Betula pubescens

Downy birch

Spread

The downy birch grows all over Finland except the the region north from Kittilä. Birch, pine and spruce are our most common tree species.

Location of growth

The downy birch grows well in a damp environment
It prospers in young nutrient-rich forests, swamps, trenches and near roads.
It handles pollution well and needs a lot of light
Birch survives stormy weather well thanks to its thick root.
Birch makes the soil it grows in better for other plantlife.
Fjeld birch is a subspecies of downy birch that has adapted to grow on fells of Finland.

Growth

The downy birch is often a multi-trunk tree that grows up to 20 meters tall
The bark of the birch tree is white and unique, except on the foot of the tree
The outer branches of the canopy are often hanging
The birch has a widespread root system.
The highest quality birch grows in soil high with nutrients.
The birch should be fallen as soon as possible when it reaches maturity so it doesn’t have time to rot.
The downy birch is smaller than the silver birch

The characteristics of wood

The fibers of downy birch are larger that the ones found in silver birch and thus it’s easier to split in two.
The wood is light and the fiber pattern is hard to make out.
The heartwood is not noticeably different than the surface wood
The wood is hard and elastic

It is important to dry birch well, because it rots very easily.
High quality log of birch is straight and at least 25cm thick. The trunk has to be smooth and it should not have cracks caused by low temperature or rot.
The dry lumber should weight 600kg/m³

Surface treatment

The wood samples have been surface treated as such:

Radial cut

Tangential cut

Usage