Silver Birch
•Distinctive white bark with black patches
• Catkins are green at first in the Spring then
turn brown
• Oval, toothed leaf with pointed tip
The Silver Birch can be used to reduce feet
odours by helping to reduce the amount of
sweat produced by the foot.
•
Although called
silver the bark is
white and sheds
layers like tissue
paper. At the
bottom of the
tree the bark
shreds so much it
the tree appears
to have a black
sock.
Picture: hikeandsurvive.com
Twigs are
smooth and
have small
dark warts.
Leaves are
light green and
fade to yellow
in the autumn.
Birch wood is
tough and
hardwearing so if
used for
furniture, handles
and toys.
Picture: Woodland Trust
The Silver Birch can be found as far south as Spain and as
far north as Lapland.
Picture: National Trust
South West
The tree
provides food
and a living
space for
more than
300 species
including
woodpeckers
that nest in
holes in the
trunk.
Having a light, open
canopy means that
grasses, mosses, bluebells
and violets are able to
grow nearby.
Picture:
Blogbirder.blogspot.com
With deep roots the Silver Birch helps
other plants grow by reaching inaccessible
nutrients and later recycling them onto
the soil surface for other trees.