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Tree Project.
Betula Pendula - Silver Birch.
The native Silver Birch is one of most popular trees for back garden
type situations here in the UK. It can get up to 60 feet in ideal
conditions, but is often much smaller and its feathery branches and
foliage means that it doesn’t cast heavy shade unlike many other trees.
It generally grows straight up as well meaning that you never have to
deal with overhanging branches. Birch are an easy tree to grow, growing
fairly quickly in most situations and they are also tolerant of most
soil conditions which only adds to their appeal. However, Birch tend to
live to only about 40, or 50 year, although some species such as the
Yellow Birch can live up to 300 years, or so.
Timber obtained from Birch Trees is good for Furniture, but they are not
grown for logging here in the UK. There are other uses to which Birch
Trees are put though and one is the Bark is used in the Tanning process
for Leather and traditionally Besom Brooms are made using Ash Tree
staves and Birch twigs for the bristles. Flower arrangers also sometimes
use the lightweight stems in decorations. Being a Native Tree, the Birch
is good for Wildlife with Birds eating their seeds and their bark makes
good food for Rabbits and Deer. This makes the Birch a very good choice
of tree to plant in Spinneys and small plantations where you are trying
to encourage wildlife. However, Birch can be considered a bit of a fire
hazard as they are highly flammable and will readily burn even when wet.
Silver Birch are best known though for their silvery/white stems and
trunks where their papery bark often peels away making them very
ornamental and decorative. Indeed the “Paper Bark Birch,” or Betula
Papyrifolia is the best of all and the “Himalayan Birch,” has the
whitest bark. On the other hand the “Black Birch,” or Betula Nigra,”
commonly known as the “River Birch,” because it often grows on river
banks such is its liking for water, has stems that are almost black and
stand out in a garden very well. One of the smaller members of the birch
family, growing to only a maximum of 40-50 feet in 20 years, also makes
the Black Birch an especially good choice for gardens.
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