11 Common Types of Birch Trees

Swamp Birch (Betula pumila)

Swamp birch is a medium-sized, short-lived shrub that forms clumps and thrives in wet locations. It is native to North America. The plant tolerates occasional flooding, alkaline soil, clay soil, and road salt. When used in residential landscapes, it grows well around water features or in swampy areas. Swamp birch is also a good choice for rain gardens.

Other common names include bog birch, glandular birch, dwarf birch, and resin birch.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 9
• Mature Size: 5 to 10 feet
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist; tolerates alkaline soil or clay

River Birch (Betula nigra)

River birch is an increasingly popular, fast-growing tree for the home landscape and is native to the eastern United States. It may grow as a single-trunk tree or as a multi-trunked clump. Its distinctive salmon-pink to reddish-brown bark peels away to reveal lighter inner bark, creating year-round interest in the landscape. The dark green foliage turns a rich buttery yellow in autumn. River birch has good resistance to the bronze birch borer and is one of the few birches that is truly heat-tolerant.

River birch may also be called red birch, black birch, or water birch.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
• Mature Size: 40 to 70 feet
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist; does not tolerate alkaline soil

Cherry Birch (Betula lenta)

Cherry birch is a large tree that grows from a single main trunk. Its shiny reddish-brown bark and yellow foliage make it an attractive choice for lawns and naturalized areas. Mature trees develop vertical cracks in the bark that form irregular scaly plates, closely resembling the bark of cherry trees. Blooming in April and May, the tree produces fruiting catkins from August through October and serves as a food source for deer, moose, rabbits, and various birds. It also attracts beautiful butterflies to the landscape and is resistant to the bronze birch borer, which can devastate other birch species. Broken twigs release a spicy wintergreen scent, and fermented sap is an ingredient used in birch beer.

This species is native to the eastern United States, from Maine to northern Georgia. Regional common names include black birch, sweet birch, mahogany birch, Virginia roundleaf birch, and spice birch.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
• Mature Size: 40 to 70 feet
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained loam; acidic, sandy, or rocky soil

Dwarf Birch (Betula nana)

Betula nana is a small dwarf shrub native to arctic and cool temperate regions, especially tundra landscapes. It grows in a wide range of conditions, though it prefers a moist but well-drained site. It does not tolerate shade well. Dwarf birch is rarely planted in ornamental landscapes, but it is an important groundcover species in colder northern territories.

The plant is native to Greenland, Iceland, northern Europe, northern Asia, and northern North America. Other names for this species include bog birch and arctic birch.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 1 to 8
• Mature Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, rocky, nutrient-poor, acidic soil

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Silver Birch (Betula pendula or B. verrucosa)

Silver birch, native to Europe and Asia, has an attractive weeping habit and a distinctive white bark that peels in papery strips. It grows as a single-trunk tree that gradually shifts from a pyramidal shape to a more rounded, oval crown. Also known as weeping birch or European white birch, it was once widely used in landscapes, but its high susceptibility to bronze birch borer has limited its use in recent years.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 7; it can be grown in zones 8 and 9 but will usually live a shorter life
• Mature Size: 40 to 80 feet, depending on the variety
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Medium to moist, well-drained, sandy soil

Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii)

The ornamental appeal of Himalayan birch includes beautiful spring flowers, rich yellow fall color, and bright white, papery bark. It is a medium-sized single-trunk tree that branches quickly into a pyramidal form. This birch species is highly vulnerable to bronze birch borer damage and often needs to be removed or replaced, especially in warmer regions. It is a hardier, longer-lived tree in colder climates.

This tree is native to the western Himalayas and Nepal. Other common names include white-barked Himalayan birch and Jacquemont birch.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
• Mature Size: 30 to 50 feet
• Light: Full sun; can tolerate light shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, loamy, sandy, or clay soil

Japanese White Birch (Betula platyphylla ‘Japonica’)

Also known as Asian white birch, this species is a medium- to large-sized tree with white bark and slender spreading branches that end in drooping twigs. Although it prefers full sun, Japanese white birch does well on north- and east-facing exposures that receive a little afternoon shade. Its main requirement is consistently moist soil. Like several other members of the birch family, this tree performs best in cooler climates, while warmer regions increase its susceptibility to birch borer insects. It is native to Manchuria, Korea, and Japan.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
• Mature Size: 40 to 50 feet
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained loam, sandy soil, or rocky soil

Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)

Native mainly to Alaska, Canada, and the northern states of the United States, this tree is known for its striking white bark and yellow fall color. It may grow as a single-trunk tree or in small clumps with multiple trunks. Paper birch gets its name from its thin white bark, which often peels away in paper-like layers from the trunk. It is also called canoe birch or white birch. This is the classic birch historically used to make a wide range of useful items, from footwear to birchbark canoes. Its buds, catkins, leaves, twigs, and bark provide food for birds and other wildlife. Paper birch shows some resistance to the bronze birch borer.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 7
• Mature Size: 45 to 100 feet
• Light: Full sun to light shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, sandy, loamy soil

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Weeping Birch (Betula pendula var.)

Trees known as weeping birch are generally different cultivated or naturally occurring forms of silver birch (Betula pendula), described above. Exact details such as growing zones, height, soil preferences, and light requirements depend on the specific cultivar.

Common cultivars include:

• Curly birch (B. pendula ‘Carelica’)
• European weeping birch (B. pendula ‘Gracilis’)
• Golden Cloud weeping birch (B. pendula ‘Golden Cloud’)
• Purple weeping birch (B. pendula ‘Purpurea’)
• Swedish birch (B. pendula ‘Dalecarlica’ or ‘Laciniata’)
• Tristis weeping birch (B. pendula ‘Tristis’)
• Young’s weeping birch (B. pendula ‘Youngii’) (pictured)

Water Birch (Betula occidentalis or Betula fontinalis)

Water birch is usually found along streams in the mountainous regions of western North America, where it grows in dense thickets. Its bark is dark reddish-brown to nearly black and smooth. Unlike most birches, its bark does not peel. This tree is a food source and lodge material for the North American beaver.

Other common names include western birch, red birch, river birch, black birch, and western red birch.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
• Mature Size: Shrub form may reach 25 feet tall; as a tree, up to 40 feet
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Naturally moist soil

Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)

Yellow birch, named for the color of its bark, is a relatively long-lived birch that usually grows for 150 years and can even survive up to 300 years in old-growth forests. It is a single-trunk tree with yellow-bronze bark that peels in narrow horizontal strips. This is an important species for the North American lumber industry and a significant source of food for birds and wildlife.

Native to northeastern North America, yellow birch may also be known regionally as swamp birch, curly birch, golden birch, or hard birch.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
• Mature Size: 50 to 80 feet
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained sandy loam