Fluffy birch - originally betula alba, which in Latin means white birch, changed its name to Bétula pubéscens. It grows in moist places, on marshes and shores of lakes. It tolerates dry periods poorly, found in coniferous and deciduous forests. Feels good in the shade of other trees.
Description of fluffy birch
The change of name was provoked by the appearance of confusion with a birch hanging, warty. Many varieties are white-stemmed, so the classification began to be done according to the external characteristics of the crown.
There are many species, but this variety is frost-resistant. The habitat of fluffy birch is all of Siberia, the European part of Russia, it is also found in the Caucasus, in foothill areas.
Smooth, without cracks, the bark is the main distinguishing feature of the plant. A beautiful white trunk is dissected by small cracks only in adults closer to the roots. Such areas are accompanied by birch bast. This phenomenon is widely known and is expressed in the stratification of the cortex into thin layers.
The monoecious species of trees reproduces with the help of heterosexual flowers. In the autumn, males appear on the branches; they winter in a tree. In the spring, before the appearance of leaves, female "earrings" bloom. Pollination is aided by the wind.
You can describe birch as follows:
- A straight smooth tree trunk rises above the ground by 15-20 meters.
- First-year seedlings have lowered shoots, dense and lush.
- Up to 5 years, the trunk is brown. By the year 10, the amount of betulin produced by birch becomes sufficient and the plant gradually acquires a uniform white color.
- Young birches stretch in height, branches to the sky, a sprawling crown becomes in adult trees.
- The leaves of young plants are downy. Adults - keep a soft pile on the lower leaves and stem.
- The trunk grows up to a diameter of 80 cm. There are individual multi-stemmed individuals, but rarely.
- Bétula pubéscens is a frost-resistant variety.
- The root system is developed, but located close to the surface of the earth. Often during strong winds, trees fall.
- Life expectancy is an average of 120 years, it happens a little longer.
Growing conditions
Fluffy birch is grown from seeds. Sowing is done at the end of summer. Immediately after germination, each shoot is transferred to a separate container. In spring, shoots are planted in open ground at a distance of 3-4 meters from each other. During the first week after planting, daily watering is required.
Top dressing is performed twice a year - in early spring and early summer.
Weeding weeds, the soil is loosened to a depth of not more than 3 cm. To protect and improve the quality of the earth, trunks circulate them with wood chips and peat to a depth of 12 cm. You do not need to trim the birch, just dry the branches in spring.
Preparing the plant for winter is optional. For prevention purposes, especially valuable varieties planted in the fall are covered at the trunk.
Common diseases and parasites:
- Pipeline beetle strikes young shoots. Affected areas are cut and burned. Dig the soil near the trunk.
- Caterpillars like to eat birch leaves to the skeleton. For treatment, insects are removed, the plant is sprayed with insecticides.
- The chafer beetle is dangerous in the form of larvae; they eat out the roots of a tree. Upon detection, the soil near the trunk is loosened, insects are selected manually.
- Tinder fungi hit wood. They are carefully removed.
Mr. Summer resident informs: the use of fluffy birch
Despite the fact that the wood of fluffy birch is easily rotted, its application is diverse. The material lends itself well to machining, so toys are made from it. If necessary, long-term storage, the logs are immersed in water.
In the spring, tasty and healthy juice is collected from the trees. Use the plant as a plywood raw material and in the manufacture of skis. Branches are collected in bath brooms.
In industry, wood is processed into the following materials:
- acetic acid;
- coal;
- methyl alcohol;
- turpentine;
- tar.
The latter is taught in dry distillation of the bark and used in perfumery. The medical properties of birch leaves and buds are known. Chaga mushroom parasitizing on a birch is also used for medical purposes. Landscape designers often choose a decorative plant for the design of land. A snow-white trunk and a lush winding crown elegantly complement each other.
