The Flora of Derbyshire - Checklist, Maps and Sample Accounts

THIS IS A DRAFT

The species account below is an early version, drafted around 2003. It has been provided here to aid understanding, but please be aware it may not fully tally with the up-to-date map and statistics shown below.

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Dates
First year: 1789
Latest year: 2007

County Status
Native

Family
Betulaceae

Total records held
3006

Grid Square Count

1987-2007	Ever
Monads: 1238	1303
Tetrads: 590	604
Hectads: 42	42

Conservation Status

Account last edited
Sep 18 2003

Explanation of terms

Species Details

Silver Birch is a native tree of heaths and woods particularly on light dry acid soils. Its light abundant seeds mean that it is also a rapid coloniser of any open ground free of grazing. This can make it a problem for the conservation of heaths but conversely heavy grazing can prevent its regeneration even in woods (Piggot 1983). It is often planted in amenity schemes and around buildings such that it seems architects can conceive of no other tree. It is very common and locally abundant throughout our area except for the White Peak where it is only occasional. It often crops up in local place names such as at Birchen Edge, and in the early 1800s it was grown at Ashover for producing birch wine (Farey 1815).