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Different birch trees


11 Common Species of Birch Trees

Identified by their unique bark, birch trees look lovely in the landscape.

By

Vanessa Richins Myers

Vanessa Richins Myers

Vanessa Richins Myers is a seasoned horticulturist, writer, and educator with over 10 years of training and experience as a professional horticulturist and gardener. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture, with an emphasis in landscape design and urban horticulture. She volunteers as a community garden specialist.

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Updated on 07/29/22

Reviewed by

Andrew Hughes

Reviewed by Andrew Hughes

Andrew Hughes is a certified arborist and member of the International Society of Arborists specializing in tree heal care. He founded and runs Urban Loggers, LLC, a company offering residential tree services in the Midwest and Connecticut.

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The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Birch trees belong to the genus Betula and are classified as part of the Betulaceae family of plants. They are typically small to medium-sized trees and shrubs found in temperate zones across the Northern Hemisphere. Some varieties grow in shrubby clusters. Others are trees that clump with multiple trunks, and still more grow as classic single-trunk trees. Ask anyone what's special about a birch tree and its beautiful bark immediately comes to mind. Birches are a common choice in landscaping, but they are relatively short-lived trees when compared to other hardwoods, and many become damaged by insects and diseases.

Tip

Most birches are characterized by varicolored or white bark with papery plates, distinctive horizontal markings, and peeling layers; the appearance of the bark often is the feature that gives the species its common name.

Click Play to Learn About Common Species of Birch Trees

Most birch trees grow best in moist soil and they love full sun. However, the roots might head for your plumbing pipes if a large tree is planted too close to your house. Do not let this deter you though; these are magnificent trees that are not hard to grow and should be a choice for your landscape. Birches are fast-growing trees that can quickly provide benefits to your yard.

Insect pests are most likely to strike a birch tree in areas where it is wounded or diseased. 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.

Here are 11 common types of birch trees to consider for your landscape and areas where they are typically grown in the United States and around the world.

The various species of birch trees in the Betula genus include at least these 11 that are important landscape trees. Birch trees offer interesting bark color and texture and attractive foliage, but they are relatively short-lived and they are prone to suffer from diseases and insects, especially the bronze birch borer. But birches still make excellent, fast-growing landscape specimens, provided you have realistic expectations.

6 Types of Birch Trees with Gorgeous Fall Foliage

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Bog Birch. The Morton Arboretum.

  2. The Bronze Birch Borer and Its Management. University of Minnesota Extension Service.

10 Varieties Of Birch Trees

Slender and graceful, birch trees are admired by many gardeners. The birch offers enchantment in all seasons. In spring, its bright green leaflets open together with dangling clusters of catkins. In summer they offer the chiaroscuro of dappled shade, followed by brilliant foliage colors in fall. Their lovely bark is exposed in winter. 

If you think of birch trees as having papery white bark and green leaves, you aren’t wrong. Many varieties of birch trees share these features. But did you know that there are dozens of varieties of birch, even without counting birch tree cultivars, and that some have a very different appearance? 

If you are wondering about the different varieties of birch trees, read on. Here’s a round-up of our favorite varieties of birch. We have included some weeping birch varieties and some small birch varieties for more compact gardens. 

1. European birch (Betula pendula) 

This is a classic and extremely popular birch, one of the weeping birch varieties. It grows to between 30 and 60 feet (10 and 20 m.) tall and wide. The trunk has lovely white bark with black fissures, and the branches are drooping. The leaves of this birch are green in summer, canary yellow in fall. It prefers a full sun location and well-draining moist soil.

2. Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)

With white peeling papery bark and green leaves, the paper birch looks a lot like the European birch except that its branching structure is upright. It’s a rock-star tree, growing fast and dying young, but very helpful for wildlife, attracting many wild birds and hosting the larvae of Luna moths. Plant in sun and keep the soil moist.

3. River birch (Betula nigra)

River birch trees have attractive trunks in shades of red from cinnamon to salmon. The bark peels and curls. The foliage is glossy green during summer, then blazes yellow in autumn. This is a birch that tolerates heat, part shade, and some drought, unlike many of its family members. 

4. Black birch (Betula lenta) 

How about a birch with dark brown bark? The black birch’s bark resembles the bark of a cherry tree but happens to be extremely fragrant with a wintergreen scent. The tree’s green leaves turn golden in fall. It is not one of the small birch varieties and can grow to 90 feet (30 m.) tall.

5. Gray birch (Betula populifolia) resembles the paper birch. However, this species normally grows with multiple trunks and its bark is whitish-gray and doesn’t peel. It will grow in dry and sandy soils, though it, like most birch, prefers moist soil.

6. Yellow or golden birch (Betula alleghaniensis)

If you like birch with peeling bark, consider the yellow birch. Its handsome copper-colored bark peels off in sheets, and it also offers a yellow autumn display. No dry or sandy soils for this native, and no hot sites either. Yellow birch is a tall deciduous tree, its single trunk rising to 80 feet (27 m.) tall, making it one of the largest birches in North America.

7. Japanese White Birch (Betula platyphylla ‘Japonica’) 

Native to Korea and Japan, this species is one of the weeping birch varieties. It is a medium tall tree, growing to 50 feet (17 m. ) tall, in USDA zones 3 to 8. It has white bark and thin spreading branches with drooping branchlets. It can thrive in moist, well-drained loam in full sun. 

8. Water birch (Betula occidentalis or Betula fontinalis) 

This attractive birch is among the small birch varieties, as it only grows to 25 feet (8 m.) as a shrub and 40 feet (12.5 m.) as a tree. In the wild, water birch trees grow next to streams in mountainous regions in zones 3 through 7. The attractive bark is dark mahogany and smooth, not peeling. Beavers use this tree for food and lodge material. 

9. Dwarf Birch (Betula nana) 

Another of the small birch varieties, dwarf birch is a native of cool tundra landscapes in USDA zones 1 through 8, including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and northern Asia. It truly is a dwarf species, topping out at 3 feet (.9 m.) tall. Like most birch, it prefers wet but well-drained soil and full sun. 

10. Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii) 

It’s a winning combination for Himalayan birch: lovely spring flowers, deep gold fall foliage, and bright white papery bark. This medium-sized tree –to 50 feet (17 m.) – grows into a pyramid shape from its single trunk. It thrives best in cooler climates like USDA zones 4 through 7 where the birch is a heartier and longer-lived tree. 

Types of birches. Unusual birch - the highlight of the landscape!

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Unusual varieties

Birches are different

In this article we will talk about new ornamental plants used in garden design - about dwarf ornamental forms of birch.

And we will be consulted by a specialist in the field of landscape design, nursery Alexander Semyanikhin.


- Alexander, because the birch in Russia is a national tree, in the middle zone of Russia there are whole birch forests . .. There are so many of them - aren't they "bored", so to speak, and they are used in garden design?
- Oh, birch as an ornamental plant has great potential in landscape design, it is very interesting to use it to create a variety of park compositions. However, I’ll make a reservation right away - we will talk about dwarf forms of birch, because ordinary birches have significant drawbacks that limit their use. Firstly, other plants do not grow well under a birch - after all, it has a superficial root system, which is very branched and dries up the earth. And the area of ​​​​the root system significantly exceeds the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe crown, if it is projected onto the ground. Well, the shadow, of course, gives a decent birch. You also need to consider that birch does not like heat, so it does not take root very well in the south of the country and requires abundant watering. In addition, there is a lot of debris from it, fallen leaves ... in general, this is not a very suitable tree for decorating your garden. For small gardens or compositions, it is better to use low dwarf birches, which will look great on the lawn.

- Very interesting. What kind of birches do you offer?

- Let's go and see. Here, look - these are Jung's birches. Do you see how their trunks are intricately curved, what an irregular picturesque decorative shape of the crowns, what thin, low hanging branches? Jung's birch is called the "queen crybaby" because it is the only one of all birches whose branches hang down to the ground.

Jung's birch is a dwarf standard tree, very picturesque, it grows up to 2-2.5 meters, and its crown reaches a diameter of 2-3 meters. The tree grows slowly - about 30 centimeters per year. The bark of the Young birch, as you can see, is smooth and very white, with only occasional black cracks. The crown of the tree is branched, and the branches are densely covered with resinous warts.

The leaves of the Jung's birch are smaller than those of a real birch, they bloom in early spring and become pointed, have a triangular shape and look like saw teeth at the edges. In spring, the leaves are light green, and in autumn they turn into an inimitable yellow color. Young birch blooms in April-May, before the leaves bloom, the flowers look like yellowish-brown catkins and are honey-bearing.

Young birch is frost-resistant and does not require shelter for the winter. Yes, and caring for it is very simple - in the first year after planting, it must be watered with preparations that stimulate root formation, and after that it is only necessary to fertilize a couple of times a year and remove dry branches when they appear. It will not be superfluous to mulch the near-stem circle with a small layer - about five centimeters - with the help of stones, decorative wood chips or simply mowed grass.

- Magnificent seedlings! And what are these silvery trees with large leaves?


The most beautiful birch variety

- Yeah, you are admiring the three-year-old saplings of the Long Trunk birch, which, in principle, is considered the most beautiful birch on planet Earth. Its bark is painted silvery-white only in the first years of life, and after the sixth year the trunk and all branches become completely snow-white, without a hint of warts and black spots. This beauty came to us from the Himalayas, and its bark is so white that to this day the priests of Shiva write sacred mantras on it, which bring blessing and protection.

The Long Trunk birch combines the features of the two most popular birches: the useful Dorenbos birch, which has a very white bark and very large matte leaves, and the Yungi drooping birch, which has a drooping crown. Ultimately, the Long Trunk birch has an absolutely snow-white bark, without warts, large textured leaves and a drooping crown.

The striking feature of this birch is its ability to reach any height you need and stop there. Does it seem incredible? The fact is that Long Trunk is growing like a slate. That is, its trunk lies on the ground. But if at a young age it is tied to a support, then the trunk will hold up, like an ordinary birch. Depending on how high you tie the trunk, this height will be the height of the birch. Because above the place of the garter, all the branches will fall down like weeping forms.

This ornamental plant becomes a special decoration for the garden in autumn, at which time its oval leaves turn bright yellow and contrast especially effectively with the snow-white trunk and branches. In landscape design, it is used both in group plantings and as a single tree. The Long Trunk birch looks amazing near small ponds, which are located in gardens or parks, near recreation areas or near terraces.

And in general - its snow-white bark and wonderful umbrella hanging crown make this small picturesque tree a real treasure for creating elegant garden compositions! And given that birch phytoncides are a natural stimulant of the respiratory system, and the fragrant substances of young leaves calm the nervous system, then I would legally force everyone to plant Long Trunk birch in my gardens! This, of course, is a joke, but in every joke there is only a fraction of a joke, this is a really amazing plant.

Issue price

- I just love these trees! There are really two queens: Jung's birch - the "queen of crybabies" and Long Trunk birch - the most beautiful birch on Earth! I think our readers will be interested in how much such beauties cost, and in what form are dwarf birch seedlings sold?

- Ornamental birch trees are usually sold in stores in their adult state, being grafted. We also have birches. But, in addition, we work with fairly serious companies from which we buy planting material, and therefore we have a special offer for people with low incomes who dream of making their garden beautiful.

These are the same Jung and Long Trunk birches, adult specimens of which cost up to $ 500 - but in “childhood” they cost only $ 10, although already with their own roots. Such seedlings are grown using the "in vitro" technology, and in order for this birch to acquire the decorative qualities for which it is valued, it just takes more time - 2-3 years.

- Alexander, thank you very much for the interesting and informative story. .

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Types of birches: varieties, photos and descriptions

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  1. Description
  2. Species
  3. Rare species
  4. What you need to know about wood
  5. Physical and mechanical characteristics of wood
  6. Conclusion

Birch is decorative and has useful qualities. There are over 120 varieties of it. 40 grows in Russia. The highest ones reach 45 m, the usual ones do not exceed 30 m.

Description

The main feature is the bark. As a rule, it is smooth to the touch, covered with a small layer of birch bark. As the tree grows, the cork fabric peels off. The color of the bark can be white, pink, yellowish, brownish.

The shape of the leaves also varies. Some species have round leaves, others are serrated.

The wood is frost-resistant, but the wood is not used for building. Birch is used in other areas: chemical, furniture industry.

Species

There are several types of birches (see photo) used in the national economy.

Hanging

At the age of 8, the tree reaches 30 m, the trunk changes from brown to white. Wood is considered one of the most dense and heavy.

The plant is also called warty birch: there is a lot of resin on the trunk. The young tree has straight branches, in old age they sag down. The shape of the leaves is diamond-shaped. The flowers are brown. The most suitable habitat for a tree is a mountainous or flat area. Life expectancy - up to 120 years.

The plant is used to make charcoal, plywood.

Dwarf

Resembles a branched shrub, grows in Canada, in the north of Russia.

Birch prefers mountainous or swampy terrain. The leaves are small, their upper part is darker than the lower. The bark is brown, the trunk is smooth, with a cork layer.

This downy birch is slow growing and hardy .

In the northern regions, the leaves are used as food for deer. The plant is well suited for landscape design.

Karelian

Grows in Karelia, Lithuania, northwestern regions of Russia. It is characterized by an unusual outgrowth on the trunk - kappa.

This is a subspecies of the drooping birch, includes three varieties:

Due to its peculiar pattern, wood is used in the manufacture of sculptures and dishes. Karelian birch is a symbol of the north of Russia.

Rare species

Rare species:

What you need to know about wood

Many types of birches are characterized by fast growth, excellent adaptation to the environment. Almost always, wood is easily processed and used in the household.

Applications :

Wood does not rot for a long time. You can find items made more than 500 years ago. Previously, trees were considered a symbol of well-being, people tried to plant a birch next to their houses.

Birch wood is used to make furniture. Items made from it are expensive, of high quality, but their release is limited.

Physical and mechanical properties of wood

Features: