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Mountain Paper Birch (Betula cordifolia )

Also known as heartleaf birch, heart-leaved birch, heartleaf paper birch, heart-leaved paper birch.

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Mountain Paper Birch
Photo © Sarah Johnson, CC BY 4.0.

Summary

A tree similar in appearance to paper birch, but found farther north and at higher elevations.

Range - Expand

LegendColor
Native
Native or Not Present

This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.

Similar Plants

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Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
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Habitat

Moist, early-successional habitats at high elevations and on cold sites, including subalpine zones and forests on or surrounding mountain summits, margins of talus slopes. Found in both mixed coniferous-hardwood forests and as a minor component of predominately coniferous forests.

Similar to paper birch (Betula papyrifera) but prefers cooler sites, including higher elevations, more northerly sites, and cooler microclimates. Has some overlap with paper birch but mostly replaces it at higher elevations.

Until recently this was considered a subspecies or variety of paper birch (Betula papyrifera), i.e. older sources may reference it as Betula papyrifera Marshall var. cordifolia (Regel) Fernald.

Betula cordifolia (Mountain Paper Birch) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)

Betula cordifolia | Go Botany (About This Site)

Betula cordifolia | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)

Betula cordifolia | Flora of North America (About This Site)

Photo gallery

Photo © Reuven Martin, Public Domain.
Photo © Sarah Johnson, CC BY 4.0.
Photo © Charlie Hohn, CC BY 4.0.
Photo © Sarah Johnson, CC BY 4.0.
Photo © charlie, CC BY 4.0.