Description
I’ve really fallen in love with birch trees. The bark is so distinctive and different than all the other trees. They are so exciting to see, I’ve never before been so happy to see birch trees in peoples lawns.
I think the best reason to have birch around is because of it’s power as the secret ingredient in a one match fire. The papery bark is loaded with oils that are flammable, and upon lighting with a match it will slowly burn, allowing your tinder to warm up and catch.
Some of the smaller birches are known as the early succession trees, some of the first to show up after disturbances like fires. Yellow birch is a larger, much longer lived birch. I see it growing most often near creeks and waterways in forested areas.
It is also the primary host of the Chaga fungus, a powerful medicinal fungus. Chaga is parasitic on trees, however it is also believed that Chaga is a protective pathogen against other, more harmful pathogens that could affect the trees and surrounding forest.
The seeds are hard to collect as they are often on very high branches. These are a special offering you won’t see commonly for sale.
Growth Parameters:
Expect a full size tree at maturity. Needs some light to get going, the more the better. Likes wet sites but seems amenable to more medium areas with some assistance.
