Do you want to spruce up your yard with abundant sunlight and colorful plants blooming? What kinds of wood trees will be appropriate for this makeover? No doubt. These types of birch trees will be the most suitable candidates.
This article will cover the main species in the birchwood tree family, including birch tree identification and basic gardening knowledge for them. You can also learn how to differentiate one from another.
What Is A Birch Tree?
Definition
Birch (Scientific name: Betula) is an impermanent genus including 40 decorative and timber trees and shrubs in the Betulaceae family. This type of plant is found across the Northern Hemisphere’s chilly zones.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/plant/birch
Typical Features
Birchwood trees are fast-growing trees that tolerate a lot of sunlight. However, birches have a short lifespan, around 30 years.
Because of their relatively fragile multi-stem nature, a more significant number of birch species are prone to breaking under heavyweight.
Trimming birches should also be done with caution since they might bleed when the sap is running.
The crucial sap seeps out of the pruning cut and harms the tree’s general health. Therefore, only prune birches when they are dormant and not growing.
How To Recognize Birch Trees Easily?
People can distinguish birch tree species by their bark and leaf form. Birch trees are identified by their peeling bark, which can be gray, white, or yellow.
On the light-colored bark, you can see horizontal diamond-shaped raised markings. The birch tree leaves appear triangular with jagged edges.
Benefits In Ecology
Birches play an essential role in the environment. Birds and mammals benefit from the abundance of native birches. They are also members of the following species category of plants.
After an area of land has been removed, birch trees are commonly found the first to grow.
Birches have a significant impact on succession, which is a crucial ecological process. In places with scant floral life, these trees grow swiftly and pave the way for more long-term aboriginal species.
Different Types Of Birch Trees
Dwarf Birch Tree (Betula Nana)
General Living Requirements
- USDA hardiness zone: 1 – 8
- Average height: 6 inches – 8 feet (Maturity)
- Sun exposure: Partial to full
- Soil pH recommendation: Acidic to alkaline
- Soil moisture recommendation: Medium
Detail Information
The dwarf birch, different from other birches on the list, is not a tree. It is a little dwarf bush that grows wild in arctic and cool climates, particularly in the tundra area.
Dwarf birches come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Cesky Gold is one of the most common types.
Dwarf birch thrives in a wide range of environments. Yet, they prefer well-drained locations with rocky, nutrient-poor, and acidic soil. However, this plant does not perform well in the shade.
The dwarf birch is rarely seen in landscapes, although it is a crucial cover plant in colder terrains such as Alaska, Canada.
Although the leaves in the birch family share identical serration, dwarf birch leaves have a thicker, more rounded shape than other birches.
Dwarf’s leaves are digestible and medically beneficial. They contain a significant amount of Vitamin C.
Nonetheless, before eating any plant, even dwarf birch, take extreme caution. Incorrect identification of edible plants can be fatal to your health.
Bog Birch Tree (Betula Pumila )
General Living Requirements
- USDA hardiness zone: 2 – 9
- Average height: 5 – 10 (Maturity)
- Sun exposure: Full
- Soil pH recommendation: Slight acidic to neutral
- Soil moisture recommendation: Medium to high
Detail Information
Bog birch is a medium-sized shrub that is fond of direct sunlight. The North American region, such as the Pacific Northwest to New England, is home to this birchwood tree.
Bog birch grows best in damp soils, as its popular name suggests. Most of the time, you can see them in bogs, swamps, and other places with periodic flooding.
That said, keep this peculiarity in mind when choosing a spot to grow your bog birch.
Bog birch is an ideal choice for regions where stormwater racks up because of its liking for moist soil. Consider using bog birch as a native planting alternative in a home rain garden.
The leaves of the bog birch are bristly and rounded. Contrary to other birches, the bog’s green leaves will turn red in autumn instead of yellow.
In urban areas, bog birch thrives with variable outcomes. On the one hand, it can withstand road salt. But it does not do an excellent job of dealing with pollutants.
Silver Birch Tree (Betula Pendula or Betula verrucosa)
General Living Requirements
- USDA hardiness zone: 2 – 7 (able to plant in 8 – 9, yet the life span will decrease)
- Average height: Up to 66 feet (Maturity)
- Sun exposure: Full
- Soil pH recommendation: Neutral
- Soil moisture recommendation: Medium to high
Detail Information
As the name suggests, silver birch has smooth white bark. This bark resembles the well-known paper birch, but it rarely exfoliates.
This birchwood is endemic in both Asia and Europe. That is why it has other common names, such as European white birch or Weeping birch.
Silver birch, similar to several other members of the birch family, develops best in cooler weather. Meanwhile, warmer areas increase birch borer insect susceptibility.
This tree’s leaves are likewise comparable to those of other birches. Their shape, on the other hand, is more geometric. These light green triangular leaves appear as a sign of spring in European countries.
Silver birch, like certain other birches, should only be pruned while it is dormant. The tree might bleed out if the branches are chopped when the resin is running. This will seriously affect the tree’s health.
This tree is distinguished from other birches by its drooping appearance. Like the limbs of a weeping willow, the branches grow downward as they mature.
Silver birch used to be a favored residential tree due to this trait and its white bark. In the past few years, river birch and other local types seem to have eclipsed silver birch in popularity.
Water Birch Tree (Betula Nigra)
General Living Requirements
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 – 9
- Average height: 60 – 80 feet (Maturity)
- Sun exposure: Partial to full
- Soil pH recommendation: Acidic to neutral
- Soil moisture recommendation: Medium to high
Detail Information
Water birch, also called red birch, black birch, or river birch, is a fast-growing tree. It has become widely popular in the home landscape.
People can easily find this tree grows naturally along stream banks and low-lying locations where water collects.
The water birch trunk’s outer layers peel strongly while it is young. People can see the soft pink inner bark when the thin layers curl gradually open.
The primary stems of its many trunks take on a varied appearance as it matures. It has a distinctive salmon-pink to reddish-brown bark that exfoliates to reveal lighter inner bark, making it a year-round landscape feature.
As water birch can grow quite well in rain gardens, many people utilize this feature as a method of stormwater management.
After developing for a few decades, the elder bark becomes darker with a more gnarled pattern.
This appearance gives the impression of being more respectable rather than gaudy. However, the bark’s exfoliating tendency may still be seen higher up on the tree’s new growth.
Yellow Birch Tree (Betula Alleghaniensis)
General Living Requirements
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 – 7
- Average height: 40 – 60 feet (Maturity)
- Sun exposure: Partial to full
- Soil pH recommendation: Acidic to alkaline
- Soil moisture recommendation: Medium
Detail Information
Yellow birch trees have the most extended life cycle on this list. The average lifespan of other birches is around 30 years, whereas a yellow birch can live up to 130 years.
The yellow birch joins the list of birches that have to peel bark as a distinctive trait. The bark of this tree displays a silvery gray tint. As the trunk swells, it peels in wafer-thin, tightly twisted strips.
Aside from the bark, the yellow birch resembles a black birch tree. Those two species’ leaves are remarkably alike.
The fruits, as well as their general size and form, are quite the same. When the leaves of the yellow birch fall, they exhale the wintergreen odor.
Yellow birch thrives in shaded, low-lying locations. You can find them along riverbeds and on the north-facing hillsides of the northeastern United States to the Appalachian Mountains in the south.
In southern regions, yellow birch populations migrate to cool soil in areas with inadequate light exposure.
Deer prefer yellow birch as a food supply. Due to the constant browsing, yellow birch saplings can struggle to establish themselves.
Sweet Birch Tree (Betula Lenta)
General Living Requirements
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 – 8
- Average height: 40 to 70 feet (Maturity)
- Sun exposure: Partial to full
- Soil pH recommendation: Acidic
- Soil moisture recommendation: Medium
Detail Information
One of the least favored birch trees is Betula Lenta, sometimes known as black birch or sweet birch. However, it is commonly called sweet birch because the sap of this tree is an essential ingredient in making birch beer.
This species is generally less well-known than its relatives, with more colorful bark such as water birch or paper birch.
The tree blooms in April and May, with lovely flowers forming a yellow fall hue. A mature tree develops its bark in vertical fissures, similar to cherry tree bark.
Sweet birch produces fruiting catkins from August through October, supplying food for deer, moose, rabbits, and various birds. It is also home to gorgeous butterflies.
On the other hand, sweet birch is resistant to the bronze birch borer, a pest that kills many other birch species.
The aroma of sweet birch is described as “wintergreen.” By breaking the twigs and leaves of this tree, you can easily enjoy a whiff of it.
Despite its impressive look and other advantages, sweet birch can be pretty rare in nursery stock. You will probably have to go into the woods to enjoy this tree. Sweet birch can be found in a variety of habitats, such as wetlands and rocky uplands.
Gray Birch (Betula Populifolia)
General Living Requirements
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 – 6
- Average height: 20 to 40 feet (Maturity)
- Sun exposure: Partial to full
- Soil pH recommendation: Acidic to neutral
- Soil moisture recommendation: Medium
Detail Information
Although this is a common misconception, calling gray birch a “lesser” form of paper birch is a bit disparaging.
Despite a striking resemblance in the two species’ appearance, gray birch has several distinguishable characteristics.
The black patterns on gray birch bark are the most prominent visual distinction between paper birch and gray birch.
Gray birch bark is mostly a softer counterpart of the dazzling white of the paper birch. However, it has black markings that resemble a letter V turning upside-down.
The V black marks can also be found on paper birch bark, but they are far less common. While gray birch never has exfoliating bark, paper birch usually does.
Gray birch may grow swiftly even on dry, barren soils. On the other hand, they may produce chlorosis in highly salty soils.
Aside from that, this plant thrives rapidly in most conditions where it receives adequate sunlight.
The gray birch’s biggest drawback is its short lifespan, roughly 25 years. However, in that short period, it looks as charming as its cousins.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has given you informative knowledge and interesting facts about various types of birch trees and helped you figure out your favorite birchwood for your lovely garden.
Whatever birch you choose, your home will enjoy a year-round seasonal beauty and also bring about environmental benefits for the surroundings.
