Kalonka, near Łódź

It is native to Central Asia, in the area currently known as Kazakhstan, but now spread over the whole Europe. Bees feeding plant. Edible plant - fruits raw or cooked, u, used for jellies, preserves and juices, the flavour improves considerably if the fruit is not harvested until it has been frosted; an edible oil can be obtained from the seeds; a very pleasant tea can be made from the leaves. Herbal plant - fruits are astringent and laxative, crushed fruits' pulp can be used as a poultice to heal inflammations or small flesh wounds; the bark, and especially the root bark, is anthelmintic, refrigerant and soporific, an infusion is used in the treatment of intermittent, remittent and bilious fevers; leaves contain up to 2.4% of an antibacterial substance called 'florin', which inhibits the growth of a number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in as low a concentration as 30 ppm. Usable plant - fruits are a source of pectin, which is used as a thickener in jams; a red to yellow dye is obtained from the bark; the heartwood is reddish-grey; the 12 - 30 rings of sapwood are a light reddish, when steamed, the wood becomes reddish brown to dark red-brown; the wood is hard, but has a tendency to warp.