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''Betula populifolia,'' known as the gray (or grey) birch, is a
deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...
in the family
Betulaceae Betulaceae, the birch family, includes six genera of deciduous nut-bearing trees and shrubs, including the birches, alders, hazels, hornbeams, hazel-hornbeam, and hop-hornbeams, numbering a total of 167 species. They are mostly natives of ...
. It is native to eastern
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
and is most commonly found in the northeast
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
as well as southern
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
,
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
, and
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
. The tree is a
pioneer species Pioneer species are resilient species that are the first to colonize barren environments, or to repopulate disrupted biodiverse steady-state ecosystems as part of ecological succession. Various kinds of events can create good conditions for pi ...
that is commonly found in sites following disturbance, such as fire or logging. Gray birches don't have as much economic value as other birch species but are still commonly used as ornamental trees.


Description

''Betula populifolia'' is a small tree that reaches heights of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 m) with a
diameter at breast height Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements. Tree trunks are measured at the height of an adult's breast, ...
(DBH) of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm). The tree is often found with multiple stems. The
crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...
is pyramidal with somewhat drooping branches. The
bark Bark may refer to: Common meanings * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Arts and entertainment * ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...
is smooth, a grayish-white or chalky color with visible
lenticel A lenticel is a porous tissue consisting of cells with large intercellular spaces in the periderm of the secondarily thickened organs and the Bark (botany), bark of woody stems and roots of gymnosperms and dicotyledonous flowering plants. It func ...
s and black triangular patches located at the base of branches. It is commonly confused for paper birch (''
Betula papyrifera 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'' contain ...
'') by means of its bark, but it is differentiable as gray birch bark does not exfoliate (peel) as readily as paper birch. It is also occasionally confused for quaking aspen (''
Populus tremuloides ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen,
''), which has similar bark, but different leaves and buds. Twigs are slender, wiry, hairless, dull gray or brown in color, and have a warty or rough texture.
Bud In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or Plant embryogenesis, embryonic Shoot (botany), shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a Plant stem, stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormancy, dormant conditi ...
s are pointed, green-brown in color, shiny, and have a gummy coating. ''Betula populifolia'' lacks terminal buds. The
leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
are 2.5 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm) in length, alternate, simple, pinnately-veined, and taper to an elongated tip. They are dark green and glabrous above and paler below, with doubly serrate margins. Like other members of the
Betula 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 ...
genus, leaves turn yellow in autumn. The
flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...
s are wind-pollinated
catkin A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind- pollinated ( anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in '' Salix''). It contains many, usually unisexual flowers, arra ...
s 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) long, the male catkins pendulous and the female catkins erect. The
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
, maturing in autumn, is composed of many tiny winged seeds packed between the catkin bracts.


Etymology

''Betula populifolia'' means "birch with poplar-like leaves" when translated from Latin to English, and is derived from the behavior of gray birch leaves, which flutter similarly to poplar leaves in the wind.


Distribution and habitat

Gray birch can be found in the northeast
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and small portions of
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. It ranges from southeastern
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
along the
St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...
east to parts of
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
and
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, south through
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
and upstate
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
to
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. There are also disjunct populations in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, western Pennsylvania,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, and
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. Gray birch has been listed as extinct in
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
, extirpated in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, and rare in Maryland. The tree prefers well-drained, loamy soils, but can also grow in dryer, gravelly soils. They are tolerant of poor soils with low nutrient densities, which allows them to establish in a wide variety of habitats. They are known as
pioneer species Pioneer species are resilient species that are the first to colonize barren environments, or to repopulate disrupted biodiverse steady-state ecosystems as part of ecological succession. Various kinds of events can create good conditions for pi ...
since they are often one of the first trees to populate a disturbed area, such as fields, burn sites, and abandoned mines. They thrive in sunlight since they are a shade intolerant species, but eventually give way to longer lived, more shade tolerant species. In regenerative stands, ''Betula populifolia'' are commonly found along other early successional species such as paper birch, quaking aspen, and bigtooth aspen (''
Populus grandidentata ''Populus grandidentata'', commonly called large-tooth aspen, big-tooth aspen, American aspen, Canadian poplar, or white poplar, is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America. Name The name ''Populus'' is from the Latin for poplar, and ' ...
''). In other mixed stands, gray birches are commonly associated with beech-birch-maple communities.


Ecology

Gray birches play a role in the habitat of many different species of wildlife. A number of
songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5,00 ...
s such as blue jays ('' Cyanocitta cristata''), chickadees '' (Poecile atricapillus''), juncos ('' Junco hyemalis''), and many others consume gray birch seeds. Moose ( ''Alces alces''), white-tailed deer (''
Odocoileus virginianus The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North, Central and South America. It is the most widely-distributed mainland ungulate ...
''), and snowshoe hare ('' Lepus americanus'') use the twigs as browse, and although it's not their preferred feed, beavers (''
Castor canadensis The North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') is one of two extant beaver species, along with the Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber''). It is native to North America and has been introduced in South America (Patagonia) and Europe (primarily Fi ...
'') will chew the bark. Like other North American birches, gray birch is highly resistant to the bronze birch borer ('' Agrilus anxius''). This is due to birches in North America sharing a coevolutionary relationship with the borer, allowing it to develop resistance to the bug. Despite this, the borers can still damage the trees if they are weakened by other means. Between about 1930 and 1950, many gray birch trees, along with paper birch and
yellow birch ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the p ...
(''Betula alleghaniensis''), were weakened by birch dieback disease, which allowed for the bronze birch borer to attack and kill the trees.


Uses


Wood Products

Gray birch wood is soft and easily turned, so it is often made into spools, clothespins, and other turned woodenware. It is most commonly used as firewood. The wood is less sought after than paper birch due to its short lifespan, smaller size, and less common distribution. It also has tendencies to quickly deteriorate when exposed to excess moisture, meaning it has little commercial value beyond turned items and fuel.


Landscape Use

Gray birches are a commonly used landscape/ornamental tree. It is widely used due to its soil tolerance levels, resistance to bark borers, smaller stature, as well as the bark coloration. Whitespire is a common ornamental cultivar and has whiter bark than the natural form of the tree. Gray birch also can serve as a nurse tree for smaller, more economically valuable pines that require some form of protection to become established.


Medicinal Use

Prior to the European colonists' arrival to North America, the indigenous
Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
and
Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...
peoples used the inner bark of gray birch trees to treat infected cuts and wounds.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1543680 populifolia Trees of Northern America Flora of Massachusetts Trees of humid continental climate Flora of Northern America