Common Name(s): Silver birch, Warty birch, East Asian White birch
Scientific Name: Betula pendula.
Family: Birch family (Betulaceae)
Species Description
Growth form: European white birch is a very showy tree that has droopy thin branches , they grow between 30-40 feet in areas that are medium to wet.
Leaves, twigs, and bark: Leaves of the European white birch are green, but they are deciduous and turn a yellow gold color in the fall. They have simple, but alternate leaves that tend to be about 1-3 inches long. There are also teeth present on the leaves. The European has a very unique color bark that is mostly smooth, but can be a little flaky with a white/ silver looking color .
Leaves of European white birch showing their venation and teeth. (https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/betula-pendula)
The unique bark of the European white birch on tree #773 (Photos by C. McCleese10/24/2019)
Flowers: European white birch trees flowers around March to April.
Fruits: The fruit of the European white birch will be ripe in between the months of August and September. they will appear to be small little nut lets ranging about 3 mm long and they will fall off and be spread by the wind.
Catkins on the European white birch #773. (Photo by C. McCleese 10/24/2019)
Native range and habitat: The European white birch has a wide range that extends from Siberia, China, Southwest Asia, all the way to the mountains in Turkey, and norther Iran. It was introduced into North America and is considered invasive in some states in the united states and Canada, but not all parts.
Distribution of the European white birch.(Virginia Botanical Associates. (2019))
Plant Family: Describe plant family characteristics and related species...
Ecologic Importance and Uses:
Edible and Medicinal Uses: The inner bark of the European white birch can be cooked and dried for a meal or it can also be used to thicken up soup and mixed into flour for making breads and biscuits. Their sap can be taken in the spring time, it has a sweet flavor making a drink. The inner bark can be used as an anti-inflammatory. The outer bark of the European white birch can be used as a laxative. Another thing you can use this tree for is, if you obtain the oil from the inner bark, it can be used to treat various of skin conditions such as eczema.
Wildlife: European white birch isn't a tree that the wildlife eat very much. Occasionally a moose or white- tailed deer will eat the leaves, but it's not their favorite food. Porcupines will chew on the bark and rabbits will eat the seedlings of the young saplings.
Gardens and Landscaping: European white birch is widely used in landscaping can grow well in medium to wet land, but can also grow well in dry soil areas and can be grown in zones 2-7. It have very elegant branches that just hang over. It grows best in soil that has good drainage.
Campus Specimens - European white birch
State and national champions?
At Radford University, The only European White Birch found at Radford University is located at the corner of Dalton, and facing Heth hall.
Tree #773
Trunk circumference: 16.8 inches
Tree height: 17.5 feet
Crown spread: 20.10 feet x 20.11 feet Average = 20.10 feet
Total points: 39.3
Notes: This European White Birch, is the only one on Radford's Campus
References
Elpel, T. J. (2018). Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification, Edition 6.1. Hops Press, Pony, MT.