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Hardiness Zone
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Hardiness Zone 2, Hardiness Zone 3, Hardiness Zone 4, Hardiness Zone 5, Hardiness Zone 6, Hardiness Zone 7 |
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Sun Preference
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Full Sun, Partial Sun/Shade |
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Soil Preference
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Acidic, Clay, Drought, Loamy, Moist, Sandy, Well Drained |
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Shape
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Oval |
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Growth Speed
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Medium to Fast |
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Scientific Name
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Betula papyrifera |
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Wildlife Value
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<p>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.</p> |
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History/Lore
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<p>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.</p> |
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Mature Height
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50' - 70' |
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Shipping Height
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6" - 1' |
