A birch is a thin-leaved
deciduous hardwood
Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...
tree of the
genus ''Betula'' (), in the family
Betulaceae, which also includes
alders,
hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
s, and
hornbeams. It is closely related to the
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
-
oak family
Fagaceae
The Fagaceae are a family of flowering plants that includes beeches, chestnuts and oaks, and comprises eight genera with about 927 species. Fagaceae in temperate regions are mostly deciduous, whereas in the tropics, many species occur as evergre ...
. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to 60
known taxa of which 11 are on the
IUCN 2011 Red List of Threatened Species. They are a typically rather short-lived
pioneer species widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in northern areas of
temperate climates and in
boreal climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
s.
Description
Birch species are generally small to medium-sized
trees or
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s, mostly of northern
temperate and boreal climates. The simple
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are alternate, singly or doubly serrate, feather-veined, petiolate and stipulate. They often appear in pairs, but these pairs are really borne on spur-like, two-leaved, lateral
branchlets.
The fruit is a small
samara
Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...
, although the wings may be obscure in some species. They differ from the
alders (''Alnus'', another genus in the family) in that the female
catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in ''Salix''). They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged cl ...
s are not woody and disintegrate at maturity, falling apart to release the seeds, unlike the woody, cone-like female alder catkins.
The
bark
Bark may refer to:
* Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick
* Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog)
Places
* Bark, Germany
* Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland
Arts, ...
of all birches is characteristically marked with long, horizontal
lenticel
A lenticel is a porous tissue consisting of cells with large intercellular spaces in the periderm of the secondarily thickened organs and the bark of woody stems and roots of dicotyledonous flowering plants. It functions as a pore, providing a ...
s, and often separates into thin, papery plates, especially upon the
paper birch. Distinctive colors give the common names
gray,
white,
black,
silver and
yellow birch to different species.
The buds, forming early and full-grown by midsummer, are all lateral, without a terminal bud forming; the branch is prolonged by the upper lateral bud. The wood of all the species is close-grained with a satiny texture and capable of taking a fine polish; its fuel value is fair.
Flower and fruit
The flowers are
monoecious
Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy.
Monoecy is conne ...
, opening with or before the leaves. Once fully grown, these leaves are usually long on three-flowered clusters in the axils of the scales of drooping or erect
catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in ''Salix''). They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged cl ...
s or aments. Staminate catkins are pendulous, clustered, or solitary in the axils of the last leaves of the branch of the year or near the ends of the short lateral branchlets of the year. They form in early autumn and remain rigid during the winter. The scales of the mature staminate catkins are broadly ovate, rounded, yellow or orange colour below the middle and dark chestnut brown at apex. Each scale bears two bractlets and three sterile flowers, each flower consisting of a sessile, membranous, usually two-lobed, calyx. Each calyx bears four short filaments with one-celled anthers or strictly, two filaments divided into two branches, each bearing a half-anther. Anther cells open longitudinally. The pistillate segments are erect or pendulous, and solitary, terminal on the two-leaved lateral spur-like branchlets of the year. The pistillate scales are oblong-ovate, three-lobed, pale yellow-green often tinged with red, becoming brown at maturity. These scales bear two or three fertile flowers, each flower consisting of a naked ovary. The ovary is compressed, two-celled, and crowned with two slender styles; the ovule is solitary. Each scale bears a single small, winged nut that is oval, with two persistent stigmas at the apex.
Taxonomy
Subdivision
''Betula'' species are organised into five subgenera.
; Birches native to
Europe and
Asia include:
# ''
Betula albosinensis'' – Chinese red birch (northern + central China)
# ''
Betula alnoides
''Betula alnoides'' (; th, กำลังเสือโคร่ง, , literally: "tiger power") is a species of birch that can be found in natural condition of such countries as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal ...
'' – alder-leaf birch (China, Himalayas, northern Indochina)
# ''
Betula ashburneri
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
'' – (Bhutan, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan Provinces in China)
# ''
Betula baschkirica'' – (eastern European Russia)
# ''
Betula bomiensis'' – (Tibet)
# ''
Betula browicziana'' – (Turkey and Georgia)
#''
Betula buggsii'' – (China)
# ''
Betula calcicola
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
'' – (Sichuan + Yunnan Provinces in China)
# ''
Betula celtiberica
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
'' – (Spain)
# ''
Betula chichibuensis'' – (
Chichibu
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,159 in 26,380 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
Geography
Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unli ...
region of Japan)
# ''
Betula chinensis
''Betula chinensis'', commonly known as dwarf small-leaf birch, is a species of birch that can be found in China and Korea on the elevation of .
Description
The species is tall with either yellow or yellowish-brown colour. Leaf blade is ellipti ...
'' – Chinese dwarf birch (China, Korea)
# ''
Betula coriaceifolia'' – (Uzbekistan)
# ''
Betula corylifolia
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
'' – (Honshu Island in Japan)
# ''
Betula costata
''Betula costata'' is a species of tree belonging to the family Betulaceae.
Its native range is Russian Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok r ...
'' – (northeastern China, Korea, Primorye region of Russia)
# ''
Betula cylindrostachya'' – (Himalayas, southern China, Myanmar)
# ''
Betula dahurica'' – (eastern Siberia, Russian Far East, northeastern China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan)
# ''
Betula delavayi
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
'' – (Tibet, southern China)
# ''
Betula ermanii
''Betula ermanii'', or Erman's birch, is a species of birch tree belonging to the family Betulaceae. It is an extremely variable species and can be found in Northeast China, Korea, Japan, and Russian Far East (Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Kamchatk ...
'' – Erman's birch (eastern Siberia, Russian Far East, northeastern China, Korea, Japan)
# ''
Betula falcata
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
'' – (Tajikistan)
# ''
Betula fargesii
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the ...
'' – (Chongqing + Hubei Provinces in China)
# ''
Betula fruticosa
''Betula fruticosa'', commonly known as dwarf bog birch, () is a species of dwarf birch that grows in central and eastern Europe (except for Finland where it grows rare) and Siberia and Mongolia on elevation of in forests, streambanks, and swam ...
'' – (eastern Siberia, Russian Far East, northeastern China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan)
# ''
Betula globispica'' – (Honshu Island in Japan)
# ''
Betula gmelinii'' – (Siberia, Mongolia, northeastern China, Korea, Hokkaido Island in Japan)
# ''
Betula grossa'' – Japanese cherry birch (Japan)
# ''
Betula gynoterminalis
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
'' – (Yunnan Province in China)
# ''
Betula honanensis
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
'' – (Henan Province in China)
# ''
Betula humilis
''Betula humilis'', known in English as the shrubby birch, is a species of birch that can be found in Europe and Asia. The species has ovate leaves that are long and is related to ''Betula fruticosa
''Betula fruticosa'', commonly known as dwa ...
'' or ''Betula kamtschatica'' – Kamchatka birch ''platyphylla'' (northern + central Europe, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, Mongolia, Korea)
# ''
Betula insignis
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
'' – (southern China)
# ''
Betula karagandensis'' – (Kazakhstan)
# ''
Betula klokovii
''Betula klokovii'' is a species of tree restricted to Ukraine. These trees grow on sandy hills in steppe grasses and dry chalkstone or in open woodlands. It is only found in two mountains: Strakhova and Maslyatyn, near Kremenets in the Ternopil ...
'' – (Ukraine)
# ''
Betula kotulae'' – (Ukraine)
# ''
Betula luminifera'' – (China)
# ''
Betula maximowicziana
''Betula maximowicziana'', the monarch birch, is a species of birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely rela ...
'' – monarch birch (Japan, Kuril Islands)
# ''
Betula medwediewii
''Betula medwediewii'', called Transcaucasian birch, Caucasian birch or Medwediew's birch, is a species of birch which is native to Turkey, Georgia, and Iran. It is decaploid, with its closest diploid relatives being '' Betula humilis'' and prob ...
'' – Caucasian birch (Turkey, Iran, Caucasus)
# ''
Betula megrelica
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
'' – (Republic of Georgia)
# ''
Betula microphylla
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
'' – (Siberia, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan)
# ''
Betula nana'' – dwarf birch (northern + central Europe, Russia, Siberia, Greenland, Northwest Territories of Canada))
# ''
Betula pendula'' – silver birch (widespread in Europe and northern Asia; Morocco; naturalized in New Zealand and scattered locations in US + Canada)
# ''
Betula platyphylla
''Betula platyphylla'', the Asian white birch or Japanese white birch, is a tree species in the family Betulaceae. It can be found in subarctic and temperate Asia in Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia, and Russian Far East and Siberia
Siberia ( ...
'' – (''Betula pendula'' var. ''platyphylla'')—Siberian silver birch (Siberia, Russian Far East, Manchuria, Korea, Japan, Alaska, western Canada)
# ''
Betula potamophila
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
'' – (Tajikistan)
# ''
Betula potaninii
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 to ...
'' – (southern China)
# ''
Betula psammophila'' – (Kazakhstan)
# ''
Betula pubescens'' – downy birch, also known as white, European white or hairy birch (Europe, Siberia, Greenland, Newfoundland; naturalized in scattered locations in US)
# ''
Betula raddeana
''Betula raddeana'' is a species of plant in the Betulaceae family. It is found in Georgia and Russia. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural h ...
'' – (Caucasus)
# ''
Betula saksarensis'' – (Khakassiya region of Siberia)
# ''
Betula saviczii'' – (Kazakhstan)
# ''
Betula schmidtii'' – (northeastern China, Korea, Japan, Primorye region of Russia)
# ''
Betula sunanensis'' – (Gansu Province of China)
# ''
Betula szechuanica
''Betula szechuanica'', the Sichuan birch or Szechuan birch, is a birch species native to Sichuan, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a ...
'' – (''Betula pendula'' var. ''szechuanica'')—Sichuan birch (Tibet, southern China)
# ''
Betula tianshanica'' – (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang, Mongolia)
# ''
Betula utilis
''Betula utilis'', the Himalayan birch (''bhojpatra'', sa, भूर्ज ''bhūrjá''), is a deciduous tree native to the Western Himalayas, growing at elevations up to . The Latin specific epithet ''utilis'' means "useful", and refers to the ...
'' – Himalayan birch (Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, China, Tibet, Himalayas)
# ''
Betula wuyiensis'' – (Fujian Province of China)
# ''
Betula zinserlingii'' – (Kyrgyzstan)
Note: many American texts have ''B. pendula'' and ''B. pubescens'' confused, though they are distinct species with different chromosome numbers.
; Birches native to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
include:
# ''
Betula alleghaniensis
''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the pa ...
'' – yellow birch (''B. lutea'') (eastern Canada, Great Lakes, upper eastern US, Appalachians)
# ''
Betula caerulea'' – blue birch (northeast of North America)
# ''
Betula cordifolia'' – mountain paper birch (eastern Canada, Great Lakes, New England US)
# ''
Betula glandulosa
''Betula glandulosa'', the American dwarf birch, also known as resin birch or shrub birch, is a species of birch native to North America.
Description
American dwarf birch is a multi-stemmed shrub typically growing to tall, often forming dense ...
'' – American dwarf birch (Siberia, Mongolia, Russian Far East, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, mountains of western US and New England, Adirondacks)
# ''
Betula kenaica'' – Kenai birch ( Alaska, northwestern North America)
# ''
Betula lenta
''Betula lenta'' (sweet birch, also known as black birch, cherry birch, mahogany birch, or spice birch) is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mounta ...
'' – sweet birch, cherry birch, or black birch (Quebec, Ontario, eastern US)
# ''
Betula michauxii'' – Newfoundland dwarf birch (Newfoundland, Labrador, Quebec, Nova Scotia)
# ''
Betula minor'' – dwarf white birch (eastern Canada, mountains of northern New England and Adirondacks)
# ''
Betula murrayana'' – Murray's birch (Great Lakes endemic)
# ''
Betula nana'' – dwarf birch or bog birch (also in northern Europe and Asia)
# ''
Betula neoalaskana'' – Alaska paper birch also known as Alaska birch or Resin birch (Alaska and northern Canada)
# ''
Betula nigra'' – river birch or black birch (eastern US)
# ''
Betula occidentalis
''Betula occidentalis'', the water birch or red birch, is a species of birch native to western North America, in Canada from Yukon east to Northwestern Ontario and southwards, and in the United States from eastern Washington east to western Nort ...
'' – water birch or red birch (''B. fontinalis'') (Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, western Canada, western US)
# ''
Betula papyrifera'' – paper birch, canoe birch or American white birch (Alaska, most of Canada, northern US)
# ''
Betula populifolia
''Betula populifolia'' (gray or grey birch) is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America.
Range
It ranges from southeastern Ontario east to Nova Scotia, and south to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with disjunct populations in Indiana, Vi ...
'' – gray birch (eastern Canada, northeastern US)
# ''
Betula pumila
''Betula pumila'' (dwarf birch or bog birch) is a deciduous shrub native to North America. Bog birch occurs over a vast area of northern North America, from Yukon in the west to New England in the east and all the way to Washington and Oregon, i ...
'' – swamp birch (Alaska, Canada, northern US)
# ''
Betula uber'' – Virginia round-leaf birch (southwestern Virginia)
Etymology
The common name ''birch'' comes from
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''birce'', ''bierce'', from
Proto-Germanic *''berk-jōn'' (cf.
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
''Birke'',
West Frisian ''bjirk''), an adjectival formation from *''berkōn'' (cf.
Dutch ''berk'',
Low German
:
:
:
:
:
(70,000)
(30,000)
(8,000)
, familycolor = Indo-European
, fam2 = Germanic
, fam3 = West Germanic
, fam4 = North Sea Germanic
, ancestor = Old Saxon
, ancestor2 = Middle L ...
''Bark'',
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
''birk'',
Norwegian ''bjørk''), itself from the
Proto-Indo-European root *''bʰerHǵ-'' ~ ''bʰrHǵ''-, which also gave
Lithuanian
Lithuanian may refer to:
* Lithuanians
* Lithuanian language
* The country of Lithuania
* Grand Duchy of Lithuania
* Culture of Lithuania
* Lithuanian cuisine
* Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
''béržas'',
Latvian ''Bērzs'',
Russian ''berëza'',
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
''beréza'',
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
''bredh'' 'fir',
Ossetian ''bærz(æ)'',
Sanskrit ''bhurja'',
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
''brzoza'',
Latin ''fraxinus'' 'ash (tree)'. This root is presumably derived from *''bʰreh₁ǵ-'' 'to shine, whiten', in reference to the birch's white bark. The
Proto-Germanic rune
Runes are the letter (alphabet), letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, a ...
''
berkanan
Berkanan is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the ''b'' rune , meaning "birch". In the Younger Futhark it is called Bjarkan in the Icelandic and Norwegian rune poems. In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem it is called ''beorc'' ("birch" or " popla ...
'' is named after the birch.
The generic name ''Betula'' is from
Latin, which is a
diminutive
A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...
borrowed from
Gaulish ''betua'' (cf.
Old Irish ''bethe'',
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
''bedw'').
Evolutionary history
Within Betulaceae, birches are most closely related to alder. The oldest known birch fossils are those of ''
Betula leopoldae
''Betula leopoldae'' is an extinct species of birch in the family Betulaceae. The species is known from fossil leaves, catkins, and inflorescences found in the early Eocene deposits of northern Washington state, United States, and similar aged f ...
'' from the
Klondike Mountain Formation
The Klondike Mountain Formation is an Early Eocene (Ypresian) geological formation located in the northeast central area of Washington state. The formation, named for the type location designated in 1962, Klondike Mountain north of Republic, Wash ...
in Washington State, USA, which date to the early
Eocene (
Ypresian) around 49 million years ago.
Ecology
Birches often form even-aged stands on light, well-drained, particularly
acidic soils. They are regarded as
pioneer species, rapidly colonizing open ground especially in
secondary successional sequences following a disturbance or fire. Birches are early tree species to become established in
primary successions, and can become a threat to heathland if the
seedlings and saplings are not suppressed by grazing or periodic burning. Birches are generally lowland species, but some species, such as ''
Betula nana'', have a
montane distribution. In the
British Isles, there is some difference between the environments of ''Betula pendula'' and ''Betula pubescens'', and some hybridization, though both are "opportunists in steady-state woodland systems". Mycorrhizal fungi, including sheathing (ecto)mycorrhizas, are found in some cases to be beneficial to tree growth.
A
large number of lepidopteran insects feed on birch foliage.
Uses
Because of the hardness of birch, it is easier to shape it with power tools; it is quite difficult to work it with hand tools.
* Birch wood is fine-grained and pale in colour, often with an attractive
satin-like sheen. Ripple figuring may occur, increasing the value of the timber for
veneer
Veneer may refer to:
Materials
* Veneer (dentistry), a cosmetic treatment for teeth
* Masonry veneer, a thin facing layer of brick
* Stone veneer, a thin facing layer of stone
* Wood veneer, a thin facing layer of wood
Arts and entertainment
* ' ...
and furniture-making. The highly decorative Masur (or
Karelia
Karelia ( Karelian and fi, Karjala, ; rus, Каре́лия, links=y, r=Karélija, p=kɐˈrʲelʲɪjə, historically ''Korjela''; sv, Karelen), the land of the Karelian people, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for ...
n) birch, from ''Betula verrucosa'' var. ''carelica'', has ripple textures combined with attractive dark streaks and lines.
* Birch
plywood
Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...
is made from laminations of birch veneer. It is light but strong, and has many other good properties. It is among the strongest and dimensionally most stable plywoods, although it is unsuitable for exterior use. Birch plywood is used to make
longboards (
skateboard), giving it a strong yet flexible ride. It is also used (often in very thin grades with many laminations) for making
model aircraft.
* Extracts of birch are used for
flavoring or
leather oil, and in cosmetics such as
soap or
shampoo. In the past, commercial oil of wintergreen (
methyl salicylate) was made from the
sweet birch (''Betula lenta'').
*
Birch-tar
Birch tar or birch pitch is a substance (liquid when heated) derived from the dry distillation of the bark of the birch tree.
Compounds
It is composed of phenols such as guaiacol, cresol, xylenol, and creosol.
Ancient and modern uses
Birc ...
or Russian oil extracted from birch bark is
thermoplastic and waterproof; it was used as a
glue
Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation.
The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...
on, for example,
arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
s, and also for medicinal purposes.
* Fragrant twigs of wintergreen group birches are used in
saunas.
* Birch is also associated with the feast of
Pentecost
Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...
in Central and Eastern Europe and Siberia, where its branches are used as decoration for churches and homes on this day.
* Ground birch bark,
fermented in
sea water
Seawater, or salt water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has approx ...
, is used for seasoning the woolen, hemp or linen sails and hemp rope of
traditional Norwegian boats.
* Birch twigs bound in a bundle, also called birch, were used for
birching, a form of
corporal punishment.
* Many
Native Americans in the United States and
Indigenous peoples in Canada
In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and ''Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider them ...
prize the birch for its bark, which because of its light weight, flexibility, and the ease with which it can be stripped from fallen trees, is often used for the construction of strong, waterproof but lightweight
canoes, bowls, and
wigwams.
* The
Hughes H-4 Hercules
The Hughes H-4 Hercules (commonly known as the ''Spruce Goose''; registration NX37602) is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use duri ...
was made mostly of birch wood, despite its better-known moniker, "The Spruce Goose".
* Birch plywood was specified by the BBC as the only wood that can be used in making the cabinets of the long-lived
LS3/5A loudspeaker.
[Prakel, David (August 1979)]
"BBC's Home Service"
''Hi-Fi Answers'', pp67–9 (Courtesy link)
* Birch is used as
firewood
Firewood is any wooden material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form, compared to other forms of wood fuel like pellets or chips. Firewood can ...
because of its high
calorific value
The heating value (or energy value or calorific value) of a substance, usually a fuel or food (see food energy), is the amount of heat released during the combustion of a specified amount of it.
The ''calorific value'' is the total energy rele ...
per unit weight and unit volume. It burns well, without popping, even when frozen and freshly hewn. The bark will burn very well even when wet because of the oils it contains. With care, it can be split into very thin sheets that will ignite from even the smallest of sparks. Birch wood can be used to smoke foods.
* Birch seeds are used as leaf litter in miniature terrain models.
* Birch oil is used in the manufacture of
Russia leather Russia leather is a particular form of bark-tanned cow leather. It is distinguished from other types of leather by a processing step that takes place after tanning, where birch oil is worked into the rear face of the leather. This produces a leather ...
, a water-resistant leather.
As food
The inner bark is considered edible as an emergency food, even when raw.
It can be dried and ground into flour, as was done by Native Americans and early settlers. It can also be cut into strips and cooked like noodles.
The sap can be drunk or used to make
syrup.
Tea can be made from the red inner bark of black birches.
Cultivation
White-barked birches in particular are cultivated as ornamental trees, largely for their appearance in winter. The Himalayan birch, ''
Betula utilis
''Betula utilis'', the Himalayan birch (''bhojpatra'', sa, भूर्ज ''bhūrjá''), is a deciduous tree native to the Western Himalayas, growing at elevations up to . The Latin specific epithet ''utilis'' means "useful", and refers to the ...
'', especially the variety or subspecies ''jacquemontii'', is among the most widely planted for this purpose. It has been cultivated since the 1870s, and many
cultivars are available, including 'Doorenbos', 'Grayswood Ghost' and 'Silver Shadow'; 'Knightshayes' has a slightly weeping habit. Other species with ornamental white bark include ''
Betula ermanii
''Betula ermanii'', or Erman's birch, is a species of birch tree belonging to the family Betulaceae. It is an extremely variable species and can be found in Northeast China, Korea, Japan, and Russian Far East (Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Kamchatk ...
'', ''
Betula papyrifera'', ''
Betula pendula'' and ''
Betula raddeana
''Betula raddeana'' is a species of plant in the Betulaceae family. It is found in Georgia and Russia. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural h ...
''.
Medical
Approved topical medicine
In the European Union, a
prescription gel
A gel is a semi-solid that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state, although the liquid phase may still di ...
containing birch bark extract (commercial name ''Episalvan'', betulae cortex dry extract (5-10 : 1); extraction solvent: n-heptane 95% (w/w)) was approved in 2016 for the
topical treatment of minor skin wounds in adults.
Although its
mechanism of action in helping to heal injured skin is not fully understood, birch bark extract appears to stimulate the growth of
keratinocytes which then fill the wound.
Research and traditional medicine
Preliminary research indicates that the phytochemical
Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poisons ...
s, betulin
Betulin is an abundant, naturally occurring triterpene. It is commonly isolated from the bark of birch trees. It forms up to 30% of the dry weight of silver birch bark. It is also found in birch sap. '' Inonotus obliquus'' and red alder also co ...
and possibly other triterpenes, are active in ''Episalvan'' gel and wound healing properties of birch bark.[
Over centuries, birch bark was used in traditional medicine practices by North American indigenous people for treating superficial wounds by applying bark directly to the skin.][ ]Splints
Splints is an ailment of the horse or pony, characterized by a hard, bony swelling, usually on the inside of a front leg, lying between the splint and cannon bone or on the splint bone itself. It may be "hot," meaning that it occurred recently an ...
made with birch bark were used as casts for broken limbs in the 16th century
The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 ( MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 ( MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582).
The 16th cent ...
.
Paper
Wood pulp made from birch gives relatively long and slender fibres for a hardwood
Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...
. The thin walls cause the fibre to collapse upon drying, giving a paper with low bulk and low opacity. The birch fibres are, however, easily fibrillated and give about 75% of the tensile strength of softwood. The low opacity makes it suitable for making glassine.
In India, the birch ( Sanskrit: भुर्ज, ''bhurja'') holds great historical significance in the culture of North India, where the thin bark coming off in winter was extensively used as writing paper. Birch paper (Sanskrit: भुर्ज पत्र, ''bhurja patra'') is exceptionally durable and was the material used for many ancient Indian texts.[Sanjukta Gupta, "Lakṣmī Tantra: A Pāñcarātra Text", Brill Archive, 1972, . Snippet:''... the text recommends that the bark of the Himalayan birch tree (bhurja-patra) should be used for scribbling mantras ...''][Amalananda Ghosh, "An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology", BRILL, 1990, . Snippet:''... Bhurja-patra, the inner bark on the birch tree grown in the Himalayan region, was a very common writing material ...''] The Roman period Vindolanda tablets also use birch as a material on which to write and birch bark was used widely in ancient Russia as notepaper (''beresta'') and for decorative purposes and even making footwear
Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves th ...
(''lapti'') and baskets.
Tonewood
Baltic birch is among the most sought-after wood in the manufacture of speaker cabinet
A loudspeaker enclosure or loudspeaker cabinet is an enclosure (often rectangular box-shaped) in which speaker drivers (e.g., loudspeakers and tweeters) and associated electronic hardware, such as crossover circuits and, in some cases, power a ...
s. Birch has a natural resonance that peaks in the high and low frequencies, which are also the hardest for speakers to reproduce. This resonance compensates for the roll-off of low and high frequencies in the speakers, and evens the tone. Birch is known for having "natural EQ".
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s are often made from birch. Prior to the 1970s, it was one of the most popular drum woods. Because of the need for greater volume and midrange clarity, drums were made almost entirely from maple until recently, when advances in live sound reinforcement and drum microphones have allowed the use of birch in high-volume situations. Birch drums have a natural boost in the high and low frequencies, which allows the drums to sound fuller.
Birch wood is sometimes used as a tonewood for semiacoustic and acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
bodies, and occasionally for solid-body guitar bodies. It is also a common material used in mallets for keyboard percussion.
Culture
Birches have spiritual importance in several religions, both modern and historical. In Celtic cultures, the birch symbolises growth, renewal, stability, initiation, and adaptability because it is highly adaptive and able to sustain harsh conditions with casual indifference. Proof of this adaptability is seen in its easy and eager ability to repopulate areas damaged by forest fires or clearings. Birches are also associated with '' Tír na nÓg'', the land of the dead and the '' Sidhe'', in Gaelic folklore, and as such frequently appear in Scottish, Irish, and English folksongs and ballads in association with death, or fairies, or returning from the grave. The leaves of the silver birch tree are used in the festival of St George, held in Novosej
Novosej is one of the villages of the former Shishtavec Municipality which is part of the Kukës County in Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Kukës. Novosej is inhabited by Albanians, whereas many of th ...
and other villages in Albania.
The birch is New Hampshire's state tree and the national tree of Finland and Russia. The yellow birch is the official tree of the province of Quebec (Canada). The birch is a very important element in Russian culture and represents the grace, strength, tenderness and natural beauty of Russian women as well as the closeness to nature of the Russians. It's associated with marriage and love. There are numerous folkloric Russian songs in which the birch tree occurs. The Ornäs birch
The Ornäs birch, (Swedish ''Ornäsbjörk'', Latin ''Betula pendula'' 'Dalecarlica') is a variety of silver birch with deeply indented leaves. It is the national tree of Sweden.
History
The original Ornäs birch was discovered in 1767 by Han ...
is the national tree of Sweden. The Czech word for the month of March, Březen, is derived from the Czech word bříza meaning birch, as birch trees flower in March under local conditions. The silver birch tree is of special importance to the Swedish city of Umeå. In 1888, the Umeå city fire
The Great Fire of Umeå took place in 1888 and destroyed most of the city of Umeå in Sweden. The unusual windy weather conditions also contributed to two other fires on the same day in Sweden. Umeå took the opportunity to complete its plans to ...
spread all over the city and nearly burnt it down to the ground, but some birches, supposedly, halted the spread of the fire. To protect the city against future fires, wide avenues were created, and these were lined with silver birch trees all over the city. Umeå later adopted the unofficial name of "City of the Birches (''Björkarnas stad'')". Also, the ice hockey team of Umeå is called '' Björklöven'', translated to English "The Birch Leaves".
"Swinging" birch trees was a common game for American children in the nineteenth century. American poet Lucy Larcom
Lucy Larcom (March 5, 1824 – April 17, 1893) was an American teacher, poet, and author. She was one of the first teachers at Wheaton Female Seminary (now Wheaton College) in Norton, Massachusetts, teaching there from 1854 to 1862. During that ...
's "Swinging on a Birch Tree" celebrates the game. The poem inspired Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...
, who pays homage to the act of climbing birch trees in his more famous poem, "Birches". Frost once told "it was almost sacrilegious climbing a birch tree till it bent, till it gave and swooped to the ground, but that's what boys did in those days".
See also
* Birch bark
* Birch bark manuscript
* Birch beer
* Taxonomy of Betula
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
Tree Family Betulaceae
Diagnostic photos of many species, Morton Arboretum specimens
*
{{Authority control
Extant Ypresian first appearances
Ornamental trees
Plants used in Ayurveda
Plants used in bonsai
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus