Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)

[ Trees > Hardwoods > Birches . . . ]

Forest Types: Boreal and Northern Hardwood

by Michael Kuo

Habitat: In rich or sandy soils; often mixed with conifers; frequently near water; often in bogs created by clear cutting.

Stature: 60-70 feet high; to 3 feet in diameter; with an open crown when mature.

Leaves: Egg-shaped; finely, doubly toothed; dark green above; yellow-green below.

Bark: White; peeling and papery; inner bark pinkish to orangish.

Sources: Preston, R. J. (1989). North American Trees. Ames: Iowa State UP. Peattie, D. C. (1948/1991). A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Frequent Mushroom Associates:

Boletus subglabripes; Cortinarius armillatus; Daedaleopsis confragosa; Gyromitra sphaerospora; Lactarius glyciosmus; Lactarius uvidus; many species of Leccinum; Lenzites betulina; Piptoporus betulinus.

Further Online Information:

Paper Birch USFS Fact Sheet (PDF file)
Paper Birch at eNature
Betula papyrifera in Flora of North America

© MushroomExpert.Com

Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2007, April). Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera). Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/trees/betula_papyrifera.html