Paper Birch

Hardiness Zones: 2 - 7

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Bare Root or Potted?

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Bare-Root

2′ – 3′

Member Price $12.99

Reg. Price $16.99
Bare-Root (5-Pack)

2′ – 3′

Member Price $69.99

Reg. Price $79.99
Bare-Root (10-Pack)

2′ – 3′

Member Price $114.99

Reg. Price $149.99

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Beauty and romance may be the first images many people associate with the gleaming white paper birch. But this symbol of the North Country — and state tree of New Hampshire — has earned its place in history as a continuously useful tree. Today it is one of the best-loved trees of the New England landscape, planted often for the beauty of its distinctive bark and fall color.

Provides brilliant yellow fall color
Develops a smooth, white bark that curls and peels (once mature)
Is highly deer-resistant

Your Tree’s Personality

Shape

Oval

Growth Speed

Medium to Fast

Scientific Name

Betula papyrifera

Mature Height

50' - 70'

Sun Preference

Full Sun, Partial Sun/Shade

Soil Preference

Acidic, Clay, Drought, Loamy, Moist, Sandy, Well Drained

Wildlife Value

Wintering moose find the sheer abundance of paper birch in young stands important, despite the poor nutritional quality. White-tailed deer eat considerable amounts of paper birch leaves in the fall. Snowshoe hares browse paper birch seedlings and saplings, beavers find it a good second choice food and porcupines feed on the inner bark. Voles, shrews, Redpolls, siskins and chickadees eat the seeds. Numerous cavity-nesting birds nest in paper birch, including woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and swallows. Pecking holes in the bark, the yellow-bellied sapsucker finds the paper birch a favorite tree. Hummingbirds and red squirrels then feed at sapwells created by sapsuckers. Ruffed grouse eat the catkins (flowers) and buds.

History/Lore

The paper birch received its name from the nature of its bark. Long ago, people would peel layers of the thin, paper-like bark and write on it as a way to send messages. More descriptive names include white birch and canoe birch—recalling its favor among Native Americans and early fur trappers as a resource for sleek, sturdy, and lightweight watercraft.

Planting Instructions