Birch trees (specifically the Silver Birch, Betula pendula) are one of our most identifiable trees, with their elegant shape and distinctive bark catching the eye and looking at home both in the garden and in the wild. Like all of our native trees, Silver Birches have many uses - both historic and modern - as well as a rich and fascinating mythology.

The Silver Birch is perhaps most easily identified by its striking white bark, banded with dark lines along the trunk which sometimes seem to form “eyes”. Their leaves are small with a bright green colour and a strongly serrated edge. Catkins are produced in the spring, and by the autumn the tree’s foliage will have begun to turn yellow before the leaves are dropped. In the depths of winter, their pale, stark trunks stand out from their woodland neighbours and can look particularly beautiful in the snow. They are often found in companionship with Bluebells in the spring and Fly Agaric during the cooler, wetter months.

The folklore and cultural history surrounding the Birch tree make it particularly appropriate as January’s Tree of the Month. The ancient Ogham Tree Calendar designates this period of the year as the Birch period, and the tree has traditionally symbolised renewal, rebirth, survival and triumph over difficulty - very apt as we observe the changing of the year and begin to look forward to the spring and the return of the sun!

Birch trees are particularly useful in regeneration projects, as they thrive in challenging conditions and can be found existing very happily in surprisingly harsh locations, as well as often being one of the first species to bounce back to life after a fire. They have also been found to bring new nutrients into poor soil, enriching their growing areas and opening up avenues for other plant and animal life to return to areas that have lost their biodiversity. This resilience no doubt contributed to their association with rebirth and survival, as well as making Birch trees a fantastic ally in re-foresting and re-wilding projects.

As well as contributing to their local ecology, Birch trees can provide us with a source of attractive, pale wood, useful in making furniture and small items, although our native trees don’t tend to be used for this as they don’t grow as large as the trees found on the continent. Birch sap (also referred to as Birch water) is rich in sugar and can be used as a natural sweetener.

Birch trees are common throughout Devon; you will probably have a number growing in your local area, especially if there are any green spaces nearby. Stone Lane Gardens has a particularly notable collection of Birch trees which can be visited throughout the year, with a snowy winter day or a spring day when the bluebells have burst into flower perhaps being the best time to visit!

If you have a Birch tree and would like some suggestions about its care, or if you are thinking of planting a Birch tree of your own, please don’t hesitate to contact us for some free, no-obligation advice!

Image Credits:

Header Image: Peng Chen, 10/10/2017

Birch Leaves: Tracy Houston Durrant, 18/17/2015

Birch Trunks: Patrick Hendry, 31/10/2017

Birch Tree from Below: Austin Park, 02/08/2020

Birch Trees and Bluebells: Jim Champion, 7/05/2006