Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
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Credit MN DNR & Wikipedia • Size at Maturity Height 65' to 70', twigs dull orange or red during first winter, later become brown; open crown; grows singly or in clusters. Diameter 14” to 20” • Range Generally abundant throughout the state except the southwest; shade intolerant, fast growing. • Bark Thin, papery; becomes pure white with age, marked by many pores or "lenticels"; separates into thin sheets that often roll up; bark thickens on old trees, becoming dark (nearly black) and scaly. • Leaf Simple, alternate on stem, length 2" to 3"; oval or heart shaped, pointed, rounded at base, irregularly toothed; becomes thick and leathery in texture; dull on upper side and yellowish green on lower side; turns light yellow in autumn. • Seeds or Fruit Birch trees have nutlets which resembles a cone and contains many tiny seeds; nutlets are tightly grouped in a 1" to 1-1/2" long catkin; ripens in August and September. • Wildlife Uses Although white-tailed deer consider birch a "secondary-choice food", it is an important dietary component. In Minnesota, white- tailed deer eat considerable amounts of paper birch leaves in the fall. Snowshoe hares browse paper birch seedlings. • Wood Product Uses Birch is used in furniture, flooring, Popsicle sticks and oriented strand board. Many indigenous groups use birch-bark for making various items such as canoes, containers and wigwams. • Insect and Diseases Birch leaf Miner, Bronze Birch Borer, Anthracnose Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
Transcript of Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
Credit MN DNR & Wikipedia
• Size at Maturity Height65'to70',twigsdullorangeorredduringfirstwinter,laterbecomebrown;opencrown;growssinglyorinclusters.Diameter14”to20”
• Range Generallyabundantthroughoutthestateexceptthesouthwest;shadeintolerant,fastgrowing.
• Bark Thin,papery;becomespurewhitewithage,markedbymanyporesor"lenticels";separatesintothinsheetsthatoftenrollup;barkthickensonoldtrees,becomingdark(nearlyblack)andscaly.
• Leaf Simple,alternateonstem,length2"to3";ovalorheartshaped,pointed,roundedatbase,irregularlytoothed;becomesthickandleatheryintexture;dullonuppersideandyellowishgreenonlowerside;turnslightyellowinautumn.
• Seeds or Fruit Birchtreeshavenutletswhichresemblesaconeandcontainsmanytinyseeds;nutletsaretightlygroupedina1"to1-1/2"longcatkin;ripensinAugustandSeptember.
• Wildlife Uses Althoughwhite-taileddeerconsiderbircha"secondary-choicefood",itisanimportantdietarycomponent.InMinnesota,white-taileddeereatconsiderableamountsofpaperbirchleavesinthefall.Snowshoeharesbrowsepaperbirchseedlings.
• Wood Product Uses Birchisusedinfurniture,flooring,Popsiclesticksandorientedstrandboard.Manyindigenousgroupsusebirch-barkformakingvariousitemssuchascanoes,containersandwigwams.
• Insect and Diseases BirchleafMiner,BronzeBirchBorer,Anthracnose
Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
