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European White Birch (Betula pendula Roth)

Also known as silver birch.

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European White Birch
Photo © Jesse Rorabaugh, Public Domain.

Summary

Native to Europe and Asia, with a wide distribution. Widely planted in North America as a landscaping plant, and established in the wild at numerous isolated sites in the colder regions of the continent, mostly northerly areas and at high elevations.

Range - Expand

LegendColor
Introduced
Introduced 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.

Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.

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Gray Birch (Betula populifolia)
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Uses

Planted as a landscaping plant in North America, but makes a poor choice in most areas. Short-lived due to stress when planted in areas warmer than its native habitat, and also susceptible to insect infestations in North America. In the north, has the potential to become invasive. Locally-native birches, of which there are many in most parts of the U.S., make a better choice of landscaping plants.

Silver Birch | The Wood Database (About This Site)

Betula pendula (European White Birch) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)

Betula pendula | Go Botany (About This Site)

Betula pendula (European White Birch) | Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder (About This Site)

European Weeping Birch | Virginia Tech Dendrology Factsheets (About This Site)

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

Betula pendula | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)

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

Betula pendula Roth (European White Birch) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)

Photo gallery

Photo © Jesse Rorabaugh, Public Domain.
Photo © Jesse Rorabaugh, Public Domain.
Photo © Andrey Korobkov, Public Domain.
Photo © mangoblatt, Public Domain.
Photo © Ben Armstrong, CC BY 4.0.
Photo © Svyatoslav Knyazev, CC BY 4.0.
Photo © Ben Armstrong, CC BY 4.0.