Betula pendula grown for forest products such as lumber and pulp, as well as for aesthetic purposes and ecosystem services. It is sometimes used as a pioneer and nurse tree elsewhere. Silver birch wood is pale in colour with no distinct heartwood and is used in making furniture, plywood, veneers, parquet blocks, skis, kitchen utensils and in turnery. It makes a good firewood that produces a good heat when burnt but is quickly consumed by the flames. Slabs of bark are used for making roof shingles and strips are used for handicrafts such as wooden footwear and small containers. Historically, the bark
Alnus incana Alnus incana Alnus incana, the grey alder or speckled alder, is a species of alder with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is a small- to medium-sized tree tall with smooth grey bark even in old age, its life span being a maximum of 60 to 100 years. The leaves are matte green, ovoid, long and broad. The flowers are catkins, appearing early in spring before the leaves emerge, the male catkins pendulous and long, the female catkins long and one cm broad when mature in late autumn. The seeds are small, long, and