Birch And Beech Tree Fungus Are Not The Same

Ken — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 15:21:52 +0000

Inonotus obliquus (courtesy tgcva.org)

Through the years I have followed trends in bushcraft and primitive living skills interest groups. Over a decade ago fire pistons were new on the scene and a tinder fungus, Inonotus obliquus (I.O.) a.k.a. “chaga”, was often used for creating an ember. This was an amazing material that I wanted to know more about. At the time I lived in California, but this material came from the Northern States and so I was unfamiliar with it. In my research it was noted that I.O. grew on birch trees and some beech trees. It has been described as the blackest growth seen in the woods. When I moved to North Carolina, I researched to see if I.O. could be found, and it apparently exists in the Western mountainous region. As I live in the foothills, this gave me hope of finding some one day.

Recently I was hiking along a river and spotted black clumps in a beech tree. I was very excited by this find and collected some samples. When I returned home I cut a slice and tried to catch a spark. I used a ferro rod for maximum heat and duration of sparks but the material wouldn’t catch the spark. I let it dry out for a few days but had the same results. After photographing the material I posted it on a Facebook group page where it was identified as Scorias Spongiosa (S.S.) a.k.a. “honey dew fungus”. It is a fungus that grows on aphid droppings and is restricted to one species of tree, American beech.

Scorias Spongiosa

By the comments of others I learned that I.O. grows on the TRUNK of birch trees and S.S. grows on the BRANCHES and LEAVES on the beech trees. I can see now how early reports of I.O. on beech trees was mistaken and wanted to share this experience with other readers so that they will be informed of the difference and avoid false hopes of finding I.O. on beech trees.

Birch Bark Tinder

Ken — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:35:46 +0000

Different tinders have their benefits. Most need to be completely dry to work. One great exception is birch bark. This is not the kind of tinder that catches a spark easily, like fluffy cattail duff or a dandelion seed ball, but more like kindling, it really burns well once lit by a flame. It is best used in conjunction with fluffy tinder when using spark-based fire lighting techniques. However, when you do have a flame source for starting a fire, birch bark works great. The oils within the bark sustain flames even when damp.

In my area, river birch is the indigenous variety that yields much tinder. When collecting birch bark, take the papery parts that have already separated from the trunk of the tree. This is dead material, and you don’t want to strip live material that is fastened to the trunk. You may notice that the paper-like bark has different layers. The outer-most layer is similar to flaky sun-burnt skin… so thin that you can almost read through it. Deeper layers tend to be thicker, and more difficult to separate.

For fun, you can dip a piece of bark into some water, then wipe it off with your hands or on your clothes. You can probably split off a layer or more from there. Hold the pieces vertically and place a lit match beneath the bottom edge. You’ll be surprised at the flames that develop. It will probably smoke a little too as the oils begin to burn. This ability to stay lit in a moist environment could be a life saver when in the snow country or in rainy conditions.

Give birch bark a try, and add it to your firecraft experience.

» Survivaltek » Tag » Birch

Birch And Beech Tree Fungus Are Not The Same

Birch Bark Tinder