture are painted snow-white.
• Pinwheel Dark Red Shadows. The plant grows up to 30 cm in height. He has large bells, painted in reddish-purple tones. The variety is frost-resistant and suitable for growing in regions with a harsh climate.

Each of these varieties will decorate your site. In addition, lumbago flowers are pollinated with each other. And if you plant several varieties nearby, then after 3-4 years you will get interesting hybrids with an unusual shape and bright color of the petals.

Growing lumbago seeds

The lumbago flower, the photo of which is given in the material, reproduces only by seed. Moreover, it is better to germinate the plant by the seedling method, although direct planting in open ground is allowed. But the germination of grains is noticeably deteriorating. In addition, sowing in open ground is carried out in the fall, and not all plants survive until spring.

Start sowing in early to mid-March. For seedlings, use lumbago flower seeds collected in the fall or purchased at a specialty store. But keep in mind, the fresher the grains, the higher their germination.

Soil preparation

To grow lumbago flowers, use purchased forest or leaf soil. Mix this substrate in equal proportions with coarse-grained river sand. Be sure to disinfect the soil before sowing. To do this, calcine the mixture in the oven or hold it over steam. So you will kill the harmful microorganisms that live in the earth. Moisten the soil well the day before the event.

Sowing

If you sow fresh seeds, then you do not need to prepare them before sowing. Grains a year old or older, soak for 2-3 hours in a solution of "Epin" or acid. This will increase their germination. Spread the seeds on the surface of moistened soil, and lightly sprinkle them with sand. A layer 0.5-1 cm thick is enough.

After sowing, cover the container with polyethylene or glass. Put the landing in a warm, bright place. In order for the seeds of the lumbago flower to germinate, it is important to maintain a temperature in the greenhouse of + 22 ... + 25 ° C. Ventilate the planting regularly and periodically spray the soil with warm water from a spray bottle, preventing the substrate from drying out.

seedling care

Under comfortable conditions, the first seedlings of lumbago flowers appear three weeks after sowing. If this does not happen, then stop watering the soil for 14 days, and after this time, resume irrigation. So you simulate the natural conditions for the culture, which will improve the germination of the grains.

When 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings, dive them into a separate bowl. For young lumbago flowers, choose deep cups or pots with a volume of 0.5 liters. Use soil with the same composition as for sowing seeds.

Planting lumbago flowers grown from seeds is preferably carried out the next year. But you can plant seedlings at the end of summer. Then be sure to cover the young plants with spruce branches before the cold weather, otherwise they will not survive until spring.

Choosing a place for flowers

This plant does not tolerate transplanting well and feels great in one place up to 20 years. Therefore, carefully choose a site for culture and consider its features. Backache is a photophilous flower, but too open areas are not suitable for it. Therefore, choose places in partial shade. It is advisable to break a flower bed on a hill. Since rain and melt water accumulate in the lowland, and from excess moisture, the plant rots and dies.

Landing in open ground

The plant prefers light, fertile loams or sandy loams with an alkaline or neutral reaction. A week before planting the lumbago, dig the area onto a shovel bayonet and add some sand, peat and mineral fertilizers to the ground. And it is also useful to pickle the soil with fungicides. This will protect the plants from fungal diseases.

Plant seedlings in pits with a depth of 20-30 cm. Keep a distance of 40-50 cm between plants. If the groundwater in the area lies close to the surface, then be sure to place a drainage layer on the bottom of the recesses.

Moisten the seedlings abundantly and remove them from the containers without damaging the earthen ball. Plant young plants in the prepared recesses and fill the voids with soil, slightly compact the surface. Make sure that the root collar is level with the ground.

Sowing flowers immediately in open ground

This method of growing is justified if you don't want to spend time on seedlings and you have a lot of pasque seeds, because not all of them will germinate. Start the event in late June - early July. If you have alpine varieties of lumbago, then sow them in the fall.

Prepare the site in the same way as when growing by seedling method (see "Planting in open ground"). Plant the seeds in a thick layer to a depth of 1.5 cm. To prevent future plants from overheating and overcooling, cover the planting with straw. The first seedlings hatch in 20-30 days. In the future, provide them with normal care.

Primrose Care

Backache is an unpretentious flower, and even a novice gardener can grow it. To do this, you need to create comfortable conditions for the plant, which will help the following agrotechnical measures:

• watering;
• weeding;
• soil loosening and mulching;
• winter preparation;
• prevention of diseases and pests.

Watering

Backache is a drought-resistant plant. Primrose tolerates waterlogging much worse than lack of moisture. But it is impossible to allow complete drying of the soil. Therefore, occasionally moisten the plants during the dry season.

Young seedlings need more moisture, because it helps the flowers take root well. Water the plants frequently during the first two years after planting. But do not get carried away to prevent stagnation of moisture at the roots. Irrigation is carried out strictly under the root. It is advisable to use melted or rain water, or pre-defend tap water.

top dressing

The lumbago flower responds well to fertilization. In the spring, pamper the plant with nitrogen compounds. Twice during the summer, feed the culture with complex preparations containing phosphorus and potassium. In autumn, fertilize the soil with rotted humus.

If you do not plan to propagate backache, then immediately remove faded bells. Otherwise, the plant will spend a lot of energy on seed maturation. And this will affect its decorative effect.

Loosening and mulching

The next day after watering or rainfall, be sure to loosen the soil near the flowers. Otherwise, a crust will form, blocking the access of air to the roots. And this has a bad effect on the decorativeness of the flowers of the lumbago. Gently loosen the soil to a depth of 5-10 cm.

While loosening, do not forget to remove weeds. Carry out the event manually so as not to damage the crop shoots with garden tools.

To prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, mulch the surface of the flower bed with sawdust or humus. This layer will reduce the care of plants, because you will have to water and loosen the soil less often. In addition, the mulch will prevent the growth of weeds and nourish the seedlings with useful substances.

Preparing for winter

Backache - flowers are frost-resistant, but for the first two years after planting it is advisable to cover the plants for the winter. Otherwise, they will die from the cold. To prevent freezing, cover the bushes with spruce branches. And in winter, do not be lazy to cover them with snow. In such conditions, primroses are not afraid of even severe frosts.

Diseases and pests

Backache is a flower with strong immunity. But occasionally he gets sick with a black leg. It is quite difficult to treat this disease, so it is better to prevent it. To do this, pre-treat the soil where you will plant primroses with fungicides.

In winter, primrose can be gnawed by rodents. To prevent this from happening, use the poisons "Tornado", "Amus" or "Testox" to protect the plant. But when working with drugs, be extremely careful and strictly follow the instructions for use.

It is not so difficult to grow an attractive primrose in a personal plot. The main thing is to ensure the proper care of the lumbago flower and create comfortable conditions for it. He will surely thank you with attractive tender buds that will delight the eye every spring.

In mid-April, when the first real warmth only yesterday melted the remnants of snowdrifts, yellow stars will bloom in the glades and hillocks of the hills of the Urals and Western Siberia. It will bloom backache or, as it is called in another way by the people - a dream grass flower.

flower lumbago

She was nicknamed Pasque for her delicate purple, pale blue, red or yellow flowers that appear early. These are the first signs of spring, the first blooming joy of nature. This interesting plant received the name "sleep-grass" due to the fact that it really has a slight hypnotic effect. And in the Urals, where it is most common, these flowers are also called snowdrops, because real snowdrops do not grow there.

The lumbago flower emerges from a bunch of shaggy, freshly hatched leaves. And he is fluffy and soft. The pile protects it from both frost and heat. Later, when the lumbago fades, a “shaggy” with seeds appears in place of the flower, and its leaves grow and become large. The plant has a straight or slightly deviating root that goes deep into the ground. For this reason, the plant is almost impossible to divide, and transplanting it is also difficult. It propagates by seeds. The achenes are equipped with hairs, which then twist into a spiral, pulling the achenes into the soil like a corkscrew.

Types of backache common in Russia

In many countries, including a number of subjects of the Russian Federation, this unique plant is listed in the Red Book. In the Russian expanses, several of its species grow:

• Spring Pasque blooms with white bells with a slightly bluish tinge on the outside of the color, has an edge.
  
  
• Pasque yellow blooms with yellow or ivory flowers, common in the Ural mountains.
  
  
• Chinese backache is common in rocky hills, open grasslands of Northern China and Eastern Siberia. The flowers of its delicate purple color, the petals are slightly bent.
  
  
• Kostychev's backache grows only in Altai, this is a plant that does not live anywhere else. Blooms with pink flowers.
  
  
• Pasque meadow is common in the European part of Russia, its flowers are maroon.
  
  
• Common lumbago in nature is common in the European part of Russia, and in Siberia. Its natural color is dark purple, but varieties of pink, red, white, yellow flowers are derived from it.
  
  

Use as a medicine

If there were a rating of grass for good sleep, backache would certainly be in the first lines in it. Sleep-grass has a hypnotic, mild psychotropic effect. A magical effect was attributed to this plant, it was used in predictions of the future. Even animals can be affected by sleep grass if they try its greens in the spring. Also, from the leaves and flowers of sleep-grass, a tincture is made that cures rheumatism of the joints, skin diseases.

When and how to plant in the garden

To grow backache in your area, you will have to work hard, and take care of the seeds in advance. The fact is that the seeds of sleep-grass must necessarily undergo stratification in order for friendly shoots to appear. Therefore, they are sown in the period from January to March, depending on the climate. Stratification lasts three months, the seeds are planted, watered, kept for several days to swell, and then brought outside and covered with snow. They stay there until the snow melts. Only in this way can all their natural conditions be observed, and shoots can be obtained.

Then the plants are grown to 2-3 true leaves, and then transplanted into the ground. This is a very responsible operation, because backache does not like transplants. Sleep-grass takes root well on calcareous soils. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from each other. For decorative purposes, this plant is usually used in alpine slides.