Paper birch, (Betula papyrifera), ornamental, shade, and timber tree of the family...…. The bark is usually bright in colour, from red on very young stems to becoming white/silver with age. long (7 cm), with some golden-yellow fall color before they shed for the winter. This is the best maple tree bark identification characteristic you can find out there. On a white birch, the male catkins often grow in threes and are up to 4 inches long, with the female catkins half as long. Description These are small to medium-sized trees living up to 140 years. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Gray birch bark does not come off the tree without much difficulty. And many are susceptible to damage from insects and diseases. The soft, yellowish- or reddish-white wood is commercially important in construction and in the manufacture of vehicles, furniture, and small articles such as spoons and snowshoes. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. As this blog makes clear, it is very pest prone, and since gardeners mostly stopped using strong insecticides, it is very difficult to keep a tree alive for more than a few years. A main requirement is consistently moist soil. The cap grows to be between 2 inches and 8 inches in diameter, with a white, tan or gray-brown surface. They now occupy most areas that were glaciated… White birch is a medium-sized tree, with most in the wild growing to heights between 50 and 70 feet. Some varieties grow in shrubby clusters. Paper birch is named for the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper like layers from the trunk. Insect pests are most likely to strike a birch tree in areas where it is wounded or diseased. The European white birch (B. pendula, sometimes erroneously called B. alba), also known as silver birch or common birch, has slender, drooping branches and small, sharp-pointed leaves about 6 cm (2 inches) long. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/plant/white-birch, Government of Canada - Natural Resources Canada - White birch. The ornamental interest of Himalayan birch includes pretty spring flowers, rich yellow fall color, and bright white papery bark. Birch trees thrive in moist soil and full sunlight. In young trees the bark is reddish-brown, but this changes to white as they mature. Name: Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), also known as Canoe Birch.. The leaves are ovoid and the flowers are yellow. Barbara Gillette is a Master Gardener, Herbalist, beekeeper, and journalist with decades of experience propagating and growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and ornamentals. The beautiful bark and leaves make birches a common choice in landscaping, but they are relatively short-lived trees when compared to other hardwoods. Shiny, red-brown bark and yellow foliage make this an attractive tree for lawns and naturalized areas. It is found in almost all countries having a temperate climate. The Paper Bark birch demonstrates some resistance to the bronze birch borer.Â. Birch species are generally small to medium-size trees or shrubs, mostly of temperate climates. • Gray Birch (Betula populifolia) - A small tree; only in extreme eastern Ontario. It also is known as the canoe birch or white birch. Also coming in a more trim trunk is the Japanese White Birch. Vanessa Richins Myers is a seasoned horticulturist, garden writer and educator with 10+ years of experience in the horticulture and gardening space. Color of the bark is commonly white and reddish-brown. It has egg-shaped leaves, usually hairy below. Birch species are normally small to medium-size trees or shrubs, mostly of temperate climates and boreal zones of the northern hemisphere. This is the classic birch tree use by Native Americans to make many useful products from footware to their famous birch-bark canoes. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. The white bark is most prominent on silver birch, where it is interspersed with conspicuous black patches. It may grow either as a single-trunk tree or a multi-trunk clumping tree. Featuring an elegant, pyramidal habit, it bears ovate, toothed, lime-green leaves, 3 in. Common Names: Canoe Birch, Silver Birch, Paper Birch Genus: Betula Species: papyrifera Parts Used: leaves, sap, lumber, The White Birch is a small to medium sized deciduous tree which grows to 70 or 80 feet in height. The bark is dark red-brown to blackish, and smooth. The simple leaves may be toothed or pointed. Other common names include swamp birch, glandular birch, dwarf birch, and resin birch. The white bark of silver birch sheds in layers like tissue paper and becomes black and rugged at the base. It has a clear, straight trunk and thin, rounded crown. Here are 11 common types of birch trees for your landscape. Birch trees belong to the genus Betula and are classified as part of the Betulaceae family of plants. Compendium Index From BC Tree Atlas The Distribution and Synopsis of Ecological and Silvical Characteristics of Tree Species of British Columbia (2000) which was used as the basis for the tree species compendia. However, the roots might head for your plumbing pipes if a large tree is planted too close to your house. jacquemontii), Japanese White Birch (Betula platyphylla 'Japanica'), Silver Birch (Betula pendula or B. verrucosa), Water Birch (Betula occidentalis or Betula fontinalis), 10 Species of Linden Trees for Your Landscape, 40 Species of Pines From Around the World, 12 Trees With Brilliant Fall Color Plus Other Advantages, 12 Common Species of Willow Trees and Shrubs, 9 Recommended Species of Serviceberry Trees and Shrubs. It grows as single-trunk tree that gradually transforms from pyramidal in shape to a more rounded, oval crown. Trees known as weeping birches generally are different naturally occurring or cultivated varieties of silver birch (Betula pendula), described above. japonica 'Whitespire', Betula 'Penci-2' - Royal Frost ™, Betula utilis var. Birch trees offer interesting bark color and texture and attractive foliage, but they are relatively short-lived and they may suffer from a susceptibility to diseases and insects, especially the bronze birch borer. Also known as Weeping birch or European white birch, the sliver birch was once used extensively in landscapes, but its high susceptibility to the bronze birch borer has limited its use in more recent years. Water birch typically occurs along streams in mountainous regions, where it grows in dense thickets. It is a showy tree in the woods with its white bark. It has egg-shaped leaves, usually hairy below. Betula platyphylla, commonly called Japanese white birch, is a medium to large sized tree noted for its white bark, thin spreading branches and slightly pendant branchlets. The Silver birch has an attractive pendulous habit and distinctive white bark that peels away in papery strips. 3. It can grow either as a single-trunk tree or in small clumps with multiple trunks. Scopri quale personaggio del cinema rappresenta la tua vera natura di fundraiser. Paper birch is an easy tree to identify, with its white bark that tears in strips from the trunk. By keeping your trees well pruned and free of damaged branches, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of infestation by bronze birch borer or other insects. European white birch is a fast-growing, graceful tree with creamy white bark that peels to … This tree grows best in medium to wet, well-drained, sandy or rocky loam. Most birches are water lovers, which can be great if you have soil that tends to be moist. Birch is deciduous tree that belongs to the family Betulaceae. Furrowed : This bark is the most common type of bark out there, and this is what most people think of when you talk about tree bark. This tree grows best in medium to wet, well-drained, sandy or rocky loam. Other names for this tree include bog birch and arctic birch. Do not let this deter you though; these are magnificent trees and should definitely be considered for inclusion in your landscape. White birch trees are often used in landscaping because they will grow almost anywhere, as long as they get enough sunlight. River birch may also be known as red birch, black birch, or water birch. Consequently older trees have a much darker trunk and bark. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Many pine and spruce trees have scales of bark, while species like the black birch have thick, irregular plates on their trunks. It is found principally in the northeast part of Iowa, extending southwestward to Eldora. Paper birch is so-named due to the thin white bark which often peels in paper-like layers from the trunk. Birches are fast-growing trees that can quickly provide benefit to your yard. Bog birch is a good choice for rain gardens. River birch is an increasingly popular, fast-growing tree for the home landscape. The tree likes Sun to half-shade at the location and the soil should be undemanding. Regionally, the cherry birch may be called by other common names, including black birch, sweet birch, mahogany birch, Virginia roundleaf birch, or spice birch. The white birch is a medium sized tree that can grow up to 25 meters tall. The soft, yellowish- or reddish-white wood is commercially important in construction and in the manufacture of vehicles, furniture, and small articles such as spoons and snowshoes. The trunk is typically about 1 to 2 feet wide. Leaves: Alternate, Simple, Toothed It may grow to a height of 15 m on light soils. And others grow as classic single-trunk trees. It will grow in a variety of conditions, though it favors wet but well-drained sites with a rocky, nutrient-poor, acidic soil. European white birch trees have a slender trunk of perhaps a foot in width and noticeably drooping branches throughout its canopy. Weeping white birch, or silver birch as it is also called, is the European birch, Betula pendula. Trees that have scaly bark are shagbark hickory, strawberry tree, maple and river birch. This is an important species to the North American lumber industry and a major woodland food source for birds and wildlife. The leaves of a white birch are ovate, around 2 to 4 inches long and 1 or 2 inches in width. Includes Betula nigra 'BNMTF' Dura Heat™, Betula nigra 'Cully' Heritage™, Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch, Betula pendula 'Dalecarlica' - Cut-leaf Birch, Betula pendula 'Fastigiata', Betula pendula - Silver Birch, Betula platyphylla 'Fargo' Dakota Pinnacle™, Betula platyphylla var. #4lead The Black Birch is botanically called Betula lenta . The mushrooms are round but connect to the tree at a narrow point, and so they often appear horseshoe-shaped. Others are trees that clump with multiple trunks. Broken twigs emit a spicy wintergreen fragrance and fermented sap is an ingredient in birch beer. Birch bark turns lighter and peels off in sheets as the tree matures; aspen bark may become rough in older trees but does not peel off. This tree is a source of food and lodge material for the common North American beaver. White Birch. Corrections? Omissions? The bark of most poplars is dark colored, hard, fissured or furrowed on the mature specimens. But birches still make excellent, fast-growing landscape specimens, provided you have realistic expectations. Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is also known as white birch or canoe birch. This species, also known as Asian white birch, is a medium to large tree with white bark and thin spreading branches that terminate in drooping branchlets. Paper birch (Betula papyrifera), also known by the common names of white birch and canoe birch, and trembling or quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) are popular landscaping trees across the United States.Both have white bark. It is one of the only truly heat-tolerant birches. The various species of birch trees in the Betula genus include at least 12 that are important landscape trees. This tree has other common names, including white-barked Himalayan birch and Jacquemonti birch. Most birches are characterized by distinctive bark with papery plates; the appearance of the bark often is the feature that gives the species its common names. Exact details such as growing zones and height will depend on the particular variety. Primarily native to Alaska, Canada, and northern U.S. states, this tree has lovely white bark and yellow fall color. In dense thickets bountiful ) garden ever glaciated… the trees are slender, its. 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