Native Trees of the Village of Euxton

The Silver Birch

Silver Birch - Betula penda.   It is also known as Warty Birch and Irish Beith, and is of the family - Betulaceae.
Related  species include Betula pubescens, and a dwarf species Betula Nana, found on mountains in Scotland

It is a smallish fast growing short lived tree, that has rapid growth for first 20 years and then matures at 40 years.   It is seldom planted in the UK by foresters (see uses of its timber, below),  but is found to be important for conservation use in woodlands.

The Silver Birch reaches a height of about 25m,
with an age of about 60 - 80 years.

The habitat of the Silver Birch extensive as the tree tolerates a wide range of soils, but is best on dry sandy soils and can be found at higher altitudes than most of the broadleaved species.

The Silver Birch has a natural native distribution to all Britain,
and in the west and central Ireland.
It is also throughout most of Europe and parts of Asia.

The propagation of the Silver Birch from its seed and can be grown from cuttings.

The timber of the Silver Birch, is white to a pale fawn in colour and is very easily worked.   It is a flexible and tough, but it is not very strong.

Uses of timber are firewood and pulpwood and can be treated with preservatives and used as fence posts.   The Silver Birch is also used in wood turning and has been used for cotton reels and bobbins.   Larger timber is not usually produced in Britain, as the tree is commonly rotten in centre reducing its timber usefulness. Its twigs have been used for making brooms.

The Silver Birch has had a wine fermented from its sap, and has been credited with medicinal properties.   The wood and bark can be distilled to give birch tar used to make leather waterproof.   The bark is waterproof and has been used in the tanning process.


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