Over a long time, el Golden Bidens was considered a weed, so it often used to be torn off; however, due to the great facility it possesses to adapt to all kinds of humid soils, it managed to reach the present day. Do you know about this plant? Do you want to learn a little more? Pay attention.
What are their characteristics?
El Golden Bidens, also known as canary teaIt consists of a plant native to South America, specifically from the area between Guatemala and Mexico, which is why at the time it arrived in the Canary Islands, it was known as Té de Milpa. At present it is possible to get it within the ravines that are around almost the entire island.
We must emphasize that it is a perennial and rhizomatous herb, which can grow to around 50cm or a meter tall; it has stems that can be reddish-brown or greenish in color. It has long, lanceolate leaves of a dark green color, which have a serrated edge.
Its solitary flowers, which have a diameter of approximately 20-35mm, can be of yellow, white and bicolor colors, also having purple lines. For its part, it produces achene and angular fruits, having 3-4 straws that include retrograde stingers located at the end.
Its flowering takes place between the months of August and November in the areas of Central America, and during November and May in Europe. It is also worth mentioning that the Bidens takes advantage of insects in order to pollinate its flowers, which have reproductive units that are hermaphrodites.
About its habitat and distribution
El Golden Bidens is a species that grows best when cultivated in soils that have a Neutral, alkaline or acidic pH; In addition, it stands out for being a plant capable of growing not only at sea level, but also around 2.000 meters above sea level, and its underground part manages to grow with greater vigor within supports that have a clay, sandy or loamy texture. , which could be kept moist normally.
Considering this, it is necessary to make sure to adjust your irrigation in an intermediate point, trying to keep soil moisture stableTherefore, certain factors should be taken into account (exposure to sunlight, temperature, texture of the substrate and environmental humidity, among others.). Likewise, we must bear in mind that this plant does not usually withstand waterlogging, which is why the area where it is cultivated must have an adequate drainage system.
It is essential that the light conditions to which it is exposed are high, since it consists of a plant that requires constant and direct exposure to sunlight. Nevertheless, it is equally important that it receives a little shade throughout the day, and to obtain it, it usually takes advantage of the vegetation that is around it, which has to be thin and accompanied by rocks.
In relation to temperature, it is important to mention that, although can withstand occasional frosts with temperatures between -5 ° C, the truth is that this plant is not able to tolerate being in contact with snow.
With a Neo-tropical origin, the Golden Bidens usually develops spontaneously in the territory between Guatemala and Arizona; Furthermore, it has been able to occur in the wild not only in the Canary Islands, but also in North America and even in a certain part of Europe.
Similarly, it is possible to obtain it in a large area of the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, due to its ability to adapt to various places, this species is usually included within the list made up of invasive species.
Uses
Canarian tea It is usually used to prepare both tea and infusions, so it is common to dry its leaves and then cook them and finally be able to consume the fully prepared tea, so below we talk a little about some uses and properties that this plant has:
Since ancient times it has been known that the Golden Bidens has great digestive, laxative and diuretic properties that are often widely used within natural medicine. It has a powerful analgesic effect, which is usually useful for the purpose of relieving headaches.
Similarly, it is usually common to use its fresh leaves, as well as its flowers, to prepare infusions to treat digestive system problems; in addition, it turns out to be a great tranquilizer. The infusions prepared with this plant serve not only to prolong youth, but also to extend life time.
How to use its antibiotic properties?
It is not necessary that you limit yourself to using this plant solely because of the ignorance that may exist about how to use it, since To take advantage of its antibiotic properties, it is enough that you keep in mind the following 2 aspects:
- In fresh state, this species has 100% of its properties, and loses them the more it dries or when heat is applied.
- Its antibiotic properties can be extracted in a better way within a fatty or alcoholic medium, and it is not recommended to extract them with water.
This means that an infusion prepared with the dried leaves of this plant, it has almost no antibiotic properties, although it can offer many others. However, a tea prepared with its leaves using a juice extractor will allow each of these properties to be fully preserved.
Thus, if you are interested in using this tea as natural antibiotic, you must use its juice or, failing that, opt for an oleate or tincture prepared from a fresh specimen.
Although in any case, the most convenient thing is to consume this plant in any way To stop ingesting it at all, however, you need to keep in mind that the effectiveness of its consumption may vary depending on both its origin and its preparation.
Dosage and administration
By not having exact references on its dose, it is usually recommended that, when preparing a shot of this plant, the standard dose is around 20-30grs of dried leaves for every liter of water. This would be the equivalent of 1 dessert spoon, since they are 5mls, which would be about 2-3grs, along with a cup with 150mls of water; thus being able to consume the tea between 3-4 times a day.