Grotniki, near Łódź

Native to central Europe and western Asia. Edible plant - the sap contains sugar and can be used as a drink or be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water; leaves can be wrapped round food such as buns when baking them and they impart a sweet flavour. Herbal plant - the bark has mild astringent properties and has been used to make a wash for skin problems and an eyewash for sore eyes; the inner bark of the tree, containing the sweet sap, can be used as a dressing for wounds. Useful plant - the heartwood is white and not clearly demarcated from the sapwood; the wood is very hard, heavy, elastic, easy to work, fairly resistant to insects.