white birch
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Last Updated: Sep 29, 2023 • Article History
Table of Contents
European white birch
Category: Animals & Nature
Related Topics: birch Asian white birch European white birch downy birch . (Show more)
white birch, any of several species of ornamental and timber trees of the genus Betula in the family Betulaceae. The trees are native to cool regions of the Northern Hemisphere and have white peeling bark. The name white birch also refers to paper birch (B. papyrifera). See also birch.
One species of white birch, also known as downy birch ( B. pubescens), is a tree about 18 metres (60 feet) tall and is native to Eurasia. It has egg-shaped leaves, usually hairy below. The soft yellowish or reddish white wood is commercially important in construction and in the manufacture of vehicles, furniture, and small articles such as spoons and snowshoes.
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Trees: Giants Holding the Sky
The European white birch (B. pendula), also known as silver birch or common birch, has slender drooping branches and small sharp-pointed leaves about 6 cm (2 inches) long. It may grow to a height of 15 metres (49 feet) on light soils. The cut-leaved, purple-leaved, and weeping birches are popular ornamental varieties of European white birch.
The Asian white birch (B. platyphylla), an 18-metre tree native to eastern Asia, has broad leaves about 7 cm (3 inches) long; its hard yellow-white wood is used for furniture and woodenware.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
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