Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Betula papyrifera

Paper Birch

At a Glance: A small to medium sized deciduous tree with attractive white, peeling papery bark.

Height: Up to 100 feet (30 meters).
Growth Form: Tree.
Stems: The bark peels off in smooth, horizontal, white papery strips marked with brown horizontal lines of raised pores.
Leaves: Alternately arranged; dull green above and paler green and hairy below; leaves taper to a sharp point; can be shallowly lobed with double toothed margins. Shape: oval to round; size: 10 cm (4 in) long.
Flowers: Male and female flowers on separate catkins that flower at the same time, catkins emerge at the same time or before the leaves emerge; size: 2-4 cm long.
Flowering Period: April, May.
Fruits: Small nutlets with broad wings, contained in mature female catkins.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
(data not available)	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: NI (no indicator data)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

Berries

Seeds

Nectar for hummingbirds

Nectar for butterflies

Host for insect larvae

Thickets and shelter

Thorny or protective cover

Birds: The seeds are eaten on and under the trees by juncos, finches, siskins, sparrows, and grouse. Kinglets, woodpeckers, sapsuckers, warblers, nuthatches and chickadees prey on the insects that commonly use the paper birch as habitat. The peeling bark is used as nesting material by many birds and small mammals. The cavities of the paper birch are used by birds and mammals for nesting and roosting sites.
Insects: The leaves are eaten by mourning cloak and swallowtail butterfly larvae. Birches can provide habitat for numerous insect species.
Mammals: Beavers, hares, chipmunks, deer, and elk browse on the leaves and twigs.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

(data not available)

Suggested References

Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 73.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 74.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 246.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 82.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 47.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.