Wormwood medicinal properties description reproduction growing photo video. Decorative wormwood: description, planting and caring for it

It is easy to grow wormwood in the country. This plant is now used as an ornamental. Wormwood is unpretentious. Caring for it consists only of annual pruning.

Wormwood was considered a sacred plant among many peoples, and is now used as medicinal herb. How to arrange a piece of steppe or mountain plateau at your dacha? — Plant wormwood. Its aroma, especially on a sunny day, will envelop your area with its tart aroma. A sprig of wormwood will decorate a bouquet of flowers; its sprig can be dried and hung indoors. Wormwood repels house moths and other insects.

A bunch of dry steppe grass, even the dry one smells fragrant! And at once the steppes above me resurrect all the charm... ...You sing our songs to him, - When he doesn’t respond to the song, tie the emshans of the steppe in a bundle And give it to him - and he will return.”

Apollo Maykov, excerpt from the poem “Emshan”
Author's footnote to the poem: “This story is taken from the Volyn Chronicle. Emshan is the name of a fragrant herb growing in our steppes, probably wormwood.”

Where to get planting material from?

First of all, look around at your neighbors. Many people now have wormwood as an ornamental or medicinal plant. It grows quickly and violently, so it is unlikely that they will refuse to give you a piece of kusya or just a twig.

Wormwood is often found in fields and meadows near Moscow. You will never confuse it with another plant if you rub the leaf between your fingers and smell it. Smell familiar? Most likely, you will find wormwood or common wormwood (chernobyl).

Wormwood cuttings are very simple. Wanting to start new bush, I cut a small branch, sticking. I put it in the ground and water it. All. If you do not want to risk it, place the cutting in water and wait for rooting.

Agree, some names speak for themselves. In any case, there is no need to explain what exactly sagebrush (Artemisia) is the basis of those famous alcoholic drinks. No less expressive popular names plants: god tree, widow's grass, Chernobyl grass. And there are many of them. As well as types of wormwood.

Specialists number from 250 to 400, found almost throughout the Northern Hemisphere, on different continents, latitudes and in climatic zones: sand wormwood (A. arenaria) And white earth (A. terrae-albae), arctic (A. arctica) And Yakut (A. jacutica), Tauride (A. taurica) And maritime (A. maritima). Many species have medicinal value, especially citvar (A. cina), bitter (A. absinthium), ordinary (A. vulgaris) And medicinal (A. abrotanum). By the way, the Latin name itself Artemisia comes from the Greek artemes - healthy.

In general, nature has endowed sagebrush such bright properties - a strong, memorable aroma, a sharp taste, an original appearance - that people paid attention to it in ancient times and used it not only as a medicinal, cosmetic and spicy, but also as a cult. And about the symbolic role of wormwood in literature, from the Old Testament and national epics to modern poetry, and about the influence of absinthe on the culture of France in the second half of the 19th century centuries, more than one scientific study can be written.

In recent years, many people have paid attention to decorative properties wormwood. The flowers collected in inflorescences of this plant are rather inconspicuous, but the leaves are heavily indented, openwork, as if covered with ash or road dust - all shades gray, very beautiful. And what is especially important, they are decorative from spring to late autumn. Another attractive thing about wormwood is that many species are quite unpretentious, frost- and drought-resistant, easy to care for and repel harmful insects not only from themselves, but also from plants growing in the neighborhood. And huge species diversity and the bred varieties allow the use of high wormwood in mixborders, rose gardens, and ornamental vegetable gardens, and low-growing and creeping ones - in rockeries and as border plants.

These plants prefer open sunny places, but, as a rule, they tolerate light partial shade. Wormwood is undemanding to soil; it grows in poor, but well-drained soil. But on fertile and moist soil they can lie down. And stagnation of water is destructive for them.

It is quite easy to propagate wormwood. Annual varieties and species - by seeds, perennials - by dividing the bush or cuttings, which take root very well in loose soil. But most species will have to be contained rather than propagated. The root system of these plants is limited using a container or border tape dug into the soil to a depth of at least 20 cm.

Grows well in poor but well-drained soils. On fertile soils may lie down.

Stagnation of water is destructive.

The root system of wormwood is limited using a container or border tape dug into the soil to a depth of at least 20 cm.

Many people disparage wormwood, calling it a nasty weed. But I consider her my protector from many misfortunes - pests and diseases of the garden and vegetable garden, and even from human diseases. Over the years I have gained experience in its use.

Previously, I harvested wormwood on the side of country roads, but I inadvertently brought the seeds to my plot, where the plant began to grow and multiply, so that I no longer need to go anywhere specially to get it. And I'm not trying to get rid of it. I have islands of wormwood under almost every young apple and pear tree, near fences, outbuildings, where they don’t bother anyone at all.

However, do not think that it is growing uncontrollably. The needs for wormwood and its reproduction are balanced so that it does not have to stay in the ground. I extract plants in whole or in part at a young or adult age - with my hands or with a trident.

Wormwood also helps in the fall

The greatest need for wormwood occurs in the fall. Where in tree trunk circles young apple and pear trees are not growing yet, I lay out grass around the trunks. This protects trees from mice.

I tie a pair of long branches of wormwood to the trunks of young apple and pear trees on the south side using electrical tape. This is protection, on the one hand, from hares in winter, and on the other, from the heat of the sun's rays in early spring. Moreover, during the entire period of application of such protection, there were no cases of damage.

In places where mice may be infested (in a house, barn, cellar), I lay out wormwood branches. I do this in advance, since rodents are moving closer to housing in the winter. And although they sometimes settle in “forbidden” territories, the persistent smell of wormwood irritates the animals, and they leave.

When laying the foundation of the house, I also wrap wormwood branches in foam plugs.

Moths often appear in places where food and clothing are stored. To scare it away, I make special bundles with wormwood from pieces of old sheets.

Spring uses of wormwood in the garden

In the spring I remove wormwood from tree trunks, and also collect it from all the places where I spread it in the fall. But it’s too early to throw away the grass: it will serve until a new one grows.

What am I doing?

I spread out a decent piece polyethylene film, I put a wooden block in the center and with an ax I begin to chop the collected wormwood. The flying pieces remain on the film. I pour the collected chaff into a 20-liter bucket, close it with a lid and place it in the sun. After 1-1.5 weeks (depending on the weather), I pour the infusion through a fine sieve into 6-liter plastic bottles.

By the way, I do the same with the husks and stalks of garlic and onions collected in the fall. I put the infusions in a cool, shaded place.

I use these infusions to combat late blight, alternating them and adding 1 tbsp for every 10 liters. l. potassium chloride, liquid soap and 1 g of potassium permanganate. This remedy also helps against powdery mildew, scab, and other fungal diseases.

I also use them to control pests - caterpillars, aphids, and other insects. I often add iodine, brilliant green, table salt, boric acid, mullein

Not all plants are as harmless as wormwood. During the period of ripening and harvesting of fruits and vegetables, you should not spray plants with infusions of milkweed, tobacco, henbane, hemlock, celandine, and horse sorrel. They are poisonous to plants!

The genus of wormwood or artemisia (Artemisia) from the Asteraceae family includes about 300 species of herbaceous and semi-shrub plants growing in wildlife throughout Europe and most of Asia and North Africa.

The value of decorative wormwood for the garden lies in its unusual silver-gray foliage. The leaves of the plant are covered with thick silky hairs; inconspicuous yellow or white flowers appear in July-August.

There is a legend in Europe that the spicy smell of wormwood planted near a house can drive away evil spirits. We don’t know what about perfumes, but the culture perfectly repels mosquitoes on the site.

As an ornamental plant in landscape design Several representatives of the genus are used.

Schmidt's wormwood (Artemisia schmidtii), namely its groundcover variety 'Nana', also known as 'Silver Mound', 10-25 cm high. The plant forms dense silver-green clumps with feathery foliage. It lends itself perfectly to pruning, thanks to which you can form compact, lush pillows. In winter it can freeze slightly, but recovers quickly. A spectacular hybrid of this species, “Powis Castle”, about 35 cm high with openwork pinnately dissected foliage.

Steller's wormwood (Artemisia stelleri) and its varietal forms “Mori’s Form” and “Boughton Silver” with silver-white openwork leaves. The height of the varieties is about 30-40 cm.

Louis's wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana). Its height is 50-80 cm. Narrow leaves are gray or silver in color. Well-known varietal forms “Valeri Finning”, “Silver Queen”, “Silver King”.

Wormwood Pursha (Artemisia purshiana). A herbaceous semi-shrub plant with a branched stem 60-70 cm tall and elongated oval white-gray leaves. Regular pinching of the top during the growing season allows you to form a beautiful lush bush.

The culture is completely undemanding to care. Wormwood in the garden grows well in full sun. Loves poor, well-drained soils; in fertile soil it loses its compact shape. Like most silver-gray deciduous perennials, artemisia is very drought tolerant and does not tolerate stagnant water, which causes the plant to die. However, immediately after planting, it requires regular moderate watering for 2-3 weeks to take root.

Since the crop grows well in poor soils, it does not need fertilizing at all. Throughout the season, caring for wormwood in the garden consists of weeding and pruning shoots in autumn or spring for tall species. Low varieties that form clumps eventually begin to die off in the center, so every 2-3 years they need to be rejuvenated by division. The procedure is carried out in the spring.

The plant reproduces mainly by dividing bushes, root or stem cuttings, but the first method is the simplest and most effective.
Artemisia can be susceptible to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, mold, white rust. High humidity and poor air circulation exacerbates these problems.

Application in landscape design

In the garden, wormwood looks advantageous in a composition with graceful fescue, blue fireweed, lofant, sage, bright carnation grass, sunny coreopsis, echinacea, variegated varieties of dwarf barberry, euonymus, spirea, and lush santolina. The plant is an ideal candidate for creating a garden herbs and an alpine slide.

Planting wormwood next to cineraria, jasmine, onosma and stachys will create an unusual silver-gray monochrome composition.

Today we will talk about a plant like wormwood. Its silvery, carved leaves have inspired many gardeners to use it in landscape design. Very often it is used as ornamental plant and decorate garden beds with it.

Wormwood is a common plant with a controversial reputation. This is one of the most tenacious weeds, which is almost impossible to remove without using special means and drugs. At the same time, it has long been proven medicinal properties wormwood. It was used for treatment in ancient times.

General information and some types

The wormwood plant is a herbaceous perennial from the Astroflower family. The plant has branched roots that are covered with silvery fluff. It has straight stems on which dissected leaves are densely located.

There are more than four hundred species of wormwood in the world, and each of them has invaluable properties. Citvar and bitter wormwood are used for medicinal decoctions and infusions; bitter wormwood extract is very often used in perfumery and even in the production of alcoholic drinks such as absinthe and vermouth. Spreading wormwood is fed to domestic animals. Many species serve as excellent soil fixers. Tarragon wormwood, better known as tarragon or tarragon, gives dishes an unusual aroma and magical taste.

The use of wormwood in landscape design is also very common. The following types of wormwood are perfect for poor sandy soil:

Wormwood Louis

This cultivated plant originally from Seven America. Ludoviciana, as it is also called, is a perennial. This ornamental plant reaches a height of 80 centimeters and has a very developed and long root system. Its stems are densely pubescent and very strong; they bear silvery leaves. In order to form compact bush wormwood Louis, you need to regularly pinch out new shoots and remove inflorescences.

Any garden will be decorated with varieties of Louis wormwood:

  • Valeri Finnig. This is a shrub with dissected leaves and uneven stems. The leaf is greenish-gray on the outside and white on the inside.
  • Silver Queen. This bush is more branched and densely covered with foliage.

Wormwood Schmidt

This is a perennial, which is quite densely covered with lacy leaves silver color. The height of the plant can reach 15-30 centimeters. This is a very popular type of wormwood that looks great in a landscape ensemble with other plants and flowers. The most popular variety of Schmidt's wormwood is Nana. A compact bush in the shape of a ball with thread-like dissected leaves has a simply stunning appearance.

Steller's Wormwood

This plant is very popular due to its beautiful lacy leaves. They give the plant extraordinary beauty. The silvery leaves remain decorative throughout the season, grow in the spring and at the same time exude a specific pleasant aroma.

Although the plant blooms and this happens in mid-July, its flowers are not of particular value for the appearance of the bush. It is generally recommended to remove flowers, since they cover the plant itself. Leaves very similar to deer horns, as if creeping along the soil, and such a miniature and very neat plant looks simply amazing in any garden.

This variety goes very well with bright flowers - phlox, herbal carnation and yarrow.

Reproduction

Any type of wormwood propagates very well by cuttings, using segments of the root system, as well as by dividing the bush.

If the first breeding option is chosen, then this should be done either in late spring or early summer. It is necessary to trim the apical shoots to ten centimeters. This should be done at an angle, and then the cut shoots should be cleared of the lower leaves and placed in a container with sand. The bush is transplanted to permanent place V open ground, one year later. If the gardener can find a place for the bush that will suit everyone necessary conditions, then in this case the plant can be planted immediately in open ground in a permanent place. At the same time, it should be very well lit and the soil should be sandy and light. In such conditions, the cuttings adapt well and take root.

Dividing the bush is usually done in the fall. And the method of propagation by segments of the root system is best carried out during this period . In both cases you need to dig up the bush, divide the root system into several parts and transplant them to new permanent locations.

Rules for growing in your garden

Decorative wormwood is considered quite unpretentious plant and feels normal in light soils in well-lit places. However, she will die very quickly clay soil. In the spring, you need to choose a place for planting, carefully dig it up and mix the soil with compost or other organic matter and sand. Immediately after this, you can plant the plant.

In order to prevent the bush from growing throughout the garden like a weed, it is necessary to limit the development of its rhizomes. To do this, when planting in the ground, you need to dig 30 centimeters of border tape. Another option is to grow the plant in separate containers or pots.

If you overdo it with watering, then you can influence the abundance of pubescence, and then the plant will lose its decorative effect. That is why it should be watered only during prolonged drought; you should not spray the foliage with water at all.

The plant may be susceptible to a disease called powdery mildew. This usually occurs during prolonged rainy weather. A special drug - a fungicide - will help cope with the disease.

During the flowering period of the bush, it is necessary to remove all inflorescences, because the formation of ovaries will lead to the dispersion of seeds throughout the entire area.

Use in garden landscape design

It is widely used in landscape design and design of parks and garden beds. The silver bush creates a very beautiful composition in the vicinity of other garden inhabitants, while its aroma successfully repels all kinds of flower pests. Such a plant on the site will not only bring Aesthetic pleasure gardener, but will also be incredibly useful.

Low-growing varieties of plants are usually used in decoration alpine slides and borders. The Louis variety goes well with low bells, barberry, cloves or sage. High grades goes well with roses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say that growing this ornamental plant on your own plot will not take much effort and time from the gardener. It does not require special attention and care, but it will fit perfectly into any garden composition and, perhaps, even become its main decoration.

Decorative wormwood

The beauty of the silvery dissected leaves of wormwood has inspired gardeners to use some species of this plant in garden decoration.

Wormwood is one of the most common herbaceous plants, which has an extremely controversial reputation. Oh her wonderful healing properties known since ancient times. At the same time, wormwood is one of the most tenacious weeds.

General information

Wormwood – perennial (sometimes annual) herbaceous plant family Astrotsvetna. The plant has a lignified branched root system, straight stems covered with silvery fluff and dissected leaves.

More than 400 species of wormwood are known, each of which has invaluable properties. Wormwood And wormwood used to prepare medicinal infusions, extracts from wormwood used in the perfume industry and in the production of absinthe and vermouth, spreading wormwood serves as food for domestic animals. Some types of wormwood are good soil fixers. Wormwood tarragon, known as tarragon, or tarragon, gives dishes an incredible taste and magical aroma.

In landscape design and for landscaping areas with poor sandy soil, tall and low-growing species of decorative wormwood are used - Steller's wormwood, wormwood Schmidt, wormwood milkweed, Louis wormwood, mountain wormwood, Artemisia pontica, Armenian wormwood, Artemisia persica.

Wormwood Louis

Cultivated prairie native North America Wormwood Louis, or Ludoviciana, is a perennial ornamental plant up to 80 cm high with a long rhizome, strong, densely pubescent stems and silver-gray leaves. To form a compact bush from this type of wormwood, you should promptly remove the inflorescences and pinch the shoots.

Varieties of Louis wormwood - Valeri Finnig and Silver Queen - can become a wonderful decoration of the garden. The first variety is a shrub with weakly branched stems and dissected leaves, greenish-gray on top and almost white on the inside.

Wormwood Louis Valeri Finnig

A fast-growing member of Artemisia Louis, Silver Queen, has more branched stems densely covered with hairy silver-gray leaves.

Wormwood Louis Silver Queen

Wormwood Schmidt

Schmidt's wormwood is a perennial, low-growing, densely pubescent shrub, 15 to 30 cm high, with strong stems and “lacey” silvery leaves. The plant is one of the most popular ornamental crops, which looks especially advantageous in combination with other flowers in the flowerbed. One of the most common varieties of Schmidt's wormwood is Nana. It is a small spherical bush with silver-green, pinnately dissected, thread-like leaves.

Artemisia Schmidt Nana

How to propagate wormwood

All types of decorative wormwood are easily propagated cuttings, rhizome segments, dividing the bush. It is better to propagate by cuttings in late spring or early summer. To do this, you need to cut the apical shoots up to 10 cm long at an angle, remove lower leaves and plant in containers with sand. You can transplant it to a permanent place after a year. If you can create ideal conditions to grow wormwood - find a well-lit area in the garden with light sandy soil - cuttings can be planted directly in open ground.

In early autumn, you can begin propagation by dividing the bush and cuttings of rhizomes. In both cases, the plant should be dug up, the rhizome divided into several parts and planted in new places.

Conditions for growing wormwood

Unpretentious and drought-resistant decorative wormwood will feel great in light sandy soil. soil in open, well-lit places, but will die in heavy soil with a high clay content. In the spring, choosing suitable site, you should dig up the soil with compost and sand and immediately plant the plants.

To prevent wormwood from spreading throughout the garden, it is recommended to limit its root system using a border tape dug into the ground to a depth of 20-30 cm, or grow it in flowerpots and containers.

As a result of excessive glaze wormwood may lose its pubescence and along with it lose its decorative effect. Therefore, the plant should be watered only during periods of prolonged drought; there is no need to spray from above.

In a rainy summer, wormwood can strike powdery mildew, which is quite easy to deal with by treating the plant with a fungicide. During the flowering period, it is better to remove the inflorescences so that ovaries do not form and the seeds do not scatter throughout the garden.

Use in garden design

Application area decorative species wormwood in landscape design and when decorating flower beds is extremely diverse. A plant with beautiful silver leaves creates picturesque color compositions, while repelling harmful insects with its tart, bitter aroma.

Low-growing species are used for decoration borders, alpine slides, rockeries. Ludovic's wormwood Silver Queen goes well with Thunberg barberry, Steller's wormwood - with low bells, sage, and herbaceous carnation. Tall species add a special charm to flower beds, rose gardens, and mixborders.

Growing Tips
Is it worth it to fence a garden at all? A reasonable question. Wormwood is a weed that grows anywhere and everywhere. However, this applies to wormwood and common wormwood, and, for example, lemon wormwood and tarragon still have a limited distribution area. In addition, within the boundaries and environs of a large city, it is not always possible to find even the Chernobyl plant, not to mention the rarer representatives of the flora.

Tarragon
The most popular varieties of tarragon are French, Russian, Gribovsky. French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), also called German or Dutch, is a dark green plant with smooth leaves. Russian tarragon (Arte-misia dracunuloides) is distinguished by the height of its stems (60-120 cm), light green upper leaves and a faint odor.
One of the subspecies of tarragon is grown in Poland. It differs significantly from Russian and French not only appearance, but also chemical composition, as well as the method of reproduction.
Growing tarragon in a garden plot is not at all a difficult task. It tolerates cold well, can grow on various soils, but prefers garden soils, moderately seasoned organic fertilizers. When applied in high doses of fertilizers, tarragon produces a lot of greenery, but loses its aroma.
Tarragon is propagated by seeds, but more often by dividing rhizomes and cuttings of green shoots taken from the most fragrant and juicy plants.
Tarragon seeds are sown in boxes in February-March. Seedlings are kept at home on the windowsill. In the third ten days of April, as soon as the snow melts, young plants are planted in open ground.
You can sow seeds in open ground with an interval of 15-20 cm between rows. The seeds are not covered with soil, but only slightly compacted. The seeding rate is 3 g per 1 m2. The seedlings are thinned out so that the distance between the sprouts is 10-15 cm. The soil around the seedlings is regularly loosened, watered and weeded. Plants on the ridges are left in the winter and planted in the spring.
Vegetative propagation produce in early spring when tarragon begins to grow. Dig up best bushes, cut them so that there are 2-3 buds on each part, and transplant them to a new place. When propagating by cuttings, shoots 10-15 cm long are cut from well-grown plants, rooted in a greenhouse at a depth of 3-4 cm at a distance of 5 cm. The cuttings are watered abundantly and shaded. For successful rooting, a temperature of 15-18 °C is required. 2 weeks after planting, the young seedlings are planted in a permanent place.
IN climatic conditions, characteristic of Slavic territories, it is preferable to propagate tarragon by dividing the old rhizome. Tarragon can grow in one place for 8-10 years or more, but if it is intended for food, this period should be reduced to 4-5 years.
Tarragon grows early and quickly. By the beginning of May you can get tender, fragrant greens; young shoots by this time reach 10-12 cm. good care and timely fertilizing, three tarragon crops are harvested per year.
It is important to remember that tarragon is a moisture-loving herb; it must be watered abundantly and at least once every 10-12 days. The higher the soil moisture, the better its taste. Climate also matters: in the north, where there is little heat, the plant loses its aromatic qualities.

Tarragon grows in both sun and partial shade. It is not picky about the soil, but every spring you need to add 3-4 kg of humus or compost, 2-3 tbsp. spoons of wood ash and 1 tbsp. spoon of any complex fertilizer.
If you don't have garden plot, you can grow tarragon on the balcony or right in your apartment on the windowsill.
Sow seeds in boxes or flower pots to a depth of 0.5 cm, sprinkling a thin layer of sand on top. After 10-14 days, shoots will appear. After the true leaves appear, feed with a complex organic-mineral fertilizer. Don't forget about regular watering. 40-45 days after emergence, when the shoots reach 13-15 cm, you can make the first cut.
Stems, leaves and inflorescences are harvested for medicinal purposes. The grass is dried in the shade, then tied into small bundles and stored in a cool, dark place or kept in a hermetically sealed container. Tarragon can also be prepared by dry salting, like parsley and dill. To do this, finely chopped greens are mixed with salt without grinding, placed tightly in jars, covered with a lid and stored in a cool place.

Lemon wormwood
Lemon wormwood is a strongly branching subshrub 50-80 cm high and 50-60 cm in diameter. Perennial shoots at the base are woody and gray. The leaves are pinnately dissected. The baskets are oval, collected in an elongated panicle. The flowers are bisexual, tubular, five-membered. The seeds are very small, light gray in color.

Intensive plant growth slows down in the budding and flowering phase. During this period, accumulation in the green mass is completed. essential oil.
Lemon wormwood is undemanding to growing conditions. It is found on solonetzic and saline soils. Easily tolerates both drought and frost. It does not freeze when the temperature drops to -30° C. This type of wormwood is rarely affected by diseases and pests.
The plant reproduces by seeds and vegetatively. Seeds are sown in March without seeding. Optimal temperature seed germination - 10-12 C. Most reliable way growing - sow seeds for seedlings in a greenhouse or garden bed. Artemisia grows in one place for 10-15 years. The beginning of the growing season occurs in February-March, budding - in July. Care consists of fertilizing and loosening the row spacing.
Lemon wormwood is collected during the period of mass flowering, cutting off the above-ground part of flowering plants at a height of 12-15 cm from the soil surface. The green mass is spread in a layer 20 cm thick under a weight, in dryers or well-ventilated areas. Dried raw materials are stored in bags made of thick fabric.

Artemisia annual
Annual wormwood (Artemisia annua L) is a herbaceous plant up to 2 m high. The stem is bare, straight, furrowed, green at the beginning of the growing season, dark purple at the end. The leaves are oblong, pinnately dissected. Numerous baskets are collected in pyramidal paniculate inflorescences.
The plant tolerates drought well and is resistant to diseases and pests. Annual wormwood blooms in August-September.

Seeds are sown in early spring directly into the ground. Active growth begins in the first half of June. Care consists of regularly removing weeds and loosening the soil.
Harvesting is carried out during the period of mass flowering, cutting off plants at a height of 30-35 cm from the soil surface. The green mass is dried in the shade, placed in bags and stored in a dry room. It is used as a seasoning for meat dishes, and in folk medicine as an appetizing, anthelmintic and anti-inflammatory agent.