Red birch bark - near inflamable!

[daved]

Vandals have broken a few branches off some red birch trees in our local park so I thought I would gather some of the bark for firelighting.

The bark was peeling off in strips, just like silver birch, but felt more like polythene than paper and was quite waxy. I tried to get it to catch with sparks from a firesteel but had no luck and found it quite difficult to rough up the surface with a knife. In the end, I resorted to a match to it and it still wouldn't go up!

Really surprised me - hot and dry day too.

Any one else had this?

 

[scanker]

Not sure of the tree exactly, but I noticed on Saturday in a park near me is a tree that I'd guess was red birch from the description.

The bark was peeling off like silver birch so, like you I thought I'd try it as tinder but just like you, coudn't get it to burn even with a match!

 

[daved]

Turns out that the tree was not a birch after all, it is a "birch bark cherry". Not a birch - just looks like one. Sadly, it doesn't seem to burn like one though.

 

[wolf]

see alot of these about, nice paper bark peeling away,useless tried making a container out of it ,,holes every where

 

[rich59]

Birch bark cherry

Not had a chance to try it.

Have had a chance to work with Paper Bark Maple

Fairly good for tinder. Ever tried making a small tube of paper, birch bark, or this guy and putting a piece of ignited char cloth in the end and blowing it to flame in 2 blows?