looks like a birch?

[Hillbilly]

SB-black birch, sweet birch, cherry birch, all the same tree (Betula lenta). I think most wintergreen is made synthetically now, but at one time there were distilleries here in the western NC mountains that processed wintergreen oil extracted from birch trees. there was a cottage industry here collecting the stuff. Methyl salicylate, or oil of wintergreen, is also found in the wintergreen plant (Gaultheria), and was also extracted from it. Birch beer was also a traditional thing here-people tapped the sweet birches just like you would a sugar maple and collected the sap to ferment.

[stickbender]

     Thanks Hillbilly.  Now I don't feel so too pretty dumb.  Thanks for the edjumacation, on the winter green, also.


                                                                                   Wayne

[Hillbilly]

SB, I ain't actually that smart, just happened to be reading a book the other day that was talking about wintergreen distilleries here in the mountains.

[stickbender]

     It still counts.  No one else spoke up.  I know about the birch beer.  My buddy used to make it.

                                                                Wayne

[Hillbilly]

How is it? I've never tried any, always wanted to. I remember hearing my Grandpa talk about making it back in the day.

[stickbender]

     Well what I had and he called Birch beer, he said it was made with birch, but I think it had some Sassafras too.  Tasted like root beer with a kick. In fact it was pretty good.  I don't recall any Winter Green flavor.  Just pretty much like Root Beer, but it had a little extra alcoholic kick.  Not real high, but you could tell it wasn't store bought.  Sort of like near beer.  not a high content.  He was always brewing something or another.  Of course I was always willing to test it.  He made a pretty good wine also. 

                                                                                           Wayne

[redwasp]

so if i chew on the bark will it make my breath smell better. lol, or mabey give me the runs.

[cowboy]

Wow, I live a long way from the NE and at first glance would have sworn cherry. I need to work on my tree ID next time I get out that way, hmm...

[Hillbilly]

Paul, that's one reason another common name for it is  "cherry birch" The bark on young trees looks a lot like cherry bark.

[cowboy]

That explains it. All the birch I saw - and cherry looked totally different from each other. Thiers whole different critters out there .

[Pat B]

Redwasp, You can use a twig for a tooth brush. Chew one end until it bristles and use it like a tooth brush...and it has a nice minty taste.