The Birch

I love birch trees and am of Polish -Ukrainian heritage. I did some research on the Birch rune and other symbolic meanings:

Here is an interesting symbol-the birch tree

The Birkana Rune 

In most of the Germanic languages this rune has the meaning of "birch". However, the Anglo-Saxons translated it as "poplar".
Birkana is the Germanic name, its Anglo-Saxon name was Beorc, and its old Norse name Bjarkan (see also Derivations below). It is the Goddess rune. Its "B" shape suggests a pair of breasts, and it is the rune of birth, mothers and children. It has the qualities of secretiveness and protection, as does the tree. The rune is associated with the goddesses Bechta, who also looks after abandoned children and Frigga who is the mother figure. Birkana is not just the birch, but represents the whole world of plants and trees.

Birch means protection, exorcism, purification and new beginnings, also cleansing of past and for vision quests.

It is interesting to note that the birch is one of the few trees native to Iceland. It is also thought to be one of the first trees to have appeared in the north after the glaciers retreated. Some authorities say that the birch, rather than the ash is the Nordic world tree, Yggdrasil.

To the people of northern Europe, the birch was a sacred tree. In the Kalevala, a Finnish epic, the birch is designated as a holy tree of great use to mankind. The Germanic peoples dedicated it to their god of thunder, Thor.

BIRCH
Known as Lady of the Woods, Paper Birch and White Birch. Carefully gather strips of the bark at the New Moon. With red ink, write on a birch strip: "Bring me true love." Burn this along with a love incense, saying "Goddess of love, God of desire, Bring to me sweet passion's fire." The specific name of a god/goddess may be added. Or cast the bark into a stream or other flowing water, saying: "Message of love, I set you free, to capture a love and return to me." 

http://wicca.com/celtic/celtic/sactrees.htm