Gaultheria (lat.Gaultheria) is an original small shrub named after the French botanist and zoologist Jean-Francois Gautier. A gardener or a lover of beautiful plants will not miss the chance to purchase it in his green collection.
Description of Gauleria
Gaulteria is an evergreen plant of the Heather family. Shrub with densely growing straight reddish stems reaches a height of 25 cm. Glossy oval leaves 1-4 cm bright green with clear veins.
Flowers and fruits of Gauleria
In June, when the plant blooms, clusters of white flowers resembling a lily of the valley appear on the bush. Bright scarlet, red, white or dark blue berries ripen closer to the fall and often survive the winter. The cold-resistant shrub often remains untouched by animals and birds, since its fruits are inedible and unpleasant in taste.
Types of Gauleria
The genus has about 180 species of shrubs. Growing in the highlands of the northern regions of America, Asia and Australia, it easily takes root in the gardens of central Russia. Consider the most popular types of this plant.
| View | Description / Leaves, size (mm) / Fruits | Flowers Diameter (mm) | Height (cm) |
| Hairy or Hairy | In Europe, cultivation since 1897. Gray-green oblong with hairs along the edge, 50-100. Blue or purple. | Pink, 40. | 10 |
| Ovoid leaf | Brought from the west coast of the USA in 1890. Greens, 35. Bright red. | White with red perianth, 5. | 30 |
| Prostrate | Cultivated since 1830, originally from North America. Round or oval, serrated edges, 20. Scarlet up to 7 mm. | Single axillary up to 50. | 10 |
| Glandular | First found on the Japanese islands. Oval with serrated edge, length 30, width 20. Red in small glandular spots. | Single or collected in 2-3, white on the outside and pinkish inside, 8. | 30 |
| Mikel | It grows in Japan and Sakhalin. Creeping roots and straight branches withstand low external temperatures. Dark green 25. White. | White, 10, collected in a brush. | 25 |
| Challon | The most popular species brought from America has been cultivated since 1826. Oval pale green, length 120. Black. | White-pink, up to 10. | 50 |
| Lying down | First discovered in eastern North America. A bush covering the soil with a diameter of 40 cm is formed by creeping stems of medium length. Grown since 1762 Dark green, rounded, smooth, 40. Bright red, 10. | Single white 10. | 15 |
Growing gaulteria at home
In order for a beautiful and unpretentious compact shrub to please the eye in a home environment, you need to know a few simple growing rules. If it is important to acquire a specific type of plant, it is better to refuse from sowing seeds, since another similar shrub can grow. It will be ideal to buy ready-made cuttings or branches with roots.
For boarding or transplanting you need:
- high-quality soil suitable for indoor plants with soft fertilizer;
- a pot with drainage holes with a diameter slightly larger than the root system;
- a hole in the soil of a new flowerpot filled up to 5 cm from the top;
- thorough watering;
- transplantation every 2 years as the root system grows.
For daily care you will need:
- watering plants under the root in the case of a dry layer of land of 5 cm;
- bright place with sunlight.
Top dressing:
- purpose - for decorative foliage plants, in the form of preferably granular or liquid with slow release;
- frequency - no more than 1 time per month.
Cropping:
- constant for foliage and flowers to prevent the development of the root system;
- periodic for branches in order to give the bush a neat, well-groomed appearance.
Outdoor cultivation of gaulteria
Penumbra is important for gaulteria so as not to dry out in the sun and die in the shade. Highly acidic and well-loosened soil has a beneficial effect on shrub growth. To increase the acidity of the soil, you need to add peat and sand to it. Planted in holes 30-35 cm high, falling asleep a layer of drainage from pebbles and stubborn needles. The root neck is then deepened by 1 cm or left at ground level.
Growing this plant in the open ground is a simple task, but nevertheless, the gardener should take into account that it is better to plant bushes in groups of several plants at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. Water rarely and abundantly, spray the foliage in the evening.
Propagation of gaulteria
The seed propagation method is extremely undesirable for this bush, because it is not able to accurately repeat the characteristics of the variety. The vegetative path is considered the best and fastest way to propagate gaulteria. One or several branches of the bush are bent and sprinkled with soil, carefully watered. By the autumn, the shoots will have roots and then they are transplanted.
Cuttings are another way of propagating gaulteria. Having cut off the upper lignified cuttings, they are planted in sand pots, watered abundantly and placed in sunlight. When the cuttings grow and take out healthy roots, they are resettled in the open ground.
Diseases and Pests
Ornamental trees and shrubs, including gaulteria, require high acidity of the soil, then they are not afraid of any diseases. Abundant moisture and alkaline soil are the first enemies of shrubs. Diseases such as black mold and powdery mildew appear with frequent watering and insufficient soil looseness. Affected by ticks and bacteria, the sheets must be immediately cut off and burned to avoid infection of the entire bush.
It is also necessary to periodically treat the plants with antifungal drugs.
Mr. Summer resident recommends: useful properties of gaulteria
The main function of the bush is considered to be decorative, since its bright fruits in contrast with the rich green foliage noticeably adorn the apartment or garden. In addition, the leaves and stems of lying gaulteria are used for the preparation of medicinal infusions, oils and powders.
Oil from young shoots and foliage of a shrub has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Apply it externally, rubbing into the skin of the affected area. It can quench rheumatic pains, neuralgia and joint diseases. When stretching the muscles, warming ointments with such oil relieve pain. The calming effect of extracts from the green parts of the bush of gaulteria is used in the treatment of skin inflammations. 
Challon
In aromatherapy, gaulteria essential oil is used as an invigorating and anti-fatigue remedy. A pleasant smell raises the mood and fills the room with freshness.
An anti-cold tea is prepared from the foliage of a shrub to relieve sore throat and head.
Leaves are considered edible: to quickly remove signs of fatigue, you can chew them raw.
The berry and seed of the plant contain poison and have no value in medicine, so they do not participate in the preparation of medicines.
Methyl salicylate is a substance that is the main active therapeutic component of lying recumbent. There are also components such as tannins, formaldehyde, arbutin antiseptic and organic acids in the extract from leaves and shoots of shrubs. All of them in the complex benefit the body, having an analgesic, diuretic, antirheumatic effect.
Contraindications to the use of therapeutic extracts of gaulteria, like most drugs, are children under 6 years of age, pregnancy and individual intolerance. It is not recommended to take it together with aspirin-containing agents. Only a doctor can prescribe the dosage and methods of using such a drug.
