Birch

Also Known As: Paper Birch, Downy Birch

Botanical Name: Betula Lenta

Family Name: Betulaceae

Native To: Europe, Asia, North America

Parts To Use: Bark, Leaves, and Sap

How It’s Used: The leaves are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They help to flush the urinary system, along with kidneys - a great support for urinary tract or bladder infections, and for kidney stones. They help reduce fluid retention and swelling, uric acid and toxins, helping with gout and rheumatism. The barks oil tar can be used for birch creams and ointments for chronic skin conditions.

Harvesting: Birch fruit ripens between August and September. Their seed is then dispersed the following month in September to November. The best way to harvest the seed is by stripping the green cone. Seedlings require light shade and thrive in moist beds their first season.

When gathering birch bark, it’s recommended that a small cut is made to the limbs and then carve the bark from those cuttings. When tapping for sap, care should be taken in order to prevent the tree from “bleeding” out and dying.

Birch trees are small to medium-sized trees or shrubs, mostly found in northern temperate and boreal climates. The leaves are oval and are single or double serrated on the edges. The leaves contain a lot of Vitamin C and can be used medicinally. The bark is smooth resinous, varicoloured or white in color. There are horizontal pores that peel in thin sheets, especially on younger trees. The older tree bark breaks into irregular plates. The short slender branches rise to a pyramidal crown on younger trees, on older trees they become horizontal, often pendulous. Birch trees produce a fruit called "samara" which can release around 1 million seeds each year. The seeds and bark are great food sources for forest animals. The birch tree also produces a tar that can be used as an excellent diuretic; it also helps with body detoxification and cleansing. The tar can enhance the body’s blood circulation and help prevent toxins from collecting in the muscles and skin.

Most variety of birch can be found in woodlands, meadows, moors, and gardens. The species overall prefers a wetter climate/soil. Birch have a strong aroma and flavor that is heavily scented like winter-green due to its volatile oils. Birch has long been revered for its uses in herbalism, building components, its use in spiritual cosmologies, and its beauty. British botanists believe the birch tree is one of the oldest tree species alive. It’s name means “shining tree” in Sanskrit, referring to the bright white bark on many species. Birch is used as the maypole during the Beltane celebrations. In Siberian traditions, birch is considered a sacred tree, bridging the gap between the reality of humans to the realms of the spirits and gods.

The nutrient-rich sap is used as a sweetener, tapped in spring, similar to maple syrup. Rich in fructose, it is cool and refreshing, and “bleeds” out as a clear color. It’s known to taste even better when it is simmered into a golden-brown. The sap was also traditionally fermented into beer, wine, spirits, and sodas. The wood of the birch was crafted into utensils, yokes, cabinetry, tool handles, baskets, canoes, lodge coverings, vinegars, glues, and corage. The inner bark can be made into flour for humans, containing sugars, oils and vitamin C. Birch tar as has been used by various tribes as an insect repellent and to cure leather. It’s aromatic smoke has made it a favorite for kindling in woodstoves and smokehouses.

With over 100 species of Birch documented around the globe, only seven are known to be used in traditional herbalism. Most commonly use are the sap, leaf, and bark. Also known as birch water, or birch blood, the sap contains xylem and phloem, which is used as a cleansing tonic. It’s also used to clear out kidneys and bladders, assist with dermal skin conditions, joint pain, and rheumatic diseases.