A parasitic plant is found in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, which is considered an enemy of trees. Till now you must have heard that man is the enemy of man or animal is the enemy of animal, but do you know that trees also have an enemy. This parasitic plant is known as Amarbel in villages. While this plant is considered very beneficial for our health, it is also an enemy for other plants. Amarbel is a complete parasitic plant. It has neither leaves nor chlorophyll with the help of which plants can make their own food.

This is the reason why Amarbel is completely dependent on some other plant or tree. This vine gets its complete nutrition from the plant on which it climbs. Amarbel enters the stem of a tree or plant and keeps sucking its juice through its special suction organs called haustoria. Gradually the concerned plant starts becoming weak, its growth stops and in many cases the entire plant dries up and dies. Many times people plant fruitful and shady plants around their homes, but due to a little carelessness and lack of care, if Amarbel grows on that tree, then due to not paying attention at the right time, the entire tree can be ruined.

Amarbel has become a serious problem for the farmers. Its infestation is increasing rapidly especially in sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and horticulture crops. When mistletoe spreads on fruit trees like mango, guava, lemon, amla, etc., it directly affects the production. Farmer Alok Singh says that once Amarbel spreads in the field or garden, it becomes very difficult to get rid of it. Many times farmers are able to feel some relief only after the crop of the entire field is destroyed.

Amarbel is not limited only to farming, but is also spreading rapidly in the forests. In forest areas, it completely engulfs small plants and bushes, due to which there is a serious threat to biodiversity. It has been seen in many places that due to Amarbel, local plant species are gradually disappearing, due to which people get worried. Often people mistakenly plant amaranth on a small tree or plant, and due to this the vine keeps spreading continuously. Who knows how many trees it consumes? Within no time it spreads to the entire tree to such an extent that the tree is completely engulfed by it. This is the reason why every year hundreds of trees dry up due to Amarbel.

At the same time, Amarbel is also considered very beneficial for our health and even today people use it for many diseases. If Amarbel growing on mango tree is boiled in water and used in bath, then the hair becomes stronger and new hair starts growing. While giving information, Acharya Devendra Kumar said that due to changing eating habits and lifestyle, nowadays the biggest problem seen among the people is related to hair, even the hair of young children starts falling. In such a situation, if you are often troubled by hair problems, then the use of Amarbel can prove beneficial for you.

You can use Amarbel to strengthen the digestive system. It helps in providing relief from problems like constipation, acidity and stomach pain and is also helpful in detoxifying the liver. Amarbel increases the body’s immunity and helps in eliminating toxins. Apart from this, Amarbel is also beneficial in heart health and controlling blood pressure. It can help control high blood pressure by keeping cholesterol and blood circulation balanced.