Birch
Latin name:
Betula verrucosa, B. alba
Description:
The white bark makes the tree easily recognizable and a commonly used ornamental tree. Birch is an element of the Boreal zones, and thus missing in the Mediterranean. Spontaneously it grows where it finds plenty of daylight. Birch does not like the darkness of the woods.
Start of the season:
Depending on the weather, the flowering season might start earliest mid of March, mostly in early April. However, due to lower temperature amounts flowering starts much later in the mountains and in the North of Europe.
Allergenicity:
The birch has a high allergenicity
Cross- reactions are common with all genera of the order Fagales, e.g. alder, hazel, hornbeam, hop-beam, beech, oak, and sweet chestnut. Very common are cross reactions with green (raw) apples.
