| Birch - Paper |
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| Very hardy native tree grows best in moist soils. Grows 50-60 ft. Available single stem or clump varieties. |
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| Birch (Paper) |
| Botanical (latin) name: | Betula papyrifera |
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| Zone | 2a |
| Height 60 ft (18m) | Spread 30ft (9m) |
| Summer leaf color - green | Fall leaf colour - Yellow |
| Seeds-narrow seed bodies | Bark - White exfoliating |
| Blossoms - Innocuous | Fragrance - None |
| Habit - Upright oval | Placement - full sun, moist or swampy |
| Why would you want this tree? | Excellent accent tree in front of spruce or pine |
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Description:
The Paper Birch is a highly variable tree depending on the number of stems that come from the root. A single stem will have a slender relatively crooked trunk that extends up to an open crown. Multiple stem or clump birches characteristically have 3 or 4 stems coming from a single point which forces the individual trunks in graceful curves away from the centre. Probably the most distinguishing feature of the Paper Birch is the chalk white bark peels into paper thin strips on mature trees. Birch sap is composed of approximately 1% sugar and makes a refreshing drink right from the tree or can be boiled into birch syrup (not as sweet as Maple syrup). The inner bark can also be boiled to make a soothing wintergreen-like tea. The Paper birch native range pretty well includes the whole of Canada, only excluding the frozen tundra and the southern prairies as potential habitats and therefore can grow in a wide range of soils and climates although it prefers moist sandy silt or loams in full sun conditions. Fascinating Foliage Facts: The Paper Birch is the provincial tree of Saskatchewan and the state tree of New Hampshire. Its white exfoliating bark was used extensively by the North American First Nations for the construction of canoes and baskets and boxes (wiigwassi-makak). It's caloric value of 21 million BTUs per cord and low ash content make it popular as firewood, while its sap is popular as a medicinal drink in Baltic countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. |
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| Price last updated on Jan 06, 2014 | Listing of Ornamental_Trees |
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