Silver birch
Description
A slender deciduous tree, Betula pendula, native to Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. The silver birch produces a light, pinkish-yellow wood that is strong and naturally waterproof. It has been used for boxes, bowls, utensils, handles, musical instruments, weapons, boats, wagons, interior trim, millwork and toys.
Synonyms and Related Terms
European weeping birch (Betula pendula); Sandbirke (Deut.); Slöjdbjörk (Sven.); bouleau argenté (Fr.); abedul (Esp.); vidoeiro pendente (Port.); betulla (It.)
Other Properties
Tree height = 15-25 m Bark = brown turning to white with age, smooth but may peel Flowers = catkins (3-5 cm long) in early spring
Additional Information
R.Gale, P.Gasson, N.Hepper, G.Killen, "Wood" in Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, P.Nicholson, I.Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2000, p. 334-371.Schoch, W., Heller, I., Schweingruber, F.H., Kienast, F., 2004:Wood anatomy of central European Species: Silver Birch,European White Birch, Betula pendula Roth
Authority
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- Website address 1 Comment: Virginia Tech Dendrology website at www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm (accessed Oct. 3, 2005)
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Birch (Accessed Oct. 3, 2005)