Plant Details

Betula papyrifera

Paper Birch, Mountain paper birch, Kenai birch

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Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Betula papyrifera.

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General Information

Scientific name: Betula papyrifera
Also known as: Paper Birch, Mountain paper birch, Kenai birch

Plant Properties

Layer: Tree
Size: Large
Height: 20.00 m
Width: 5.00 m
Growth Rate: Slow
Leaf: Deciduous

Growth conditions

USDA Hardiness: 2-6
Soil Moisture:
Well-drained, Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Usage properties

Edible part:
Flowers, Inner bark, Leaves, Sap, Tea
Edibility:
(3)
Medicinal:
(2)
Features:
Adhesive, Charcoal, Dye, Essential oil, Fibre, Cosmetic use, Paper, Pioneer species, Repellent, Wood, Fragrant, Bee forage

Description

Inner bark - raw or cooked, best in spring. The inner bark can be dried, ground, and used as a thickening agent in soups or added to flour for making bread and cookies. Normally, inner bark is only eaten during food scarcity when other forms of starch are not available. Sap - raw or cooked with a sweet flavor, harvested in early spring. The sap flows best on warm, sunny days following a hard frost. The sap can also be concentrated into syrup or sugar by boiling off some of the water and fermented to make birch beer or vinegar. Very young leaves, shoots, and catkins - raw or cooked. Tea can be brewed from the young leaves and root bark.

Harvest Data

Start Harvest: 01/09
End of Harvest: 31/10

Crown Data

Crown Type: Narrow pyramidal
Crown Density: Dense crown