A medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 20 m tall with a trunk up to 60 cm diameter. The bark is (unlike most birches) rough, dark blackish-brown, cracking into irregular scaly plates. The twigs, when scraped, have a strong scent of oil of wintergreen. The leaves are alternate, ovate, 5-10 cm long and 4-8 cm broad, with a finely serrated margin. The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins 3-6 cm long, the male catkins pendulous, the female catkins erect. The fruit, maturing in fall, is composed of numerous tiny winged seeds packed between the catkin bracts.

Anthelmintic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic and stimulant (bark); anti-inflammatory, analgesic and rubefacient (bark essential oil)

Plants For A Future
Herbal Descriptions - Black Birch - Betula lenta

Betulin, betulinic acid, methyl salicylate (bark)

A tea made from the bark is used in the treatment of fevers, stomach aches and lung ailments, it is said to be an excellent tonic in cases of dysentery and to be useful in the treatment of gravel and female obstructions. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, bladder infections, neuralgia, diarrhea and boils. A tea made from the twigs is used in the treatment of fevers. The leaves can be chewed or used in an infusion in the treatment of dysentery. The leaves are used in tea for urinary problems, and to expel intestinal worms.

James A Duke and Maryl Fulton. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs - 2nd Edition, P: 709, CRC Press July 2002.