Betula populifolia
White Birch has a nice narrow, pyramidal size and a chalky white bark that looks great all season long. The leaves rustle in the wind. They are popular and resistant to attacks by insect pests. The challenge is to select a growing site where the soil will remain cool and moist, but where the tree will also receive full sunshine on its leaves for much of the day.
| Growth Rate | Moderate, 2 ft per year |
| Mature Size | 40-50 ft |
| Soil | Cool, moist soils; Shallow root system sensitive to even short periods of drought or heating of the soil. |
| Light | Full to partial sun |
| Leaves | Alternate 2-4 inches long, bright green to bright yellow in fall; Smooth on top, round at the base and tapering at the top |
| Flower & Fruit | Monoecious (both sexes on tree), male flowers are 2-4 inches long with brownish color while the female flowers are 1 ½ inch and green; Fruit matures in fall and composed of numerous tiny winged seeds |
| Deer Browse Risk | Medium |
| Benefits | Tapped to obtain sap from which beer, syrup, wine or vinegar is made. The inner bark can be used in a meal and thickener for soups or added to flour once it is dried and ground. Tea is made from the root bark and young leaves. The Shuswap made soap and shampoo from the leaves. |