The richness of Russia's flora is truly grandiose. Due to the widest geography, a variety of plant species grow in the vast expanses of the country. Among them, some of them are well known to us, we do not even suspect the existence of others.
Such different trees
It is best to study the flora of your native land with examples. Finding answers to a number of questions can be very exciting. For example, which tree is taller, a birch or an apple tree? Which wood is stronger, walnut or beech? How to determine the age of a tree? The answers to these and many other questions reveal the secrets of these silent and caring companions of mankind - trees.
If you learn to ask correctly, you can be surprised at many facts, hitherto unknown, about those familiar and close plants that we see every day. Rowan and ash, chestnut and poplar … Can a person answer without hesitation which tree is taller? A birch or an apple tree can also be an example for comparison - do you know which plant has a wider areolagrowth? It is from the last two representatives of the plant world that we propose to start getting closer to the nature of our native land.
Symbol of Russia
The white trunk, curly branches and lush foliage make the birch tree look like a bride, in folklore she was often given a central role. This tree is considered a symbol of Russia. In the natural plantations of our country, there are up to 70 of its species, and up to 140 are isolated in the world. The largest number of species is found in the eastern regions of Asia, as well as in North America. The birch reaches the extreme southern and northern boundaries of the growth of tree representatives of plants.
In the European part of our country, drooping birch with downy birch are widespread. Both species are straight-stemmed, have white or grayish-white bark and a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm. They are one of the main forest-forming species, grow in pure birch forests, or mixed with other coniferous and deciduous trees. In the latter, it is easy to see which tree is higher. A birch or an apple tree, and together with them oaks and other species similar in height, form the middle tier, cedars and perennial spruces - the upper one, shade-loving shrubs are located on the lower one. Despite the neighborhood of more "powerful" species, birches are the first of all trees to populate clearings and conflagrations.
Unpretentious beauty
Often in the forests of Russia you can find a forest apple tree. The northernmost edges of its habitat are the Karelian Isthmus, the Volgograd and Perm regions, large areas with natural plantationswild animals in the Voronezh and Kursk regions. Apple and birch are found not only in wild landscapes, both trees coexist beautifully and harmoniously with humans.
Domestic species of apple trees can be found in every backyard or garden. The genus of apple trees includes about 50 species. Most of them are wild. One forest tree in the middle lane can produce fruits with a total weight of over 50 kg. This is a rather unpretentious plant - it survives on various soils, tolerates frost well.
Age and height difference
When comparing which tree is taller, a birch or an apple tree, it is better to consider how these plants grow in the wild. It all depends on the area and type. Under favorable conditions, a birch can reach up to 30 meters in height, on average - 10-15. The forest apple tree is somewhat lower, rare specimens exceed 20 meters (this can be, for example, Sievers apple trees found in Kazakhstan and Central Asia). The average height of an apple tree is 7-12 meters.
As for age, everyone is probably interested to know who lives longer, a birch or an apple tree. Compared to known centenarians (and we know that oak can reach the age of 800 years, and sequoia and baobab - 3000 years), our studied species belong to the "average". The average age of a birch is 100-150 years, some representatives of stone birch live up to 500 years. Orchard apple trees live for about 80-100 years, the age limit for a game is 300.
Value for people
His undeniable benefit toBoth birch and apple tree have proved humanity, of course, there is a difference between them, but is it possible to measure it? Birch wood is used for veneer, parquet, household items, wooden parts in guns are made from it. Karelian birch is used for the production of expensive furniture. The wood of the apple tree is dense with a beautiful pattern, suitable for carpentry and turning, small crafts are often made from it. Calculating the future spreading of the crown, and also taking into account that it is higher, an apple tree or a birch, these trees are quite often planted as ornamental plants in parks and squares. And about the fruits of the apple tree and birch sap, you need to write a separate article. Their benefits in healing the body and saturating it with vitamins, resinous and tannins, essential oils, sugar, fiber and other elements are irrefutable.
These are our plant friends-neighbors. Clear, simple and so useful.
