Betula

FloraFinder uses cookies only for correct operation. More info. Okay

Betula L.

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fagales	Birch, she-oak, beech, walnut, bayberry, others
Family	Betulaceae	Birch family: birches, alders, hazels, hornbeams and hop-hornbeams
Genus	Betula	Birch

About plant names...

The Betula genus—birch trees—consists of about 30 species of mid-sized trees. (That's BET-u-la.) They are widespread throughout the northern hemisphere. Among the most common are several with unmistakable white, papery bark—"birch" means "white, bright; to shine." Birch bark has several other unusual properties. It has long, horizontal lenticels (essentially air vents). It is remarkably waterproof, persisting for long periods after the death of the tree, and favored for this reason (and for lightness) in the construction of canoes. This same waterproof property makes birch bark excellent kindling for a fire.

Identification: White birch and gray birch both share bright white bark, an unmistakable indicator. Several other birch trees have bark that tends to be shaggy, peeling easily. The table below compares some common species:

Birch (Betula) · 11/26/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 2 × 1½" (5.4 × 4 cm) Species not yet identified

Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) · 10/2/2010 · Hackers Trail, Cliff Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Pennsylvania
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

	*Betula alleghaniensis*	*Betula lenta*	*Betula nigra*
Common Name	yellow birch	black birch	river birch
Plant	Trees are 60-70' (18-21 m) tall, rarely reaching 100' (30 m). Tree shape is pyramidal in young trees, and usually uneven in mature trees.		Trees are up to 82' (25 m), rarely reaching 98' (30 m). They often have multiple trunks. Trees tend to be pyramid-shaped when they are young, becoming more irregular as they age.
Flowers	Yellow birches have both male and female flowers on the same tree. Male flowers are catkins near twig ends, 1" (2.5 cm) long and reddish green. Female flowers point upright. They are ⅝" (1.7 cm) long and reddish-green.		Male and female flowers appear on the same tree. Male catkins are up to 3" (7.6 cm) long in April; female flowers are inconspicuous.
Leaves	Leaves are alternate and unlobed, 2-4½" (6-12 cm) long and half as wide.		Leaves are dark green, alternate, unlobed. They are roughly diamond-shaped, with the top half of the diamond more pointed and with doubly serrated edges, while the bottom half is flatter and with smooth edges. Leaves turn yellow in the fall.
Stem	The yellowish-bronze bark, easily peeled as with other birches, is unique in appearence; the inner bark has a slight odor or wintergreen.		Bark is highly variable. As with other birches, it peels away spontaneously ("exfoliates"), making the trunk look ragged. It may be dark gray-brown and scaly, pinkish-brown, or white and papery.
Fruit	Fruits resemble small cones, ¾-1¼" (1.9-3.2 cm) × ¼-⅜" (6.3-9.5 mm).
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 3-8	USDA Zones: 4-9
Habitats			Floodplains, swamp or river boundaries.
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild

	*Betula papyrifera*	*Betula papyrifera cv. ‘Renaissance Reflection’*	*Betula populifolia*
Common Name	American white birch	paper birch	gray birch
Plant	The paper birch reaches about 60' (18 m) in height, rarely up to twice that. The trunk (sometimes multiply stemmed) is typically bright white, up to 12" (30 cm) in diameter, with a Trees tend to be pyramidal when young, becoming more irregular as they age.		Trees reach 33' (10 m) in height, often with multiple trunks, and are pyramid-shaped in form.
Flowers	Both male and female flowers occur on the same tree. Male flowers are catkins 2-4" (5-10 cm) long. Female flowers are also catkins, 1-1½" (2.5-3.8 cm) long.		Both male and female flowers are found on the same tree ("monoecious"). Male flowers are yellow-brown, 1-3" (2.5-7.6 cm) long, less than ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter, usually drooping; female flowers are green, about 1" (2.5 cm) long, ⅛" (4.8 mm) in diameter.
Leaves	Leaves are alternate, ovate, with pointed tips; dark green above, pale green below, yellow in the fall.		Roughly triangular (ovate to deltate or rhombic). They have irregular and sometimes doubled serrations.
Stem	Peeling, papery bark. (Compare with gray birch, which rarely peels.) However, young trees consist of a reddish bronze bark that does not peel, and sometimes, especially in western trees, this bark remains thoughout the tree's life.		Bark is dark reddish brown when young, white as the tree ages. While white birch bark is a brighter color, and tends to peel easily, gray birch bark is tighter, less likely to peel; and darker, more often interrupted by black markings that are often chevron-shaped.
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 3b-7b	USDA Zones: 3-6
Habitats			Swamp and pond margins; open woods; dry sandy or poor quality soils
Type	Wild	Cultivar	Wild