Trees
Birch Basics
By
Mar 23, 2005 - 6:49:00 PM

The birch is a native of Europe and North America and comes in many different varieties, each with unique properties. For the purposes of this article, we’ll refer mostly to the Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) which is native to North America. We’ll also talk about some interesting features of other types of birches that are not native to this area, including the Himalayan Birch.

Birches are deciduous trees and have a thin papery bark that varies in color from tan to bright white. The bark tends to continuously peel off in sheets. The expansion of the trunk is what causes the bark to peel. A birch tree will have both male and female cones. The female cones will break apart in the fall, releasing hundreds of tiny seeds with wings.

While native to North America, the Paper Birch is found mostly throughout Canada, with its native range in the U.S. being only a small section of northeastern Oregon. However, it can be found planted in landscapes throughout the northern U.S. The Paper Birch grows best in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 6 and grows best in partial or full sun. The trunk has thin, white bark and dark horizontal lenticels and the tree in the fall has beautiful golden foliage. The tree is also known as the Canoe Birch because of the fact that Native Americans of the region used the bark for constructing their canoes.

For more information about the birch and its ancient uses by Native Americans, this site provided by the University of Massachusetts is a great resource. Connecticut River White Birch

With Birches in general, you’ll need to carefully select the kind of soil where you plant your tree. Pick a site that maintains a higher level of humidity and has well-drained soils. This variety of Birch will generally tolerate clays, loams, sandy and slightly alkaline soils. If your tree is not planted in an appropriate site, it is more likely to contract diseases.

Note that the European Birch (Betula pendula) is a beautiful specimen of birch with comparable bright yellow fall foliage, but has many more problems with pests and diseases than the Paper Birch and is considered a higher maintenance tree. It is especially susceptible to bronze birch borer, which can often be fatal.

There are lots of birch trees out there to explore. Among other varieties of birch is Betula jacquemontii, the Himalayan Whitebarked Birch. This tree is considered to have the whitest bark of all the birch varieties. Betula populifolia, the Grey Birch, is a native to North America and is a small tree reaching only 10 to 20 feet in height. The bark is quite different from other birches in that it starts of dark brown but eventually turns white. The bark will not peel as much as the white birches.





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