The birch is the most common deciduous tree in Russia. It is also often found in Ukraine. We present interesting facts about the birch.
The birch is the most common deciduous tree in Russia. It is also often found in Ukraine. We present interesting facts about the birch.
- In the world it is known about 100 kinds of birch trees. And in Russia and Ukraine this tree is one of the most widespread.
- Use of birch leaves and kidneys for health is known. They possess diuretic, antipyretic, bactericidal and wound healing properties.
- In the ancient Slavonic language, the word "birch" originates from the verb "white".
- The birch family includes both trees and shrubs. The largest specimens have a trunk circumference of up to 150 cm and reach a height of 30 meters.
- The white bark is due to the presence of betulin resin. It protects the tree from various diseases and parasites.
- Birch seeds spread very far because of their extreme lightness: about 5000 seeds per 1 gram!
- Some birch species grow even beyond the Arctic Circle and are not afraid of permafrost.
- The birch is suitable for any type of soil, it is very unpretentious. A white-barrel beauty grows even on dry, stony, mineral-poor, swampy ground.
- On average, the tree lives for 100 years, although there are also long-livers who live up to 400 years.
- The biggest beetle in Europe, the fallow deer beetle, lives under the bark of a birch.
- Many mushrooms find refuge under this tree. It is a cobblestone mushroom, white mushroom, load, lupus, and raw materials.
- Birch branches are present in temples and houses of Orthodox believers for the feast of the Holy Trinity.
- Birch leaves combined with alum give yellow dye for dyeing the fabric.
- Wood is considered the best wood for the furnace furnace. Peasant huts have always had birch beams lit: they burn for a long time, are bright and do not give soot.
- Birch brooms were used in the past to prepare cattle for fodder.
- Birch logs are not used to build houses. This wood does not have firmness and is subject to rotting.
- But skis, toys, plywood, guns and guns from the birch are excellent. The special growth which is formed on this tree - a mouthpiece - is used for cutting out original caskets, snuff-boxes, decorative handicrafts from a tree.
- Birch bark (birch bark) is woven into beautiful baskets, paws, boxes, tuos (so called berry boxes). In ancient times, birch bark was used as paper.In many ancient Russian cities, birch bark letters with letters from the XI-XV centuries have been preserved in the soil. Especially a lot of birch-bark letters were found in Novgorod. In Ukraine, birch-bark certificates are found in Zvenigorod (Lviv region).
- People of the North and East of our country use birch bark to build light boats and houses - plagues.
- Birch juice is collected in early spring. It is considered very useful. One big birch can give about a bucket of juice for the season. On the basis of birch juice you can make kvass.
- Even decomposing leaves of wood are useful: they release substances that are useful for other plants and contribute to their growth.
- The famous Russian folk song "In the field of the birch stood" was written by the Tatar poet Nigmat Ibragimov in 1825, but its earliest version (probably folk) existed in 1790.
- When laying the Admiralty Garden in St. Petersburg were planted 4 alleys of birches.
- In medicine and cosmetology tar is actively used. This substance is produced from birch bark. The common Ukrainian surname is Digtyar, the Russian surname Degtyarev denotes the profession of a person who extracts tar.
- The birch grows quickly, and the best neighbors for it are rose hips and spruce. The rest of the plants will be depressed, because it takes away nutrients and water from the soil.
- Chaga mushroom, which grows on the birch, is used in folk medicine to treat various types of tumors. The therapeutic properties of chaga fungus are not refuted by official medicine, and the properties of chaga are not yet fully studied.
- The birch tree was often sung by poets and writers. Its image was used by Sergey Esenin, Evgeny Permyak, the "Pesnyary" ensemble.
Currency shops in the USSR were called "Beryozka".