Birches are among the plants with a real pioneering spirit: the resilient trees even colonize barren wasteland in no time. Even in inhospitable conditions, the life artists with their delicate shapes manage to thrive. Their special way of disseminating makes it possible. The fruit of the birch tree plays a crucial role. What does it look like and is it perhaps even edible?
What does the fruit of the birch tree look like and is it edible?
The birch fruits are small, winged nuts that ripen between July and October and are spread by the wind. Although the fruits are not of great importance for consumption, they can be used as a tea infusion.
Reproduction of the birch tree
The flowering period of the birch tree begins - depending on the location and the given climatic conditions in the respective year - between March and May. Male and female catkins, i.e. the flowers of the birch, are on the same tree. This means that birch trees are monoecious with unisexual flowers. The fruits then emerge from them.
Pollination and wind dispersal
While the male catkins are already formed in the autumn months of the previous year and then hibernate, the female flowers only awaken very freshly at the ends of new leafy young shoots. Catkins are pollinated exclusively by wind. The birch family is not capable of vegetative propagation or growth.
The seeds of the birch tree
The fruit clusters, which are either upright or loosely hanging, have thickened, slightly leathery scales. When the winged nuts, also known as samara, are released, the scales fall off individually. So that the birch seeds can spread over long distances with the help of the wind, they are contained in tiny nuts that are equipped with delicate wings. These wing nuts are the fruits of the birch tree. Since pioneer plants in nature have to be quick and efficient, the seeds germinate after just two to three weeks. The extremely light and flyable fruits ensure this rapid generative propagation.
Time of the birch fruits
Birch trees can produce fruit at just five years old. Birch trees have plenty to offer: they produce around 450 fruits per catkin alone. These ripen in mid-summer and are then scattered in autumn and winter. They germinate the following spring.
The fruit of the birch
The birch fruit ripens in the period from July to October. The extremely thin-skinned winged nuts are only up to three millimeters long. Thanks to this tiny and lightweight design, they are optimally designed for dispersal by the wind.
Plant your own birch through fruit
The birch tree's peculiar way of spreading suggests that the trees can also be easily sown on your own. In fact, if you want to grow your own birch tree in your garden, you can skip buying ready-made seedlings from the nursery. Instead, you have the option of collecting birch seeds yourself at the right time of year - alternatively, you can of course also buy them. If you plant the seeds professionally, you can easily start a tree right from the start. This approach is particularly ideal for lovers of decorative bonsai plant works of art. Because it is in your hands to train the tree as desired.
When sowing the seeds, proceed as follows:
- Fill small bowls or pots with potting soil.
- Then add the birch seeds.
- Then cover the seeds with about one to two centimeters of soil.
- Then place your breeding pots in a location that is as bright as possible.
- However, avoid excessive direct sunlight.
- Wait about two to four weeks while keeping the substrate slightly moist – but not wet.
- The seeds will germinate within this time.
- Once the seedlings have reached a height of around 15 to 20 centimeters, you can finally transplant them into a more nutrient-rich substrate.
Are the fruits suitable for consumption?
The fruits are of no greater importance for consumption or the diverse healing ingredients of the birch. If you like, you can brew the little wingnuts into a soothing tea. You should primarily use the young fruits for tea infusion. However, the following edible parts of the tree are better suited for further processing:
- the leaves with high amounts of flavonoids, saponins, tannins and vitamin C
- the bark with the active ingredient betuloside and betulin
- the buds of the birch tree through their oils
- the juice of the trunk for cosmetic use, for example as hair tonic or for skin care
