Types Of Birch

“Mujhe bhi nahi malum yaar samja karo”

The Birch tree is a deciduous hardwood tree belonging to the Betulaceae family, which includes alders, hazel trees, and hornbeams. A close relative of the beech-oak family is the Fagaceae.

A large majority of Birch species can be found in temperate and boreal climates and are generally small and medium-sized trees or shrubs.
Simple leaves are alternate, alternately serrated, feather-veined, petiolate, and stipulate. Two-leaved spur-like lateral branches support the flowers in pairs.
Fruits are small samaras, although in some species the wings are obscure.
The female catkins of alders (Alnus, another genus of the family) are woody and disintegrate when mature, falling apart to release the seeds, unlike the cone-like female catkins of alders.
Monoecious flowers open with or before the leaves. These leaves are usually between 3 and 6 millimetres long once fully grown.
Trees often grow in even-aged stands on light, well-drained, acidic soils. Following disturbances or fires, they rapidly colonize open ground, especially in secondary successional sequences.
Birches are one of the first tree species to establish in primary successions, and they can threaten heathlands if they are not suppressed by grazing or periodic burning.
In general, birches are lowland plants, but some species, such as Betula nana, grow in the mountains.
The environments of Betula pendula and Betula pubescens differ in the British Isles, and some hybridization occurs, though both species are “opportunists in steady-state woodland systems”.
Birchwood is fine-grained and pale, with an attractive satin-like sheen. There may be ripple figuring in the timber, which increases its value as veneer and furniture. Masur (or Karelian) birch is a highly decorative species of Betula verrucosa. Carolina has a ripple texture combined with attractive dark streaks and lines.

Many modern and historical religions place spiritual significance on birches. Growing strong, forging relationships and adapting to unpredictable circumstances are all attributes associated with the birch in Celtic cultures. A characteristic of its adaptability is its ease and eagerness with which it repopulates areas damaged by fire or clearing.