Types of mulch in the garden. What grows in the forest? What flowers grow in the forest? Berries. Autumn in the forest Types of plants in the forest

The variety of plants in the forest zone allows you to choose for your garden those flowers or herbs that will ideally suit the conditions of your site. As a rule, forest herbs and flowering plants are unpretentious, because in nature they are content with the shade of tall trees and are forced to survive, despite the bushes surrounding them on all sides. Check out the photos of forest flowers and their names below to choose the most suitable ones for your garden.

Perennial plants for a forest plot

Adiantum (ADIANTUM). Adintaceae family.

Basil filamentous(T. filamentosum) - low, 15-25 cm high, with a long rhizome, forms a thicket of soft green leaves, in an openwork inflorescence, grows in the shade.

Delaway's Basil (T. delavayi)– 100 cm high, magnificent large pink or red inflorescence.

Growing conditions. Sunny or semi-shaded places with loose, moist soils (except for V. small, which prefers dry soils).

Reproduction. By seeds (sowing in spring or before winter), dividing the bush (in spring or late summer). Capable of weeding. Planting density - 9 pcs. per 1 m2.

Black cohosh, black cohosh (CIMICIFUGA). Ranunculaceae family.

Tall grasses (up to 200 cm), blooming from late summer through autumn. About 20 species are known growing in the forests of the Far East and North America. The rhizome is dense, short, and forms a powerful root system. The leaves are large, trifoliate, rising high on a long petiole, tall peduncles, bearing clusters of numerous small white flowers. A slow-growing perennial that holds its place for up to 30-40 years.

Types and varieties:

Black cohosh branched (C. ramosa)- height 200 cm, variety “Atropurpurea”.

Black cohosh (C. dahurica)- height 200 cm, with branched racemose inflorescence, blooms in September-October.

Black cohosh (C. racemosa = C. cordifoia)- height 180 cm, blooms earlier than other species (in July), pale-white flowers in a racemose inflorescence.

Black cohosh simple(C. simpiex)- height 140 cm, blooms in September, flowers in a simple spike-shaped inflorescence.

Growing conditions. Shaded and semi-shaded areas with rich, well-drained, moderately moist soils.

Reproduction. Freshly collected seeds, sowing before winter. Seedlings bloom in the 3rd-5th year, but it is more reliable to propagate in the spring by dividing the bush. The divisions easily take root and live without transplantation for up to 30 years. Planting density - 3 pcs. per 1 m2.

Jeffersonia (JEFFERSONIA). Barberry family.

There are only two species in this genus, growing on opposite ends of the globe - one in the forests of eastern North America, the other in the forests of the Far East. These are low (25-35 cm) short-rhizomatous herbs that form rounded bushes from delicate basal rounded leaves and bloom in early spring. The flowers are solitary, 2-3 cm in diameter.

Types and varieties:

Jeffersonia bifolia (J. diphylla) from America has a leaf cut out at the top and white flowers; Jeffersonia dubia (J. dubia) from the Far East has rounded leaves and soft lilac flowers.

Growing conditions. In the shade, under the canopy of trees that cover the ground in autumn with fallen leaves; on loose forest soil, well drained.

Reproduction. Seed propagation is difficult, since the seeds germinate only in the 3rd year. Propagated by dividing the bush at the end of summer. Without dividing or replanting, they can grow for 20-25 years.

Planting density - 16 pcs. per 1 m2.

Cardiocrinum. Lily family.

The genus Cardiocrinum includes 3 species of large bulbous herbs growing on forest edges and in sparse forests of East Asia. Peduncle 150-300 cm high with numerous flowers similar to lilies. These are the tallest plants of the lily family. They have shiny large heart-shaped leaves on petioles and numerous (up to 30 pieces per stem) white tubular fragrant flowers up to 15 cm long.

Types and varieties. Grows well in the temperate zone:

Cardiocrinum cordatum (C. cordatum), especially its shape "Glenna" (C. cordatum f. Glehnii), living in the light forests of Sakhalin, they have large flowers in a multi-flowered inflorescence.

Cardiocrinum gigantea (C. giganteum)- a plant of the Himalayas, needs strong shelter, often damaged by frost.

Growing conditions. Lightly shaded areas with moist, loose, rich soils under a canopy of broad-leaved trees (oak, linden, maple, apple).

Reproduction. Freshly collected seeds are sown before winter, they germinate in the spring, and seedlings bloom in the 7-10th year.

Lungwort (PULMONARIA). Borage family.

Perennial forest rhizomatous herbs (about 14 species) 20-40 cm high, with oval pubescent leaves in a basal rosette and tubular flowers of red-violet tones (change color after pollination) in a dense inflorescence-curl. They bloom in early spring. These forest herbs got their name because their flowers are rich in nectar; lungwort is one of the first spring honey plants.

Types and varieties:

Lungwort angustifolia(P. angustifolia)-, grows in pine forests on sandy soils in Europe.

Varieties of lungwort "Azurea" And "Smokey Blue"

Lungwort Filyarsky (P. filarszkyana)and red (P. rubra)- from the forests of the Carpathians, variety “Redstart”.

The softest lungwort (P. mollissima)- up to 40 cm high, dark blue flowers, from the forests of the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Dark lungwort (P. obscura)- lilac-pink flowers, from the forests of Central Europe.

Sugar lungwort (P. saccharata)- from the forests of Southern Europe, green leaves with large bluish spots, purple flowers, variety “Mrs. Moon."

Growing conditions. Shaded areas under the canopy of trees with loose forest soils, moderately moist. M. angustifolia grows well on sand, and M. sugar grows well on rocky sandy soils in good light.

Reproduction. By dividing the bush (at the end of summer). Planting density - 12 pcs. per 1 m2.

Cohosh (CAULOPHYLLUM). Barberry family.

Large (up to 120 cm high) herbs with a thickened short rhizome, straight stem (up to 100 cm high) and several beautiful, slightly bluish trifoliate leaves. The flowers are small, pale yellow, collected in a sparse panicle.

Pay attention to the photo of these forest herbs - they are especially beautiful in the fall, when their berry-like, bluish fruits ripen.

Types and varieties. This genus contains only two species:

Powerful cohosh (C. robustum)- a taiga plant of the south of the Ussuri region and the cohosh (C. thaLictroides) - a plant of broad-leaved forests of eastern North America. They are very similar in appearance and in their environmental needs.

Growing conditions. Heavily shaded areas under a canopy of broadleaf trees. The soils are loose, forest, moderately moist. They overwinter well under litter.

Reproduction. Seed propagation is difficult, seeds germinate only in the 2-3rd year, and seedlings bloom in the 4th-5th year. Without transplantation or division, they can grow in one place for up to 30 years.

Reproduction is possible by dividing the bush at the end of summer. Planting density - 5 pcs. per 1 m2.

Disporum. Uvulariaceae (lily) family.

Forest perennial herbs (about 15 species), growing in the forests of East Asia and North America, with a horizontal creeping rhizome and stems branching at the apex into two branches, covered with ovate leaves and ending in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence of narrow bell-shaped white-greenish flowers. Decorative fruits.

Types and varieties:

Forests are the lungs of our planet. What diversity is hidden in them: incredibly beautiful flowers, trees of different types and sizes, unusual forest plants, wild animals. All this beckons you to become a visitor. It is especially beautiful here during the period when everything is just beginning to bloom, and an incredible smell languishes in the air.

Flowers in different seasons

Many may wonder what flowers grow in the forest in the spring, when there is still snow almost everywhere. The main and most famous ones include:

• snowdrop;
• violet;
• sleep-grass;
• lungwort.

Along with them, you can also find quite rare flowers that begin to bloom during the snowmelt period. A visitor to the forest can be pleased with flowers such as:

In the sunny, hot summer, the forest attracts even more with its unique aromas, colors, and variety of flowers. After all, during this period you can easily find moonflowers, wild poppies, forget-me-nots, and blue cyanosis.

But do not forget that there are also those flowers that begin to bloom at a later period - in autumn. Of course, as a rule, they are not so colorful. But they still surprise and fascinate with their beauty. The main plants of this period include:

• anemone;
• gentian;
• clover;
• Kulbaba;
• violets.

Non-flowering plants

It often happens that when walking through the forest, your gaze may involuntarily stop at a plant that, although it does not have flowers, looks incredibly attractive. These include the following plants, which grow in the forest in almost any climate:

• Kochedyzhnik - belongs to the genus of ferns, has short leaves that are covered with brown scales. Since it reproduces very quickly, it can form thickets.
• Horsetail is a perennial herbaceous plant with a rather interesting texture. It has hard, branched green spikelets.
• Cuff is a creeping perennial plant with unremarkable flowers that are collected in umbels.

Edible berries

In addition to the desire to retire and admire nature, people also go to the forest to pick mushrooms or berries. As for the latter, it is most likely to collect them in summer or autumn.

Often you can find berries such as lingonberries, stoneberries, blueberries, blueberries. All of them are very tasty and are consumed by humans in different forms. Therefore, their search is carried out with great pleasure.

Cranberries are also forest dwellers, growing in marshy areas, characterized by a sour taste and bright red color.

Of all the berries listed, this one is considered the most useful and healing. It should be noted that even when preserved it does not lose its properties.

The difference between poisonous berries

Any forest visitor simply must know how to distinguish edible berries from poisonous ones. Especially if he plans to enjoy them. The first sign that the berry can be eaten is the presence of bird droppings on the bushes or ground near the plant, as well as seeds or peels from it. Although, of course, such an observation does not provide a guarantee.

In almost all forests grow such poisonous berries as wolf's bast (small spherical fruits of bright red color, consumption even in small quantities can be deadly), crow's eye (shiny berries of a searing blue color), speckled hemlock (egg-shaped fruits, very look like cherries).

Forest plants in landscape design

The idea of ​​using forest style in landscape design is far from new; it arose back in the 18th century as a way to reconnect with nature. Its progenitor is considered to be Stephen Schweitzer, a famous British designer.

Today, such a concept as an “eco-style garden” is perfect for admirers and residents of many latitudes, having taken root. The basis of this style is the recreation of a corner of wild nature on the site of your own home.

This is because forest dwellers are considered very unpretentious, which means that the necessary conditions can be created for every need. In addition to this, it is in a well-kept garden that these forest plants can open up in a completely new way and show all their capabilities. Most often for disembarkation Forest plants chosen in the garden include:

A forest is an ecosystem that consists of several components. As for flora, there are a huge number of species in the forests. First of all, these are trees and shrubs, as well as annual and perennial herbaceous plants, moss and lichens. Forest plants play a key role in the process of photosynthesis, namely they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

Plants in the forest

A forest is primarily made up of trees. Pines and firs grow in coniferous forests, as well as larches. They occupy the northern stripes of the country. The further you go south, the more diverse the vegetation becomes, and in addition to coniferous trees, some broad-leaved species such as maple, birch, beech, hornbeam, and birch are sometimes found. In those natural zones where the forest becomes completely broad-leaved, no coniferous plants are found. Oak and ash, linden and alder, wild apple and chestnut trees grow everywhere here.
There is a wide variety of shrubs in the various forests. These are rosehip and hazel, forest honeysuckle and rowan, juniper and raspberry and warty euonymus, bird cherry and, viburnum and elderberry.

Huge species diversity is represented by annual and perennial grasses in the forest:

In addition to herbs, there are flowers in the forest. These are hill violet and snowdrop, rose and peach-leaf bell, anemone and forest geranium, anemone and corydalis, golden vulgaris and wisteria, scyla and saranka, swimwort and dubrovnik, cuckoo adonis and oregano, marsh forget-me-not and common marigold.

Use of forest plants

Forest has been a valuable natural resource for people since time immemorial. Wood is used as a building material, raw material for the manufacture of furniture, dishes, tools, household and cultural items. The fruits of bushes, namely nuts and berries, are used for food, to replenish vitamin reserves, proteins, fats and other valuable substances. Among the herbs and flowers there are many medicinal plants. They are used in traditional and folk medicine to make ointments, decoctions, tinctures and various medicines. Thus, the forest is a most valuable natural object that provides a person with many resources for life.

Russia's wide areas of natural vegetation and soils are closely related to the country's climatic zones. In the far north, where summers are cold and soils are poor in nutrients, mosses, lichens and low-growing shrubs predominate. The soil freezes to a great depth and only the surface layer thaws in the summer allowing plants to grow. Forests occupy about 45 percent of Russia's territory, most of it in Siberia. The total area of ​​all forests is about 25 percent of . The forest zone of Russia can be divided into a large northern part - coniferous, or Taiga, and a much smaller southern region - coniferous-deciduous forests.

boreal forests

The taiga is located south of the tundra and occupies 40 percent of the European part of the country, and also covers large areas of Siberia and the Russian Far East. Most of this region is dominated by. Although the taiga zone is predominantly composed of conifers, in some areas small-leaved trees such as birch, poplar, aspen and willow add diversity. In the extreme north-west of European Russia, the taiga is dominated by pine, although fir, birch and other trees are often found.

To the east, to the Western slope of the Urals, pine still grows, but fir already predominates, and in some areas there are almost pure birch forests. The West Siberian Plain consists mainly of various species of pine, while birch dominates along the southern edge of the forest. Throughout most of the Central Siberian plateau and mountains of the Far Eastern region, the main forest-forming species is larch. The trees of the taiga zone are usually small and widely scattered. In some areas, where soils are poor in nutrients, there are no trees at all, and only marsh grasses and bushes form the vegetation cover.

Mixed forests

The zone of mixed forests in the central part of the East European Plain from St. Petersburg in the north to the border with Ukraine in the south, is characterized by the presence of both coniferous and broad-leaved trees. Evergreen coniferous trees predominate in the north, while deciduous trees are common in the south. Major broadleaf species include oak, beech, maple and hornbeam.

Similar forest cover prevails in the southern part of the Russian Far East, along the middle Amur River valley and south along the Ussuri River valley. The basis of the soil cover of the mixed forest zone is made up of gray-brown forest soils. They are not as barren as the soils of the Taiga, and with proper agricultural cultivation, they can be very productive. In the south, a narrow zone of forest-steppe separates the mixed forest from the steppes.

Forest-steppe and steppe

Although currently a significant area of ​​the forest-steppe is plowed, it has natural meadow vegetation with scattered groves of trees. On average about 150 km wide, this zone extends east through the valleys of the middle Volga and Southern Urals in the southern parts of the West Siberian Plain. Individual areas of forest-steppe are also found in the southern intermountain basins of Eastern Siberia. A mixture of grasses with a few trees interspersed in sheltered valleys is the natural vegetation of the Russian steppe - a large area that includes the western half of the North Caucasus Plain and a belt of land extending east through the southern Volga valley, the southern Urals and western regions of Siberia. As in the case of the forest-steppe zone, almost all of the country’s steppes are cultivated.

List of plants of Russia

Below is a list of some trees, shrubs, herbs with descriptions and photos that characterize the flora of Russia.

Fluffy birch

Downy birch is a species of deciduous tree found throughout northern Europe and northern Asia, growing further north than any other broad-leaved tree on the planet. Often confused with a related species, silver birch, but downy birch prefers wetter areas and grows well in heavy and poorly drained soils; young trees are also easily confused with dwarf birch.

Common hornbeam

The common hornbeam, also known as the European or Caucasian hornbeam, is a species of deciduous tree native to Western and Central Asia and Eastern and Southern Europe. It prefers warm climates and is found only at altitudes up to 600 meters above sea level. It grows in mixed forests together with oak, and in some areas with beech.

English oak

A tree from the beech family that is widespread in the European part of Russia. It is the dominant tree species in the southern regions of the forest and forest-steppe zones. It is a large deciduous tree, reaching 40 meters in height and 4-12 meters in trunk circumference.

Siberian spruce

Siberian spruce is a coniferous tree, a species of spruce native to Siberia, growing from the Ural Mountains east to the Magadan region, as well as from the Arctic forest line to the Altai Mountains in northwestern Mongolia.

White willow

White willow is a species of willow found in Europe, Western and Central Asia. The name comes from the white tint on the undersides of the leaves. These are medium to large deciduous trees, growing up to 10-30 meters in height, with a trunk diameter of about 1 meter. The bark is grey-brown, deeply fissured on old trees.

Field maple

Native to much of Europe, the British Isles, South-West Asia (from Turkey to the Caucasus) and North Africa (in the Atlas Mountains), a species of tree from the Sapindaceae family. They are also successfully cultivated outside their natural range in the United States and Western Australia in areas with a suitable climate. In Russia, it is most common in the middle zone of the European part of the country.

This is a deciduous tree, reaching 15-25 meters in height, with a trunk up to 1 meter in diameter and finely fissured, thin bark.

Siberian larch

Siberian larch is a frost-resistant conifer growing in western Russia, from the Finnish border east to the Yenisei valley in central Siberia, where it hybridizes with Gmelin larch; the hybrid is known as Chekanovsky Larch.

Siberian larch reaches 20-50 meters in height, with a trunk up to 1 meter in diameter. The crown is conical in young trees, and acquires an oval-round shape as it grows.

Common juniper

Common juniper is a conifer species with the largest geographic range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the subarctic belt, from the Arctic south to 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia. Relict populations can be found in the Atlas Mountains of Africa. On the territory of Russia, it is found in forests and forest-steppe of the European part of the country, as well as in the western and, less often, eastern regions of Siberia.

Common juniper is a small evergreen tree or shrub of very variable shape and up to 16 meters in height.

Gray alder

Gray alder is a species of the alder genus with a wide range in cold regions of the northern hemisphere.

The size of the trees varies from small to medium, with a maximum height of about 15-20 meters, smooth gray bark (even in older specimens), and a lifespan of no more than 60-100 years.

Aspen

Aspen is a species of deciduous tree common in temperate and cool regions of Europe and Asia, from Iceland and the British Isles east to Kamchatka, north into the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and Russia, southern and central Spain, Turkey, Tien Shan, North Korea and Northern Japan.

It is a tall deciduous tree, growing up to 40 meters in height, with a trunk diameter of more than 1 meter. The bark is pale greenish-gray, smooth on young trees with dark gray diamond-shaped lenticels, becoming dark gray and fissured on older ones.

Siberian cedar pine

Siberian pine pine is a species of pine that grows in Siberia from 58° east longitude in the Urals to 126° east longitude in the south of the Sakha Republic, as well as from 68° north latitude in the lower Yenisei valley south to 45° north latitude in central Mongolia.

In the north of its range, it grows at low altitudes, usually 100-200 meters, while closer to the south, it is found at an altitude of 1000-2400 meters above sea level. Siberian pine pine is a slow-growing tree, with a maximum height of 30-40 meters, and a trunk diameter of about 1.5 meters. Life expectancy is 800-850 years.

Siberian fir

Siberian fir is a coniferous evergreen tree growing in the taiga east of the Volga River and south of 67° 40" north latitude in Siberia, through Turkestan, northeastern Xinjiang, Mongolia and Heilongjiang.

Prefers cold climates, moist soils in mountains or river basins at altitudes of 1900-2400 meters above sea level. Siberian fir is a very shade-tolerant, frost-resistant tree that grows at temperatures down to -50° C. It rarely lives more than 200 years due to its susceptibility to wood fungus.

Mountain ash

Common rowan is a tree or shrub plant from the rose family. The range extends from Madeira and Iceland to Russia and Northern China.

Rowan occurs as a tree or shrub that reaches 5 to 15 meters in height. The crown is round or irregular in shape, and the trunk is thin and cylindrical up to 40 cm in diameter.

Common barberry

This deciduous shrub can reach up to 4 meters in height. The leaves are small, oval, 2-5 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, with a serrated edge; they grow in bunches of 2 to 5 leaves. The flowers are yellow, 4-6 mm in diameter, bloom on a long raceme in late spring. Oblong red berries 7-10 mm long and 3-5 mm wide ripen in late summer or autumn; They are edible, but very acidic and rich in vitamin C.

Marsh rosemary

A low shrub about 50 cm (rarely up to 120 cm) tall with evergreen leaves 12-50 mm long and 2-12 mm wide. The flowers are small, with a five-lobed white corolla, and emit a strong scent to attract bees and other pollinating insects. It has a wide geographical range in Russia, which covers the tundra, forest zone, Siberia and the Far East.

Common lilac

Common lilac is a flowering shrub plant of the Olive family, native to the Balkan Peninsula, where it grows wild on rocky hills. The species is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant and has been naturalized in other regions of Europe (including Russia, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy), as well as much of North America.

It is a large deciduous shrub or small multi-stemmed tree, growing up to 6-7 meters, producing secondary shoots from the base or root system, which over decades can grow into a small colonial thicket. The bark is gray or grey-brown, smooth on young stems, and longitudinally furrowed on older stems. The leaves are simple, 4-12 cm long and 3-8 cm wide, light green to glaucous in color, oval to heart-shaped, with pinnate venation and a pointed top. The flowers typically range from lilac to mauve, sometimes white. The fruit is a dry, smooth, brown capsule, 1-2 cm long, split into two parts to release the seeds.

Viburnum common

Viburnum viburnum is a deciduous shrub plant, reaching 4-5 meters in height. Leaves are opposite, three-lobed, 5-10 cm long and wide, with a rounded base and coarsely serrated edges; They are similar in appearance to the leaves of some types of maple, but differ in their slightly wrinkled surface. It blooms in early summer and is pollinated by insects. The spherical bright red fruits (7-10 mm in diameter) contain one seed. The seeds are carried by birds and other animals.

Polar poppy

One of the most northern plants in the world. The stem is tough, hardy and covered with black hairs, the flowers have delicate yellow or white petals. Flowers constantly turn towards the sun, repeating its movement across the sky, and attracting insects. Arctic poppy grows in meadows, mountains and dry riverbeds. They thrive among rocks, which absorb the sun's heat and provide shelter for the root system.

Stinging nettle

Nettle is an easily recognizable, unfortunately, often easily felt plant, the stems and leaves of which are covered with stinging hairs. This is an effective way to avoid the fate of being eaten, and also makes nettles an important refuge for caterpillars and many other insects. In addition to stinging nettle, stinging nettle is widespread in Russia.

Violet tricolor

Violet tricolor, also known as pansy, is an annual or sometimes perennial plant native to Europe and temperate Asia. It was also introduced into North America, where it spread widely. It is the progenitor of the cultivated violet and is therefore sometimes called the wild violet.

Checkered hazel grouse

Checkerboard hazel grouse is a perennial herbaceous plant that has a rather unusual appearance for wildflowers. Prefers damp, low-lying meadows and pastures of Europe and Western Asia. Thrives in soils that have never been subjected to intensive agriculture and is becoming increasingly rare.

Sedge

Sedge is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants, numbering about 2 thousand species. There are between 300 and 400 species found in Russia, which grow in a variety of climates, landscapes and habitats throughout the country.

Forests are the main wealth of the people, and they are also called the lungs of the planet. Without them, people would suffocate from harmful emissions that enter the atmosphere in huge quantities every day. In addition, the forest provides wood - an environmentally friendly building material. He is a true breadwinner and healer, providing people with berries, mushrooms, nuts and medicinal raw materials.

Types of forests

Forests occupy a third of the land and grow in both cold and hot countries. Over time, there are fewer and fewer of them. Man destroys the forest, building cities, extracting wood, plowing fields for sowing grain, vegetable gardens and orchards. Forests consist of coniferous, deciduous, mixed and evergreen plants. They have a tiered structure consisting of:

• canopies are the crowns of the largest trees;
• undergrowth: low trees and shrubs;
• herbaceous layer, consisting of grass and very small shrubs;
• ground level - mosses;
• forest litter, its composition includes organic residues on the surface layer of soil;
• underground layer, which consists of the root system of plants, fungi and microorganisms.

What plants grow in the forest (undergrowth)? Here there are low-growing trees and shrubs that are in the shade of the upper tier. In mixed and broad-leaved forests, in the undergrowth you can see raspberries, buckthorn, juniper, hazel, rowan, euonymus, and in light coniferous and coniferous forests - dwarf birches, weeping willows and alder.

Growing conditions

Forest litter consists of fallen fruits, leaves, bark, branches, dead insect larvae, pupae and animals. There is a turbulent life in it, millions of different inhabitants live on every square meter of land. These include protozoa, various bacteria, all kinds of insects and rodents.

The meaning of litter is as follows:

• in the formation of humus, which nourishes the soil;
• in protecting the earth from the influence of the external environment;
• in coordinating the amount of oxygen in the soil.

Dead wood is branches, limbs and trunks of trees of the upper tier that have fallen to the ground. On the one hand, it is useful because it fertilizes the soil, but on the other hand, it is dangerous, since pests that are dangerous to the health of the forest multiply in the fallen living remains of trees, and it can also cause a fire. Usually it is partially destroyed.

The underground layer is also important. The different depths of the roots of grasses, various shrubs, short and tall trees form several steps underground. The roots of the upper underground tier take rain moisture from those below. And the deeper root system receives underground water much earlier.

Understory plants

What plants grow in the forest? Large canopy trees provide shade to the undergrowth, so shade-loving vegetation prefers to be located there. In such places, evaporation and temperature of the surface layer of the earth are significantly lower. These conditions are favorable for fungal growth. It seems strange, but the rowan tree that grows in the forest is a relative of the magnificent rose, which is extolled for its most magnificent flowers. And rowan is popular for its clusters of bright red berries, bark and leaves that have healing properties. In Rus', it has long been believed that the rowan spirit helps to ward off diseases. It occupies significant areas of undergrowth.

Honeysuckle, a shrub that grows in the forest, blooms for a whole month, attracting insects with its fragrance. It is part of the undergrowth. Plants with edible berries are represented in the Far East and eastern Siberia. The taste of the berries is reminiscent of blueberries. Euonymus is a typical undergrowth shrub; it has poisonous but very beautiful fruits that are used in medicine. In garden plots it is used as an ornamental plant. Not all small trees represent undergrowth. It does not include young canopy trees called juveniles.

Mixed forest vegetation

A forest receives this name if only five percent of its total number are deciduous trees, the rest are coniferous trees. Trees growing in a mixed forest include poplars, maples, lindens, oaks, willows, mountain ash, alder, spruce and pine. The herbaceous vegetation of forests is quite diverse. Here you can find lungwort, violet, honeydew, and spring china. They contain a large concentration of birds, which have enough food and the opportunity to hide from enemies.

Edible berries in the forest

You can collect wild berries in summer and autumn.

• Lingonberries grow on small bushes in dry pine forests. The fruits are bright scarlet in color and dark coral when ripe. Collection time: end of August - September. The berries are steamed, soaked, and made into jam and jams.
• You can often find a low, creeping plant that grows in the forest called stoneweed. Its fruits in appearance resemble raspberries with seeds inside. They are used to make homemade wine.
• Blueberries grow on tall bushes, the berries are large, the color is dark blue, the flesh is watery with a greenish tint. They make jam from it, eat it raw, and make wine.
• Blueberries are one of the healthiest berries, having a blue-black color. The fruits contain dye. Grows on small bushes, in moist, shaded places. Berries contain many useful substances. It is used fresh, dried and frozen.
• Elderberry, which grows in the forest on trees or shrubs, contains toxic substances in its unripe red berries. Ripe, medium-sized black fruits are similar to black currants. Collection time is August-September. Some plant species are cultivated in summer cottages.
• Cranberries grow in marshy areas. Of all the wild berries, it is considered the most healing. A creeping plant with small leaves. The fruits are red and burgundy in color, have a sour taste, contain many useful substances, and store well. Cranberries have been used in alternative medicine since ancient times.

Berries growing in the forest are more beneficial for human health than those grown in the garden.

How to distinguish edible from poisonous?

Wild berries can be poisonous and should never be consumed by humans. It is worth noting some plants whose fruits should not be consumed:

• belladonna (belladonna), the berries are spherical in black color, reminiscent of cherry fruits;
• speckled hemlock has small ovoid-spherical fruits, the sides of which are flattened;
• wolf bast, berries the size of a pea, juicy, bright red in color, burning in taste, lethal dose from 3 to 5 pieces;
• crow's eye, shiny, bluish-black fruits;
• nightshade is bittersweet, the berries are elongated, sweet, shiny, bright red in color.

Birds feed on edible berries, so if you notice droppings on the bushes and the ground underneath them, as well as seeds or peels, you can conclude that the fruits are not poisonous. Although this fact does not provide a 100% guarantee, it happens that birds can peck berries that pose a danger to humans.

What flowers grow in the forest?

Some people believe that only trees and shrubs grow in the forest. In fact, you can see meadows with different flowers, of which there is a great variety, of enchanting beauty. In spring, the first snowdrops appear, which are admired by many who visit the forest at this time. After all, this delicate, fragile flower managed to break through the frozen ground and crust of snow. It is worth noting that the luxurious rose also comes from the forest.

In dry places, on the edges, among the bushes, the tricolor violet blooms, growing in the forest, pleasing the eye with its multi-colored petals. In May you can see a white carpet of oxalis flowers, the leaves of which have a sour taste and contain a large amount of vitamin C. It prefers coniferous forests. But forest geranium grows everywhere in Russia. Purple flowers with palmate leaves adorn forest lawns and grow near bushes and ravines, emitting the scent of essential oils. Many forest flowers have medicinal properties and are listed in the Red Book.

Autumn in the forest

September has arrived, after sunny warm days a fabulous autumn has arrived. The whole forest was covered with bright colors: green, yellow, orange, red. Dried grass and fallen leaves rustle comfortingly underfoot. Sometimes there are colorful autumn flowers that delight the eye. There are also mushrooms: multi-colored russula, saffron milk caps, honey mushrooms. Autumn in the forest is a great time for amateur mushroom pickers. Sunny forest glades are decorated with clusters of red rowan berries, and burgundy cranberries lie scattered on the hummocks of the swamps.

The aromas of autumn are felt in the air: it smells of dampness, fallen leaves, dried grass. Feels cool and fresh. Swift-winged swifts and swallows have already flown to warmer countries, while other birds are still preparing for departure - partridges, black grouse and hazel grouse are settling in for the winter. Traveling through the forest, it is pleasant to enjoy the beauty of autumn nature.

Finally

It is not easy to imagine our planet without forest expanses. This wonderful creation of nature appears as a mysterious wizard in a person’s life from the first years of life. The forest is always present in Russian folk tales, stories, epics and is an accomplice in the rich history of mankind. It is always wonderful - in any weather and at all times of the year.