Betula grossa

Flower name
Betula grossa
Scientific name
Betula grossa
Alias梓, 水芽, ヨグソミネバリ, アズサ, mizume
Place of originJapan
Place of floweringLow mountains
Flowering seasonApril, May

What is Betula grossa

Betula grossa ,mizume or Japanese Cherry Birch(scientific name: Betula grossa ) is a deciduous tree native to Japan in the birch family, Betulaceae. It grows naturally in moist thickets in mountainous and hilly areas from Iwate Prefecture in Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu. The tree is 20-25 m tall, with an upright trunk and conical shape with thick branches and leaves. The bark has grayish-red to dark-gray horizontal stripes that curl and peel like thin paper, similar to the bark of the cherry tree. The new shoots are fragrant.
Male flowers in long yellowish-brown caudate inflorescences bloom in early spring.
The wood is heavy and tough, so it is used for building and equipment materials. When a branch is broken, it smells of methyl salutylate. Methyl salutylate is the main ingredient of muscle anti-inflammatory material. The genus name "Betula" is from the Latin word "betu (birch)," and the species name "grossa" is from the Latin word "big. In the Manyo period (710-794), it was used for azusa bows, hence the Manyo name azusa.

Common name: Betula grossa, Scientific name: Betula grossa, Place of origin: Japan, Habitat: Northern Japan, Distribution: Japan, Species: Betula grossa, Species name: Betula (Betula), Japanese Cherry Birch, Japanese Cherry Birch, Betula, Habitat Distribution: Grows wild in thickets in mountains and hills in northern Honshu-Shikoku and Kyushu, Lifestyle: Deciduous, Tree height: 20-25 m, Stem: Conical with branches and leaves on an upright trunk, Bark color: Grayish red to dark gray, Bark texture: Thin, Bark pattern: Lateral stripes curl and peel like thin paper, Leaf color: Dark green to golden (autumn), Leaf Height: 5-10 cm, leaf shape: ovate to elliptic, inflorescence: bunched or alternate, leaf margin: heavily serrate with pointed tips, dioecious, flowering season: April-May, male inflorescence: drooping in a caudate inflorescence (catkin), inflorescence length: 5-7 cm, female inflorescence: cylindrical and upward, fruiting season: October, fruit shape: oblong-oval, seed shape: winged, uses : arch, wood.