Betula pendula
European White Birch

Family:

Betulaceae (Birch Family) 28

Genus:

Betula (Birch) 12

Plant Type:

Tree 569

Growth Forms:

Upright 571

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 2 50

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 836

Flower Notes:

Brown (Greenish-brown catkins in the spring; not ornamentally important)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Lustrous medium to dark green summer foliage); Yellow (Poor yellow to greenish-yellow fall color)

Stem Notes:

Brown (young twigs are warty and brown), White (larger branches have a bright white bark)

Fruit Notes:

Brown (Small brown nutlets in the summer, shed in fall; not ornamentally important )

Ultimate Height:

30-40 feet

Ultimate Spread:

15-30 feet

Bloom Times:

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Prefers moist, well-drained soils; but is wet and dry soil tolerant, and somewhat pH tolerant

Range:

Europe and Asia Minor

Maintenance:

High 16

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Leaves are 2-4" long by 1.25-2.75" wide, alternate, ovate with a slender apex, and with double serrations. Glands are present on both leaf surfaces. Bark peels slightly and is brown when young, turning chalky white with black fissures in middle age, utimately becoming black late in maturity. Produces catkins at 1.5-3.5" in length.

Ecological Functions:

Pollen and/or Nectar Producer 289

Special Characteristics:

Wet Soil Tolerant 109

Additional Information

A graceful tree with beautiful white bark and pendulous branches, the European White Birch was once a common tree in many landscapes across the United States. However, the popularity of this species has decreased rapidly due to its extreme susceptibility to the birch borer. Despite its beautiful aesthetics, other birch species, such as Betula nigra (the River Birch), are recommended for use in the landscape instead.