Dahurian Birch (Betula davurica) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Dahurian birch is an East Asian tree found in U.S. tree collections and occasional landscape plantings. Its gray, brown, silver, and orange bark curls and peels into shaggy layers that stand out in winter.

Appearance

Appearance: Older trunks develop thick, shaggy flakes in mixed gray, brown, silver, and orange tones. The dark green leaves are oval, 2–4 in (5–10 cm) long, and have toothed edges.
Growth form: It is a tree that commonly reaches 40–60 ft (12–18 m) in U.S. cultivation, with a rounded, spreading crown.
Flowers: Male and female grow on the same tree. The flowers are small and not showy.
Fruit: Small winged fruits are packed into cylindrical catkins.

Look-alikes

river birchBetula nigra

Both have curling bark, but river birch leaves usually have a wedge-shaped base. Dahurian birch leaves have a more rounded base.

Why they get mixed upTheir colorful, peeling bark can look very similar.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: tree collections
lawns and individual tree plantings
Range: It is native from southeastern Siberia across northeastern Asia to northern and central Japan, not to the United States. In the U.S., it is found in collections and occasional landscape plantings, especially in the Northeast.
Preferred conditions: It grows best in full sun and tolerates dry, gravelly, low-fertility soil. High-pH soil can cause yellow leaves.

Growing it

Care: It grows in hardiness zone 5. It is easiest to grow in full sun, and seed germination improves after a cold treatment.
Propagation: It can be grown from seed; improves germination.

Name and classification

About the name: Its scientific name has also been spelled Betula dahurica. It is also called Asian black birch.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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