Paper birch

Family Betulaceae. Eastern and central regions of North America. Grows in all forest types, in bogs and along river valleys. Less demanding than В. pendula. Light-loving mesophyte, mesotherm, microtroph. In cultivation it is widely encountered in Europe, Asia and North America.

A large tree up to 30 m tall, with a broad dense crown. Trunk bark bright white, on young trees - pinkish, peels easily in leaf-like transverse strips. It received its name "paper" for the whiteness of the bark. Young shoots pubescent, later glabrous, dark brown, glossy. Leaves ovate, large (up to 10 cm long).

At 27 years height 10.7 m, trunk diameter 27.8 cm. Vegetative period from the second half of April to the beginning of October. Growth rate high. Flowers in late April. Fruits ripen in October. Winter hardiness complete. Germination of seeds high.

Frost-hardy, undemanding to soils, but more moisture-loving and shade-tolerant than the warty birch. Despite their great similarity, both birches differ from each other so much that they can be planted together in mixed groups. Of interest for park design in solitary, group and avenue plantings. In cultivation since 1750.

var. subcordata (Rydb.) Sarg. - Paper birch subcordate. Tree up to 7 m tall. Northern and central regions of North America. Grows mixed with other species. Light-loving mesophyte, mesotroph, microtherm. Rare in cultivation. In the GBS since 1953. 2 specimens (5 plants) grown from seeds obtained from Saint Petersburg and Lausanne. At 40 years height 17.4 m, trunk diameter 24 cm. Vegetative period from mid-April to late September–early October. Growth rate medium. Flowers from 5 years, in mid-May. Fruiting from 11 years, fruits ripen in mid-August. Winter hardiness complete. Cuttings root poorly.