Famous birch tree in the family. The bark of the tree is smooth, milky white, tall birch tree can reach up to 20 m. Leaflets are thin, light green, triangular, pointed and fragrant. Young branches and leaves are warty, resinous. Flowers of the birch, without cover, at the end of the branches the flowers are collected in elongated earrings. Birch Blooms in spring (April-May), during the blooming foliage. Birch grows primarily in the forest-steppe and steppe zone, the taiga, as well as broadleaf and mixed forests. Distributed by the tree in some parts of Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, as well as Western and Eastern Siberia.

Harvesting.
Used for medicinal purposes – the young leaves, birch buds, as well as birch sap.
The kidneys need to collect the early spring, when they are just swell (not waiting for them to blossom). Twigs with buds are cut off, tie a small broom and dried. After they dry out to break off the branches and buds to cleanse them of unnecessary waste (including from the earrings).
The leaves are harvested during the flowering period (spring), at which time they are fragrant and sticky (adhesive).
Also in early spring by making incisions on the trunks, collect juice.
Dried raw material in the shade outdoors or in well-ventilated space, spreading its thin layer. If some of the kidney had to open, then harvest them does not make sense, since the openings they lose the healing properties.

Common names.
Birch popularly called silver birch, downy and silver birch.

Chemical composition.
Buds and leaves of the tree contain – binders, Betula, essential oils, and grape sugar and gum.

Useful properties.
In the form of tinctures and decoctions of various birch is used for dropsy, as a choleretic and diuretic, edema of cardiovascular origin, birch leaves is used in vitamin deficiency. In the form of lotions (outside) used the infusion of birch – for burns, skin diseases (especially with purulent discharge), and bedsores, as well as duty to the healing of wounds. Infused kidneys used in chronic eczema. Birch sap is good for furunculosis (inside), also taking the juice as a tonic (very useful for small children). Tincture of buds on the alcohol used in atherosclerosis, indigestion, as well as swelling and cholera. In rheumatoid arthritis, albuminuria and mochekislom diathesis.

Contraindications.
In the application of medicines from birch (especially using birch buds) should be extremely careful, because the resinous substances that make up the tree irritate the renal parenchyma.