Yellow birch(Betula alleghaniensis) is an emblematic tree of Quebec, with rapid growth and a life expectancy sometimes exceeding 200 years. Able to grow in low sunlight conditions. It has a rich bark, as if covered in gold, silver and copper leaf, which is enough to add lustre to any setting, with the added bonus of a pretty foliage sound.

The sap, which is pleasant to drink, can be reduced to a syrup with complex woody flavors, or fermented into an aperitif beer. Its leaves, with the surprisingly minty taste of wintergreen, can be enjoyed as a herbal tea or dried and ground into a powder to flavor all kinds of desserts.

Yellow birch’s ability to draw minerals and nutrients from deep in the soil and redistribute them to the surface when its leaves become a nutritious mulch makes it a cultural ally. Tolerates salt and short-lived flooding.