Betula Pendula
Silver birch

- Family: Betulaceae
- Interesting facts: By distilling its bark, a pitch is obtained that is used to make ointments for skin diseases. Its leaves are used to make diuretic herbal teas. An oil is distilled from the bark that is used to tan leather, presumably to protect against insects

Quick growing deciduous tree that can reach 30 metres in height. The trunk is slender (although it can measure up to 2 metres) and very straight.

The bark splits into white strips and over time it gets darker and cracks. These trees have superficial roots that extend horizontally and sometimes create strange shapes at the base of the plant.

The branches are straight, drooping at the tip and green with white nodules. The crown is irregular, tending toward ovoid with many leaves.

The leaves are green and small, turning yellow in autumn before falling in winter. They are hanging, alternate and serrated, always ending in a tip.

The fruit is a winged samara with a seed in the centre that looks like a walnut, but smaller.

Source: Rosalía de Castro Park Botanical Guide