Keep melliferous-tree (tree) is a legendary Mediterranean shrub from the buckthorn family. Also known as Christ’s thorn in biology. The Crimean Tatars call it Kara-Teken. Other popular names: siskin, karatshnik or siskin.
According to legends, it was from this plant that the crown of thorns was woven, laid by the Roman soldiers on Christ. Well, in beekeeping, deciduous shrubs are valuable as a good, albeit capricious (variable in productivity) melliferous plant.
The content of the article
- 1 Distribution
- 2 Appearance
- 3 Significance for agriculture
- 4 Agrotechnics
- 5 Honey productivity
- 6 Useful Properties
Distribution
The shrub is widespread in the wild. It can be found in Africa, the Crimean steppes, Spain, Morocco, in the southern regions of Ukraine and Russia. This honey plant grows in the Caucasus and Central Asian territories, easily climbing up to 1,5 thousand meters above sea level.
Christ’s thorn is unpretentious – it takes root equally well along rivers, along the banks of reservoirs and on arid slopes covered with stones, in gorges.
Appearance
This is a low bush, less often a thorny tree up to three meters high, with branches-shoots of an irregular shape, covered with sharp thorns.
Near each alternately located leaf, there are two thorns at once, one of which is directed backward. It is extremely difficult to get out of the continuous thickets of melliferous plants, hence its Russian, self-explanatory name – derhiderevo.
The yellowish-green inflorescences of the shrub are very small, grouped in small umbrellas. They bloom from July to August, depending on the region. The fruit is a brown drupe up to 3,5 centimeters in size, containing two to three small seeds.
Significance for agriculture
The hold-tree is cultivated as an ornamental plant capable of forming a reliable green hedge. In landscape design, such living fences look beautiful and are appreciated for their unpretentious care.
For medicinal purposes, the fruits of the bush are used. Healing decoctions are prepared from them.
Agrotechnics
The honey plant is planted in open or slightly shaded places (in open woodlands). It tolerates dry periods well. Unpretentious to the quality of the soil used – it can grow on loams, sandstones. Impervious to highly acidic or alkaline soils. It takes root equally well in drained and damp areas.
Theoretically, from this culture, you can form a fence for a stationary apiary. However, according to the observations of beekeepers, the honey plant does not provide a stable bribe – in one year it releases enough nectar, and in the other it does not bring any benefit to the bees.
Honey productivity
Since the honey plant is not very widespread – its continuous wild thickets are rare, it is little known to beekeepers in terms of honey productivity.
It is known to keep a honey tree, which gives a good summer bribe. The structure of the flowers provides bees with easy access to nectar and pollen. Moreover, each small flower releases on average up to 0,7 mg of nectar during the period of active flowering (July, August).
From a hectare of dense plantations, nomadic apiaries receive from 60 to 70 kilograms of marketable honey.
It should be noted that other important melliferous crops bloom simultaneously with the tree. For example, sage, sweet clover, clover, motherwort, blackthorn, blush. They also form the strength of the bribe during this period.
But the nectar collected from the tree has one important distinctive property – it does not mix with other varieties, as if squeezing honey from other plants from its mass. Remaining pure, without impurities, such a variety retains its taste, smell for a long time, and practically does not crystallize. According to some reports, the liquid structure of the product lasts up to two to three years!
Useful Properties
Derzhiderevo is a rich source of sucrose, tannins, saponins and flavonoids. The honey obtained from the bush has a number of medicinal properties:
- improves bowel function with constipation, acting as a mild laxative (but from the fruit, on the contrary, they prepare an effective remedy for diarrhea – three tablespoons of dry preparation are taken for a liter thermos);
- promotes expectoration of phlegm for colds and bronchitis;
- serves as a general tonic for vitamin deficiencies, overwork, fatigue.
It is used externally as part of home cosmetics. Has a beneficial effect on the skin. It is known that the fruits of the bush in the form of a thick broth are even used to treat eczema.
