''Betula grossa'', commonly known as Japanese cherry birch (Japanese: 梓 ''azusa''), is a species of

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

native to Japan, where it grows naturally in mixed woodland on hill and mountain slopes in

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

, and

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

. It was introduced to the West in 1896, but remains rare in cultivation.White, J. & More, D. (2003). ''Cassell's Trees of Britain & Northern Europe'', 304–305 Cassell's, London.

Description

''Betula grossa'' is conical in outline, but its most distinctive feature is its cherry-like bark, with horizontal stripes of reddish-grey becoming dark grey with age, exfoliating in thin papery curls. The dark green leaves are up to 10 cm long and turn golden-yellow in autumn. The shoots are aromatic, and carry long, yellow-brown, male catkins in early spring

The species is considered closely related to the American birch ''

Betula lenta ''Betula lenta'' (sweet birch, also known as black birch, cherry birch, mahogany birch, or spice birch) is a species of birch native to eastern North America. Description ''Betula lenta'' is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching tall, except ...

''. Hardiness: RHS H

References

Betula, grossa Endemic flora of Japan Trees of Japan Plants described in 1846 Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini Taxa named by Philipp Franz von Siebold {{Fagales-stub