Kalonka, near Łódź

Native to northern Eurasia. Ornamental plant. Edible plant - fruits raw or cooked and used in preserves, etc; fruits can also be dried and ground into a powder and mixed with cereals such as wheat. Herbal plant - flowers and the fruit are mildly diuretic, laxative and emmenagogue; an infusion is used in the treatment of painful menstruation, constipation and kidney disorders. Useful plant - reddish wood is fine grained, lustrous, hard, strong and tough but not durable outdoors, it polishes well; an oil is obtained from the seeds; a cosmetic face-mask is made from the fruits and is used to combat wrinkled skin; a black dye is obtained from the young branches.