Birch black. River or black birch

Birch - one of the main images of folk art. In songs, fairy tales, legends birch is a symbol of spring and homeland. Favorite tree was endowed with the most tender 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.

Folk wisdom has long been able to appreciate the wonderful healing properties of 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, swampy places or separately in open spaces is fragile, weakly stretchable, with a lot of small and large blackened lentils, thick, spotted, in a scab, with holes from insect strokes, one-sided, with thickening. 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 the 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.

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.

Leaves and bark.
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 western sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), elmas (Ulmus), maples (Acer), willows (Salix) and poplars (Populus)
Botanical description

Deciduous tree of small size, height 25-30 m and trunk diameter up to 1.5 m. Crohn openwork, ovate. 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 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.
Meaning and application

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 openwork crown of egg-shaped form. 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 both in open ground under the shelter, and in the greenhouse. 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.

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IPNI
Tpl

Black birch, or river (lat Bétula nígra) - view of plants kind of Birch tree (Betula) families Birch (Betulaceae).

Distribution and ecology

Widespread birch growing in flood plains and marshes U.S.A from the state New Hampshire to the southern part of the state Minnesota in the west and upstate Florida and eastern states Texas on South .

Leaves and bark.

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 along river valleys, on wet, alluvial soils and marshes, usually mixed with by the western plane (Platanus occidentalis), elms (Ulmus), maples (Acer), willows (Salix) and the poplars (Populus).

Botanical description

Deciduous tree small in size 25-30 m and diameter the trunk up to 1.5 m Crown openwork, ovoid. Bark it can be of different colors, usually from dark gray-brown to pink-brown, thick-scaly, less often smooth, cream-pink, exfoliated in the form of paper-like layers; on young branches silver gray.

Leaf location - the next. Leaves ovate-rhombic or oval, 5–12 cm long, 4–9 cm wide, broadly wedge-shaped at the base, acute or obtuse at the apex, marginally double-lobed-toothed, dark green above, whitish or grayish below, pubescent petioles 6-16 mm long. In autumn, the leaves turn dark yellow.

Pistillate earrings 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 ovoid, about 3 mm long and wide, pubescent in upper half. The wings are equal in width to half a nut or a little more. Weight 1000 seeds 1.2 g; in 1 kg 850 thousand seeds.

Seeds, unlike other birches, ripen in late spring.

Meaning and application

Such varieties as ‘Heritage’ and ‘Dura Heat’ are known to be resistant to white-bark birch barkers. Agrilus anxius in the warm southeastern 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.

Wood 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.

Taxonomy

View Black birch included in the genus Birch tree (Betula) subfamily Birch (Betuloideaea) family Birch (Betulaceae) order Beech flowers (Fagales).

7 more families
(according to APG II system)

another 1-2 genera

the order Beech flowers

subfamily Birch

view
Black birch

department Flowering, or Angiosperms

family Birch

genus
Birch tree

another 44 orders of flowering plants
(according to APG II system)

another subfamily Leshchinovye
(according to APG II system)

more than 110 species

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Notes

Literature

Genus 1. Betula L. - Birch // / Ed. tom S. Ya. Sokolov . - M-L. : Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences , 1951. - T. II. Angiosperms. - p. 282. - 612 s. - 2500 copies
Konovalova T.Yu., Shevyryova N.A. Ornamental trees and shrubs: Atlas-determinant. - M: ZAO Fiton +, 2007. - p. 92. - ISBN 978-5-93457-157-4.

An excerpt characterizing Black Birch

Anatole was always pleased with his position, with himself and others. He was instinctively convinced by his whole being that he could not live otherwise than how he lived, and that he had never done anything wrong in his life. He was not able to ponder how his actions could affect others, nor what could come out of such or such an act of his. He was convinced that just as a duck was created in such a way that it should always live in water, so it was created by God in such a way that it should live in thirty thousand income and always occupy a higher position in society. He so firmly believed in it, that, looking at him, and others were convinced of this and did not deny him either the highest position in the world, or the money, which he obviously occupied without return from the counter and cross.
He was not a player, at least never wanted to win. He was not vain. He didn’t care what they thought of him. Even less could he be guilty of ambition. He teased his father several times, spoiling his career, and laughed at all the honors. He was not stingy and did not refuse anyone who asked him. The one thing he loved was fun and women, and since he understood these tastes there was nothing ignoble, he couldn’t think what was going on for other people to satisfy his tastes, he believed in his soul himself an immaculate man, sincerely despised scoundrels and evil people, and with a calm conscience bore his head high.
The smokers, these male Magdalins, have a secret sense of consciousness of innocence, the same as that of Magdalin women, based on the same hope of forgiveness. "Everything will be forgiven to her, because she loved a lot, and everything will be forgiven him, because he had a lot of fun."
Dolokhov, who appeared again this year in Moscow after his exile and the Persian adventures, and led a luxurious gambling and reveling life, became close to the old Petersburg comrade Kuragin and used it for his own purposes.
Anatole sincerely loved Dolokhov for his wit and daring. Dolokhov, who needed the name, nobility, and connections of Anatol Kuragin to lure rich young people into his gambling society, not letting him feel it, used and amused Kuragin. In addition to the calculation by which he needed Anatole, the very process of controlling the will of others was pleasure, habit and need for Dolokhov.
Natasha made a strong impression on Kuragin. At supper after the theater with the methods of a connoisseur, he dismantled the dignity of her arms, shoulders, legs and hair in front of Dolokhov, and announced his decision to drag her behind. What could come of this courting - Anatole could not ponder and know how he never knew what would come of his every act.
“Good, brother, not about us,” Dolokhov told him.
“I will tell my sister to call for her dinner,” said Anatole. - BUT?
- You wait better when she gets married ...
“You know,” said Anatole, “j" adore les petites filles: [I love girls:] - now they are lost.
“You’ve once caught a petite fille [girl],” said Dolokhov, who knew about Anatole’s marriage. - Look!
- Well, I can not be twice! BUT? - said Anatole, laughing good-naturedly.

The next day after the theater the Rostovs did not go anywhere and no one came to them. Marya Dmitrievna about something, hiding from Natasha, was talking to her father. Natasha guessed that they were talking about the old prince and that they were inventing something, and she was disturbed and offended by this. She waited every minute for Prince Andrew, and twice that day she sent a janitor to Vzdvizhenka to find out if he had come. He did not come. She was now heavier than the first days of her arrival. The unpleasant memory of a meeting with Princess Mary and the old prince, and fear and anxiety, which she did not know the reason, joined her impatience and sadness about him. It all seemed to her that either he would never come, or that before he arrived, something would happen to her. She could not, as before, calmly and for a long time, alone with herself think about him. As soon as she began to think about him, a memory of the old prince, of Princess Mary and the last performance, and of Kuragin joined the memory of him. She again had the question of whether she was guilty, if her loyalty to Prince Andrew was not already violated, and again she found herself remembering every word, every gesture, every shade of expression on the face of this person who could arouse in her and terrible feeling. In her opinion, Natasha seemed more lively than usual, but she was far from being as calm and happy as she was before.
On Sunday morning, Marya Dmitrievna invited her guests to dinner in her parish of Assumption on Mogiltsy.
“I don't like these fashionable churches,” she said, apparently proud of her freethinking. - Everywhere God is one. Our priest is beautiful, serves decently, it is noble, and so is the deacon. Is this what kind of holiness that concerts sing at the choir? I do not like one pampering!
Marya Dmitrievna loved Sundays and knew how to celebrate them. Her house was all washed and cleaned on the Sabbath; people and she did not work, everyone was festively discharged, and everyone was at mass. By the master's dinner, food was added, and people were given vodka and fried goose or pig. But a holiday was not so noticeable in the whole house as on the broad, strict face of Marya Dmitrievna, who on that day accepted the unchangeable expression of solemnity.