White Birch Catkins | Betula alba, Cut

What Are White Birch Catkins?

White birch catkins come from the white birch (Betula alba, a name used in herbal trade for the European silver birch, Betula pendula, and downy birch, Betula pubescens). Birches are slender, fast-growing trees with white, papery bark, and they are among the most familiar trees of northern and Eastern Europe.

Catkins are the birch tree’s flower clusters. In spring the long, drooping male catkins release clouds of pollen, while the smaller, upright female catkins ripen into cylindrical seed catkins in summer. These are collected, dried and cut.

Almost every part of the birch has a place in Northern and Eastern European tradition: the leaves for tea, the buds for infused oils, the sap as a spring drink and the bark for crafts. Birch catkins are a lesser-known part of this tradition, used in herbal preparations and in light, woody tree tea blends.

Dried birch catkins are also used by crafters in natural wreaths, botanical displays and potpourri, where their texture adds a natural woodland look in autumn and winter decorations.

Our white birch catkins contain only dried, cut Betula catkins with nothing added. They are sold by weight, from small packs to bulk.