Birch is the title of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. Which are actually usually little to medium-moderate-sized trees or shrubs, mostly of northern temperate climates. A elementary leaves may be toothed or lobate. A fruit occurs as little samara, although the wings can be obscure within occasionally metal money. It differ from either a alders (Alnus, a more genus in the personal) therein the female catkins are not woody & decompose at maturity, falling apart to release a seeds, unrather a woody cone-like female alder ament.

A most common title birch is from either an old Germanic root similar to birka. A botanical title Betula is from either a original Latin.

Birch is utilized as a food plant per larvae of a big total of Lepidoptera species, see List of Lepidoptera which feed on Birches.

Species
Understand likewise: Betula classification

;Birches of North America include: Betula allegheniensis - Yellow Birch (B. lutea) Betula cordifolia - Mountain Paper Birch Betula glandulosa - American Dwarf Birch Betula lenta - Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch, or Black Birch Betula lenta subsp. uber - Cherry Creek Birch (endemic, Cherry Creek, Smythe Co., VA) Betula michauxii - Newfoundland Dwarf Birch Betula neoalaskana - Alaska Birch or Yukon Birch Betula nigra - River Birch or Black Birch Betula occidentalis - Water Birch or Red Birch (B. fontinalis) Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch, Canoe Birch or Our contries White Birch Betula populifolia - Gray Birch Betula pumila - Swamp Birch

;Birches of Europe and Asia include: Betula albosinensis - Chinese Red Birch Betula albosinensis volt-ampere. septentrionalis - North Chinese Red Birch Betula alnoides - Alder-leaf Birch Betula austrosinensis - South China Birch Betula chinensis - Chinese Dwarf Birch Betula ermanii - Erman's Birch Betula grossa - Japanese Cherry Birch Betula jacquemontii (Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii) - White-barked Himalayan Birch Betula mandschurica - Manchurian Birch Betula mandschurica volt-ampere. japonica - Japanese Birch Betula maximowiczii - Monarch Birch Betula medwediewii - Caucasian Birch Betula nana - Dwarf Birch (also around northern Asia) Betula pendula - Silver Birch Betula platyphylla (Betula pendula volt-ampere. platyphylla) - Siberian Silver Birch Betula pubescens - White Birch, European White Birch or Downy Birch (as well inside northern Asia) Betula pubescens subsp. tortuosa - Arctic White Birch (subarctic Eurasia, Greenland) Betula szechuanica (Betula pendula volt-ampere. szechuanica) - Sichuan Birch Betula utilis - Himalayan Birch

Uses
Birches come versatile trees. A sap, bark, leaves, wood, sprig, & roots come utilized for food, construction materials, medicative treatments, lubricants, and more practical applications.

Extracts of birch come utilized for even flavourer or leather oil, & inside cosmetics like soap or shampoo. It used to be that, commercial oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate) was made from either a Sweet Birch (Betula lenta). Birchen tar, extracted from either birchbark, was utilized as a lubricating substance & for medicative purposes.

Birch leaves come utilized to produce the diuretic tea and to make extracts for dyes and cosmetics.

Birken sap is drunk as a tonic or rendered into birch syrup, vinegar, beer, soft drinks, and more nutrients. Birken sirup is notwithstanding super hard to produce in comparison extra sirup, making it more expensive than more food sirup.

Birken branchlet were utilized for birching, a form of corporal punishment.

Several of the First Nations of North America prized a birch for its bark, which due to its lightly weight, flexibility, & the ease by using which it can be stripped from either trees, was typically utilized for the construction of hard, rainproof however lightweight canoes. A bark is high around betulin and betulinic acid, phytochemicals which have expected when pharmaceuticals, and more chemical substance which indicate promise when industrial lube.

Birches likewise own spiritual importance inside many religions, two modern & historical.

A Proto-Germanic rune berkanan is named fallowing a birch.