The most common coniferous tree in Europe is European or common spruce, this species grows almost everywhere, with the exception of the North German Plain and the islands of Britain.
Description of European spruce
Norway spruce reaches a height of 50 meters with a trunk 1 meter wide. A slender tree with a dense pyramidal crown. Has horizontal or drooping branches that descend low along the trunk. Branches are collected in whorls. If there is enough light around, the lower branches persist for a long time. In youth, the tree has a smooth brown bark.
Over the years, the bark becomes rough, scaly. It takes on a gray or brown color. Shoots are yellow or brown. May be covered with red hairs. The needles were very tough, green in color.
The needles usually have a flattened tetrahedral shape and a length of 1-3 cm. The life cycle of needles is 7 years.
Spruce wood of a yellowish-white color is characterized as soft, shiny, light. The roots are horizontal, superficial, so trees can turn out from the ground in strong winds.
Norway spruce is the fastest growing among all spruces. Young spruce trees grow slowly, but the older the tree, the faster it grows. For a year, a spruce can grow up to half a meter. By the 250th anniversary, the spruce begins to dry out, some specimens live up to 500 years.
It is known that since ancient times, people have been using various plants for medicinal purposes, and European cones are no exception, although many have forgotten about their healing properties. For example, the purity of the air directly depends on the number of cones. Some are sure that if you hold a spruce fruit between your palms, you can quickly get rid of the negative energy that accumulates in the body. By applying the bump to the bruised area after the bath, you will speed up the healing of superficial wounds and reduce pain. From an energy point of view, among other things, a spruce fence throughout the site prevents negative charges from entering your zone.
Needles, cones, young spruce shoots contain essential oils, resin, vitamin C, salts of chromium, iron, aluminum, manganese. An interesting fact is that spruce is the record holder among flora in terms of vitamin C.
For chronic and acute diseases of the respiratory organs, you can use coniferous decoctions, which are also useful in case of a lack of vitamin C in the body. This decoction is prepared in this way: forty grams of pine needles are taken for one glass of water. The resulting mixture is boiled for 20 minutes and insisted. This broth is consumed during the day for 2-3 doses. Spruce cones tincture is useful for both adults and children. Inhalation with spruce broths is very useful.
Well, jam is rightfully considered the most delicious use of spruce cones. For him, you need to collect cones in the first decade of July. The recipe is as follows: we need 1 kg of cones, 10 glasses of water, 1 kg of sugar. We sort out the cones, wash them from needles and branches. Fill with cold water and leave for a day. After that, pour sugar into the solution, bring to a boil. We are waiting for all the sugar to dissolve. We put the cones in the hot syrup and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. The jam is ready as soon as you see that the buds have fully opened.
