Birch: how to cure the tree that resists heat and cold

Birch belongs to the family of betulaceaeare perennial plants and in botany it is also defined hanging birch. It was born as plant to be grown outside and growing it becomes a light colored shrub that can reach about 20 meters in height. The birch is widespread in Europe, but also in part of Asia, it is a plant that it resists winter well and also the warm months. It is often used for the reforestation of arid areasand, or to weld high landslide areas, as containment barriers. Birch wood is considered one of the most resistant woods in nature, fast growing, in the past it was used for the construction of boats, also having waterproof properties. The birch is also highly appreciated as an ornamental plant, given the beauty of the leaves and given the white-black color of the bark of the stem. It can be transplanted by sucker cuttings or flower seeds and has rapid growth. Like all plants, it can be attacked by parasitic animals, but its robustness acts as a shield and it is not damaged by botanical diseases.

Birch varieties

• White birch, there are different types of birch in nature, the best known is the Pendula Birch, also called white or warty birch, given the color of the bark. It is very resistant to environmental conditions and tolerates drought periods well. It flowers in May and begins to bear fruit towards winter, the white birch needs moist soils rich in organic substances.
• Withered birch, contrary to the adjective, it is not a dry plant, but the particularity of the birch that appears hanging from the long branches. Withered (or drooping) birch leaves are paler than white birch, which has vibrant green leaves. The withered birch tree is very resistant and strong to temperatures, since even the branches (being cascading) protect the trunk from direct exposure to cold or other weather conditions.
• Dahurian birch, it is the slowest growing birch plant, it has a particular trunk that fragments and is not smooth, but full of spikes that give rise to large branches. The optical effect is that of a similar hedge; it needs sheltered cultivation, close to a wall or close to hills, as it does not like direct exposure to the sun or cold. The Dahurian birch (the scientist who gave the plant its name) needs compost, humus and must be fertilized often during the autumn and watered frequently in the summer.
• Cherry birch, so named because its trunk is similar in color to that of the cherry tree. Dark trunk and with decorative carvings, the cherry birch has more robust cold tolerance properties and is excellent for outdoor cultivation or in large hedges. The peculiarity is the flowering in catkins, clusters of flowers that bloom together and simultaneously fill the crown of the cherry birch plant.

Uses of birch: wood

Birch is a plant also used in the industrial sector for its precious wood. The trunk of the birch plant reaches a diameter of 60 cm in adulthood. Birch wood has good elasticity, strong elasticity in bending. Using birch wood is great for lightness and hardness, similar to the properties of beech wood. Birch wood can be used for flooring, toy making, cooking utensils, carving workwhich make the furniture interior. It has an excellent assembly without the use of nails or screws, even a good glue can be used to join two birch wood planks. The only flaw of this wood is the delicacy, as yes it is very easy to work with, but also damaged by impact; it has little mechanical resistance and is afraid of humidity.