The use of spruce by man. Useful properties and use of spruce, recipes from spruce needles. Dwarf spruce, varieties and types, names and photos

Spruce is an amazing plant: it can be used to treat various diseases in its entirety. Cones, needles, branches and buds have unique beneficial properties. The diuretic effect of infusion of needles is used to effectively treat the organs of the entire urinary system. Essential compounds boast bactericidal and antiviral properties. As an aromatherapy, spruce essential oil is used for diseases of the upper respiratory tract, as well as to increase immunity and prevent acute respiratory infections.

In addition, spruce oil can eliminate overexertion and nervousness, enhance the protective properties of the skin and improve the overall tone of the human body. Being indoors, in a short time, essential compounds of spruce neutralize harmful microorganisms, filling the house with oxygen and a healing microclimate and weakening electromagnetic radiation from household appliances.

spruce application

With rheumatism, an infusion of Siberian spruce needles is prescribed. For viral infections, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and scurvy, it is recommended to use a decoction of young branches, buds and spruce cones. From the resin, you can prepare an excellent ointment that will help get rid of. If you regularly make baths from spruce legs, you can cure sciatica. To get rid of, effective inhalations are often prescribed with wax and resin vapors. A vitamin drink made from pine needles will increase the body's resistance to various adverse environmental influences.

Spruce Recipes

It is no coincidence that various recipes for effective spruce remedies are very popular in traditional medicine.

A decoction of spruce needles. To prepare an antiscurvy decoction, you should take spruce needles and finely grind it. For one glass of boiling water, take 1 tablespoon of pine needles. This mixture must be boiled for 30 minutes, then put in a warm place and let it brew for about three hours. The course of treatment involves taking a decoction of 100 grams during the day. In addition, such a healing vitamin drink has a general strengthening effect on the body and perfectly cleanses the blood of harmful impurities.

Infusion of spruce cones. Such a wonderful remedy is prepared from spruce cones. Young cones should be crushed and pour hot water at the rate of 1:5, then boil the mixture for 30-40 minutes and leave it for 15 minutes. After this, it is recommended to strain the infusion. The liquid has a brown tint, astringent taste and a specific smell. Store this infusion in a dark and cool place for a maximum of three days. This tool can be used for inhalation - 20 ml for an adult per procedure. To strengthen the immune system, a vitamin infusion of cones is prescribed. To do this, in a ratio of 1:10, pour the cones with water, add lemon and boil for half an hour. After three hours of infusion, strain the mixture. As a general tonic, the infusion is taken half a glass in the morning before meals.

Spruce tincture. An amazing tincture from the kidneys is prescribed for bronchitis, tuberculosis, renal edema, bronchial and. For cooking, pour vodka in an amount of 0.5 liters about three tablespoons of young coniferous branches along with buds. The mixture should be closed tightly in a glass container and infused for at least 14 days, shaking occasionally. This remedy is taken three times a day before meals.

spruce needles

Spruce needles are often prescribed to strengthen the immune system. If you chew 2-3 needles daily for a month, you can feel a noticeable surge of vigor and strength. Or you can prepare a particularly effective remedy from two tablespoons of chopped pine needles to one glass of boiling water. The mixture should be boiled for 20 minutes, and then sugar can be added to it to taste. Divide the mixture into three doses and drink throughout the day.

Spruce buds

Resinous spruce buds, which are collected in early spring, are often used to prepare an effective tincture for getting rid of rhinitis, bronchial asthma and other respiratory diseases. It is no coincidence that such kidneys are included in many medicinal preparations for expectorant purposes. Spruce buds are extremely useful for tuberculosis and pneumonia. Along with this, such herbal preparations are indispensable in the treatment of fungal diseases.

spruce cones

Healing young spruce cones are often used in folk medicine. They contain tannins, essential oil, vitamin C, resin, manganese, copper, aluminium, iron and chromium. Due to this, spruce cones have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic and analgesic effects. In addition, the cones are an excellent antiscorbutic agent. An infusion of spruce cones can perfectly treat tonsillitis, bronchitis and pneumonia in both adults and children. Also, cones are useful for pharyngitis and sinusitis.

Spruce species

There are about fifty different types of spruce. Let's look at a few of the most popular.

Norway spruce grows in central Russia. It reaches 50 meters in height and can live three hundred years. This species prefers acidic and well-drained soils and cannot tolerate salinity or stagnant water.

Canadian spruce has a dense cone-shaped crown and dove-colored needles. Such a tree can grow up to 30 meters. Its branches are directed obliquely upwards. However, in old trees they are somewhat lowered. To the characteristics of the soil, such a spruce is completely undemanding. It is drought tolerant and winter hardy. Lives about 400-500 years.

Prickly spruce grows no more than 25 meters in height. Occasionally, specimens up to 45 meters are found in nature. This light-loving species lives for about 100 years. The pyramidal crown is decorated with dense tiers of regularly shaped branches. The color of the prickly needles is from greenish to silvery. Prickly spruce is resistant to various atmospheric pollution. This tree does not like fertile and highly moist soil.

Engelman spruce has a dense pyramidal crown and grows up to 50 meters high. Such a tree can live up to 400 years. Slightly drooping branches with stiff silvery needles give this plant a chic look. Engelman spruce is a winter-hardy tree. It prefers well-drained soils. This species is propagated by seeds, grafting and cuttings.

Spruce contraindications

Numerous drugs containing spruce elements are not recommended for use in hyperacid and gastric ulcers. In addition, a contraindication is individual intolerance.

Expert editor: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna| Phytotherapist

Education: A diploma in the specialty "Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the University named after N. I. Pirogov (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Moscow University of Peoples' Friendship (2008).

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 the Cretaceous period of the 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.

The fashion for the installation and decoration of spruce on New Year's Eve in Russia was introduced by the reformer Tsar Peter I. The German tradition quickly became popular in our country, and to this day we put this pretty tree in our apartments, houses or garden 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.

Currently, there are several pharmaceutical preparations that 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, which are part of different parts of spruce, determine its therapeutic effect on the human respiratory system. 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 folk medicine, a decoction of spruce cones is used for this purpose.
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 of the human musculoskeletal system, spruce needles are used. 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 sore 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 combated 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 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 a liquid state is obtained and mixed. 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.

A well-known tree of the pine family is an ordinary spruce, we call it a Christmas tree. Spruce is not an exotic tree (at least in Russia), but not an ordinary one either. In the territories known today as Russia and Siberia, spruce has been growing since ancient times, from the very Cretaceous period - and this is at least 70 million years of history.

Where and how spruces grow

Now spruce forests cover large areas in northeastern Europe, in Central and Central Russia spruce actively “mixes” with pine and hardwoods, and in the Siberian taiga it forms pure spruce forests, in which it reigns supreme. In Europe, spruces often grow on mountain slopes - for example, in the Pyrenees, the Alps or the Carpathians: these trees are not demanding on soils, but they do not like strong dampness - their root system is poorly fixed in constant moisture.

It is believed that spruce lives on average 300 years, but in the vicinity of hardwoods, its age is halved.

The beauty and charm of spruce among coniferous and other trees is unlikely to be denied by any of our compatriots: for us, too much is associated with this tree, including New Year and Christmas; perhaps only birch can compete with spruce in popularity. Evergreen, fluffy, fragrant beauties with a conical, pointed crown reach a height of 30-35 m, and sometimes 50 m; their "sprawling" branches and twigs are densely covered with fragrant, prickly needles.

Even in pagan times, the Germanic peoples considered spruce to be the "spirit of the forest" - Peter I adopted the tradition of decorating these trees on New Year's holidays from them. However, the Slavs also associated many interesting legends and beliefs with spruce, and its use has always been very wide and complete - from tree trunks to dark green needles.

Norway spruce - modern application

Nowadays, spruce is used even more widely: houses are built from spruce logs and many modern building materials are produced, furniture, paper, cellulose and even artificial silk are made. It is interesting that musical instruments are made from spruce wood, and rosin is made from its resin. Neither shavings nor sawdust disappear: the chemical industry is developing, so they are used to manufacture ethyl alcohol and plasticizers. In the leather industry, spruce bark is used, which has pronounced tanning properties.

In forestry and landscaping, the common spruce has been cultivated for a very long time: due to the peculiarities of its genetics, it can form dozens of forms with different types of branching, and specialists identify and cultivate these types. Landscape architects and gardeners use dozens of different forms of Norway spruce: planted along roadsides to protect from snow, in hedges, alleys, etc.

The use of spruce in scientific and folk medicine

The healing properties of spruce have long been widely known: in spruce forests, the air has a pronounced healing effect - it is no coincidence that there are always a lot of mushrooms, berries and medicinal herbs. Therefore, even now, in the age of high technology, spruce is used for medicinal purposes "in full": these are cones, bark, resin, branches, buds and needles.

Different parts of spruce contain active substances in different proportions, on which the action of drugs is based - however, its chemical composition has not yet been fully studied.


The needles contain a lot of vitamin C (400-800 mg), there are minerals and mineral salts, essential oil, phytoncides, tannins, resins; the same substances are found in cones and buds, bark, and in the branches there are many aromatic alcohols and natural hydrocarbons - complex volatile compounds. Spruce resin (resin) consists of turpentine, rosin, essential oils and organic acids.

Spruce preparations have bactericidal, diuretic, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, antiallergic, diaphoretic, choleretic, expectorant, astringent, enveloping effects; improve the processes of hematopoiesis and metabolism; heal wounds, burns, frostbite and trophic ulcers. A lot of dosage forms and recipes are used.

So, gum turpentine is used in medicine: the main raw material for its production is turpentine - a thick resinous juice of spruces and other conifers. Now gum turpentine is used to treat a huge number of serious diseases - for example, those of the osteoarticular and nervous systems; as a rule, it is used for medicinal baths, but ointments, rubbing, intramuscular injections are also made with it, and it is taken orally.

Nikolai Pirogov, the great surgeon and founder of Russian anesthesiology, considered turpentine to be an excellent wound healing agent, and Russian surgeons used it to process suture material back in the 19th century.

Some medicines are made from gum turpentine: for example, the well-known camphor and terpinhydrate, a drug used in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

With SARS, diseases of the lungs, respiratory tract, throat (laryngitis, pharyngitis) and nose (rhinitis, sinusitis), an infusion of spruce cones helps. They are crushed, pour 40 g of raw materials with a glass of boiling water and boil for half an hour over low heat, stirring; remove, cool for 15 minutes, filter through several layers of gauze. Keep the infusion in the refrigerator, and after 3 days make a new one. Inhalations are made with it, instilled into the nose, the maxillary sinuses are washed, the throat and mouth are rinsed.


As a tonic for hypovitaminosis and weak immunity, for coughing - as an expectorant, for some diseases of the kidneys and bladder, infusion of spruce needles is taken orally, up to 5 times a day, 50 ml each. The needles are not cut too finely, pour 40 g of raw materials with boiling water (250 ml), filter after 20 minutes.

Alcohol tincture for the treatment of any cold, pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchial asthma and diseases of the upper respiratory tract is prepared both from needles and from buds and spruce cones - the raw materials must be young and fresh. 2-3 tbsp raw materials are poured with vodka (1/2 l), tightly closed, left in a dark place for 14 days; Shake the container periodically. Then filter and 3 times a day are taken orally, before meals, 1 tbsp. with hot water (1/2 cup).

You can strengthen immunity for a long time if you take a vitamin decoction from spruce needles in the cold season. Coniferous needles are ground in a wooden container with a pestle, adding a little water; add another 10 parts of water, pour into a saucepan and boil for half an hour over low heat. Remove, leave for 3 hours, filter and add a little lemon (cranberry) juice. Drink 2 times a day after meals, 0.5-0.25 cups; the same infusion is taken for scurvy.

Pine needle juice, if taken regularly and long enough, can completely cure many serious diseases, including tuberculosis. They get juice from the needles of young shoots - they must be collected before May 15. The raw materials are thoroughly washed, dried, the needles are separated, crushed and mixed in a jar with honey 1:1. Cleaned for 14 days in a cool dark place, stirred from time to time. The resulting juice is drained and put in the refrigerator. Drink 2 tbsp. in the morning, before meals, with tuberculosis, asthma and other pulmonary diseases, hypovitaminosis; children - 1 tbsp.

With gastritis and peptic ulcer, drugs are not taken orally.

is one of the names of God. evergreen tree very valuable, since it produces beautiful, resinous wood, which serves us for production:

• paper,
• furniture,
• building materials,
• musical instruments (violins, cellos)

In addition, coniferous plants enrich the air oxygen reducing the amount of carbon dioxide. Due to the fact that oxygen is a necessary component for the life of people and animals, life on Earth without green plants would be impossible.
To enrich cities and villages with oxygen - avenues, boulevards, streets, etc. plant trees. People plant trees, shrubs, equip parks, boulevards, flower beds, lawns. In general, in any city on the planet, they try to plant as many plants as possible, which are so necessary to maintain the health of the population. Given that plants absorb carbon dioxide, they also release oxygen and some gaseous substances into the air, which trap dust and destroy harmful microbes. From the resulting oleoresin are obtained: rosin, turpentine, wood vinegar, tar, methyl alcohol, essential oils.

Spruce is used in:

• park building,
• ornamental gardening,
• serves as food for birds and animals,
• in creating windbreaks

The hard bark is used as a leather tanning agent. Coniferous-vitamin flour is also made from it, which is fed to farm animals. The speed of sound in wood is 15 times faster than in air.

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Since childhood, at Christmas and New Year, people are accustomed to smelling fir branches. Mixing 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 ancient times, remaining evergreen, Spruce was an allegory of eternal youth and immortality, longevity and fidelity.

For the same reasons, the spruce "spruce" has been and remains in many villages a sign of a bygone life. During the course of the funeral procession, a “lapnik” made 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 in an open area, its shade-tolerant counterparts are found.

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 the Far East, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. Even in North America and China, individual species of this prickly fragrant tree grow.

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 the prey of 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.