Orchis varieties and characteristics, natural habitats, cultivation and care at home, medical use. Orchis (Latin Orchis) is a plant around which many legends and myths have hovered since ancient times, a flower that has not lost its popularity in the modern world. This is a multifaceted representative of the green world of the planet, with which everyone is familiar in their own way: someone knows him as a means of traditional medicine, someone as an irreplaceable element of the exterior, and some as a necessary attribute for magical rituals.
Orchis varieties
Orchis originates from plants of the Orchid family, with which its middle name is also associated - "wild" or "northern orchid". In nature, there is an abundance of different types of "wild orchids", which differ in the appearance of the inflorescence, the number of flowers and their color, the size of the plant itself and the flowering period.
Orchis species:
- Orchis orchis (Orchis anthropophora);
- Male orchis (Orchis mascula);
- Orchis (Orchis militaris);
- Pale orchis (Orchis pallens);
- Small-spotted orchis (Orchis punctuata);
- Purple orchis (Orchis purpurea);
- Monkey orchis (Orchis simia);
- Spitzel's orchis (Orchis spitzelii);
- Marsh orchis (Orchis palustris);
- Dremlik orchis (Orchis morio);
- Provencal orchis (Orchis provincialis);
- The largest orchis (Orchis maxima);
- Burnt orchis (Orchis ustulata);
- Fragrant orchis (Orchis fragrans Pollini);
- Three-toothed orchis (Orchis tridentate Scop);
- Shelkovnikov's orchis (Orchis schelkownikowii).
General features of the external appearance of the orchis
The growth and development of a "wild orchid" is very dependent on environmental conditions, and the height to which this plant grows also depends on them. These figures range from 15 to 60 cm, but the relatively short stature does not prevent him from effectively standing out from other colors.
The subterranean part of the plant is formed by two tubers. Among them, distinguish between the older and the younger, or as they are also called replacement and replacement. The tuber is wide, has an ovoid appearance. A distinctive feature of the orchis is also its leaves, painted by nature in a rich bright green color. They are straight, lanceolate in shape, they tend to taper into a stalk or smoothly cover the stem.
The inflorescences of this northern beauty, which can take the form of an ear of about 15–20 cm in size, cannot be ignored either. They are formed by small, exceptionally beautiful small flowers in diameter, which are densely located near each other. The variation in the shades of the petals varies in a wide range: from lavender to dark purple. Some sources say that on the territory of Russia you can also find flowers of a rich burgundy color. In some species of orchis, the flowers are strewn with small specks of dark color. Also one of the characteristics of this plant is the smell emitted by its buds: a rich, delicate aroma of vanilla. The period when the orchid pleases us with its flowers is most often the first two months of summer, but some species bloom in April-May.
"Northern Orchid" in the wild
It is quite difficult to meet the orchis in nature, since this plant belongs to an endangered species, which is why it is listed in the Red Data Books of many countries in Europe, Asia and even North America. It is forbidden not only to dig up sprouts, but also to pick flowers. Having traveled around the world, the "northern orchid" can be found in many countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, it can be found in the Canary Islands and the Caucasus. It is also conditionally common in mountainous areas (Carpathians, Crimea). As for Russia, the plant is conditionally widespread here, with the exception of the territories of the Far North.
Growing an orchis at home
Today the orchis is a “VIP plant” in the field of landscape design and for the craft of “avid” gardeners. Therefore, the question of the peculiarities of growing and caring for it is very relevant.
"Northern Orchid" is not a picky plant, but there are still some nuances: soil and lighting, watering, fertilization, preparation for wintering.
- Lighting. When choosing a location where the orchis will flaunt, you need to pay attention to the lighting of the selected area. This place should absolutely not be in the shade. The optimal location for him is a sunny area with a light diffused shadow.
- Selection of substrate and transplantation of orchis. As for the soil, the plant prefers well-moistened, but characterized by its looseness soils. They must allow sufficient moisture and oxygen to pass through. The coefficient of natural moisture is of particular importance, since the soil must be well moistened, but thus - in no case swampy. There is a pattern: the more correctly the land is selected, the less worries the orchis requires in the long summer heat. During planting, the substrate that you take out of the hole can be improved by adding peat to it in a 1: 1 ratio, and river sand in a 1: 1/2 ratio.
- Moisturizing. The "wild orchid" does not need constant watering if it is planted in a suitable soil and in a suitable place. The exception is prolonged droughts, during this period the plant should be saturated with sufficient water. Many who grow this flower water it with rainwater, which in itself is not entirely safe. Rainwater is a source of many chemicals, including acids, that can harm our northern queen if supplied to her in abundance.
- Top dressing for orchis. Fertilizers for this magical flower should be chosen organic, mineral he does not like. The best option would be compost and needles - this couple will provide a beautiful bright flowering. It is good to introduce them during sowing, and then mulch the soil with a layer of 5 cm or more twice a year. The right time for this is mid-spring and early autumn, after winter cold and frost and immediately before their start.
- Plant wintering. Before the winter period, the "northern orchid" does not feel much fear, but some measures will have to be taken before the winter period. During the first autumn cold weather, the part of the plant that is located above the ground should be cut off radically to the base. This will provide our wild beauty with a safe existence during the thaw period and during the period of strong temperature changes and high humidity.
These conditions consist of the room temperature and the good location of our seedlings. Temperature readings will be suitable if their range is from 18 to 24 degrees. The place for the future decoration of our garden area should be allocated where there is the most sunlight, it can be a balcony or windows, located on the sunny side of the house.
Possible problems in orchis cultivation
As for pests and diseases, although the orchis is a seemingly delicate and fragile plant, its natural immunity is quite strong. It is resistant to fungi and pests, but it is also in danger - these are slugs, leaf beetles and snails. Only physical methods of protection, such as traps and straw circles near orchis plantations, will help to avoid trouble with them.
Reproduction, transplantation and care of orchis stumps
There is also root (vegetative) reproduction of the "wild orchid", it consists in the separation of the replacing tuber. When planting the latter, remember that a little of its "native" soil (from the previous place) should be added to the new location, this contributes to a safer existence and faster settling in a new place, since it contains fungi and microorganisms, to which the orchid has already been adapted earlier.
Due to the fact that the timing of the appearance of the first leaves of a flower above the ground is very chaotic, this period ranges from one month and can last up to a year, then they require certain care measures. This is the deposition of the "leading" stems in separate containers to continue their growth. Planting young orchis will provide more comfortable and spacious conditions for their fellows stunting.
The most suitable period for planting seedlings in the ground of your garden will be the middle part of spring, when you are firmly convinced that severe cold and frost will not disturb your garden treasure. It is also necessary to take into account the distance of the neighborhood between our plantings, it is better that it is not less than 15-18 cm.
The use of orchis in medicine
The "Northern Orchid" has been used in folk medicine for a long time, and the fame of its healing qualities has come down to us. A wide spectrum of action is possessed by mucus, which occupies most of the chemical structure of the orchis, and salep, a powder prepared from the tubers of the northern orchid. These components are folk helpers for the treatment of conditions such as:
- diarrhea;
- inflammation of the bladder;
- loss of strength, as in old age, also after prolonged illness;
- tuberculosis and its consequences;
- depressive conditions;
- inflammation of the gallbladder;
- peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
- inflammatory processes on the gastric mucosa;
- hyperacid conditions;
- diseases of the respiratory system (bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia);
- impotence, sexual dysfunction;
- vitamin deficiency, hypovitaminosis;
- inflammation of the prostate gland;
- prostate adenoma;
- inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs;
- diabetes;
- haemorrhoids;
- anemia;
- inflammatory diseases of the skin and its appendages;
- herpes infections;
- early gestosis of pregnant women.
Also, the wild orchid is a good contraceptive. In some countries, it was used as a means that adds vitality. It is impossible not to mention that it is the spotted orchis that is the most powerful aphrodisiac of plant origin.
In many countries of our world, this healer from the north is an officially recognized medicine, with its own base of evidence of effectiveness. It can be found in the following pharmacological forms:
- alcohol tinctures;
- salep-based decoctions;
- orchis mucus;
- infusions on water;
- ointments;
- plasters for the treatment of prostatitis.
Contraindications and side effects
Preparations based on orchids from northern places are completely safe to use. They are safely taken by both children and women during pregnancy. The only thing we must remember is that there is an individual intolerance to the individual components of the plant. For this person, with a burdened allergic history, it should be used with care. The only side effect is excessive sexual arousal.
The use of orchis in landscape design
This inhabitant of the meadows of the north is extremely rarely used as a component of mixed flower beds. In modern landscape design, it can often be found in remote half-wild areas, the background of which is coniferous trees. Most often, designers use group plantings of orchis to decorate rock gardens.
Orchis magical properties
For our ancestors, the "northern orchid" was the character of many legends, folk signs and an attribute of magical rites. With the help of this enchanting flower, rituals of welcoming spring were carried out.
Women believed that if, with the first rays of the sun, they plunge into the lake, on the shore of which the orchis grows, this action will undoubtedly give them eternal youth, beauty and good health. Also, the previously mentioned Salep, they took with them to wars and battles, since a drink prepared on its basis is able to reimburse the daily dose of substances necessary for the body in order to have a sufficient amount of strength and energy.
The mixture, made from orchis tubers and milk, was intended for babies who lacked or did not have breast milk at all.
But the foliage and rhizomes of the "wild orchid" were widely used as one of the ingredients of a love potion. Also in "matters of the heart" this witch plant was a talisman against all possible troubles and troubles. People used to say that the orchis can be used once as a "stem of truth", it was believed that if you take the root of a plant in your pocket, then no one can fool you.
Learn about the medicinal properties of orchis:
