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Betula papyrifera
| Common name: |
Paper Birch |
Family: |
Betulaceae |
| Author: |
Marshall. |
Botanical references: |
11, 43, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Betula papyracea (Aiton.) |
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
Northern N. America to Greenland. |
| Habitat: |
Woods, usually on slopes, edges of ponds, streams and swamps etc[43, 82]. Found in a wide range of soil conditions, but the best specimens are found in well-drained sandy-loam soils[229]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
4 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| B. excelsa[G]
B. lyalliana[G]
B. papyrifera var. commutata[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Paper Birch [FEIS,H,P,B,DEN1], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
papyrifer = paper bearing;
papyrifera = paper bearing;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Fagales. Birch family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Us(Amerindian)
|
Physical Characteristics
A decidious tree growing to 20m by 5m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 1. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.
We rate it 4/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires dry or moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Canopy, Secondary, Sunny Edge.Edible Uses
Flowers; Inner bark; Leaves; Sap; Sweetener; Tea.
Inner bark - raw or cooked. Best in the spring[172]. The inner bark can
also be dried and ground into a meal and used as a thickener in soups or be
added to flour and used in making bread, biscuits etc. 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[102]. Harvested in early spring, before
the leaves unfurl, by tapping the trunk[172]. The flow is best on warm sunny
days following a hard frost. The sap usually runs freely, but the sugar
content is lower than in the sugar maples[226]. A pleasant sweet drink, it
can also be concentrated into a syrup or sugar by boiling off much of the
water[183, K]. The sap can also be fermented to make birch beer or
vinegar[183]. 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."[269].
Very young leaves, shoots and catkins - raw or cooked[172, 183].
A tea is made from the young leaves[183] and also from the root bark[257].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antirheumatic; Astringent; Febrifuge; Miscellany; Sedative; Skin.
Paper birch was often employed medicinally by many native North
American Indian tribes who used it especially to treat skin problems[257]. It
is little used in modern herbalism.
The bark is antirheumatic, astringent, lithontripic, salve and
sedative[172]. The dried and powdered bark has been used to treat nappy rash
in babies and various other skin rashes[257]. A poultice of the thin outer
bark has been used as a bandage on burns[257]. A decoction of the inner bark
has been used as a wash on rashes and other skin sores[257]. Taken
internally, the decoction has been used to treat dysentery and various
diseases of the blood[257].
The bark has been used to make casts for broken limbs. A soft material such
as a cloth is placed next to the skin over the broken bone. Birch bark is
then tied over the cloth and is gently heated until it shrinks to fit the
limb[257].
A decoction of the wood has been used to induce sweating and to ensure an
adequate supply of milk in a nursing mother[257]. A decoction of both the
wood and the bark has been used to treat female ailments[257].
Other Uses
Dye; Fuel; Hair; Paper; Pioneer; Waterproofing; Wood.
The thin outer bark is used to make drinking vessels, canoe skins,
roofing tiles, buckets etc[11, 46, 61, 172, 257]. This material was very
widely used by various native North American Indian tribes, it is waterproof,
durable, tough and resinous[46, 82, 257]. Only the thin outer bark is
removed, this does not kill the tree[99]. It is most easily removed in late
spring to early summer[99].
The outer bark has also been used as emergency sun-glasses in order to
prevent snow-blindness[226]. A strip of bark 4 - 5cm wide is placed over the
eyes, the natural openings (lenticels) in the bark serving as apertures for
the eyes[226].
A brown to red dye can be made from the inner bark[257].
A pioneer species, it rapidly invades deforested areas (such as after a
forest fire or logging) and creates suitable conditions for other woodland
trees to follow. Because it cannot grow or reproduce very successfully in the
shade it is eventually out-competed by the other woodland trees[226].
The tree has an extensive root system and can be planted to control banks
from erosion[226].
The bark is a good tinder[172].
An infusion of the leaves is used as a hair shampoo, it is effective against
dandruff[99, 172].
The thin outer bark can be used as a paper substitute. It is carefully
peeled off the tree and used as it is[172].
A fibre is obtained from the inner bark and another from the heartwood,
these are used in making paper[189]. The heartwood fibre is 0.8 - 2.7mm long,
that from the bark is probably longer[189]. The branches of the tree can be
harvested in spring or summer, the leaves and outer bark are removed, the
branches are steamed and the fibres stripped off[189].
Wood - strong, hard, light, very close grained, elastic, not durable. It
weighs 37lb per cubic foot and is used for turnery, veneer, pulp etc[46, 82,
99, 171, 229, 235]. It is also used as a fuel[46, 171]. It splits easily and
gives off considerable heat even when green, but tends to quickly coat
chimneys with a layer of tar[226].
Cultivation details
Succeeds in a well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position[11, 200].
Tolerates most soils including poor soils and heavy clays[200]. Fairly wind
tolerant[200]. This species is very unhappy on our windy site in &ndndndnd[K].
A fast-growing but short-lived species[200]. It is often a pioneer species
of areas ravaged by fire[229]. The trunk and branches are easily killed by
fire, though the tree usually regenerates from the roots[229]. It hybridizes
freely with other members of this genus[50]. This species was an exceedingly
important tree for the Indians - they utilized it for a very wide range of
applications and it was a central item in their economy[226].
A good plant to grow near the compost heap, aiding the fermentation
process[20].
Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold
frame[78, 80, 113, 134]. Only just cover the seed and place the pot in a
sunny position[78, 80, 134]. Spring sown seed should be surface sown in a
sunny position in a cold frame[113, 134]. If the germination is poor, raising
the temperature by covering the seed with glass can help[134]. 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[78, 80, 113, 134].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
PFAF Web Pages
This plant is mentioned in the following web pages
Web References
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [DEN] Data _ Photos
(Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
- [FEIS] Data
(Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
References for the family Betulaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.
[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.
[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.
[102] Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Another guide to the wild foods of America.
[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[189] Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988
A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.
[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Betula+papyrifera
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