white birch tree identification

It may grow either as a single-trunk tree or a multi-trunk clumping tree. 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. This tree also attracts beautiful butterflies to the landscape, but is resistant to the bronze birch borer which can devastate other species of birch. It then develops dark grey/black ‘arrows and diamonds’ or horizontal streaks of grey in the case of downy birch. Birch trees, or Betula trees to use their Latin name, are favoured for their light, airy foliage and beautifully coloured peeling bark. Bog birch is a good choice for rain gardens. It is a showy tree in the woods with its white bark. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/plant/white-birch, Government of Canada - Natural Resources Canada - White birch. Paper birch is not a large tree in Iowa and is used primarily for ornamental plantings. However, the roots might head for your plumbing pipes if a large tree is planted too close to your house. Birch trees thrive in moist soil and full sunlight. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Updates? long (7 cm), with some golden-yellow fall color before they shed for the winter. Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is also known as white birch or canoe birch. The mushrooms are round but connect to the tree at a narrow point, and so they often appear horseshoe-shaped. Description These are small to medium-sized trees living up to 140 years. Birch species are generally small to medium-size trees or shrubs, mostly of temperate climates. Like several other members of the birch familly, this birch performs best in cooler climate; with warmer zones causing increased susceptibility to birch borer insects. It is found in almost all countries having a temperate climate. 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. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Whether you plant European white birch (Betula pendula) or paper birch (Betula papyrifera), your pruners will sit on the shelf most of the time. The cut-leaved, purple-leaved, and weeping birches are popular ornamental varieties of European white birch. This is the classic birch tree use by Native Americans to make many useful products from footware to their famous birch-bark canoes. In young trees the bark is reddish-brown, but this changes to white as they mature. The Japanese white birch (B. platyphylla japonica), an 18-metre tree native to eastern Asia, has broad leaves about 7 cm long; its hard, yellow-white wood is used for furniture and woodenware. This tree is a source of food and lodge material for the common North American beaver. Color of the bark is commonly white and reddish-brown. This tree has other common names, including white-barked Himalayan birch and Jacquemonti birch. Vanessa Richins Myers is a seasoned horticulturist, garden writer and educator with 10+ years of experience in the horticulture and gardening space. Other common names include swamp birch, glandular birch, dwarf birch, and resin birch. Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis var. japonica 'Whitespire', Betula 'Penci-2' - Royal Frost ™, Betula utilis var. It also is known as the canoe birch or white birch. 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. The cap grows to be between 2 inches and 8 inches in diameter, with a white, tan or gray-brown surface. European white birch is a fast-growing, graceful tree with creamy white bark that peels to … Yellow birch may be known regionally as swamp birch, curly birch, gold birch, or hard birch. Broadleaf trees have flowers that contain the reproductive organs, and … The leaves of a white birch are ovate, around 2 to 4 inches long and 1 or 2 inches in width. 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. It grows as single-trunk tree that gradually transforms from pyramidal in shape to a more rounded, oval crown. Others are trees that clump with multiple trunks. It has egg-shaped leaves, usually hairy below. It has a clear, straight trunk and thin, rounded crown. Most birches are water lovers, which can be great if you have soil that tends to be moist. Birch trees belong to the genus Betula and are classified as part of the Betulaceae family of plants. The Black Birch is botanically called Betula lenta . The Tree is a deciduous tree, it will be up to 25 m (82 ft) high. The white birch is a medium sized tree that can grow up to 25 meters tall. River birch may also be known as red birch, black birch, or water birch. Trees known as weeping birches generally are different naturally occurring or cultivated varieties of silver birch (Betula pendula), described above. Trees that have scaly bark are shagbark hickory, strawberry tree, maple and river birch. Corrections? Do not let this deter you though; these are magnificent trees and should definitely be considered for inclusion in your landscape. Water birch typically occurs along streams in mountainous regions, where it grows in dense thickets. Exact details such as growing zones and height will depend on the particular variety. • Gray Birch (Betula populifolia) - A small tree; only in extreme eastern Ontario. Paper birch is an easy tree to identify, with its white bark that tears in strips from the trunk. Flowering in April and May, the tree produces fruiting catkins from August through October and serves as a food source for deer, moose, rabbits and various birds. The trees are slender, with their trunks not normally exceeding a diameter of 40 cm. They now occupy most areas that were glaciated… Gray birch bark does not come off the tree without much difficulty. White birch trees are often used in landscaping because they will grow almost anywhere, as long as they get enough sunlight. White Birch. Dry conditions are unfavorable for the tree due to its shallow root system. Some varieties grow in shrubby clusters. Paper birch, (Betula papyrifera), ornamental, shade, and timber tree of the family...…. This is an important species to the North American lumber industry and a major woodland food source for birds and wildlife. Four birch tree species (Betula costata, B. pendula, B. platyphylla, B. pubescens) are traditionally important resource species in Russia. Inspect the bark of all the white birches. Cherry birch is a large tree that grows from a single main trunk. It has distinctive salmon-pink to reddish-brown bark that exfoliates to reveal lighter inner bark providing year round interest in the landscape. 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. Birch trees prefer to occupy habitats in cool, moist areas, including peatlands (moors, peatbogs), river banks, and lakeshores. Whilst Betula are mostly known for having white bark, we also offer newer varieties with blush, ginger, cream and red coloured bark. Birches are fast-growing trees that can quickly provide benefit to your yard. #4lead 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. 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. But birches still make excellent, fast-growing landscape specimens, provided you have realistic expectations. Thayne Tuason / Wikimedia Commons / CC By 4.0. This compendium is provided for reference and is not the only source of relevant information that may be considered when making decisions about tree species feasibility and suitability. 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. European white birch trees have a slender trunk of perhaps a foot in width and noticeably drooping branches throughout its canopy. The yellow birch has a bark to it that contains more of a sheen, giving it an elegant feel in a sense. Fraxinus americana, White Ash; Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Green Ash; Fraxinus nigra, Black Ash; Magnolia spp., Magnolias; Quercus alba, White Oak; Quercus macrocarpa, Bur Oak; Quercus nigra, Water Oak; Quercus rubra, Northern Red Oak; Pinus elliottii, Slash Pine; Pinus strobus, Eastern White Pine; Taxodium distichum, Bald Cypress; Ulmus americana, American Elm The dwarf birch is rarely planted in landscapes, but it is important cover vegetation in cold northern territories. Rainbow of colors Bradley D. Saum / Shutterstock Weeping white birch, or silver birch as it is also called, is the European birch, Betula pendula. Unlike other birch trees, its bark does not peel. Barbara Gillette is a Master Gardener, Herbalist, beekeeper, and journalist with decades of experience propagating and growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and ornamentals. The most abundant poplar, the eastern cottonwood, is more massive than any birch, as this cottonwood can grow to 100 feet and has a spreading canopy. One species of white birch, B. pubescens, is a tree about 18 m (60 feet) tall and is native to Eurasia. The tree derives its name from its nature of easily peeling off, or flaking like a parchment of paper. This birch species is very susceptible to the bronze birch borer and usually requires removal and/or replacement, especially in warmer zones. Although it prefers full sun, the Japanese White Birch thrives in northern and eastern exposures that receivs some afternoon shade. There are about 60 different species of birch. This is the best maple tree bark identification characteristic you can find out there. Betula papyrifera (paper birch, also known as (American) white birch and canoe birch) is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. It does not tolerate shade well. 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. Other common names: Canoe Birch, Paper Birch French names: Bouleau à papier Family: Birch Family (Betulaceae) Group: Birches Distinctive features: Tree Similar species: • European White Birch (Betula pendula) - Branches are "weeping" (hanging down. Dark green foliage turns a beautiful buttery yellow in the fall. River birch has good resistant to the bronze birch borer. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The usual lifespan of the birch is 40-50 years. White birch, any of several species of ornamental and timber trees of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae. This tree grows best in medium to wet, well-drained, sandy or rocky loam. Japanese White Birch. Many pine and spruce trees have scales of bark, while species like the black birch have thick, irregular plates on their trunks. Birch is deciduous tree that belongs to the family Betulaceae. 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. Birch is the name of a certain tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. 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. at breast height. The tree likes Sun to half-shade at the location and the soil should be undemanding. Birch Tree. Regionally, the cherry birch may be called by other common names, including black birch, sweet birch, mahogany birch, Virginia roundleaf birch, or spice birch. Name: Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), also known as Canoe Birch.. Yellow birch, named for the color of its bark, is a relatively long-lived birch which typically grows 150 years and may even grow up to 300 years in old-growth forests. The white bark of silver birch sheds in layers like tissue paper and becomes black and rugged at the base. It is a medium-sized tree with a single trunk that quickly branches out into a pyramid shape. It is a heartier and longer-lived tree in cooler climates. The name white birch also refers to paper birch. The leaves are ovoid and the flowers are yellow. River birch is an increasingly popular, fast-growing tree for the home landscape. White birch is a medium-sized tree, with most in the wild growing to heights between 50 and 70 feet. Insect pests are most likely to strike a birch tree in areas where it is wounded or diseased. Leaves: Alternate, Simple, Toothed It is one of the only truly heat-tolerant birches. Various White Birch Trees (Source Links at Bottom of Article) Русский: Игорь Шпиленок, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikipedia; Nicholas A. Tonelli Flickr, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr Birch trees have been specially bred for ornamental purposes for over a hundred years, resulting in an astounding number of birch … 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. Buds, catkins and leaves along with twigs and bark are a source of food for birds and other wildlife. Birch may also be known as white birch trees thrive in moist soil and full sunlight you can out... Its bark does not come off the tree derives its name from nature! Stories delivered right to your inbox, sandy or rocky loam and height depend! Birch includes pretty spring flowers, rich yellow fall color, with its white bark that tears strips... Grows to be moist often used in landscaping because they will grow almost anywhere, as as... Wet, well-drained, sandy or rocky loam has good resistant to the North beaver. 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