Latin: Betula pendula

Common name: Silver Birch

The Silver Birch is a native British deciduous tree and easily identified by its silvery/white papery bark with grey knobbly bumps at the base of the tree on older specimens. It can give the appearance of being a tall tree (it can grow up to thirty meters tall) because its branches grow sharply upwards and curve downwards at the tip – hence the name “pendula” meaning hanging/pendulous.

It has a small, wedge shaped, toothy leaf which is found on alternate sides of the stalk.

The birch has catkins which can be seen on the male tree, as the leaves arrive, the catkins lengthen and hang and the wind scatters the pollen to the smaller and more upright female trees. The female catkins are smaller but wider and hang heavy until they disintegrate in late summer/early autumn releasing tiny winged seedlings.

It is a great wood for most woodworking projects, as it is very easy to work with and makes good handles and toys. Its hardwearing nature meant that the Lancashire cotton industry used it for bobbins, spools and reels. The wood itself can also be used for firewood.

Many native traditions have used the Birch bark for building canoes and cooking pots. The bark has 3% tannic acid content and therefore was used in the leather industry for tanning. It also has high oil content and when gently removed fresh from the tree the bark makes a very affective fire lighter.

The Birch’s sap can be tapped quite simply and can easily be turned into wine or cordial. One of the most recognisable reuses of the Birch is use of the twigs in witches’ broomsticks.

But for most of us the tree makes an excellent ornamental garden tree, as it will not dominate a garden but will add height, colour and interest to a garden. The tree itself will need very little management, but one if you are going to have any tree surgery upon your Birch, make sure the work is during the dormant period, because the tree will “bleed” its sap profusely if cut at other times. As well as this being a waste of the trees sap it also leaves the tree vulnerable to disease.

From a tree surgeons point of view, the tree is very difficult to reduce as to leave a freshly pruned Birch looking natural and well shaped is a difficult and skilled procedure.