The Silver Birch Tree

     The silver birch tree can be found throughout Europe and Asia Minor.  In Scotland, it is the most common native tree.  The silver birch can also be found in pine and oak forests.  The silver birch tree is known for being a fast-growing pioneer tree, as it rapidly colonizes the ground. 

     The silver birch tree reaches up to 30 meters in height.  They have a slender diameter of about 40 centimeters.  They typically start with a reddish-brown trunk, but that trunk becomes white as they age.  The bark can be corklike with fissures and can be covered in yellow foliose lichen.  They also can have a satiny texture.  The branches of the silver birch tree are pendulous or "drooping".  The twigs may have small white warts.      

     The silver birch tree is a deciduous tree, so it has new leaves in the spring.  Its twigs and buds have a reddish purple color.  It will get new leaves in April that are bright green and those leaves will darken to a duller green after only 1-2 weeks of time.  The leaves drop at the end of October or beginning of November.  The leaves are characterized by their double row of teeth.  Birches have male and female flowers, causing them to be monoecious.  They begin flowering at around 5-10 years old.  Their pollination occurs by wind.  A giant silver birch tree may produce up to 1 million seeds per year; however, only a few will grow into mature trees. 

     Silver birches provide homes and food for many insects and invertebrates.  In fact, around 334 species feed on them, including larvae of moths and butterflies.  The red deer will eat the leaves of less-mature birches, which has in turn kept the birches from returning to the highlands. 

     There have been many uses for the silver birch historically and currently.  Because of the variation of color, it has been used for veneer and furniture making.  It has been used for printing paper.  Its extracts have been used for flavoring or leather oil, including in soap and shampoo.  The leaves can be used to make diuretic tea and dyes for cosmetics.  Silver birch trees are highly sought after for speaker boxes, drums, and guitars.  Birch juice is a highly desired drink in many countries.  A birch sap drink is considered a refreshing beer in China.  Birch has also been used by native people to construct canoes and wigwams.  As you can see, the silver birch has a variety of uses.  Best of all, they are beautiful trees.