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Norway spruce: photo, characteristics, application, treatment with spruce. El - what is it? Spruce tree. Coniferous trees (photo)

(lat. Pícea) - a genus of plants of the Pine family (Pináceae), in terms of prevalence among coniferous trees, it ranks second after pine. Spruce lives - 250-300 years, there are trees up to 500-600 years old. In the USA (Colorado), a long-liver grows - Engelman spruce, whose age is 852 years.

Monoecious trees with a pyramidal crown, whorled branching and interwhorled shoots. The trunk is full-woody, up to 40-50 m high, in some species - up to 80-90 m, with a butt diameter of up to 1-2 m, the bark is red-brown or gray, flaky with thin scales; young branches are brown or reddish, glabrous or slightly drooping, with strongly protruding leaf traces, buds ovate-conical, pointed, brownish, non-resinous. The needles are hard, prickly, tetrahedral, in the lower part of the crown - flat (shadow needles), does not fall off for 6-9 years.

Spruce forests (spruce forests) - evergreen dark coniferous forests with a predominance of spruce in tree layer. They are among the naturally progressive edificators capable of invading other phytocenoses and even displacing them. Spruce forests grow in the temperate zone northern hemisphere occupying a significant part of the territory of Europe, Asia and North America.

In Russia, they are distributed from the western borders to the eastern. They form the landscape of the taiga zone. total area spruce forests in Russia is about 70 million hectares with a timber reserve of over 10 billion m3. Spruce forests are in fourth place in terms of area after larch, pine and birch forests. In spruce forests, both pure forest stands and mixed with deciduous and coniferous species are formed.

spruce wood

Spruce is a nuclear-free ripe wood species. The wood was white, with a slight yellowish tint, low resinous. Engelman spruce wood is darker - yellowish-brown. Resinous passages are few and small. Spruce wood has a homogeneous structure with annual layers clearly visible in all cuts, disturbed by numerous knots.

Spruce belongs to the species with low density and with a sharp difference in the structure of the early and late wood of the annual layers. The number of annual layers per 1 cm of the cross section and the percentage of late wood depend both on the species and on the place of its growth. So, for example, for common spruce (European) in the north of the European part of Russia, the number of annual rings is 12.1, and the percentage of late wood is 21, for Siberian spruce ( Western Siberia) - 6.5 and 25, respectively, for Eastern Siberia- 9 and 25.

The microroughnesses remaining after processing the surface of spruce wood are 8-60 microns, which is significantly lower than that of hardwoods. Freshly cut spruce wood has a moisture content of about 110%. The maximum humidity at water absorption is 212%.

Moisture conductivity indicators - important characteristic to select the mode of drying wood, the intensity of the isothermal transfer of bound water depends on them. The values ​​of the coefficient of moisture conductivity (Dх1010 m2/s) for spruce are presented in the table.

These values ​​differ little from those of pine, but are 1.5-1.8 times higher than those of larch and hardwoods. Spruce, like pine, belongs to low-drying species. The uniform structure of the wood and long fibers make spruce less prone to warping and cracking during the drying process (compared to pine).

Spruce belongs to the species of low density. The average density of spruce wood at standard humidity (12%) is 445 kg/m3, absolutely dry - 420 kg/m3, base density - 365 kg/m3.

The permeability of liquids and gases along the fibers of spruce is somewhat higher (by 15-20%) than that of pine, but the difference between the gas permeability in the radial and tangential directions is the largest for spruce (in the radial, more than in the radial, 10 times; in pines - 2-5 times).

In terms of strength properties, spruce wood is somewhat inferior to pine. In terms of long-term resistance to deformation, it is practically not inferior to pine, as well as in another indicator - the ability to hold fasteners. Spruce wood bends somewhat better than pine wood.

In terms of resistance to rotting (biological damage), among domestic species, spruce is classified as medium-resistant species (it is noticeably inferior to pine heartwood), according to European standard EN 350 - 2:1994 spruce belongs to low-resistant species (pine to moderately resistant).

The generally good machinability of spruce wood is significantly hampered by numerous knots, the hardness of which is often so great that it causes chipping of the blades of the carbide tool.

The use of spruce wood

Spruce is a tree exceptional in its properties. One of these properties is musicality. Made from spruce since ancient times musical instruments, including strings. The Novgorod gusli of medieval Russia was most often made from spruce.

The upper soundboards of violins, cellos, guitars have long been made of resonant spruce, which provides the instruments with the beauty of sound. She seems to be holding the sound. The requirements for musical wood are special: not to have knots, curls, rolls and other defects. Annual layers should be of the same width, and on a radial cut, straight and parallel.

Spruce musical instruments have an amazing sound, because the fibers in the wood are distributed very evenly (such wood is called resonant). Violins by Italian makers, including Amati and Stradivari, are made from spruce.

Looking for good stuff craftsmen and restorers of musical instruments find wood when dismantling old houses, which acquires truly wonderful musical properties after decades of a stable microclimate. The fact is that with gradual drying in the capillaries of the resin passages of wood, microscopic resonant chambers are formed, it seems to acquire a voice.

The 19th-century French explorer Savart calculated the speed of sound in spruce wood. It turned out that it is 15-16 times greater than the speed of sound in air. There have been many attempts to replace spruce wood with other types of wood, but none of them were successful. Experts believe that it is unlikely that it will be possible soon to find a material that, in terms of its acoustic properties, will be similar to a resonant spruce.

Spruce wood is difficult to process due to the high hardness of the knots, but in some areas the huts were built entirely from spruce. It was believed that it was easy to breathe in such a hut, there was even a saying: "The hut is a spruce, but the heart is great."

Spruce wood is soft, light, not very durable, used as a building material (boards, beams), for small crafts, for processing into wood pulp.

Spruce is used for the production of wood chemical products - paper and cardboard, cellulose, turpentine, rosin, tar, wood vinegar, methyl alcohol. Volatile fractions of different composition are isolated from needles and wood, consisting mainly of terpenoids - the so-called. essential oils, their main component is pinene.

It is applied in decorative gardening and park building. It is notable for the accuracy and grace of the crown, the slenderness of the trunk, and shade tolerance. The spruce hedge is very thick and almost impenetrable. There are many garden forms and cultivars. Spruce is often used to create windbreaks, especially along roads. Seeds serve as food for forest birds (woodpecker, crossbill) and rodents (mouse, squirrel). Spruce bark is used as a leather tanning agent. Pine needles are often used to prepare coniferous-vitamin flour for livestock feed.

Since childhood, at Christmas and New Year, people are used to smelling spruce branches. Mixed with the smell of tangerines, this fragrant coniferous aroma was a harbinger of a miracle, gifts, new experiences and the New Year.

For many centuries, Spruce personified the symbol of a new cycle. IN old times, remaining evergreen, Spruce was an allegory of eternal youth and immortality, longevity and fidelity.

For the same reasons, spruce "spruce" has been and remains in many villages a sign of a bygone life. During the course of the funeral procession, a “lapnik” of spruce branches is thrown at the feet, saying goodbye to the departed. Their age has ended, but passed into eternity.

In Scandinavia, spruce was used for ritual fires. Resinous firewood gave the fire a unique strength.

names of spruce

The word "Spruce" comes from the old Slavic word "jedlъ", which means "prickly".

The first mention of this tree in Russian scriptures appeared in the 11th century. One-root words are found in all languages ​​of the Slavic group.

The Latin name for Spruce is Picea, which means resinous.

Where does El grow?

Spruce forests are found throughout Russia. Basically, these are dense, dense thickets with a small amount of undergrowth.

Despite the fact that Spruce develops best on open space, there are her shade-tolerant counterparts.

The most common type of tree is Common Spruce. It is found in the European part of Russia, in Finland and northern Europe. Spruce groves are found in Siberia and the Urals.

Fellow Spruce Common can be found in the Caucasus and Far East, on the Kuril Islands and on Sakhalin. Even in North America and China grow certain species of this prickly fragrant tree.

What does El look like?

Spruce is a tall stately tree with a straight strong trunk and a dense crown. The branches are arranged in the form of a pyramid and have prickly needles. The bark of Spruce is dense and covered with scales.

The height of Spruce can reach 30 meters, while the volume of the trunk of many species exceeds 1.5 meters.

The average life expectancy of a tree is 250 - 300 years. There are centenarians of 600 years of age.

After 10-15 years of life, the tree changes its root system, getting rid of the main root. That is why in the forest you can meet these wind-blown giants with uprooted roots.

When does spruce bloom?

Female flowers form small cones, which, after pollination, turn into those same spruce decorations.

Male flowers form elongated catkins that scatter pollen in May.

In October, seeds ripen in cones and become prey forest rodents. fluffy squirrels tend to prepare seeds for the winter.

Healing properties of spruce

For medicinal purposes, spruce cones, needles and resin are used.

Daily use of 3-4 spruce needles for a month can restore immunity and increase resistance to a number of viral diseases.

A few spruce branches placed in a vase in a room can kill harmful bacteria in the room, leaving a pleasant aroma in the air.

Fir cones are rich in tannins and essential oils. They also contain copper, manganese, aluminum, iron.

Essential oils are used in the fight against acute respiratory infections and diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

Spruce kidney syrup is prescribed for microinfarctions.

A decoction of pine needles is used for inhalation to treat tonsillitis and sinusitis.

Spruce resin or resin has antiseptic properties and can be used as part of ointments for healing wounds and ulcers.

Spruce Applications

spruce wood- the most common material for construction and fuel. The wood is also used to make paper.

spruce wood very soft and straight. Despite its widespread use in construction, untreated wood is short-lived and rots quickly. That is why spruce wood is treated with antiseptics and mordants.

At the same time, Spruce wood is part of many modern materials, such as fiberboard, chipboard, glued laminated timber and others.

The musical properties of spruce wood have been noticed for a long time, therefore soundboards, bodies and other parts of musical instruments are made from this fragrant tree.

Contraindications

Despite the huge number of useful properties, preparations from Spruce have contraindications. Inhalations from spruce needles are contraindicated in patients with asthma.

In the presence of individual intolerance to the substances contained in spruce cones and needles, it is necessary to be careful when using Spruce for medicinal purposes.

Too frequent use of decoctions and drinks from Spruce can be dangerous for the kidneys.

In ancient times, on New Year's holidays, Spruce was hung with its roots up, and not installed in a corner, as in modern times.

In Scandinavia, spruce branches cover the paths followed by the corteges of rulers.

Blue Spruce has gained its distribution in cities not only because of the beauty of the needles, but also due to resistance to polluted air.

From the dead spruce root, young shoots can grow, which later become real trees. Thus, the tree clones itself.

In Sweden, a similar tree grows, whose age is approaching 10 thousand years.

Spruce cones are often depicted on the flags of different countries. This fruit symbolizes a high goal and peak.

Picea abies (L.) Karst. - a well-known evergreen coniferous tree from the pine family (Pinaceae) 20-30 (up to 40, and in Western Europe even up to 50) m high with a pyramidal crown. Growth in height does not stop almost all life, and even old trees retain a pointed conical shape. The trunk is slightly tapered, that is, it gradually decreases in diameter from the base to the top. Very large individuals have thick trunks up to 1 m in diameter at the base. The bark of the branches is red-brown, smooth, brownish-gray on the trunks, with an uneven surface, exfoliating in small areas. The branches are arranged in regular whorls, each year a new whorl is noted, which makes it easy to determine the age of the tree by their number.
Young branches are densely covered with leaves. The leaves are solitary, hard, needle-like, up to 2-2.5 cm long and 1-1.5 mm thick, dark green, shiny, tetrahedral, pointed at the end, therefore prickly. Such leaves are called needles. Each needle lives and stays on the branches for 6-7 (sometimes 12) years, however, in urban plantations, the life of the needles is shorter.
Spruce does not have a pronounced leaf fall: the needles fall off gradually, and a new one does not grow at the same time.
Plants are monoecious: both male and female generative organs, collected in spikelets, develop on one individual. Spruce, like all other gymnosperms, does not have flowers and real fruits. In the lower part of the shoot are male spikelets, in the upper - female, larger in size, reddish-brown in color. Male spikelets are elongated-cylindrical, have the form of reddish-yellow cones 2-2.5 cm long, surrounded by light green scales at the base. Pollen disperses in May-June, after which the male spikelets fall off. Pollination is carried out by the wind. Each speck of dust is equipped with two appendages - air sacs, this provides it with exceptional volatility. Observations have shown that the spread of pollen from a spruce tree can reach 8-10 km.
Fertilized ovules develop into seeds, and the entire female spikelet during the summer and autumn is transformed into a kind of organ - a cone, consisting of an axis and woody light brown scales attached to it, seeds are placed in their axils. The cones are hanging, cylindrical, smoothly rounded at both ends, 10-16 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. At first they are red, then turn green, and when they become mature, turn brown. A good-sized cone can develop up to 200 seeds. The seeds are dark brown, egg-shaped, small - in 1 kg there are 105-110 thousand spruce seeds.
Spruce seeds ripen in September-October, they get enough sleep from the cones only in winter and in early spring, but the opened cones themselves continue to hang on the tree for quite some time. They fall whole, covering the soil in places with a continuous cover, and do not collapse for a long time. Each seed is equipped with a light brown winglet that promotes seed dispersal by the wind. In the second half of winter, snow is often covered with an ice crust (infusion). So, the wind often drives the seeds of spruce along the crust for a considerable distance.
Spruce reproduces by seed. Experts have calculated that in good years there can be up to 5 million seeds per 1 hectare of spruce forest. Of course, not all germinate and, moreover, not at the same time. Seeds remain viable for up to 10 years. Seedlings bring to the surface 8-9 (from 5 to 10) cotyledons, which remain green for 2-3 years, although real leaves-needles appear in the very first years. During the first year of life, seedlings reach only 4-5 cm in height. And in subsequent years, the seedling does not differ in rapid growth - by the age of 10, the Christmas tree grows by 1-2 m. Only from 15-20 years old spruce growth accelerates, it gives the largest increase (up to 70 cm per year) at the age of 35-65 years. Unlike many tree species, spruce continues to grow in height until the end of its life.
The first cones (and seeds) appear in young firs at the age of 15 if they grow in lighted places. In the forest, at the time of seed production, spruce enters only at 25-30 years, and in dense plantations even later - at 50-70 years. It is curious that trees that are just starting to produce seeds develop only female spikelets in the first years. Seed years repeat in 3-7 years. The total lifespan of spruce trees is from 200 to 400 years, but individual trees reach an age of 600 and even 800 years.

Common spruce is common throughout the forest zone of Europe, including European Russia, forming pure and mixed forests. The southern border of the spruce forests generally coincides with the northern border of the chernozem. This does not mean at all that it cannot grow on black soil - in plantings it grows beautifully throughout the Russian Chernozem region.
In the Cis-Urals, European spruce is gradually being replaced by a closely related species - Siberian spruce (Picea obovafa Ledeb.J, which is distinguished by smaller cones with wide whole-cut scales. The range of Siberian spruce extends from the northernmost latitudes of Scandinavia to the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. In the sector between the White Sea and the Urals, it forms the northern border of the forest.It is an important forest-forming species of the Ural and Siberian taiga.In total, about 25% of the total forest area in our country is occupied by spruce plantations.
Spruce is widely bred in urban plantations, while, along with domestic species, some foreign forms are also cultivated, which are particularly decorative, for example, blue spruces of North American origin. Norway spruce is widely grown in roadside plantations, in particular, it is planted around railways, which protects them from snow drifts.
Norway spruce is a shade-tolerant and frost-resistant breed that avoids habitats with stagnant moisture. IN adverse conditions, for example, on the northern border of the forest, forms a dwarf form. Its root system is superficial, lies mainly in the layer of soil and soil to a depth of 0.8-1 m, so the spruce weakly resists the windblow. It suffers greatly from forest fires, even grassroots ones, since its bark is quite thin and the cambium tissues quickly die from overheating. Poorly tolerates high temperature and especially dry air.
Spruce captures new territory only with the help of small-leaved tree species, most often birch. A birch grows in a free area, and already in this new birch forest spruce seeds that have flown here germinate. Spruce seedlings feel good under the birch canopy (in open areas they die from various reasons, including strong light and dry air that they cannot tolerate). Young Christmas trees gradually outgrow the birch in height and instead of gratitude for good conditions"Children's and youthful" life is strangled by a birch forest, creating unbearable lighting conditions with its dense crowns.

Economic use of spruce

Spruce wood is the main raw material for the manufacture of paper and cardboard. Until recently, 70% of the world's paper production came from spruce raw materials. Spruce wood is widely used in construction (“spruce hut and the heart is healthy”), in carpentry, in particular in the manufacture of furniture. Telegraph poles and railway sleepers are made from it. Spruce wood is indispensable for the manufacture of some musical instruments, such as violins. For this purpose, most often trees are chosen that have dried up on the vine and have stood dry for several years. Trees whose wood is suitable for making stringed instruments are called resonant spruce. ,
Spruce wood waste, which is not needed by woodworking industry: sawdust, wood chips, trimmings, shavings, etc., are raw materials for chemists. From this seemingly garbage, ethyl alcohol is obtained by hydrolysis, which is consumed in many industries, as well as a valuable building material - plasticizer. Dry distillation of non-commercial spruce wood produces acetic acid and methyl alcohol - intermediate products of many valuable chemical compounds.
The spruce bark contains a lot of tannins used in the leather industry. Turpentine and rosin are obtained from resin-resin, obtained by cutting the bark of spruce trees. And these products, as you know, are in great demand in various sectors of the economy, culture and medicine.
Unfortunately, spruce as a medicinal plant is still not used enough. Scientists have calculated how unacceptably we scatter the so-called gifts of nature. Their calculations are so impressive that I want to quote them in full, although they seem to be boring and designed for specialists.
In our country, up to 200 million m3 of commercial spruce timber were harvested annually (almost 100% of spruce harvesting was carried out in Russia, so everything said here refers not so much to the USSR, but to Russia). For each cubic meter of wood there are up to 500 kg of waste, the main part of them (up to 250 kg) is tree greens (coniferous branches), which can serve as raw materials for many useful products, including vitamins and medicines.


Judge for yourself. Spruce needles contain: chlorophyll, salts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon; trace elements: Al, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Ag, Pb, S, B. 19 amino acids have been isolated from spruce needles, incl. lysine, arginine, glycine, threonine, valine, leucine, alanine, aspartic and glutamic acids. The total content of amino acids is 0.7-4.9% by weight of dry needles.
Spruce needles - a concentrate of vitamins. Dry needles contain: carotene (provitamin A), tocopherol (vitamin E), phylloquinone (vitamin K), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), flavonoids with P-vitamin activity, thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B3), nicotinic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (vitamin B9).
And all this wealth is practically not used.
It is impossible not to mention the custom of celebrating the New Year with a Christmas tree. The custom is certainly good, but at the same time it bears big losses for our forests.
Spruce seeds are an important winter food for squirrels and granivorous birds wintering in Russia, such as crossbills, which even hatch chicks in winter.

Medicinal value of spruce and methods of therapeutic use

Medicinal use in spruce has coniferous twigs (“legs”), which can be collected throughout the year (while trying not to damage the tree branches). They include essential oil, trace elements (iron, manganese, chromium, aluminum, copper), stilbene, caffeic acid. It is believed that the presence of stilbene makes it promising to study needle extracts as sources of contraceptives.
Spruce needles contain a significant amount of ascorbic acid. As it turned out, it contains 6 times more vitamin C than lemon and orange, and 25 times more than onions and potatoes. Its highest concentration is in winter and early spring. The people have long used the paws of spruce (as well as other conifers) to obtain a drink saturated with vitamin C. This drink is treated for scurvy, they drink it to prevent beriberi, especially at the end of winter and early spring, when there is no other vitamin-containing greens yet. In 40 g of needles for 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 20 minutes. and insist. The resulting infusion is drunk in 2-3 doses during the day.
In the midst of an influenza epidemic, it is useful to burn small pieces of spruce resin several times a day in the room where the flu patient lies. The persistent resinous smell that accompanies this procedure pleasantly aromatizes the room. The resin itself and the products of its combustion have a therapeutic effect on the patient and disinfect the air.
Spruce is the oldest medicinal tree in the Russian forest. Yet primitive people used it for treatment. The air in the spruce forest is practically sterile. Fans of walks in the spruce forest have probably noticed how the feeling of depression and helplessness that arises at the sight of dark green giants, under whose crowns nothing grows, is replaced by self-confidence and self-confidence. peace of mind. Walking in the green forest is very beneficial for health.
In diseases of the throat, colds, acute and chronic diseases of the respiratory system (tonsillitis, tracheitis, bronchial asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis), an infusion of pine needles is used. Gargle with a decoction and instill into the nose (with vasomotor rhinitis), 4-5 drops in both nostrils. The temperature of the decoction is 35 °C.
Folk remedy for cough, flu, pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis - syrup from honey and spruce buds. Spruce or fir buds are harvested at the end of May, when they grow 3-5 cm, washed in cold water, finely chopped. % For 1 kg of kidneys - 3-4 liters of water. Boil in an enamel bowl for 10-15 minutes, strain, let stand and strain again through gauze. For 1 kg of the resulting broth, add 1 kg of honey and propolis extract (extract: 30 g of propolis per 100 ml of alcohol), mix well and heat to 40-45 ° C. After cooling, pour into bottles, store them closed in a cool place. Take 1 teaspoon before meals 3 times a day.

Make a mixture of spruce resin and yellow wax (one part by weight of each component). Melt the mixture, cool. Put the pieces of the mixture on hot coals, breathe in the emitted smoke with persistent chronic cough, chronic bronchitis.

At the same time, you can take a decoction of spruce shoots in milk inside. 30 g of shoots or young cones pour 1 liter of milk and cook in a sealed container for 30 minutes. Strain and take during the day in small portions. This decoction is also recommended for the treatment of inflammatory processes of the respiratory system, with dropsy and scurvy.


Green spruce cones are poured with water in a ratio of 1:5 and boiled for 30 minutes. Gargle with the resulting decoction, drip into the nose.
For nephrolithiasis and renal colic, pinabine is used, which is a mixture of essential oil from spruce (or pine) needles and peach oil (in equal parts). It has an antispasmodic effect on the muscles of the urinary tract and inhibits the development of pathogenic bacteria in them.
Take 5-20 drops on sugar 2 times a day before meals for 4-5 weeks.

You can take pinabine only as directed by a doctor, as there are contraindications for it.

For the treatment of pustules, wounds and ulcers, various ointments are used. The simplest of them is an ointment made from spruce resin melted with lard.
Resin resin conifers- 100g, unsalted interior pork fat - 100g, natural beeswax - 100g. Put everything in a saucepan. If the resin is dry, grind into powder. Boil on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring the composition all the time, removing foam from the surface. Remove from fire. When the mixture is warm, transfer it to glass jar. Store the ointment in the refrigerator.
Rinse the wound with lime water (1 tablespoon of quicklime per 1 liter of water; let it brew for 5-6 hours, drain the water). Spread a thin layer of a cloth with the prepared mixture, apply on a sore spot and bandage. Change the bandage after 1-2 days. Wounds heal quickly.
Make a mixture of spruce resin, wax, honey and sunflower oil (one part by weight of each component). Heat the mixture on fire, cool. Use externally for abrasions, abscesses, ulcers.
Mix equal amounts of spruce resin, wax and butter. A good effect is given by such an ointment for boils.

In the forest, on a hike, one of the excellent remedies for wounds and cuts is fresh gum resin. Lubricate daily wounds, ulcers, cracks. Healing comes quickly.
For skin diseases, gout, joint damage of rheumatic origin, baths are taken from spruce branches and buds.
For this, a decoction is prepared from the tops of young branches with buds (the ratio of vegetable raw materials and water is 1: 5, boiled for 30-40 minutes). The resulting broth is added to the bath.

Spruce cones are boiled with salt (100 g of salt per 1 bucket of broth). The resulting decoction is added to baths for pain in the joints of various origins and arthritis. Instead of cones, you can use freshly cut branches.
Tibetan medicine appreciates needles as a remedy for burns and wounds that do not heal for a long time, tree sap - for diarrhea, and wood ash - as an antidote.
With tuberculosis, it is good to use tincture of young shoots on vodka.
The combined preparation of spruce, fir and pine needles has a sedative effect and increases efficiency.

Pour winter trimmed needles (4 cups) with 3 cups of cooled boiled water, acidify with 2 teaspoons of diluted hydrochloric acid. Infuse for 3 days in a dark place, strain. Drink vitamin infusion 1/2 cup 2 times a day, sweetened to taste.
Jam is made from pine needles with sugar and they drink tea with it for shortness of breath.
Spruce resin-gum - 20 g, onion pounded (crushed) - 1 piece, vegetable oil, olive oil is better - 50 g, copper sulfate in powder - 15 g. Everything is thoroughly ground and heated on fire, not boiling.
The ointment has a burning effect, actively treats abscesses, bruises and bone fractures.

If pus flows from the ear, it is recommended to put spruce or pine juice into it.
Five tablespoons of spruce, pine or fir needles pour 0.5 liters of water, boil for 5 minutes. and keep the night warm. Such an infusion promotes the removal of radionuclides. Give the sick to drink during the day instead of water. Day break, then treatment again. You can alternate drinking ordinary water and coniferous broth for a month (instead of ordinary water, it is better to use melted water).
Spruce young shoots fill the pan, pour cold water, put on fire, bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes. Insist in the warmth of the night, strain in the morning. Store the drink in the refrigerator, but drink it warm, 0.5 cups several times a day.
Brew spruce branches collected in September with boiling water: 1 tablespoon of chopped branches per 1 cup of boiling water. Drink a decoction instead of tea, 0.5 cups a day for uterine polyps.
According to Raphael, spruce is ruled by Saturn and is healing for those born under the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius.

Norway spruce, from the point of view of a biologist, is a direct relative of pine. This plant is one of the most ancient. The physiology of this tree determines many qualities of spruce.

Biological characteristics of spruce

The familiar Christmas tree is a gymnosperm plant that forms high (25-30 meters) woody forms. On the territory of the Northern Hemisphere, this tree species formed entire forests, common spruce is one of the main components of the taiga.

The tree is evergreen, its green parts are transformed leaves, the nature of the changes of which is aimed at reducing evaporation and thus preserving moisture. From the trunk, in the adult state covered with brown bark, whorls of branches depart, while the tree forms a pyramidal crown.

Spruce loses part of its needles annually, which is associated with the accumulation of substances toxic to the survival of the tree in the needles. The water-repellent properties of needles determine the fact that spruce forests are very dry. Reproduction occurs by transferring seeds formed in cones - megastrobiles. Fertilization occurs within the same tree, since male and female strobili are located on the same individual. Seed ripening occurs in the autumn season, that is, in September-October.

Gymnosperms, a typical representative of which is the common spruce, have come down to our times from Cretaceous mesozoic. In those days, angiosperms (flowering) plants had just emerged. Later, angiosperms, due to their adaptability, became cosmopolitan and spread throughout the globe.

Meanwhile, gymnosperms, due to the peculiarities of their growth, in some places can displace trees belonging to the angiosperm department. A typical example is the joint growth of spruce and birch. First, the birch crown gives the shade necessary for a small Christmas tree, and when it grows, it obscures the territory and acidifies the soil, so the birch dies off.

The ancient Germans revered the spruce tree as the source of forest life and worshiped it. Of course, the tradition of decorating a tree dates back to pagan times. However, Christianity is known to have adopted many pagan rites. Therefore, the fir tree began to decorate for Christmas.

Fashion to install and decorate spruce under New Year in Russia, the reformer tsar Peter I introduced it. The German tradition quickly became popular in our country, and to this day we put this pretty tree in our apartments, houses or household plots.

Chemical composition

In general, common spruce, like any other plant, is formed by a complex of organic and mineral substances. However, the proportions of some substances fluctuate depending on the season. Therefore, there is evidence that there are more useful substances in winter spruces than in trees of other seasons of the year.

The organic component of the composition is represented by a large number of phytoncides, resinous and tannic components, vitamins, polyprenols, as well as carbohydrates, fiber and some other substances.

Various mineral salts are dissolved in the cell sap of the Christmas tree, which are donors of substances such as iron, magnesium, manganese, and aluminum. It is known that different parts of this plant contain different elements, for example, the bark of a tree contains tannins, which are practically absent in other parts of the tree.

This phenomenon is associated with aspects of the life of spruce. Features of the seasonal composition determine the time of collection of medicinal raw materials, for example, it is better to collect cones in the summer, and take needles from young spring twigs.

Application in traditional medicine

Norway spruce has a lot of useful properties, so even official medicine recognizes it.

There are currently several pharmaceuticals which are used to cure various diseases. A typical example is the drug "Pana-Bin", which is a mixture of essential oils of spruce needles and peach oil, mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. This preparation is used to treat urolithiasis, because the substances that make up the needles affect the smooth muscles of the ureters.

The medicinal qualities of common spruce are widely used in various traditional medicine recipes. For the treatment of various diseases, specialists in the field of homeopathy use different raw materials from spruce.
Phytoncides included in the composition different parts spruce, determine its therapeutic effect on respiratory system person. Many problems associated with the area of ​​specialization of the ENT doctor can be solved through the use of infusions and decoctions on spruce. IN traditional medicine for this purpose, use a decoction on spruce cones.
Ingredients: finely chopped cones - 1 tbsp. spoon, water - 2 tbsp. Preparation and reception: the components are mixed and boiled for about 0.5 hours. Strained broth is used for inhalation, which should be carried out for at least 10-15 minutes. The liquid can be reused, preheated. The shelf life of the decoction is 3 days if stored in the refrigerator.

With the help of inhalations with a decoction of spruce cones, respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma are treated. Also, a decoction can be used to gargle with sore throat, laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis. In case of diseases of the nasal passages - sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis - washing them with salted infusion on spruce cones is useful.

In addition to spruce cones, spruce resin is used to treat the internal respiratory tract - bronchi. To do this, it is mixed with beeswax, having previously melted, in a ratio of 1: 1. After cooling, the viscous mass is rolled into balls, which can be stored for a long time. Application occurs by burning (smoldering) one ball and inhaling the resulting smoke.

For the treatment of various diseases musculoskeletal system people use spruce needles. The composition of this plant element includes vitamins, tannins and essential oils. Together, they have an analgesic, diaphoretic and antimicrobial effect on a person. These mechanisms underlie the use of spruce as a medicinal raw material in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and sciatica. There is a recipe among the people that has been used since ancient times.

Ingredients: finely chopped spruce needles - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot water -1 glass. Preparation and reception: the needles are brewed with boiling water and simmered over low heat for about half an hour. The infusion is filtered and used to rub the affected joints.

Also, for the treatment of pain in the joints, especially at the stage of the process, when the shape of the joint is transformed, resin helps, otherwise - spruce resin. To do this, it is placed in a damp warm gauze, heated to a temperature of 30-40 degrees and the gauze (or bandage) soaked in resin is applied to the diseased joints of the arms or legs. In some cases, even spruce wood can be used to treat diseases of the spine and back. For example, from sciatica among the people there is the following recipe:

Ingredients: wood chips or finely chopped spruce needles - 0.5 kg. Preparation and reception: vegetable raw materials are calcined in the oven or in a frying pan and transferred to a woven bag. A hot bag is placed on a sore spot on the back, previously covered with a waffle towel or diaper.

At the same time, the therapeutic effect is achieved simultaneously from heating the affected area, and also, when cooling, the wood raw material releases aromatic substances that have a psychological calming effect on the patient and disinfects the air. Warming up with this method is carried out for 15-20 minutes.

In folk medicine, the calming effect of spruce raw materials is used. For the treatment of chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety and even neurosis, it is useful to use lying, sitting and foot baths. For insomnia, spruce needles are used, placed in a woven bag, which is placed close to the pillow. However, it should be borne in mind that over time, such a handbag with needles loses its useful properties, so vegetable raw materials are recommended for replacement at least once every 2 months.

For baths, water extracts and decoctions of spruce needles are used. They are bred in the volume of warm or hot water poured into the bath. There is the following recipe based on needles.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 100g, warm water -1 liter. Preparation and reception: The components are mixed and allowed to boil in a saucepan with a covered lid for about half an hour over medium heat. The broth is filtered and poured into a lying bath (volume 200 liters).

Also, anxiety, restlessness and increased excitability can be fought with the help of young spruce shoots or the upper parts of the stem of the branch (where the needles are softest). On their basis, water extracts are made, which are mixed with warm water and taken in the form of sitz or foot baths. The shoot extract recipe is similar to that described for pine needles. The proportions must be kept the same, but the concentration of the therapeutic composition will differ, because for a foot bath you will need 250 g of medicinal raw materials, and for a sedentary bath - 750 g.

For the treatment of various wounds, suppurations, boils, abrasions or ulcers, treatment with spruce resin is widespread among the people. Numerous biologically active substances, contained in the composition of this product, cause bacteriostatic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects on external lesions of the skin and mucous membranes.

In addition, the use of resin as an ointment relieves the pain that accompanies various external injuries, including pain from a burn. Among the people, there are quite a few ways to prepare medicinal components based on resin. Let's take a look at some of them.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, butter -1 part, beeswax - 1 part. Preparation and reception: the melted components are mixed and placed in a container with a lid. With the resulting ointment, lubricate the areas of skin affected by a boil, ulcer or abscess.

Ingredients: resin, flower honey, any vegetable oil (sunflower, hemp, linseed, olive). Preparation and reception: all components are taken in a ratio of 1: 1: 1, heated until purchased liquid state and mix. The cooled mixture is lubricated with abscesses, ulcers, festering wounds. You can use this ointment in the form of patches.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, pork fat - 1 part, yellow wax - 1 part. Preparation and reception: these substances are melted in a water bath and mixed. This composition can treat such complex wounds as thermal and chemical burns, fistulas, as well as abscesses, abscesses and abscesses.

Norway spruce is popularly known as a source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Its antiscorbutic therapeutic effect is based on this property, because scurvy is an acute lack of vitamin C, leading to severe consequences for the human connective tissue. This property of spruce raw materials was widely used during the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, in cases of shortage of this most important vitamin for a person, the following recipe is used, based on spruce medicinal raw materials.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 30g, hot boiling water - 0.5 liters. Preparation and reception: The plant component is scalded in a container with a lid. The mixture is infused for at least several hours and, in a strained state, is drunk before meals 3 times a day.

In addition, spruce needles, buds, shoots and other parts of the tree are used to treat other vitamin deficiencies. The fact is that in addition to the described vitamin C, this plant also contains vitamin A (carotene), E (tocopherol), as well as some representatives of the B group vitamin family. In this vein, the following multivitamin solution is taken.

Ingredients: needles or tops of spruce shoots finely chopped - 5 tbsp. spoons, wild rose (fruits) - 3 tbsp. spoons, onion peel (chopped) - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot boiling water - 0.7 l. Preparation and reception: vegetable raw materials are brewed with hot boiled water and kept at medium heat for another 5-7 minutes. Cool for two hours with the lid of the pan closed, in which boiling was carried out. The tincture is taken in the volume of half a glass 3 times a day, daily for a month, after which it is taken for a break for 10-12 days.

In addition, there is a recipe for monoinfusion on spruce. At the same time, needles and water are combined in a ratio of 1: 2, and honey or sugar can be added to the strained infusion to improve the taste. Tincture is taken in half a glass in the morning and before bedtime.

Contraindications to taking spruce medicinal raw materials

With the whole mass of useful substances that make up this plant, common spruce also has a negative impact on human health. In particular, doctors have found that the intake of spruce essential oils has a negative effect on the condition of people suffering from kidney diseases such as nephritis or nephrosis. In addition, spruce phytoncides are a fairly powerful allergen, so allergy sufferers should take spruce medicines with caution.

The intake of water extracts and infusions of spruce inside is contraindicated for people suffering from ulceration of various parts of the intestine, as well as gastritis.

Coniferous baths should be taken with caution for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, in particular, hypertensive patients. Varicose veins and thrombosis are also a contraindication to taking lying or sitting baths with spruce infusions.

The condition of cancer patients can also worsen when taking coniferous baths.

Spruce is a coniferous, evergreen plant belonging to the pine family. The tree in question, which has a pyramidal crown, reaches a height of 40-50 m. Its trunk is tapered, that is, it gradually narrows in diameter from the base to the top. The thickness of the spruce in the lower part can be up to one meter. The bark on the branches of the tree, smooth to the touch, has a red-brown color, on the trunk it is brownish-gray, with an uneven surface, in small areas it peels off.

Spruce branches are placed in regular whorls, covered with single, hard, dark green needle-shaped leaves, the length of which is 2-2.5 cm, the thickness is 1-1.5 mm. The plant in question is monoecious, that is, it contains female and male generative parts. Spruce has no flowers and fruits. In the lower part of the shoot there are male elongated cylindrical spikelets (reddish-yellow cones 2-2.5 cm long), surrounded at the base by light green scales, in the upper part of the shoot there are female spikelets (they are larger and have a reddish-brown color). Fertilized ovules develop into seeds. At the same time, female spikelets turn into a cone, which consists of an axis and woody scales of a light brown shade attached to it. Spruce cones are cylindrical, hanging, rounded at both ends. Their length reaches 10-16 cm, diameter is 3-4 cm. At first they are red, then they turn green, and then brown. Seeds are dark brown, ovoid.

Spruce harvesting and storage

For medicinal purposes, cones, needles, bark, spruce buds are used. Buds should be harvested in early spring, before they bloom. Dry them in the open air, spreading out a thin layer. Collection of cones is carried out in the summer before the formation of seeds. It is necessary to store raw materials in a dry, dark place in a cardboard, paper box, cloth bag.

Application in everyday life

Spruce is the main raw material for the production of cardboard and paper. It is widely used in construction, in carpentry, in particular, for the manufacture of furniture. In addition, telegraph poles, sleepers for railway, musical instruments (for example, violins). Spruce shavings, trimming, sawdust, chips are used in chemical industry(Ethyl alcohol is obtained from them by hydrolysis, as well as such building materials as a plasticizer). When distilling spruce wood, acetic acid, methyl alcohol, is obtained. Due to the fact that tannins are present in the bark of the plant in question, it is used in the leather industry. Turpentine and rosin are obtained from resin-resin.

The composition and medicinal properties of spruce

  • Spruce bark contains fineness, needles contain vitamin C, essential oil, tannins, as well as resin and trace elements (manganese, iron, copper). The cones contain phytoncides, minerals, essential oils, resin.
  • Means prepared on the basis of the tree in question have the following effect: expectorant, choleretic, disinfectant, diuretic; diaphoretic, analgesic.
  • A decoction based on the kidneys is used to treat pneumonia, inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (for inhalation), pulmonary tuberculosis, rheumatism, to eliminate edema of renal or cardiac origin, as well as for gout, nephrolithiasis, rheumatism (in the form of a therapeutic bath) , as a choleretic, diuretic composition.
  • A decoction of spruce cones is recommended for rinsing the mouth, with a runny nose (instilled inside), chronic tonsillitis, tonsillitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, bronchial asthma.
  • Infusion of needles is used for preventive purposes, as well as for the treatment of scurvy. Traditional healers are also advised to take it as a bacteriostatic and antispasmodic agent, for fungal skin diseases, atherosclerosis.
  • Infusion of cones should be used for sore throat, pharyngitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, vasomotor rhinitis, for the prevention of childhood infections.
  • Spruce resin diluted in equal proportions with wax, honey, sunflower oil (all components need to be slightly warmed up) is applied to abrasions, abscesses, ulcers, cuts, burns. It promotes their speedy healing.
  • Coniferous extract is recommended to be added to the bath in the following cases:
  1. with a disorder of the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system (if a person has neurosis, neurasthenia, sciatica, neuritis, plexitis);
  2. in case of overwork;
  3. with weakened muscle tone;
  4. persons suffering from polyarthritis, hypertension of 1-2 degrees.

The use of spruce in traditional medicine

An infusion of fir cones used for inhalation, rinsing with sore throat, tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract

Pour the crushed dry spruce cones with boiling water in a ratio of 1: 5, cook for half an hour, stirring, then leave for 15 minutes. Strain the finished composition through cheesecloth, folded in three layers. The liquid in the end should have a brown color, an astringent taste and smell of needles. Store it in a dark, cool place for no more than 72 hours.

For inhalation, the infusion must be heated to a temperature of 60-80. For one procedure, 20-30 ml of the product is required. Rinsing should be carried out with a composition whose temperature is 35-40 degrees. They are performed 2-4 times a day. With rhinitis, the infusion is instilled into the nose for 5-10 drops.

Spruce-based vitamin infusion with antiscurvy, tonic effect

Pound spruce needles in a mortar, adding a small amount of cold drinking water fill them up boiled water in a ratio of 1:10, acidify with citric acid (you can use ordinary lemon juice), boil for half an hour, let it brew for 2-3 hours. After straining, the solution is drunk after a meal, a quarter to a half glass a day.

A decoction of shoots and cones of spruce, used for dropsy

Pour young shoots and cones of the tree in question (30 g) with a liter of milk and bring to a boil. After straining, take the product three times a day, dividing the entire volume into three parts.

Needle-based remedy to increase immunity

Pour spruce needles with water in a ratio of 1:5, leave for an hour. It is necessary to take the composition in winter, 40 drops a day, in summer the daily dose is 20 drops.

Spruce needle syrup used for coughs, mental fatigue, excessive appetite, infertility

Peel the needles from the spruce branches (it is better to use a knife for these purposes), chop them using a rolling pin, put them in a separate container, filling it a quarter. After that, add honey (so that it fills the empty volume of the jar), close the lid tightly, put in warm place for 21 days. After specified period strain composition.

With a constant cough, take half a teaspoon a day six times. The course of treatment is 7 days. With excessive appetite, the composition should be consumed 5 minutes before or immediately after a meal, one tablespoon, without drinking water. If you have hard mental work, drink 1-2 teaspoons of syrup several times a day. With infertility, it is recommended to take the composition several times a day for a tablespoon.

Infusion of the kidneys, used for colds, throat diseases, bronchial asthma

Finely chop the spruce buds, add 3-4 liters of water per kilogram of collection. Boil the product for 10-15 minutes, strain, let stand and strain again through cheesecloth. For one liter of decoction, add one kilogram of honey and propolis extract (30 g of propolis per 100 ml of alcohol). After thoroughly mixing the composition, heat it to a temperature of 40-45 degrees. Chilled infusion should be taken three times a day, one teaspoon.

Remedy for chronic bronchitis, chronic cough

Mix spruce resin with yellow wax in a ratio of 1: 1, melt the mixture, cool. Putting it on hot coals, inhale the deeply emitted smoke for 10-15 minutes.

Spruce resin ointment for the treatment of pustular wounds, ulcers

Mix gum resin (100 g) with unsalted lard (100 g), natural beeswax (100 g). Place the composition in a container, boil for 10 minutes, constantly stirring the product, removing the resulting foam. The resulting ointment covers the washed wound and wraps the affected area with a bandage. The bandage should be kept for 1-2 days.

Contraindications

Spruce-based products should not be used by people suffering from nephrosis, nephritis, stomach ulcers, hyperacid gastritis.