Silver Birch: Botany, Ecology, and Applications

Betula pendula Roth. (silver birch) is a deciduous tree of wide distribution in warm and cold temperate climate of the northern chemisphere. It is a common component of numerous forest communities, including urban forests and parks. Because of its low habitat requirements and relative resistance to air pollution, silver birch is considered a pioneering plant. It prefers dry, sandy soils and sunny sites. In a warm temperate climate, it blooms from the second half of April until the beginning of May, and male catkins, forming in August and September of the previous year, produce enormous amounts of pollen known to be a strong allergen [33 ]. Its leaves, bark, and sap are commonly used in herbal medicine [34 , 35 (link)].