Erman's stone birch how to plant. Stone birch. And how not to say about the tar, which is also prepared from birch. Birch tar is used as an external agent for skin diseases, is part of the famous Vishnevsky ointment

BIRCH. Stone birch, Erman. Betula ermanii

The form: tree with irregular shape crown, the main trunk is low, strongly branching

The size: 15-20 m in height, clumsy in the mountains, seems to be lower

Sheet: simple, 4-14 cm long, ovoid, gradually narrowed towards the end, sharply serrated along the edge, smooth above, dull, slightly sticky, with 6-10 pairs of protruding lateral veins

Leaf arrangement: another

Flower: earrings almost sitting, erect, thick

Fetus: single-seeded nutlet up to 3 mm long

Habitat:on Sakhalin forms communities with Kuril bamboo. It gravitates towards gravelly or rocky soils.

Additionally:

White birch is one of the most beautiful trees Russia. For many, it has become a symbol of the beautiful Russian nature. How many wonderful poems the poets dedicated to this tree, how many songs the people composed! Both in winter and in summer, a beautiful crown with hanging weeping branches impresses with its grace. For a person, in addition to the aesthetic value, birch branches were also of some practical interest. Who does not know how good it is to take a steam bath with a birch whisk? Yes, and they helped to flog the guilty. But still, the birch itself, why such branches? It must be borne in mind that birch is a pioneer species. This means that it populates empty plots of land first among the trees. The fact is that birch loves light very much. Its light seeds scatter over the wastelands and then quickly sprout in friendly brushes. Not even a few years pass, when thick birch groves already stand on the clearings, and there, you see, young trees with lush crowns. But in nature there is a constant struggle for a place. It is worth growing the crowns of birch trees, creating a shadow, as lovers of the shadow - Christmas trees - immediately appear. They, growing up, begin to displace the birch. The time has come for the birch to resist - to expel the uninvited guests. Her long whips and the wind that blows them come to the rescue. The birch whips them when thick fir cones prevent them from growing. This resistance is called in botany birch ochlest.

Another benefit of long lashes is that they help spread pollen. Dusty yellow earrings, similar to small paws, are located near the birch just at the edges of the lashes. In the spring, resinous "paws" begin to dust. The spring wind ruffles the long lashes, and pollen is carried in different directions.

At the end of summer, birch seeds ripen - small, light, with a wing designed for flight. They are closely pressed to each other and folded very tightly. The seeds are ripe, which means it's time to scatter. And here long lashes and wind come to the rescue again. The wind shakes the branches, and they sway, touching each other, and the seeds are carried far, far away.

Botanical characteristic

Erman's birch or stone birch, translated as Betula ermanii, is a tree that reaches a height of up to fifteen meters, and sometimes twenty, while the trunk diameter can reach up to seventy-five centimeters.

On average, within one year, a stone birch gives an increase in height by twenty centimeters, and in width - about fifteen. Its bark is brownish-gray in color, with small cracks; at a young age, it peels off, one might say, in tatters.

Kidneys are elongated, sharp, glabrous, sometimes they are pubescent along the edge, may be slightly sticky. The leaves are ovate with a heart-shaped, wedge-shaped or rounded base, their apex is short-pointed, their length varies from five to fifteen centimeters.

The leaves are double-edged, they are dark green above, and their color is lighter below. The size of the petioles varies from five to thirty millimeters. The length of the earrings can reach four centimeters. The fruit is a nutlet with narrow wings.

Its seeds are very light, and they scatter over the wastelands, after which they quickly and amicably sprout. It doesn't take long before clearings already show off thick birch groves with lush crowns.

It is worth saying that this birch is considered one of the most beautiful Russian trees. For many people, it is associated with the beautiful Russian nature. How many poems have poets dedicated to her, and what songs have our people composed about her! Both in summer and in winter period time, its beautiful crown impresses with its graceful hanging weeping branches.

Distribution and cultivation

Erman's birch grows in Russia. It can be found in parks, squares. In Kamchatka, it grows on stones, on the slopes of volcanoes, it easily withstands strong winds and cold winters.

We can say that the stone birch is practically the basis of the Kamchatka forest. Growing conditions have left their mark on her, making her look exotic.

Its trunk is strongly branched, bizarrely curved. The crown is spreading and quite rare. She lives quite a long time, up to about 300, and sometimes 400 years.

Used part

FROM therapeutic purpose use the kidneys, bark, leaves of the plant. They contain triterpenoids, flavonoids, ermanin, apigenin, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, rhamnasin.

Collection and preparation of raw materials

Buds are usually harvested in early spring, during their swelling period, before the leaves begin to bloom. At the same time, the branches are carefully cut off and folded into small bundles, which are then dried in the open air for a month.

After they are completely dry, the buds are carefully separated from the branches, and then they are cleaned of various impurities on a winnowing machine. They should be dark brown in color with a pleasant aroma and a slightly bitter taste.

The leaves begin to be harvested at the beginning of flowering, this happens around the month of May, when they are still very fragrant and sticky. Dry them in a ventilated place or use special dryers that maintain a temperature of 30 degrees.

Finished raw materials are packed in cloth or paper bags and hung in dry rooms with good ventilation. Juice is usually harvested in early spring, even before the leaves open. For this purpose, the bark is cut and this fragrant liquid is extracted.

You can also harvest birch bark, which is an outer, slightly hardened layer of bark. The best raw material is considered to be obtained from the middle part of the birch. Valuable coal and tar are obtained from this wood and bark by dry distillation.

Application

For a person, Erman's birch is not only of aesthetic value, but is also used for medicinal purposes. Many people like to take a steam bath with a whisk, which is made from its branches. The buds and leaves are used as a diuretic and choleretic agent.

Made from birch medicines which have a wide range of beneficial effects. They are used for diseases digestive system as well as respiratory, genitourinary and nervous. Drugs help with pathology skin.

Alcohol tincture, which is prepared from birch buds, is used internally for colds, for pain in the joints, it is rubbed on the affected areas, and it is also taken in violation of the digestive tract.

The tincture has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, so it is used in compresses and for rubbing. It can be diluted with water and rinse the mouth with inflammatory diseases, for example, with stomatitis.

It is useful to drink birch sap, as it has a complex useful chemical composition, it also contains vitamins and minerals, for example, salts of potassium, iron, calcium.

Birch tar is used as an external agent in the form of liniment, with a therapeutic purpose for diseases of the skin, for example, for eczema, scaly lichen, scabies and other manifestations. It is part of Wilkinson's and Vishnevsky's ointments.

Recipe

To prepare the infusion, you need to stock up on 20 grams of dry crushed leaves, which must be poured with 400 milliliters of boiling water, after which the drug is infused for an hour. Then it should be filtered, and take half a glass four times a day.

Conclusion

Before using the infusion and tincture of stone birch, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Birch Erman

Birch Erman, or Stone birch (Betula ermanii)

Plant species of the genus Birch (Betula) of the Birch family (Betulaceae).

It grows among coniferous or mixed mountain forests, closer to the subalpine zone as single trees or groups, in some places it forms the upper border of the forest, it occurs singly along stony placers and along the banks of mountain rivers.

A large or medium-sized tree with a height of 12 to 15 m, sometimes up to 20 m, with a trunk diameter of 50-75 cm, up to 90 cm.

The bark is dark gray, brownish, chestnut-gray, pinkish-gray or yellow-gray, strongly flaky, later fissured.

Branches erect in forest and spread out in open habitats, young branches glandular-warty and pubescent; fruiting red-brown with white lenticels.

Birch Erman

Can grow on such rocky places where others tree species due to lack of soil layer do not grow. Does not grow on alluvial riverine soils.

Quite shade-tolerant, but it reaches the best development in lighted places.

It is undemanding to soils, can grow on very poor and stony soils with a small amount of a fertile layer. It reaches the best development on soils of moderate fertility and moisture. Drought-resistant.

It does not need pruning, but if necessary, corrective and sanitary pruning is recommended in early spring, before the start of sap flow.

Birch Erman

Lives up to 300-400 years.

The breed is characterized by high frost resistance.

The wood is thin-layered, sometimes oblique-layered, hard, heavy, very durable, difficult to split and process. Suitable for durable joinery, plywood, lumber, charcoal.

Due to its decorative qualities, the Erman birch is used in landscaping urban gardens and parks. It is used as tapeworms, as well as in group plantings to create alleys, purebred groups and arrays, tree and shrub groups. Several varieties are known that differ in the color of the bark.

For therapeutic purposes, use the kidneys, bark, leaves of the plant. They contain triterpenoids, flavonoids, ermanin, apigenin, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, rhamnasin.

Stone birch has a soil-protective and water-regulating value.

The bark is used for processing as a chemical raw material for various purposes, in particular for tar removal.

Landing. There are several ways:

Seeds do not need preliminary preparation when it comes to autumn sowing. When sowing seeds in spring, stratification is necessary, it will increase the percentage of germination. This procedure lasts about 5-6 weeks at a temperature of 0 - +5C.

1. First, prepare the soil - loosen it and pour plenty of water. Then sow the seeds and, without sprinkling them with earth, cover with a film on top. Seeds do not need to be soaked before sowing.

Birch seeds germinate in a few days. Their growth rate depends on sunlight, humidity levels, and temperature. As soon as they germinate, the film must be removed. Growing seedlings really need good lighting and abundant watering. But from excessive activity sun rays birches need to be protected. Do not forget to carefully weed the ground from weeds. Birch seeds sprout in the light, but die very easily from drying out of the soil.

2. Seeds are placed on the ground and lightly sprinkled;

Water the landing site;

Cover the area with the seed with thin brushwood or straw;

Water regularly - right through the shelter;

After the appearance of sprouts, the shelter is carefully removed.

Since the young shoots of birch love the shade, after removing the flooring, the shoots must be protected from direct sunlight with plank shields or in any other way. At the same time, the fence should not be airtight - the movement of air through it should be free. Birch seeds sprout in the light, but die very easily from drying out of the soil.

3. Set up a small greenhouse. In early spring, the seeds are planted in the ground, and a shelter is organized around them. You can use a plastic film stretched over a wooden frame or any other similar structure. The main thing is that its height allows young shoots to grow freely, until the greenhouse can be removed. This moment comes when it gets warm enough and the risk of night frosts disappears. Birch seeds sprout in the light, but die very easily from drying out of the soil.

4. Experience of Leshozes:

Birch branches are laid loosely on the beds in the fall. The seeds themselves are sown either in autumn or in spring, scattering on these branches. The branches retain the necessary moisture and let in enough light for the seeds to sprout.

Deciduous tree 10-20 m tall, often with twisted trunks and branches. The bark of the trunk is layered, pinkish-light gray in color. Branches glabrous, reddish-brown, covered with white lenticels. Shoots are warty-glandular. Kidneys are ovoid, up to 9 mm long. Petioles up to 3 cm long. The leaves are harsh, ovate, 6-14 cm long and 5-10 cm wide, with a heart-shaped base, doubly serrated along the edge, glabrous, dark green above, lighter below, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, with 7-10 pairs of lateral veins. Female catkins 1.7-4 cm long, 7-15 mm wide, generative ear shoots 3-11 mm. Bracts oblong-wedge-shaped, 5-9.5 mm long and 3-3.7 mm wide. Fruits are nuts 2-4.2 mm long, oblong, golden brown, pointed. The seeds of this species are larger than the seeds of other species: the weight of 1000 seeds is 0.92-1.23 g.

On the territory of Russia, Erman's birch grows in the Far East: in Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Commander and Kuril Islands. Outside of Russia, it is distributed only in Japan. In the Kuriles, it occurs on the islands of Shikotan, Kunashir, Iturup, Urup, Simushir, Ketoi and occasionally on Ushishir and Rasshua. To the south from Simushir on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk coast, along the Amur, in the Sikhote-Alin mountains and in the north of Sakhalin (Schmidt Peninsula), as well as in Eastern Siberia, northeastern China and on the Korea Peninsula, it is replaced by the closely related species Betula lanata (Regel) V Vassil. Forms forests in the mountains and foothills, is part of the coniferous and coniferous-deciduous forests. Together with flat-leaved birch, it sometimes forms mixed birch forests. According to A.I. Schroeter, on the territory Far East available
collection of medicinal raw materials of many tons.

Triterpenoids and flavonoids were found in Erman's birch (stone birch). Among the leaf triterpenes, 20,24-epoxydammaran-3β,6α,25-triol (5.5%) and its 6-O-acetyl derivative (2.3%) were identified, the structure of which was later refined. New terpenes have been isolated having the structure of 20(S),24(R)-epoxydammaran-3β,11α,25-triol and its 11α-O-acetyl derivative. Flavonoids are found in leaves and buds. Leaf flavonoids include hyperoside, betuletol and 3-methylbetuletol, while kidney flavonoids include betuletol and 3-methylbetuletol, epigenin, quercetin, kaempferol 3-methyl ester, quercetin 7-methyl ester, naringenin 4′-methyl ester, kaempferol, 4′ -apigenin methyl ether, apigenin 7,4-dimethyl ether, scutellarein 6,4-dimethyl ether, kaempferol 7-methyl ether, kaempferol 4-methyl ester, kaempferol 7,4-dimethyl ether, quercetin 3'-methyl ester, 7- naringenin methyl ester, naringenin 7,4'-dimethyl ether, ermanin, rhamnasine.

The bark was used as a wound healing agent. The leaves and buds were used as a diuretic, and the tincture of the buds was also used to treat acute and chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract.

This tree is amazing. It is also surprising in appearance - the clumsiness of trunks and branches, the abundance of growths - burls, the strength and thickness of the bark; and its unpretentiousness and adaptability to the poor nutrition of stony soils, to strong winds and frosts, to the lack of heat and light.

As an independent species, stone birch (Betula Ermanii Cham.) was isolated by the famous naturalist A. Chamisso only in 1831. It plays a significant role in shaping the microclimate of certain areas, in protecting the soil from leaching and erosion. But its role is especially great in the formation of surface and ground runoff. Therefore, stone birch forests are perhaps the most important suppliers of extremely pure and low-mineralized water in the conditions of the peninsula to the richest reservoirs of salmon fish in Kamchatka. That is why it can be stated with full confidence that at least half of the richness of their fish resources is due to the reservoirs of the peninsula stone birch.

Considerable opportunities are offered by the use of stone birch and in national economy. Its dense, very durable wood is an excellent material for the manufacture of furniture, dishes, and growths, amazing in shape and size - burls - are not inferior in texture to the famous Karelian birch. The bark and birch bark of the stone birch can be used in the chemical industry, while the buds and leaves can be used in pharmaceuticals. But, unfortunately, even today this tree is used ... only for firewood.

In Kamchatka, stone birch grows almost everywhere - from the very south of the peninsula to Parapolsky Dol in the north, from coastal lowland plains to 600-800-meter hills. Only in the central part of Kamchatka, in the region of larch taiga, stone birch forms a narrow, from 100-300 to 500-600 meters vertically, belt of mountain stone birch forests.

Spreading birch crowns seem to glide along the slopes, stretching towards the light, obeying the prevailing winds. Caps of snow gather on the crowns, and strong winds and frosts cause the trunks and branches of a stone tree to bend.

There is one more feature of the stone birch: quite often it provides "both a table and a house" to some other types of plants. Most often, mountain ash tree and elderberry, cedar dwarf settle on stone birches.

One of the most famous of these stone birches grows in the area of ​​​​the Nachiki sanatorium on the left bank of the Uzdach River. Once, at the place of the fork, its trunk cracked. It was in this crack that the wind brought fallen leaves, plant pollen and microscopic dust particles, which formed a kind of humus-soil substrate. And in addition, 25-30 years ago, some nutcracker buried pine nuts in this secluded place. Buried and forgotten. The nuts have sprouted, and now the height of the cedar curtain has already reached half a meter. Judging by appearance, cedar dwarf feels quite good. He has enough nutrients that his nurse supplies for normal life. And it is possible, unless, of course, some accident does not interfere, that cones with nuts will soon appear on this curtain.