Rhodiola Rosea, or Golden Root.

A perennial herbaceous plant of the Crassulaceae family, up to 50 cm high. The rhizome, which turns into a root, is thick, covered with brownish-gray bark. The stem is branched, erect, ending in a dense inflorescence.

The leaves are alternate, sessile, elliptical, oblong-ovate. Blooms in June - July. The flowers are yellow.

The fruit is a reddish or yellowish-green leaflet. The seeds ripen in July - August.

Rhodiola rosea is common in Western (Altai, Sayan) and Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

It grows on rocky outcrops, along rocky banks of mountain rivers, on rocks, in mountain and lowland tundra, as well as on mountain slopes up to the level of the alpine belt.

Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Prefers rich humus, well-drained soils.

In the spring, the site is dug up and 3-5 kg ​​of rotted manure or 4-6 kg of pre-prepared peat-turf soil per 1 m2 is added. Before sowing, seeds are stratified for 1 month in damp sand at a temperature of 0.2°C.

They are sown superficially and lightly sprinkled with coarse sand. They germinate on the 4-5th day. Leaves appear after 25-40 days.

Seedlings require moderate watering, weeding and loosening of row spacing. The seedlings are grown for 2-2.5 years, then they are planted on the ridges. The distance between plants is 5 cm, between rows - 10 cm.

During the growing season, plants G-2 times are fed with mineral complex fertilizers at the rate of 15-20 g per 1 m2. In the 3rd year, in May - July, the seedlings are planted in a permanent place and cultivated for another 2.5 years. The feeding area for each plant should be 20X40-60 cm.

For digging, add 4-5 kg ​​of rotted manure (peat compost) or 10-15 kg of nitroammophosphate per 1 m2. In early spring, plants are fed with nitrogen fertilizers at 6-8 g or slurry at 100-150 g per 1 m2.

Healthy, withered roots collected in places of natural growth or harvested from plant cultivation areas are suitable for vegetative propagation.

Before planting, they are divided into pieces. Roots with more than two stems serve as medicinal raw materials. They are harvested from late July to mid-September.

Repeated collection of raw materials in the same place is allowed after 10-15 years. The rhizomes are cleared of soil, the brown plug and rotten parts are removed and laid out in the shade for drying. Then they are cut into pieces of 10 cm and dried in a dryer at a temperature of 5O. 6О°С. Store in bags or closed wooden containers for 3 years.

The raw material contains salidrazide, anthraglycosides, tannins, organic acids (gallic, oxalic, succinic, citric, malic), flavonoids, sugars and essential oil, which includes phenylethyl alcohol, beta-phenyl-ethyl acetate, cinnamaldehyde and citral.

Preparations of Rhodiola rosea improve mental and physical performance, help preserve the body's energy potential, increase resistance to various extreme factors (overheating, poisoning, lack of oxygen, nervous stress, etc.), delay exhaustion of the adrenal glands under stress, and prevent involution of the thymus gland. Rhodiola rosea root is recommended for use after acute and chronic diseases, for various forms of neuroses, low blood pressure and impotence.

You should not use its medications in cases of severe agitation, feverish conditions, or high blood pressure. If signs of agitation, insomnia and headache appear, stop taking the drug.

At home, Rhodiola rosea root is used as a tincture. To prepare it, 50 g of crushed raw materials are poured into 0.5 liters of 40% alcohol and left for 2 weeks in a dark, warm place. Take 20-30 drops 3 times a day for 30 m