Information on Silver Birch Trees
Silver birch trees (Betula pendula) have a rapid growth rate for the first 20 years, which then slows down until maturity at 40 years with a maximum height of 80 feet. The bark of the young tree is pinkish, with the characteristic whitish silver appearing during the middle years and dark bark signifying an old tree. Silver birch trees are relatively short-lived, with a normal lifespan not exceeding 90 years. Slender and graceful, the silver birch is beautiful, while also rightfully earning a useful place in nature. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pioneer Species
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Pioneer species grow rapidly on cleared land without being planted, because of their efficient seeding system. The catkins (female flowers) release a cloud of seeds in early spring.
Seeds
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Small and triangular, the seeds hang like a lamb's tail before being dropped. A silver birch can produce up to one million seeds per year.
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Location
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Silver birches prefer dry and acidic soil and are tolerant of many pollutants. In the United States, they grow in the Northeast, Northwest and in parts of the Midwest.
Timber
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The silver birch's pale, cream-colored wood is used to make furniture and plywood. The bark can be rendered into tar for roofing and tanning leather.
Deciduous
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In the spring, the buds and twigs display a distinctive reddish-purple color.
Mycorrhizal Association
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Silver birches have a symbiotic relationship with different types of fungi.
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