Title: Birch (Betula)
Categories: Fruit Beverages Condiment
Yield: 1 Info file

SEE DIRECTIONS

birch, common name for some members of the Betulaceae, a family of deciduous trees or shrubs widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Growing mainly in the Northeast, the genera native to the U.S. are the birches, alder, hazel, and hornbeam and hop hornbeam (both called ironwood).

Some birches are valued for their fine hardwoods, e.g., the yellow birch (Betula lutea). White-barked birches are often used as ornamentals, notably the paper birch (B. papyrifera) of the N United States and Canada, whose bark was used by Native Americans for canoes and baskets.

Various birches produce edible fruits, sugar, vinegar, tea from leaves, and birch beer from sap.

[American Heritage Dictionary]

From: Dorothy Flatman Date: 08-25-98 (12:21) The Neverending Bbs (286) Fido-Natio

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