Black birch

Black birch or river birch (lat. Bétula nígra) is a type of plant of the genus Birch (Betula) of the Birch family (Betulaceae). The small deciduous tree is 25-30 m in height and has a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m.

The bark is of a different color, usually from dark gray-brown to pink-brown, thick-scaly, less often smooth, creamy-pink, exfoliated in the form of paper-like layers; on the young branches of silver-gray.

The leaf position is next.
The leaves are ovate-rhombic or oval, 5–12 cm long, 4–9 cm wide, broadly wedge-shaped at the base, acute or blunt at the apex, marginally double-lobed-toothed, dark green above, whitish or grayish from below, on pubescent petioles 6-16 mm long. In autumn, the leaves turn dark yellow.

Pestic earrings are standing, oblong-cylindrical, 2.5-3.5 cm long, on a stem 2.5-5 mm long.
Bracts pubescent, 6–7 mm long, with upwardly directed linearly oblong, almost equal lobes.

Nuts broadly ovate, about 3 mm long and wide, pubescent in the upper half.
The wings are equal in width to half a nut or a little more. 1000 seeds weight 1.2 g; in 1 kg 850 thousand seeds.

Seeds, unlike other birches, ripen in late spring.

The spread of black birch

Widespread birch growing in the flood plains and marshes of the United States from New Hampshire to southern Minnesota in the west and to northern Florida and eastern Texas in the south.

One of the most thermophilic species of birch. It grows quickly, especially in youth, but is short-lived. Light-requiring

Prefers moist sandy soils, has low fertility. It grows in river valleys, on wet, alluvial soils and marshes, usually in a mixture with the western sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), elmas (Ulmus), maples (Acer), willows (Salix) and poplars (Populus).

The value and use of black birch

Since the natural environment of the tree is wet soil - it grows on a high bank, and its bark differs significantly from other types of birch trees, this allows it to be used as a landscape tree. A number of cultivated varieties with more white bark than wild species are selected for landscaping gardens.

Such varieties as ‘Heritage’ and ‘Dura Heat’ are known for being resistant to birch bark with white bark Agrilus anxius in the warm south-eastern regions of the United States.

‘Heritage’ is a tree with a wide pyramidal crown, more powerful than the wild form. Branches and trunk with highly flaking bark, the layers of which are painted in cream, orange, lilac and gray tones (light tones prevail). ‘Heritage’ (‘Little King’) is a compact shrub up to 3.5 m tall with a dense oval crown. Bark cream, orange, white. Autumn leaves are copper.
Removes overmoistening, but grows better in normal conditions.

Indians made sweets by evaporating the sap of this birch, similarly to maple syrup, and its inner crust as food in conditions of survival. It is too crooked and knotty to matter as a timber tree.

The wood is heavy, strong, brown.

In the USA it is bred mainly in areas where it is found wildly and only slightly to the north; used for street plantings and landings on the edges of reservoirs. In England, introduced in 1736 in the USSR in culture is not widely spread.

Black birch (lat. Betula nigra)  - a representative of the Birch family of the Birch family. Another name is river birch. The homeland of the species in question is the United States of America. In nature, found on wetlands, flood plains, river valleys and other places with damp sandy soils. It grows in union with the poplars, willows and maples. Fast-growing, thermophilic short-lived view.

Characteristic culture

  Black birch - deciduous tree  up to 30 m high with an egg-shaped openwork crown. The bark is pink-brown, gray-brown or black-brown, thick-scaly, flaking layers or curls. Young shoots are silvery gray, smooth. The lateral branches are arcuate-deflected, the main ones are located at an acute angle. The leaves are dark green, alternate, short-petiolate, oval or ovate-rhombic, widely wedge-shaped at the base, blunt or sharp, jagged along the edge, up to 12 cm long. On the inner side, grayish or grayish-white, pubescent along the veins. In autumn, the foliage becomes dark yellow.

The inflorescences are oblong-cylindrical earrings, equipped with a stem, the length of which varies from 2.5 to 5 cm. Bracts pubescent, scaly, with equal lobes of linearly oblong shape. The fruit is a broadly ovate, winged nutlet, pubescent in the upper part. At present, several cultivated varieties with a shade of wood and resistance to pests have been developed. They are often used for landscaping personal plots.

Growing conditions

  In nature, black birch grows on cool, moist substrates. Plants have a negative attitude even to short-term drought. On dry soils, trees develop slowly, often affected by pests. Despite the fact that the culture is thermophilic, it denies the scorching sun, it is better to place the plants in the semi-shaded areas where the sunlight is present for most of the day. Landing of culture from the north or east side of architectural structures is not forbidden. Since black birch reaches a rather impressive size, it is necessary to take into account the location of the electric wires, otherwise during strong winds it is impossible to avoid their breakage.

Soils for black birch should not be compacted, as the surface root system on them feels defective. Optimal for the culture of slightly acidic, loose, moist, humus-rich soil. Not welcome heavy clay, strongly acidic or alkaline soils. The fact that black birch is a moisture-loving crop was mentioned more than once, this factor is considered one of the most important conditions for the successful cultivation of plants. But compared to other representatives of the genus, black birch is more drought tolerant, but only short-lived. Without prejudice to the health of the trees will make a light flooding melt waters.

Seed propagation

  Black birch, like all other species, propagates by seed. In addition, it gives abundant self-seeding, so the plants are able to capture new territories on their own. In the first few weeks, shoots develop very slowly. They are vulnerable to lack of sunlight, watering and shading by weeds. The plot for sowing should be prepared carefully, removing all rhizomes of unwanted vegetation.

Seeds in preliminary preparation do not need, if it is a question of autumn sowing. When sowing birch seeds in black spring, stratification is necessary; it will allow increasing the germination rate. This procedure lasts about 5-6 weeks at a temperature of 0 - + 5С. Before sowing the seeds are dried to a friable state, and immediately sown. Store wet seeds in room conditions can not be, they will begin to germinate and as a result will die.

Sowing can be carried out as in open ground  under the shelter, and in the hothouse. Sow seeds in the lowercase way, the distance between the lines should be at least 15-20 cm. Deep embedding is prohibited. For a week, crops are covered with plastic wrap or any other covering material. The soil is kept wet, a spray gun is used for irrigation, a regular watering can can erode crops.

Under all conditions, shoots appear in 2-2.5 weeks. By autumn, seedlings reach a height of 30-50 cm. For winter, young plants are warmed with a thick layer of fallen leaves. The following spring, the plants dive into schools. In schools, the distance between plants should be about 5-7 cm, between rows - 30-35 cm. At the end of summer or early autumn, the grown seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, underdeveloped specimens are left for growing.

Birch - one of the main images of folk art. In songs, fairy tales, legends birch is a symbol of spring and homeland. Favorite tree endowed with the most affectionate epithets. She was called slender, curly, thin, white, fragrant, cheerful. Countless sayings, proverbs, riddles associated with birch:Birch is not a threat - where it stands, there is noisy. Bela Beresta - yes tar black. Green, not a meadow, white, not snow, curly, not a head. In folk signs, birch is closely connected with agriculture: A lot of sap flows from birch - by the rainy summer. If the birch in front of the alder leaves dissolve, the summer will be dry, if the alder in advance is wet.

Popular wisdom has long been able to appreciate the wonderful healing properties  birch. Already in herbalists XVIXVII centuries. You can find instructions on how to use birch leaves and buds, birch bark, called birch bark, and birch sap. Modern medicine has also recognized the broad healing possibilities of birch.

Of the 120 species of birch trees found on Earth, about 40 species grow in Russia. The most common is wart birch (hanging birch), reaching a height of 20 meters, whose age does not exceed 120 years.

Outside the birch covers the bark with a solid cover. The birch bark consists of a multitude of thin, elastic, smooth, durable layers that are easily separated from each other and are not permeable to moisture and air and are practically resistant to rotting. Every year, these layers grow, and the crust becomes thicker. By the number of thin layers, as well as by the annual rings of wood, you can determine the age of the tree. The outer layers of warty birch usually have a white color and differ only in shades of color. The inner layers facing the bast come in a variety of shades: from yellow to dark brown. These inner layers of birch bark, as the most durable, beautiful are used by craftsmen in the manufacture of products as front side.The outer, flaky layers are called seamy sideand they have no practical value.

In addition to color, birch bark is particularly attractive. lentils -small narrow stripes of black or brown. In the summer they are revealed and through them gas exchange takes place, sometimes they are called vents. For the winter, lentils are closed, filling with a special substance.

The best birch bark for all types of products - wide-layer, layered, smooth, thin with small lentils, warm and velvety to the touch, tensile, yellow, golden-yellow or yellow-green colors.

Thin birch bark occurs in birches between the ages of 20 and 40 years old with a smooth, even trunk (with a diameter of more than 150-200 mm), without painful bulges, nodules, knots, cuts, pronounced crusts and mushrooms. Such birch is more common on boron slopes, in mixed forests with moderate shade. An exception is the case when bark is needed for slotted thread.Then look for young trees aged no older than 15-16 years. Sometimes it is required to use bark with a thickness of up to 2 mm and more for the manufacture of large items - tuesa, large boxes, etc.

On the outskirts of the fields, the edges of the forest often grow birch with thick bark. Birch bark with long, wide lentils, smooth, durable, slightly stretchable, yellow, sometimes reddish or even multi-colored: on the north side - yellow, on the south reddish. This is bark second-rate. It requires a lot of effort and time in processing. Birch bark with birch trees growing on peaty, marshy ground or separately on open spaces, - fragile, slightly stretchable, with many small and large blackened lentils, thick, spotted, in the scab, with holes from insect strokes, one-sided, with thickenings. This is better not to take.

Timber harvesting bark may vary depending on the geographical area, the place of growth of birch, the time of occurrence and the nature of spring. Birch bark is usually firmly connected to the bast. In late spring, with melting of snow during the period of juicing, you can remove bark in small quantities, using a specially made wooden tool resembling a chisel. At this time, a deposit of a dark brown splint layer is observed on the inner layer of birch bark. Such birch bark is often used in products with elements of decorating by curettage of the splint layer.

In the Komi Republic in the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Syktyvkar, the most favorable deadlines for harvesting bark are observed from June 20 to July 10.During this period, birch sap is no longer available. The leaf of the tree is gaining strength, becomes dark green. In steady hot weather after cutting bark on a tree trunk, it comes off effortlessly.

During this period, you must often go and see the forest to determine the gathering of birch bark. At the end of the gathering period, the bark dries to the trunk and the harvesting almost becomes impossible.