AT A GLANCE
What is the difference between maple and birch?
The trees maple and birch differ, also their wood. maple wood is light brown to reddish grey, has a regular structure, is used in interior design and for furniture production. Birch wood is brighter, not very stable, easy to work with and has a high calorific value.
What are the most striking visual differences?
Both tree species are deciduous, grow to a height of around 25 to 30 meters and flower from March. But the differences outweigh the differences.
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- Age: up to about 150 years
- Growth habit: upright, loose crown; partly overhanging branches
- leaves: 0.5 to 10 cm long depending on variety; oval to triangular; sawn
- fruit: brown-yellow, winged nuts
- Flowers: Catkins ca. 10 cm long and yellow; female flowers: 2-4 cm long and inconspicuous
- Bark: white with black markings
- Age: 200 to 500 years
- Growth form: depending on the variety, from a small shrub to a large tree
- leaf: 10-15 cm long; pointed five-pointed
- blossoms: inconspicuous; yellow-green
- fruit: winged split fruit
- bark: smooth; gray with pattern
How does the wood differ in appearance?
The birch is a sapwood tree that does not develop a color core. The wood can be light yellowish to reddish white or light brown with a slightly satiny sheen. The grain shows little pattern. Annual rings are clearly recognizable, reddish-brown pith spots can appear in between. Maple wood has fine pores and an even structure. It depends on the species light brown or reddish gray colored. Annual rings are recognizable, spots or stripes can appear in between. The wood of Norway maples is considered valuable hardwood.
What properties do the woods have?
Maple wood is easy to peel and is suitable for drilling, milling, turning and carving. They have good flexibility, the hardness varies depending on the species. Birch wood is solid and at the same time flexible. The wood is not very resilient and therefore has a low load-bearing capacity. Due to toughness and the low dead weight, however, it can be done edit well, peeling, carving, pickling etc. Both types of wood are odorless, hardly weatherproof and have low insect and fungus resistance.
How are maple and birch wood used?
maple wood will be a lot in interior design and used as construction timber. It becomes high-quality Furniture produces parquet floors and kitchen utensils. Because of its resilience, maple wood is also often used for stair construction. Since it is not weatherproof, it is rarely used outdoors. Out of Birch wood are mainly used in Germany locking plates and peeled veneers are produced. In other countries it is also found in furniture construction use. Birch is popular in this country firewood with high calorific value.
Tip
Tap into birch trees in spring and enjoy healthy birch water
If you have a birch tree with a thick trunk, you can drill a hole in it in the spring and catch the birch water that flows out. It tastes refreshing and is extremely healthy. But find out exactly how beforehand the tapping so that you do not damage the birch unnecessarily.
