On larger trees whilst some parts of the plant may be defoliated this will have no effect on the health of the host. There are often dark diamonds present, and older trees may have far darker trunks, especially towards the tree base.

Woodpeckers and other hole-nesting birds often nest in the trunk, while the seeds are eaten by siskins, greenfinches and redpolls. As with every single species, the climate emergency presents challenges to birch trees living very far north. Through its wind-borne seeds the birch is a ‘pioneer’ tree, quickly establishing itself on land that may have been damaged by fire or over-grazing. The leaves of a silver birch are triangular and finely serrated, while downy birch leaves are more rounded at the base with fine hairs on the underside. On 31 May 1793 the Jacobin women seized her, stripped her naked, and flogged her on the bare bottom in the public garden of the Tuileries.All these species are deciduous; the silver birch may grow up to about 100 feet, while the downy birch may reach 70 feet. We were aware that we were just on the margins of the sap being about to rise, therefore causing weeping, but we just got away with it, probably because of the Beast From the East. The dwarf birch, as its name suggests, hugs the ground at a height of no more than two or three feet, and is often stunted even more by the grazing of hungry deer or sheep. Though emphasising different elements of life and death and perhaps holding different levels of cultural importance in Scotland and England. Both silver and downy birch thrive in a wide range of soils, but the downy birch is more tolerant of waterlogged conditions.

It was used to make bobbins, spools and reels for the Lancashire cotton industry; and herbal medicines were made from different parts of the tree. Defoliation is most severe on small trees, however as this usually occurs late in the season it should not affect the long term health or vigour of the plants. New shoots on the silver birch are hairless and warty whereas those of downy birch are smooth and covered in soft hairs. It was used to treat cystitis and other urinary tract infections, as well as for relieving rheumatism and gout. The white colour reflects UV light, some suggest it works like a sunscreen in areas where reflected light from the snow can be blinding.Therefore as the caterpillars, and associated moths,are part of the wildlife a healthy garden supports and should be preserved. Moths such as Angleshades, Buff tip, and Kentish Glory have Birch as host plant for their caterpillars. Silver birch leaves are said to contain vitamin C, flavonoids, tannins and other plant constituents.

My friends tree survived pruning too although I should make it clear that they did prune theirs when it was dormant. The above is taken from the ‘Wife of Usher’s Well’, found in English and Scottish Popular Ballads, collected by Francis James Child. The leaves are also a food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the angle-shades, buff tip, pebble hook-tip, and Kentish glory. With links to protection and fertility, and the ability to heal skin diseases and be used for building canoes, it’s a fascinating tree.of broadleaved woodland in the UK consists of birch, and this figure rises to nearly 50% in Scotland, where the upland birch woods also support rowan, ash, willow, juniper and aspen.

Rising up out of the scrub of birch and oak, it drifted up to lonely travellers so fast they could not escape.e. switch] of tamarind, birch or other switches, and it allows the President to approve other instruments; in 2000, the minimum age was raised from 16 to 18, the legal threshold of adulthood. According to Hesiod, the people of the third age of the world (Bronze Age) were born of the Ash tree. In this juvenile version, the birch was much lighter and smaller, and the birch was administered privately by a policeman, usually immediately after the magistrate's court hearing, either in a room in the court building or at the nearest police station. I have a river birch and a kiwi vine that I think will make wonderful materials to create such a beautiful and rustic support. Large (up to 50mm long) black and yellow hairy caterpillars causing defoliation of large parts of host trees.