Betula schmidtii — identification & habitat

Schmidt birch is an East Asian tree with dark bark that does not peel readily. Its very hard wood has been used to make household tools and furniture.

Appearance

Appearance: The bark is dark brown to nearly black and becomes furrowed. The tree can reach about 115 ft (35 m) in its native range.
Leaves: Its oval leaves are about 1.6–3.1 in (4–8 cm) long, with fine teeth along the edges.
Flowers: Dangling pollen-bearing clusters and much smaller female flower clusters grow on the same tree.
Fruit: The small, upright fruit clusters contain tiny, narrowly winged fruits.

Look-alikes

Dahurian birchBetula davurica

Dahurian birch (Betula davurica) has dark bark that curls and peels in many thin pieces. Schmidt birch has dark bark that stays mostly in place and becomes furrowed.

Why they get mixed upBoth dark-barked East Asian birches are grown in U.S. collections.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Rocky mountain woods in East Asia
Arboretum collections in Massachusetts
Range: It is native to Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East, not to the United States. It has been grown in Massachusetts.

Name and classification

About the name: Schmidt birch is also called iron birch.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

11 sources