Hanging birch is the most famous tree in Russia. Signs, fairy tales and folk legends are associated with it. This species grows almost everywhere: in personal plots, in forest belts and in the city. Birch is often used on the farm. For example, bath brooms are made from its branches, and useful decoctions and infusions are prepared from the bark and buds. The tree differs from other crops for its unpretentiousness, active development and decorative qualities.
Description
The tree belongs to the genus Birch trees of the Betulaceae family. In Latin, the name of the culture sounds like “Betula pendula”. She has other names: warty, crying. It grows almost everywhere, covering the territory of Europe and North America, the Maritime Alps, the Balkan Mountains, Calabria. Also, dangling birch can be found in Northern Siberia, the Altai and Caucasus mountains.
This culture mainly grows in mixed forests. It also takes root in clearings, in woodlands and forest-steppe zone. It should be noted that dangling birch is cultivated in parks and squares.
The tree is considered monoecious, since it does not have pistillate and staminate flowers. Female earrings are formed in the spring, simultaneously with the opening of the leaves. Male ones are formed in the fall, and grow in bunches of 1-4 pieces. During growth, a male earring can stretch 2-4 times.
It is interesting to note that hanging birch contains components that people eat. For example, juice. It has a slightly sweet taste. It is harvested in early spring by making a hole in the trunk. In addition, the tree has a number of medicinal properties. Its bark is laxative and diuretic. The kidneys contain up to 5% essential oil and resinous substance. They have a calming, diuretic and choleretic effect.
Kinds
The genus of birch includes over 40 species. Today, many gardeners use birch for landscaping their gardens. Thanks to this, new varieties of wood were developed. Several interesting species of drooping birch, which are especially popular, deserve special attention.
“Purpurea”
The highlight of this species lies in the shade of the leaves. They have a deep red color that takes on a deep purple hue as they grow. They resemble a rhombus in shape. The bark of the tree is rather dark in comparison with other species. It has a black and gray tint. The birch reaches a height of 10 m.
Royal Frost
Differs in a pyramid-shaped crown and smooth, burgundy leaves. Young trees have bronze colored bark. It turns white over time. This species is quite light-requiring, but it can take root in darkened areas. Unpretentious in the choice of soil. It develops well in soil of different composition, density and acidity.
Youngii
This is a type of birch on a trunk. It is a small tree with an umbrella-shaped crown. Thin birch branches hang down, reaching the surface of the earth. In the year Youngii grows up to 100 cm. In standard crops, the height depends on the grafting. The age of this species can reach 120 years.
Appearance
Hanging birch is a deciduous tree up to 30 meters high. The crown diameter often reaches 15 meters. Branches of this type are dangling. The trunk diameter varies between 60-80 cm. Young shoots have a reddish-brown tint. They have wart glands. The smooth white bark can flake off in thin layers. Closer to the root, the trunk becomes black-gray and rough.
The leaves are oval-triangular, narrowed towards the end. The edges are jagged. The foliage of a young tree is sticky and smooth. Its front side has a dark green glossy shade, and the back is matte green. The length of the leaf is 3-6 cm, and the width is 2.5-5 cm.
The main root is overgrown with lateral roots. They develop and become powerful enough to support a large tree. When the lateral roots are developed, the taproot dies off.
The buds of a dangling birch are red-brown in color. They are sticky and have a rather peculiar tar smell.
Fruits and seeds
Birch blooms in April-May. Fruits appear in September. They are elongated oval nuts with two small wings. They are in an earring, which can contain up to 500 nuts at once. From the end of the summer to the middle of winter, the fruits from the birch gradually fall off.
In a natural stand, you can get a seed yield of up to 50 kg per hectare. Seed germination is 25 – 60%. In fruitful years, freshly harvested seeds have a germination rate of 70 – 80%. Their quality depends on the weather conditions during the flowering of the birch. If the weather is rainy during the flowering period, many empty seeds are formed.
Characteristics and signs
Hanging birch has the following characteristics:
- drought-resistant;
- frost-resistant (withstand up to -40 ° C);
- bright;
- subject to the destructive effects of honey agarics;
- can grow on light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils;
- the root is strongly developed, fibrous.
It is interesting to note that the foliage of this tree is used to determine the degree of environmental pollution. For this, the method of fluctuating asymmetry is used.
Pests begin to appear on a weakened tree – it can be tinder fungus, birch sponge, honey agarics, chaga. Moreover, chaga parasitizes only on live birches. Leaves are usually exposed to raids by silkworm caterpillars, tube-worm beetles, May beetles.
The dangling birch is easily recognizable due to its white trunk with black stripes and spreading branches that reach the ground. It gets along easily with other trees, especially conifers.
Application
Leaves and buds have choleretic, diaphoretic, diuretic, bactericidal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Solutions and infusions are drunk in folk medicine to heal women’s diseases, liver problems.
In addition to medicines, buds and leaves are added to creams and other cosmetics. Birch tar is a part of remedies for skin, fungal diseases, eczema (Vishnevsky’s ointment based on tar).
