For urban residents, the benefits of certain plants may be completely unknown, but the representatives of the older generation, especially those living in the village, have probably heard about the healing properties of such a plant as the black root medicinal. In this article, we will tell where it grows, what it is, how to properly harvest its parts and whether it is possible to grow a “healer” in your own area.
general information
Chernokoreny officinalis - It is a biennial herbaceous plant, capable of reaching a height of one meter. It has a taproot root system, with a dark root thickness of up to 2.5 cm. The few stems (most often not more than two or three on one plant) are absolutely straight, and in the upper part branched and slightly pubescent. 
From each node on the stem, only one leaflet of the lanceolate species grows with slight pubescence (in the lower part there are felt leaf plates). Those leaves that are closer to the root, have a oblong-lanceolate form and often reach 25-30 cm in length. Perennial leaves die off before flowering begins. The upper leaf plates are sessile.
On the elongated pedicels of the plant, small paniculate inflorescences are located, with a funnel-shaped corolla of dirty-red color (in some cases it may have a red-blue shade). The lobes of flowers are ovate-rounded. 
In the presence of fruits, felt-pubescent legs are extended up to 15 cm. The plant blooms in May-June. The fruits are represented by studded egg-shaped nuts, which ripen closer to August and September.
Important! The plant is poisonous, and all its parts have an extremely unpleasant odor that seems to warn the person about it. Therefore, after contact with any part of it, it is so important to wash your skin well with soap.
Where grows wild
Chernokoreni is more common in the wild, although there are people who breed it on their own plots. It can be found along the steppe roads, near the forest and on its dry slopes, on river cliffs, as well as on vacant lots and fields throughout Ukraine, the European part of Russia, Siberia, the Caucasus, and the countries of Central Asia. In any of these places there is a chance to find unusual red-blue-violet flowers of the plant with a very unpleasant odor, reminiscent of mouse urine in early spring. 
What is useful
The described black root has a lot of positive properties, but most often it is used in the treatment of cough, for relieving convulsions, and also as an analgesic and emollient for burns, snake bites, and furunculosis disease.
The presence of the healing properties of some plants is confirmed by their biological names: chamomile, sage, lemon balm, soapstone, rosemary, wormwood, comfrey, peony, hellebore, verbena, veronica have species with the designation "medicinal".
We can not ignore the positive characteristics of the weed when rodent warbecause it is a good means to expel these small pests. Mice, rats and even moles simply do not tolerate the smell of fresh medicinal moss, and if you decompose it in the habitats of small animals, they will quickly flee from it, fleeing suffocation.
At the summer cottage with the help of this plant you can fight weeds, moles and mole rats, for which you simply scatter the root roots under the crown of the trees or pour the infusion under the soil. If you plant a small planting around the perimeter of the vegetable garden mixed with Jerusalem artichoke and black beans (the plants are perfectly combined in one place), then you can forget about the problem of small pests for many years. 
Among other things, this poisonous guest will be very useful near apiaries, as it is an excellent honey plant that can increase the quality of honey harvest, and the roots and grass spread out in the winter home of bees will chase away rats and mice from the hive.
Did you know? Our people like to invent unusual and sometimes funny names for plants. Therefore, if you hear "cat soap", "worm grass", "tongue of the tongue" or "dog's root", then know that this is exactly this plant.
Cultivation of seeds on the site
Chernokoren is a wild-growing plant, but if desired it can be propagated on its own plot. It is possible two main options: growing from seeds (only mature seeds should be selected) and completely transplanting the entire plant from its habitat. It is also important to know exactly when to plant it in your garden.
In the first case, you need to wait until the seed is fully ripe, carefully pick it up, and then sow it into prepared drawers in early spring or autumn, deepening each seed 2-3 cm deep. As soon as the first true leaves appear on the seedlings, they can be transplanted together with a clod of earth to the chosen permanent growth place. 
In dry weather, young plants will need regular watering, but as soon as they get stronger, they can do without special care (their growth differs little from the development of ordinary weeds). Further reproduction in the territory (starting from the second year after planting) will occur by self-seeding.
If you decide that it will be easier to transplant, then you need to find a young wild plant in advance, no more than 1 year old, dig it together with a clod of earth and carefully trim the leaf rosette and roots. When placed in the ground in a new place, for better survival, the rhizome must be sprinkled with "Kornevin" and 20-25 g of ammonium nitrate added to the recess. As soon as the plant takes root, he will not need any further care.
Use in traditional medicine
Broths and tinctures of medicinal black roots are widely known among traditional healers as a painkiller, sedative, anti-inflammatory and expectorant, which copes well with gastrointestinal diseases, rheumatism, ulcers, and even bone fractures.
In the old days, it was also often used to stop blood for pulmonary diseases (hemoptysis, convulsive cough), for indigestion, stomach pains and for relieving seizures.
Read also about the beneficial properties of herbaceous plants: mint, lemon balm, basil, arugula, dill, parsley, celandine, catnip, borage, wormwood, yarrow, coltsfoot, nettle, swans, thistle, amaranth, crested.
Knowledgeable people prepared medicine by boiling the roots or grass of a plant, or simply by insisting them. Also a good option was considered the use of fresh juice: 5-10 drops three times a day. 
Preparation of medical raw materials
Suitable for medical purposes roots and grass described weed, the harvesting of which is necessary to think about the arrival of spring or already in the autumn. Plant roots should be carefully dug (in August or September) out of the ground and cleaned of soil adhered to them, then rinsed with running water and dried in a well-ventilated room, spreading out on paper.
To harvest the grass you need to break in the flowering period, cutting off the top 30 cm of black root. It is possible to dry the collected material in the open air, after which it can be placed in lockable jars and left in a dry and ventilated area (the shelf life of the raw material is not more than a year). Fully dried leaves are characterized by a grayish-green color and astringent taste.
Did you know? There are cases when dry branches of grass laid out in the cabins of the ship made the mice jump from the board into the water, escaping from their impact. By the way, if you close the mouse in a cage with a plant, it will soon die.
Recipes of traditional medicine
As we mentioned earlier, from chernokornya medicinal can be prepared infusions, decoctions or use its juice in its raw form. Now we give a few popular recipes of traditional medicine with its use.
For cooking infusion Take 1 teaspoon of harvested herbs of the plant and mix it with one cup of hot boiled water (you can simply pour the plant with liquid in a small vessel with a lid). Such a remedy is infused for half an hour, after which it needs to be drained and it is already possible to take 1 small spoon three times a day.
Decoction For external use, edema and burns are prepared as follows: one liter of water is added to four tablespoons of herbs and then the mixture is boiled over medium heat for 15 minutes. Ready decoction must be further insisted 12 hours, and then strain and make lotions.
Soreness in the joints and bones, symptoms of articular rheumatism, boils and abscess formations are treated ointment, prepared from ground roots (should be in the form of powder) or black root leaves, mixed with fat. In case of progressive arthritis, rheumatism or gout, the green part of the plant must be doused with boiling water, wrapped in gauze and simply applied to the sore spot.
Freshly squeezed juice also helps to solve these problems, for this you need to take 5-10 drops three times a day.
Important! Given the poisonousness of the plant, you need to be extremely careful with it, and pregnant and lactating women should avoid using it at all. In any case, before using the above recipes, consulting a competent doctor will not be superfluous.
Like many other plants, chernokorene medicinal has many advantages, thanks to which it is widely used in traditional medicine, but everything is good in moderation, and if you are not sure about the appropriateness of using compositions based on it, then it is better not to risk your health.
