Sophora Japonica is a large, sprawling tree that belongs to the genus Styphnobius in the legume family. Homeland plants are Japan and China. Because of its resemblance to acacia, it is often called "Japanese acacia" or "pagoda." Sophora has an openwork wide crown of a light green hue. The plant is able to effectively decorate the garden in the southern regions or in temperate climates. However, most of the sophora is known not for its decorative effect, but for its many healing properties. It is actively used in folk and traditional medicine, therefore, to get such a home doctor in your own garden will be quite out of place.
Plant description
Japanese Sophora is a deciduous tree with a height of 20-25 m. It has a spreading, spherical or umbrella crown. Skeletal branches grow horizontally, the first are quite low. All lignified parts are covered with dense bark of a dark gray shade with deep cracks. Young shoots have a smooth bright green skin. There are no thorns in the plant.
Petiole leaves on the branches are arranged next. They have an unpaired structure and consist of 9-17 leaves. The length of one leaf with a petiole is 11-25 cm. Oblong or ovoid lobes grow by 2-5 cm. The leaf plate is bare, bright green. It is interesting that every evening the leaves fold up and fall down, and in the morning with dawn unfold again.
In July-August, lush and fragrant yellowish-white flowers bloom. They are collected in panicle inflorescences at the ends of shoots. The length of the inflorescence is on average 35 cm. Erect, branched peduncles are dotted with keeled flowers with soft petals. Each flower about 1 cm long has its own drooping peduncle.
Sophora is an excellent honey plant. Honey has a light amber tint and is very healing. After pollination, fruits ripen in October-November, juicy beans 3-8 cm long. Rounded pods with thickenings immediately after emergence are colored in a greenish-brown hue, and become reddish as they ripen. Beans can hang on branches throughout the winter.
Propagation of Sophora
Sophora propagated by seeds and cuttings. For sowing, you need to use fresh seeds. For seedlings to appear sooner, it is necessary to carry out hot stratification (pour boiling water for 2 hours) or scarification (treat the skin with a nail file) of seeds. After processing, they are planted in pots with a mixture of sand and peat to a depth of 2-3 cm. The crops are moistened and covered with a film. It is necessary to grow plants at room temperature and in good light. Sprouts do not appear quickly, within 1.5-2 months. The grown seedlings with two real leaves dive (cut the root by a third) and transplanted into small pots.
In order to propagate the sophora by cuttings, it is necessary to cut several apical shoots 10-15 cm long with a pair of strong leaves during spring or summer. The slice is treated with "Kornevin" and planted in moist soil. Cuttings are covered with a plastic cap. They need to be aired daily and moistened as necessary.
Landing rules
Indoor Sophora quickly build up the crown and rhizome, but it is quite difficult to tolerate the transplant. Even young trees are transplanted in a year. Adult plants only replace the topsoil. Sophora, like most representatives of the legume family, enters into symbiosis with fungi located in the soil. As a result, small whitish seals form on the roots. For the plant, such a union is very important, therefore, when transplanting, it is impossible to completely clear the ground from the roots.
The best time for transplanting is January-February, until the growing season begins. Sophora does not have much land requirements. It is only important that it is light and breathable. Often use universal or garden land with the addition of river sand. At the bottom, be sure to pour a layer of drainage material.
Cultivation and care
Sophora Japanese is unpretentious in leaving. It can be grown both in open ground and indoors. On the street, the plant is able to winter in the Caucasus, Crimea, Sakhalin and other areas up to southern Siberia. Indoor plants need regular pruning and height restrictions. In this case, the tree is perfect for landscaping offices and houses. It should be grown in a large tub and, if possible, taken out to fresh air for spring and summer. In order for the sophora to develop normally, certain care rules must be observed.
Lighting. The plant is very photophilous. It needs a long daylight and bright lighting. Direct sunlight is allowed. However, in the summer, in strong heat, it is recommended to shade the crown. In winter, additional lighting with lamps may be required.
Temperature. Sophora adapts well to the environment. It withstands extreme heat in the summer, but needs frequent airing. In winter, the plant must be moved to a cooler place. It is best to keep it at a temperature of 0 ... + 13 ° C. Outdoor sophors are able to withstand short-term frosts with shelter up to -25 ° C. If you can’t provide a cool wintering, you need to take care of more intense lighting.
Humidity. In nature, Sophora lives in desert regions, so it can easily cope with low humidity. It does not need to be specially sprayed, but it is useful to bathe and wash from dust periodically.
Watering. Sophora prefers moderate watering and can tolerate short-term drought. Too long to limit watering is not worth it, otherwise part of the leaves of the sophora will be discarded. But pouring it is not recommended, as the tree can die quickly. Sophora is undemanding to the composition of water, you can use hard tap water.
Fertilizer. From February to August, Sofora needs regular feeding. Twice a month, a solution of mineral or organic fertilizer for flowering plants is poured into the soil.
Wintering. Outdoor plants for the winter need protection. The soil at the roots is mulched with peat and covered with fallen leaves. Indoor trees with a cool wintering also dump almost all of the foliage. This is normal. Already at the end of January, as daylight increases, the buds begin to swell and young greens appear. New leaves serve as a signal for more abundant watering and the introduction of the first portion of fertilizer.
Pruning. The fast-growing Sofora must be regularly cut off, because the finished growth of vegetation can reach 1.5 m. Young shoots regularly pinch so that they branch better. Large skeletal branches of the first and second level are cut off by secateurs.
Diseases and pests. With improper care, the roots can be affected by rot. In this case, it is necessary to carry out several treatments with fungicides. Occasionally, plants are affected by scale insects, aphids, and moths-mittens. With the help of insecticides, it is possible to quickly get rid of parasites.
Sophora japanese in the garden
Sophora as a large spreading tree is very convenient for relaxation. Under it you can put a gazebo or organize a playground. Strong branches withstand heavy loads and are suitable for securing the swing. A spreading crown will reliably protect from the scorching sun, and a pleasant, unobtrusive aroma will help create an appropriate mood. The tree is quite large, so only one plant is enough on the site. But in the parks they planted whole alleys.
Medicinal properties and composition
All parts of Japanese sophora contain many useful substances. Among them:
- flavonoid rutin (strengthening capillaries, reducing blood coagulation, eliminating edema);
- pachycarpin alkaloid (sedative effect, stimulation of uterine contractions, reduction of hypertension);
- trace elements (potassium, boron, magnesium, iodine, zinc, iron) - strengthening muscles, bones, skin renewal, elimination of toxins;
- glycosides (vasodilation, sputum excretion, decreased excitability);
- organic acids (elimination of toxins, an obstacle to putrefactive processes in the digestive tract).
The substances have the greatest effect on the circulatory system, in particular on blood vessels and capillaries. Sophora cleans the internal gaps of plaques, and also strengthens the walls and reduces their fragility. As a medical raw material, barely blooming flowers, leaves or unripe yellowish-green fruits are harvested. Dry them in a well-ventilated, cool room. Use blanks for 12 months. Tea, broth and alcohol tinctures are prepared from them.
Medicines have the following medicinal properties:
- decrease in fragility of blood vessels;
- removal of cholesterol plaques;
- decrease in puffiness;
- fight against blood clots of small vessels;
- normalization of metabolic processes;
- increase immunity;
- decrease in allergic reactions;
- normalization of blood pressure;
- decrease in manifestations of tachycardia.
Since rutin gives the greatest effect from treatment, and it dissolves in alcohol, alcohol tinctures are most often found in pharmacies. Take them a few drops inside. Such therapy helps to strengthen the body, calm the nerves and overcome other ailments. For external use, lotions and compresses are applied to bruised places or to inflammations. A cotton wool moistened in tincture is applied to a sore tooth.
Improving blood circulation, sophora has a beneficial effect on the brain. It is often prescribed by doctors to prevent hemorrhoidal stroke.
Many practice taking medications with Japanese sophora on their own, but it is best to consult with your doctor first. After all, any medicine if used improperly can harm. Since the drugs are actively used in traditional medicine, the doctor will give an exhaustive consultation on the regimen and the expected effect.
Contraindications, side effects
Sophora has virtually no contraindications. But people with severe allergic reactions to plants need to start taking with great caution. Often, skin manifestations of allergies are delayed in time. That is, the rash appears a few days or weeks after the start of administration.
Some experts claim that sophora is poisonous. However, subject to dosages, the harm is completely absent. However, treatment is not recommended for allergy sufferers, nursing and pregnant women (especially in the first trimester of pregnancy) and children under 3 years of age.
Side effects of the drug include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, flatulence and pain in the abdomen. At the first symptoms of deterioration of health, it is necessary to immediately stop treatment and go to the hospital.
