“FUTURE IN FLOWERS” FESTIVAL
The festival began on 21 May and ended on 8 July, on the last day of the RUSSIA EXPO. This large-scale flower marathon captured the whole VDNKh area, and unique art objects made of flowers were introduced in several locations simultaneously. Guests could witness more than 100 million flowers, flower exhibits from all 89 regions of the country, and designer flower compositions from institutions and state corporations. Future in Flowers workshop held floristry classes, lectures from well-known plant breeders, and fun trivia games. Visitors were shown the best achievements of national plant breeders: about 400 types of peonies, 140 types of lilacs, 120 types of irises, 250 types of roses, 30 types of dahlias, as well as other flowers and plants of Russia.
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Feather grass. Volgograd region
Most of the Volgograd region is occupied by steppes. The steppe is the kingdom of feather grass, also called needle grass. There are more than 10 species of these grasses in the region, of which the most widespread is the narrow-leaved feather grass (hairy kovyl in Russian). Six more species, being rare and endangered, are included in the Red Data Book of the Volgograd region.
Narrow-leaved feather grass (Stipa capillata) is a typical grass of steppes, drought-resistant and light-loving. Its perennial turf grows in width along the edges from numerous shoots, and gradually dies off in the middle, forming a peculiar hollow where rainwater accumulates better. This is very important for the arid southern steppe: here every drop is precious. In order to evaporate less moisture, the leaves curl into a tube. When flowering, from spring to mid-June, long white pinnate awns 12-18 cm long appear on the feather grass. They give the feather grass steppe the appearance of a swaying “gray hair” like the sea. In the fall, the seeds of the stipa grass fly on these “feathers” all over the steppe and stick into the ground, screwing deeper and deeper into the soil.
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Edelweiss. Republic of Dagestan
Edelweiss, or Leontopodium, is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, 12-25 cm high, of the aster family, widespread in the high mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. The scientific Latin name Leontopodium can be translated from Greek as "lion's paw", which is what the appearance of the inflorescence resembles. But the Russian word "edelweiss" is a transliteration from German and means "noble white".
In his monograph "Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants of Dagestan" Candidate of Biological Sciences, Professor Shamil Huseynov described in detail this amazing flower, which is a symbol of courage and bravery, as well as pure selfless love among highland peoples. Shamil Abdulkasumovich was awarded the title "Merited Worker of Higher School of the Republic of Dagestan" for his contribution to the study of plants of the region.
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Sea holly. Kaliningrad region
In the Kaliningrad region, there are 19 plants whose specific epithets include the words "maritime" or "seaside," including one in cultivation. Nine of them are found on the Curonian Spit. They are not botanically related and often belong to different genera and families. Their external characteristics also vary. However, all these species share a common trait: their proximity to the sea.
Among them, the sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) is the most recognizable and popular species on the Baltic coast. It was chosen by scientists of the last century as the symbol of the Prussian Botanical Society.
Sea holly is a real treasure trove of beneficial and healing substances that have a positive effect on the body. Healers have long used the root, inflorescence, stem, and leaves to prepare various infusions that significantly improve the well-being of people with kidney problems.
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Narrow-leaf fireweed (Ivan-chai). Tyumen region
Narrow-leaf fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium (L.) Scop.) known in Russia as Ivan-chai (lit. Ivan-tea) is a perennial herbaceous plant, the type species of the genus Chamaenerion, belonging to the family Onagraceae. It is often considered part of the genus Epilobium. Commonly known as "Koporye tea" and "field tea," in Russia, it has been used to produce tea as a substitute for expensive Chinese tea since the XVIII century.
Fireweed is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the forest zone of Siberia, where it is one of the main honey plants. In the Tyumen region, it grows in the Tobolsk district and the Antipino area. Look for Ivan-chai on forest edges, ravine slopes, and riverbanks. This plant can quickly cover large areas in clearings and burnt-out areas due to its rapid vegetative reproduction, which helps restore soil fertility. Due to its ability to grow in fire-damaged areas, it is also called fire herb, garevik, pozharnik in Russia.
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Anemone hepatica. Nizhny Novgorod region
Anemone hepatica (Hepatica nobilis) is an herbaceous perennial plant, 5-15 cm tall, with solitary, upright flowers of bluish-purple color. In their young state, the leaves of the hepatica are covered with dense, soft, silky hairs, which they lose later.
The plant belongs to the buttercup family. It blooms in April-May and bears fruit in June (the fruits are nuts up to 5 mm long). It reproduces mainly by seeds.
Anemone hepatica is listed in the Red Data Book of the Nizhny Novgorod region. It can be found in the "Voskresenskoye Povetluzhye" natural park.
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Field horsetail. Perm region
Field horsetail is a perennial spore-bearing herbaceous plant widely distributed in the Perm region. In folk, it is called "pestls", "pistils", field pine, earthy cones.
Horsetails are very ancient inhabitants of our planet, appearing on Earth 400 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs. But back then, they were trees - remnants of calamites, ancestors of the now living low-growing herbaceous "trees," which are found during coal mining. From these remnants, it can be concluded that calamites were huge trees, up to 30 meters tall and with a trunk diameter of approximately 1 meter.
The grass of horsetail contains flavonoids, organic acids (aconitic, malic, oxalic), salts of silicic acid, essential oil, bitterness, tannins, and other biologically active substances.
Along with the RUSSIA EXPO, the flower festival is also coming to an end.
The "Future in Flowers" festival continues at the RUSSIA EXPO, where unique flowerbeds from all regions of our country can be seen at the "Space" pavilion until July 8.
The RUSSIA EXPO concludes on July 8, and with it, the flower festival will also come to an end.
