If you met a flower with a dense and bright cap of the most delicate inflorescences, similar to a soaring cloud on top of green foliage, then we can say with confidence that this is a limonium, which many gardeners dream of with lust.

This multi-colored handsome man has a very original appearance, not like the rest of the flowers in the flower bed. Only in last years the plant has gained immense popularity among flower growers, and before that only the most experienced specialists knew about it.

We must pay tribute to this amazing plant, because it also has a very flexible character, there are no special claims and whims when growing. Most varieties of kermek are perennials and there is no need to renew plantings annually.

It should also be noted that limonium, for the most part, is frost-resistant and can easily endure the winter inconveniences of mid-latitudes.

Kermek owes its unusual name to Turkic roots. But this unusually beautiful plant has many more different names. One of them is limonium. This name is Greek and has nothing to do with lemons. Translated from ancient Greek, this word means meadow.

We can also hear the name statice, and in other countries, kermek is called “sea lavender” or “marsh rosemary”.

Varieties of limonium have long settled in vast territories: these are North America, Australia, Africa, and Europe. They can grow even on saline shores of the seas. And some species are found even in areas with very severe climatic conditions, Altai and Siberia.

Some species growing in steppe and desert areas form tumbleweeds, dispersing seeds for survival and expansion of habitat.

The handsome Kermek also has a lot of useful properties known since ancient times. From it are obtained multi-colored natural dyes used for dyeing leather and yarn for carpets. The roots of limonium contain tannin, which is used in the leather industry.

Also known are his healing properties. It is used to heal wounds and as a means to stop bleeding. But the most important advantage of kermek is the decoration of gardens.

The genus is quite numerous, numbering more than three hundred species.

Limonium belongs to the lead family. Grows as a herbaceous or shrub plant. There are perennials and biennials. IN natural environment habitat can grow up to two meters in height.

The roots of Kermek reach a meter in length, so the plant has adapted to survive in arid areas with a lack of water, extracting it at great depths.

The leaf blades are lanceolate in shape and are collected in a rosette around the root, or long and saber-shaped.

The color of the leaf plates is green, less often - grayish-green. The stems are pubescent, somewhat branched upwards. The flowers are shaped like bells. Small in size, collected in spikelets, which then form panicles or corymbose inflorescences.

In mid-latitudes, limonium begins to bloom from July until the start of frost. In warmer climates, kermek blooms much earlier.

The color of the inflorescences is very diverse. You can find white, and different shades of purple, and pink, purple, green, yellow. Many species are grown not only as an ornamental plant, but also as an excellent honey plant.

Species and varieties

Kermeks, as ornamental crops, are divided into perennials and annuals.

Perennial:

Broad-leaved or flat-leaved - Limonium platyphyllum

It got this name because of its wide, leathery leaves of rich, green color. This is a herbaceous pubescent plant, medium high, reaching 60-70 centimeters in height.

Peduncles that grow from the center of the rosette do not have leaves. Small, lilac-purple flowers, on branched shoots are presented in the form of corymbose inflorescences.

Flowering begins in July and continues until mid-September. During flowering, the flat-leaved kermek is a colorful sight. It looks like a large ball woven from fine lace, up to half a meter in diameter.

Kermek broadleaf, coming from wildlife, has remained virtually unchanged in home gardens. In the natural environment, it grows in steppe conditions. Although no one specifically bred them, this species is so frost-resistant and just as decorative that it remains one of the most popular.

Growing under natural conditions in the steppe and arid areas, broad-leaved limonium also requires the same conditions in the garden. Sunny and open places are best suited for it.

Gmelina - Limonium gmelinii

This type is most often used as medicinal plant. As an ornamental flower, Gmelin's kermek is less common than flat-leaved. This flower reaches half a meter in height, has a widely branched stem and bluish-green leaves, collected in a basal rosette.

Peduncles are not as lush as those of its broad-leaved relative, collected in dense, lilac-colored brushes, with a large number of small flowers.

In nature, it lives on salty soils on sea ​​shores. Growth area in natural conditions- steppe regions of Siberia, Mongolia and Northern China. In colder areas, the plant requires shelter from the winter cold, and with the advent of spring - shading from bright sunlight.

Ordinary - Limonium vulgare

This perennial has large basal leaves and very small purple flowers in panicles of inflorescences. It reaches half a meter in height.

The stems of this species are straight and bare, the roots are pivotal, reaching up to one meter in length. Sheet plates have an oval shape, assembled with a rosette.

Tatar

Kermek Tatar grows in the southern part European Russia, in the Caucasus and Ukraine, as well as in Bulgaria. It has wide leaf plates with a leathery structure. This is a low plant, up to 40 centimeters high. In the steppes grows like a tumbleweed.

This species is unpretentious, can grow well on dry and stony soils, adapts to both chalky and acidic soils.

Forms a very lush spherical bush during flowering. Blossoms in June, spreading peduncles, white small flowers.

This kermek is an ideal decoration for a sunny alpine slide, often used as a dried flower.

Caspian - Limonium caspium

It belongs to heat-loving species, grows on salt marshes. Grows up to 70 centimeters in height. Peduncles have tiny and highly branched shoots resembling leaves.

The flowers are small, pale purple. For growing in open field in the middle lane is unsuitable, does not tolerate winter temperature drops.

In the southern regions, it is often grown as a dried flower, because it does not lose color after drying.

Annuals:

Kermek Notched

Notched or dark blue limonium - Limonium sinuatum

In mid-latitude conditions, this perennial plant is grown as an annual. Grows up to 60-80 centimeters in height. It has light green leafy plates located in a rosette at the root.

The shoots are erect, with inflorescences at the ends, in the form of dense corymbs, consisting of small flowers collected in spikelets. Their colors are very diverse: white, yellow, pink, purple.

Mandatory when growing is the presence of a maximum of light. The slightest lack of illumination will negatively affect the quality of the flowers and the duration of flowering in general.

Kermek Perez - Limonium perezii

This rare exotic, originally from the Canary Islands, has large and very beautiful inflorescence caps and dense oval leaves.

Coloring - various shades of blue-violet palette. But for flowering, it needs a hot and long summer, it is easier to grow in the southern regions.

Cultivation and care

When growing Kermek, the main condition will be to find a bright, sunny place to plant. This is perhaps the main condition for growing. Without enough light, the stems will begin to stretch and thin, the flowers will not be able to start at all.

But the composition of the soil for limonium of great importance does not have. But on too heavy clay soils it is better not to plant it. The best option there will be a choice of loose, well-drained soil, to which sand is added.

In dry weather, Kermek is moderately watered; this steppe plant calmly tolerates a lack of moisture. But if the leaves are dehydrated, wither, then watering is still necessary.

With top dressing, too, everything is simple. Complex fertilizers are applied only once, when planting, no more kermek is required. But if limonium is grown to get a lush bouquet, then top dressing is done twice a month, and they also mulch and loosen the soil around the bush.

Kermek, cultivation and care, video:

Flowering of perennial species begins in the second or even third year after planting, after the formation of a powerful root system.

Almost all species normally tolerate wintering in mid-latitude conditions without shelter. Kermek suffers only from spring floods, since this handsome man does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil.

Diseases and pests

Limonium is extremely hardy and pests do not interfere with it. The exception is aphid. From this scourge, spraying with insecticides helps.

Excessive watering and waterlogged soil can lead to the formation of root rot. Good drainage and careful watering can help here.

Kermek belongs to a perennial herbaceous plant species, it has been used since ancient times as a healing agent, with the help of which you can get rid of various ailments. The root is rich in tannin, phytoncides, gallic and ellagic acids. Traditional medicine appreciates this remedy because it has a hemostatic and astringent effect. Kermek is original and unusual view plants, besides the fact that it has a lot of useful properties, it is also very beautiful. When the plant begins to bloom, the bush takes on the shape of an umbrella, then, when the seeds ripen, it takes on the shape of a ball.

Description of Kermek

The plant belongs to the family Svinchatye. The name is translated as lawn, glade. It is also called limonium, it can be found in the Mediterranean, Central Asia. There are a lot of types of kermek in Russia. Most of all likes salty soils. The people still know the name as tumbleweed. Kermek is distinguished by a perennial rhizome system, the outlet has a large number of basal leaves. It is very rare to find a shrub or semi-shrub. Kermek flowers are yellow, pink and purple in color, can be collected in one or many-flowered spikelets, they prefer to be collected in loose or dense spikelets. Kermek is distinguished by a spherical inflorescence, which is located on a round peduncle. The corolla has a dry calyx. Blossoming begins in the middle of summer, continues until the onset of frost.

It is the Kermek root that is most valued, it must be specially dug up in the fall, then washed thoroughly, while not forgetting to get rid of thin roots and damaged parts, then dried in the shade on the street, this can be done in a special dryer, the temperature should not be higher than 60 degrees . You can store it no more than three years, because then it loses everything beneficial features.

It is easy to grow this type of plant, it does not require constant moisture, it does not need to be constantly watered. Also, the bush normally adapts to frost, it is resistant to them.

But be sure to keep in mind that limonium cannot be planted near groundwater.

Because the root can go down, then when they are dug up, they begin to get damaged.

The plant reproduces best with the help of seeds, it is best to sow them in early spring, this will require special pots and a nutrient mixture, in August Kermek can be transplanted into the garden. The plant can easily take root in different soils if it has enough lighting.

A special species is Gmelin's kermek, it belongs to a herbaceous plant species, it can reach a height of up to 40 centimeters. It is distinguished by a fleshy, thick, taproot, its stem is short. Limonium is distributed in the West and East of Siberia, on the territory of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia. Likes to grow on the seashore, near dry steppes and salt lakes. The root and aerial parts are actively used by traditional medicine. Because the composition of the Gmelin Kermek root includes many useful substances, such as: coumarin, carbohydrates, tannins, anthocyanins, phenols. It is good to take infusions for those who suffer, it will help solve this problem and increase the pressure to the desired level. A decoction based on the root of Kermek Gmelin is one of the best antimicrobial drugs, therefore, with the help of it, the inflammatory process in the small intestine and gastric walls is treated.

Useful properties of Kermek

Traditional healers consider Kermek root one of the best medicines for the treatment of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it helps especially well with. A peptic ulcer of the duodenum and stomach is treated with the help of a collection in which the Kermek root is an obligatory component.

Hemorrhoids, dysentery, inflammation in the pharynx, oral cavity, can be cured with a powder that is prepared from the root of Kermek. It is also one with the best means, which will help cure female diseases and stop internal bleeding. Often, decoctions are prepared from the root, as well as tinctures on wine, so you can stop bleeding during menstruation.

Very rare as medicine the flowers of the plant are used, but honey extracted by bees is valued from them. When a plant begins to bloom, it has different forms flowers that are very beautiful, so flower growers and designers appreciate it.

Application of Kermek

Traditional medicine has long proven the value of the plant due to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, so wounds heal much faster. A decoction and powder based on the root will help heal hemorrhoids, diarrhea, get rid of, help stop bleeding, which often occurs after childbirth.

Externally, kermek is used for rinsing, and lotions are also made from it, with the help of them they treat gangrene, eczema, stop the inflammatory process in the throat, mouth, and water-salt balance can be normalized.

In patients who have acute diseases in the stomach and intestines, after taking drugs based on Kermek, they significantly improve their well-being. It is also reliable and effective remedy for, gastritis, if, medical scientists have proven that the plant has a bonding effect.

To prepare the decoction, you will need 40 grams of finely chopped root, 500 ml of water, boil everything for up to 8 minutes, then cool the decoction and insist.

The medicine should be taken up to 4 times a day before meals for half a cup. Also, a decoction is advised to be used by gynecologists with uterine fibromyoma.

Contraindications to the use of Kermek

The plant should not be used if a person suffers from constipation, it is also contraindicated if the blood viscosity is high. Official medicine does not use this type of kermek, therefore it is still completely side effects and specific contraindications have not yet been studied.

Kermek Gmelin (Gmelin limonium, meadow kemrek, red katran) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Gilt family. It is found in Siberia and the European part of Russia, grows in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Kermek Gmelina prefers the banks of water bodies, saline meadows and steppes.

Used in Russian traditional medicine and official medicine of Kazakhstan. Also, the plant is popular in ornamental crop production - it is valued for its unpretentiousness and long flowering.

Description and preparation

Kermek Gmelin has a long taproot, a branched stem in the upper half and basal petiolate leaves. From July until frost, Gmelin's kermek blooms with small blue-violet flowers, collected in a wide thyroid-paniculate inflorescence. Kermek fruits are dry purple-brown boxes with small seeds.
As a medicinal raw material, the root of Kermek Gmelin is used. The preparation is made after the kermek has faded: the roots are dug up, cleaned from the ground, wiped with a cloth, cut into pieces, dried in the sun and dried in the shade or in an electric dryer at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. If drying is done on fresh air, then the raw material should be turned over frequently. When harvesting, it is not recommended to take young and old plants.

Dried kermek root is stored no longer than three years.

Composition and properties

Kermek Gmelin root is rich in: tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, higher aromatic carbohydrates, anthocyanins, kahetins, glucose, gallic and ellagic acids. Due to its composition, the plant has: anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hemostatic, hypertensive, antispasmodic, astringent and antioxidant effects.
In folk medicine, Kermek Gmelin is recommended for:

• sore throat, pharyngitis and other inflammatory diseases of the throat and oral cavity;
• malaria;
• catarrh of the stomach with high acidity;
• acute gastrointestinal diseases;
• diarrhea, dysentery;
• hemorrhoids;
• internal and uterine bleeding;
• fibromyoma of the uterus;

• violation of salt metabolism;
• eczema.

Recipes

Infusion for gastritis:

• 2 tbsp crushed kermek Gmelin;
• 2 tbsp. boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the root, boil over low heat for 10 minutes, then remove from the stove and let it brew for two hours. Strain. Drink half a glass three times a day.
Infusion for diarrhea:

• 20 g of Kermek Gmelin root;
• 200 ml hot water.

Fill the kermek with water, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, and then let it brew until cool. Strain. Take half a cup three times a day. Also, this recipe is recommended for uterine bleeding.
Decoction for uterine fibromyoma:

• 40 g of crushed root of Kermek Gmelin;
• 500 ml of water.

Fill the kermek with water, bring to a boil over low heat and boil for 8 minutes. Then remove the decoction from the heat and let it brew for 2 hours. Strain. Take 1/3-1/2 cup 3-4 times daily before meals. Also, this decoction can be used for douching and wetting tampons for gynecological diseases.

Decoction for external use:

• 100 g of crushed root of Kermek Gmelin;
• 1.5 liters of hot water.

Pour the root with water, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes and let cool. Strain. Use for washing and preparing lotions for eczema.
Tincture for gastric and duodenal ulcers:

• 25 g of Kermek Gmelin root;
• 25 g of St. John's wort;
• 1 liter of vodka.

Pour vegetable raw materials with vodka and put in a dark place for two weeks. Strain the infusion. Take 1-2 tablespoons three times a day before meals. The recommended course of treatment is 60 days.

With enterocolitis, take 1-2 grams of powder from the root of Kermek Gmelin 2 times a day after meals.

Contraindications

• childhood;
• pregnancy and lactation;
• tendency to constipation;
• increased blood viscosity;
• individual intolerance.

Before using this plant for treatment, you should consult with your doctor.

Flower growers and florists fell in love with perennials for the beauty of umbellate inflorescences that form an openwork ball. A colorful dried flower is beautiful in garden compositions and in winter bouquets. Flower growers who appreciate the beauty of the Tatar Kermek will be interested in the nuances of agricultural technology who are not familiar with the plant - general information, informative photos.

Kermek Tatar (Goniolimon tataricum), a perennial (semi-shrub), assigned to the genus Goniolimon of the gilly family. Distribution area - plains, rocky slopes of the European part of Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, foothills of the Caucasus.

For the first time, the genus Kermekov was described by Kal Liney, the father of biological taxonomy, as Statice sinuata (statice). The genus was later given the name Limonium. Since the 18th century, the classification has changed, but all types of Kermek continue to be called statice (statice) or limonium.

It is inferior in size to related species - the height of the kermek is up to 30 cm, but the volume of inflorescences is almost equivalent. The root of the plant is rod-shaped, long. The leathery oblong leaves of Kermek are collected in a spreading basal rosette, from where branching flower stalks protrude. Spike-shaped inflorescences are crowned with small flowers collected in umbrella brushes. The flowers are white, with a reddish corolla, bell-shaped, five-petalled, with funnel-shaped membranous calyces.

Blooming Kermek Tatar

By the time the seeds ripen, the kermek resembles a spherical cloud due to the inflorescences curving downwards. In the steppe, dry shoots break off, and dried flower balls are rolled by the wind. For this effect, the culture was nicknamed the tumbleweed.

Landing and care: knots for memory

Kermek Tatar is grown by seed seedling method. When propagated by root segments, division of the basal rosette, the survival rate is not high. Kermek seeds are sown in March-April. When sowing, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

• seeds, peeled from dry fruit shells, are sown in glasses with soil mixture;
• sprinkling the crops with a thin layer of soil mixture, cover with glass;
• contain at t + 16 ... + 22 ° C, maintaining humidity for 1.5-2.5 weeks, until the kermek sprouts;
• seedlings are watered regularly, but not abundantly;
• from fertilizers, a single application of the mineral potassium-phosphorus complex is sufficient;
• when sowing in bulk boxes, after the appearance of two miniature real leaves, the static dive;
• hardening is carried out from mid-April.

Advice. The root system of Kermek is weak, it endures a pick, as well as a transplant, with difficulty. Seeds are often sown in cassettes, glasses, pots.

Tatar Kermek is planted in a permanent place in May. The distance when planting a kermek is maintained from 30-50 cm. Dig holes along the height of the seedling container, cut the plastic of the glass, transfer the seedling into the hole. The method is the least traumatic for the plant.

Outdoor cultivation

In the first year, the culture builds up a rich rosette of leaves. It blooms from the second year - from July in warm regions, in the climate of the Middle Stripe and the Moscow Region - in August. The requirements for growing outdoors are as follows.

1. The soil. Light soil, well drained. It will take root on the poor, depleted, but on the black soil it will quickly grow a powerful rosette of leaves.
2. Illumination. Statice prefers sunny places.
3. Watering. It is drought-resistant, heat-resistant - watering is rare, two or three times a season. With excessive watering, it gets sick, when the horses are flooded, it dies.
4. Fertilizer. On rich humus chernozem does not need top dressing. On poor soil, top dressing is carried out with mineral fertilizer. For mass flowering, organic matter is introduced.
5. Protection. Diseases, pests bypass the tumbleweed. Only with excessive watering, spots of gray rot (botrytis) or white mold of oidium are occasionally observed on the shoots of statice. Copper-containing fungicides will cope with gray rot, sulfur preparations with oidium.
6. Winter hardiness. In autumn, when the rosette of leaves and stems turn yellow, they are cut at the soil level. It hibernates statice without shelter, but in snowless winters light shelter is needed.

Important! Kermek is a lover of salt marshes. On chernozem, it is watered with salted water (5-6 tsp of salt per 8-10 liters of water twice a season).

Flower growers fell in love with the culture for the unpretentious beauty of dried flowers, for their rare unpretentiousness in care. Statice winters without shelter, pests bypass - an ideal culture. The age of kermek is not long - the plants live 4-5 years, but having sown the culture again, you can again admire the colorful beauty of the tumbleweed.

How to plant Kermek: video

Kermek- This is a herbaceous plant belonging to the class of perennials, which has been used as a healing agent for a long time. It is quite effective in the event of various kinds of ailments. Its roots contain tannins, ellagic and gallic acids, phytoncides. In medicine, which has an unconventional direction, this remedy has won very wide recognition as a hemostatic and astringent agent.
For treatment, it was the root of this plant that was widely used.
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With the onset of autumn, the roots of the kermek are dug up, washed, while removing the damaged parts and existing thin roots. Then they are dried in special drying cabinets at a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees, or in air, placed under a canopy. Prepared raw materials are stored for a period that does not generally exceed 3 years.
Root
Decoctions prepared from the roots of this plant, as well as powders, help with the appearance of a variety of diseases, among which salmonellosis and intestinal gastric acute diseases can also be noted.
An infusion prepared from the roots of this plant is used in conjunction with other herbs that have healing qualities, and is used in the treatment of a disease such as a stomach ulcer.
A fine powder prepared from the roots provides quite effective help in diseases such as: hemorrhoids; hemoptysis, which is chronic; dysentery; inflammation of the mouth and malaria. Quite often, it is used in addition to this and for the treatment of internal bleeding and diseases of a gynecological nature. Basically, the root of this plant is used as a 10% vodka tincture, or a 10–20% decoction. Also, a 10% tincture made on wine is used for treatment, which makes it quite easy to cope with increased bleeding during menstruation.
flowers
This flower, with the unique properties of the plant, when compared with the root, has not been widely used. It is included in some fairly effective recipes, but it is assigned a role as an addition, and not a predominant part.
Application
As noted earlier, this plant has wound healing, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Powder and decoctions prepared from the roots of this plant are an excellent help for heavy bleeding during menstruation, diarrhea, bleeding after childbirth and hemorrhoids.
External use of this plant as a rinse and application of lotions is recommended in the presence of such diseases as: gangrene, sore throat, eczema, impaired state of water-salt metabolism and inflammation in the oral cavity.
Those patients who have acute diseases on the gastrointestinal tract also noted that after the start of taking this herb, there is an improvement in appetite and well-being. This herb is no less effective in diseases such as catarrh with high acidity of the stomach and dysentery, and clinical observations have shown that the herb has a fixing effect.
Recipes
Decoction number 1. To prepare it, you need to take the crushed roots (40 grams) per 1.5 liters of water. Bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Then you need to let the broth brew for 2 hours. After that, strain. This decoction is recommended to be taken 1/3 or 1/2 cup a day before eating, 3 to 4 times. This remedy is also recommended in the presence of a disease such as uterine fibroids.
Decoction number 2. To prepare it, it is necessary to boil the chopped roots (100 grams) in 1.5 liters of water for 7 to 10 minutes. After the broth has cooled, it should be filtered. From this decoction, apply the imposition of lotions, or wash the places affected by eczema.
Contraindications
The use of decoctions and infusions from this plant is contraindicated if the blood has a sufficiently high viscosity or there is a tendency to constipation. Since this plant is practically not used in official medicine, the contraindications of this herb have not been fully studied. That is why it is imperative to follow the recommendations of doctors and monitor the dosage.