Betula alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Betula genus in the family Betulaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Betulaceae
- Genus
- Betula
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- deciduous
- Woodiness
- woody
- Growth rate
- vigorous
- Height
- 12 m
- Spread
- 3 m
- Fertility
- Wind
- Flower type
- monoecious
- Pollinators
- Wind
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Inner bark - cooked or dried and ground into a powder and used with cereals in making bread[27]. Inner bark is generally only seen as a famine food, used when other forms of starch are not available or are in short supply[K]. Sap - raw or cooked. A sweet flavour[27][21][22][23]. The sap is harvested in early spring, before the leaves unfurl, by tapping the trunk. It flows abundantly, but the sugar content is much lower than maple sap[25]. A pleasant drink, it can also be concentrated into a syrup or fermented into a beer[24][25]. An old English recipe for the beer is as follows:- \"To every Gallon of Birch-water put a quart of Honey, well stirr'd together; then boil it almost an hour with a few Cloves, and a little Limon-peel, keeping it well scumm'd. When it is sufficiently boil'd, and become cold, add to it three or four Spoonfuls of good Ale to make it work...and when the Test begins to settle, bottle it up... it is gentle, and very harmless in operation within the body, and exceedingly sharpens the Appetite, being drunk ante pastum.\"[26]. A tea is made from the twigs and leaves[27][23]. The dried leaves are used according to another report[24]. An excellent flavour[25]. The twigs and leaves have the flavour of wintergreen and can be used as condiments[24].
- Product or use
- Condiment
- Product or use
- Sweetener
- Product or use
- Tea
- Plant part
- Inner bark
- Plant part
- Sap
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Yellow birch is little used medicinally, though a decoction of the bark has been used by the native North American Indians as a blood purifier, acting to cleanse the body by its emetic and cathartic properties[12]. The bark is a source of 'Oil of Wintergreen'[10]. This does have medicinal properties, though it is mainly used as a flavouring in medicines[10].
- Product or use
- Cathartic
- Product or use
- Emetic
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The bark is waterproof and has been used by native peoples as the outer skin of canoes, as roofing material on dwellings and to make containers such as buckets, baskets and dishes[12]. Wood - close-grained, very strong, hard, heavy. The wood is too dense to float[10]. An important source of hardwood lumber, it is used for furniture, boxes, tubs of wheels, floors etc[14][16][20][6][11]. It is also often used as a fuel[14][16].
- Product or use
- Containers
- Product or use
- Fuel
- Product or use
- Waterproofing
- Product or use
- Wood
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Secondary canopy
Environment
- Range
- North-eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Virginia and Tennessee.
- Habitat
- Usually found in moist well-drained soils in rich woodlands on lower slopes, it is also found in cool marshlands in the south of its range[17][11].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 4+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame[18][19][3][4]. Only just cover the seed and place the pot in a sunny position[18][19][4]. Spring sown seed should be surface sown in a sunny position in a cold frame[3][4]. If the germination is poor, raising the temperature by covering the seed with glass can help[4]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. If you have sufficient seed, it can be sown in an outdoor seedbed, either as soon as it is ripe or in the early spring - do not cover the spring sown seed. Grow the plants on in the seedbed for 2 years before planting them out into their permanent positions in the winter[18][19][3][4].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in a well-drained loamy soil in a sheltered position[2][9]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes wet soils[9]. Shade tolerant[9]. A slow-growing tree, it is relatively long-lived for a birch, with specimens 200 years old recorded[11]. Plants often grow taller than the 12 metres mentioned above[11]. The trees are highly susceptible to forest fires, even when wet the bark is highly inflammable[10]. The bruised foliage has a strong smell of wintergreen[9]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[15]. Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[9].
References
Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009
Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649
Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983-00-00
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009
Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00
McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books ISBN 0-394-72811-4 (1979-00-00)
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. ()
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. ISBN 0889025649 (1989-00-00)
Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - (1983-00-00)
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold ISBN 0442222009 (1982-00-00)