Castle Howard Arboretum Trust - Furniture Makers Trees

Botanical name: Betula pendula

Family: Betulaceae

Common Name: Silver Birch

Habitat and Distribution:

Native to all Britain and to west and central Ireland. Also through most of Europe and parts of Asia. This tree tolerates a wide range of habitats, soil ph 3.5 to 7 but best on dry sandy soils and up to higher altitudes than most broadleaved species. Upland birchwoods are an important ecotype in Scotland.

Seldom planted in the UK by foresters, although it is a major timber species in Scandinavia, but important for conservation use in woodland

Description:

A deciduous tree up to 100' in native areas, but more generally 40' to 60' tall and 20' to 40' wide, pyramidal when young and oval/pyramidal when mature. Generally somewhat pendulous branches at all ages, but main trunk is upright.

Rapid growth for first 20 years and mature at 40 years.
Alternate, dark green simple leaves, 1" to 3" long by 0.75" to 1.5" wide, tapered apex, wedge-shaped base, doubly serrate margins, leaf surfaces dotted with glands; lack pubescence.

Autumn Foliage yellow or yellow-green

Flowers bloom in April, but catkins visible before then, male catkins in mostly twos, but singly or in three's; 1.5" to 3.5" long, female catkins 0.75" to 1.25" long.

The fruit are small nutlets held in cylindrical catkins.

The bark on the main trunk and large branches is white with prominent black vertical fissures; very showy whereas the young twigs are quite warty and brown in colour.

Max age 60 - 80 years.

Location within the arboretum:

A pair of specimens are located on the Furniture Makers Walk, about half way down.

Furniture Makers Trees at The Arboretum - Kew at Castle Howard

Timber:

A lustrous white to pale fawn in colour and easily worked. It is straight-grained, flexible and tough but not very strong.

Masur, ice or flame birch displays distinctive figuring which makes it useful for turning and veneers.

Trees in Britain are commonly rotten in the centre reducing usefulness.

Uses:

Used for turning, in drawer sides, furniture legs and framing. Also as a decorative veneer in marquetry and facing plywood.

It was used to make hardwearing bobbins, spools and reels for the Lancashire cotton industry, even now-a-days birch is still used for bobbins for tapestry and lace making and also for wooden knitting needles.

Treated wood used for fence posts.

Good firewood and pulpwood.

Larger timber not usually produced in Britain. Twigs used for making brooms - besoms.

The seeds are consumed by redpolls, siskins and other small birds.

Wood and bark can be distilled to give birch tar used to make leather waterproof. The bark is waterproof and used in tanning.

The young leaves are a diuretic and antiseptic, and an effective remedy for cystitis and other urinary tract infections. They were also used to dissolve kidney stones and relieve rheumatism and gout. The sap (as wine or cordial) similarly prevents kidney and bladder stones, treats rheumatism, and can be used to treat skin complaints. The bark can be distilled to provide oils containing methyl salicylate, the main component of aspirin, traditionally it is said to ease muscle pain if applied externally.