Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Silver Birch - Betula pendula   Roth
Members of Betulaceae:
Members of Betula with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Fagales » Family Betulaceae
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AuthorRoth
DistributionMountains only, specimens collected from Alleghany and Watauga counties by Derick Poindexter in the early 2000s; and by K. Barrineau in Haywood County in 1975 (specimen misidentified as Gray Birch [B. populifera]). Specimens from several other counties were from cultivated trees. A specimen from Gaston County was originally determined as Populus nigra: Rankin 239 (NCU).

Native of Eurasia, in N.A., NH to NY south to PA and OH; SW Ont.; B.C.- WA.
AbundanceVery rare. Only a small number of saplings and small trees have been documented.
HabitatRoad banks.
PhenologyFlowering April-May.
IdentificationLeaves are very similar in size and shape to those of native Gray Birch (B. populifolia), but not as markedly acuminate at the tip. Bark of mature trees is white to creamy white (vs. grayish white in Gray Birch).
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankGNR
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