Fire can grow on treesback

 

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This observation made life a lot easier for people until well into the modern age. Poplars have always been a striking feature of the Rhine's wetlands. They grow fast and straight, reaching a height of up to forty metres. Their soft wood is useful for making clogs and carved troughs and they are also good for marking boundaries. By tree standards, their lives are rather short. That is why you will see some withered poplars in the nature reserve, too. But a closer look reveals that they are not quite as dead as they seem. Dead wood is an Eldorado for many species. Woodpeckers hammer out their homes here, insects colonize the decomposing wood, and fungi make conspicuous growths. Have you spotted the odd protuberances resembling a horse's hoof? These are a type of tree fungus. For a dead tree is a treasure trove not only for plants and animals, but also for us humans – or at least it used to be. These fungi are known as Fomes fomentarius, commonly tinder fungus, and for thousands of years have enabled people to make fire in a controlled way. "It burns like tinder" is something you may have said on occasion, too, but have you ever seen the tinder fungus that gave rise to the saying? With the correct treatment, the soft fungus will catch and feed even the tiniest spark. Some gentle blowing and a little straw kindle a small flame; with careful encouragement this may produce a blazing hearthfire, which until well into the nineteenth century was the only source of heat in most houses. Until matches were invented, flint and firesteel were to be found in every household. But to profit from the short-lived sparks they struck, people needed a tinderbox. Unless they wanted to rub two sticks together, like boy scouts. But this is a lot more work and takes a lot longer than making fire with the help of the 100% organic tinder fungus!

Photo: Joschka Meiburgback