We depend on donations from users of our database of over 8000 edible and useful plants to keep making it available free of charge and to further extend and improve it. In recent months donations are down, and we are spending more than we receive. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Betula populifolia - Marshall.

Common Name Grey Birch
Family Betulaceae
USDA hardiness 3-6
Known Hazards The aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons in birch tar are irritating to the skin. Do not use in patients with oedema or with poor kidney or heart functions [301]
Habitats Found on the margins of swamps and ponds, it also commonly grows in dry sandy or gravelly barren soils, growing well in poor almost sterile soils[82, 229].
Range Eastern N. America - Quebec to Virginia and west to Indiana
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Betula populifolia Grey Birch


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Quadell
Betula populifolia Grey Birch
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

 

Translate this page:

Summary

Bloom Color: Brown. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Pyramidal, Upright or erect.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of lolypop
Betula populifolia is a deciduous Tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant is not wind tolerant.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Betula acuminata, Betula cuspidata Schrad. ex Regel

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy; Secondary;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Inner bark  Sap
Edible Uses:

Inner bark - cooked or dried and ground into a meal. The meal can be used as a thickener in soups etc, or be added to flour when making bread, biscuits etc. Inner bark is generally only seen as a famine food, used when other forms of starch are not available or are in short supply[177, K]. Sap - sweet. Harvested in early spring, before the leaves unfurl, by tapping the trunk. The flow is best on warm days that follow frosty nights. The sap is drunk as a sweet beverage or it can be fermented to make birch beer or vinegar[177, 183]. An old English recipe for the beer is as follows:- "To every Gallon of Birch-water put a quart of Honey, well stirr'd together; then boil it almost an hour with a few Cloves, and a little Limon-peel, keeping it well scumm'd. When it is sufficiently boil'd, and become cold, add to it three or four Spoonfuls of good Ale to make it work...and when the Test begins to settle, bottle it up . . . it is gentle, and very harmless in operation within the body, and exceedingly sharpens the Appetite, being drunk ante pastum."[269].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antiseborrheic  Astringent  Urinary

The bark is astringent. a decoction has been used to treat bleeding piles[257]. Scrapings of the inner bark have been used to treat swellings in infected cuts[257]. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Betula species for infections of the urinary tract, kidney and bladder stones, rheumatism (see [302] for critics of commission E).

References   More on Medicinal Uses

Now available: PLANTS FOR YOUR FOOD FOREST: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens.

An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

Read More

FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

Charcoal  Pioneer  Wood

A pioneer species, readily invading old fields, burnt-over or cleared land and providing suitable conditions for other woodland trees to become established[226]. It is an excellent crop for very poor soils, where it grows rapidly and affords protection to the seedlings of more valuable and slower-growing trees[82]. Since this species is short-lived and not very shade tolerant, it is eventually out-competed by these other trees[226]. Wood - close-grained, soft, light, weak, not durable[61, 82, 229, 235]. It weighs 36lb per cubic foot[235]. Unimportant commercially, the wood is used locally for making clothes pegs, spools, pulp, charcoal and quite commonly as a fuel[61, 82, 229].

Special Uses

Dynamic accumulator

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Firewood, Specimen. Succeeds in a well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position[11, 200]. Tolerates most soils doing well on poor ones[1] and on heavy clays. A fast growing tree, though it rarely lives longer than 50 years[200, 229]. It is a pioneer species of abandoned fields, burnt-over lands, cleared woodlands etc[200, 229]. A fairly wind-tolerant plant[200], but it is shallow-rooted and older trees are often uprooted by winds and heavy snow in the wild[229]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[50], especially with B. papyrifera[43]. A good plant to grow near the compost heap, aiding the fermentation process[20]. Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200]. Special Features: North American native, Naturalizing, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees, and Woodland Gardening. Our new book to be released soon is Edible Shrubs.

Shop Now

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame[78, 80, 113, 134]. Only just cover the seed and place the pot in a sunny position[78, 80, 134]. Spring sown seed should be surface sown in a sunny position in a cold frame[113, 134]. If the germination is poor, raising the temperature by covering the seed with glass can help[134]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. If you have sufficient seed, it can be sown in an outdoor seedbed, either as soon as it is ripe or in the early spring - do not cover the spring sown seed. Grow the plants on in the seedbed for 2 years before planting them out into their permanent positions in the winter[78, 80, 113, 134].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Alnus acuminataAlderTree25.0 10-12 FLMHSNM023
Alnus cordataItalian AlderTree25.0 5-9 FMHSNDMWe004
Alnus glutinosaAlder, European alder , Common Alder, Black AlderTree25.0 3-7 FMHSNMWe035
Alnus hirsuta Tree18.0 3-7  MHSNMWe002
Alnus incanaGrey Alder, Speckled alder, Thinleaf alder, White AlderTree18.0 2-6 FMHSNDMWe003
Alnus japonicaJapanese AlderTree22.0 4-8 FMHSNDMWe012
Alnus jorullensisMexican alder, Evergreen AlderTree25.0 7-12 FLMHSNMWe003
Alnus maritimaSeaside Alder, Beach AlderTree9.0 3-7 MMHNMWe003
Alnus maximowiczii Tree9.0 4-8  MHSNMWe002
Alnus nepalensisNepalese AlderTree22.0 8-11 FMHSNMWe013
Alnus nitidaWest Himalayan AlderTree30.0 7-10  MHSNDMWe013
Alnus rhombifoliaWhite AlderTree12.0 8-11 FMHSNMWe122
Alnus rubraRed Alder, Oregon AlderTree20.0 6-8 FMHSNMWe224
Alnus rugosaSpeckled AlderTree22.0 2-6 FMHSNMWe023
Alnus serrulataSmooth Alder, Hazel alderShrub4.5 3-9  MHNMWe022
Alnus sinuataSitka AlderShrub4.0 2-9 FMHSNMWe113
Alnus tenuifoliaMountain Alder, Thinleaf alderTree9.0 5-7 FMHSNMWe123
Alnus viridis crispaAmerican Green AlderShrub3.0 4-8  MHSNMWe123
Betula alleghaniensisYellow Birch, Swamp BirchTree12.0 3-7 FLMHSNM324
Betula alnoides Tree40.0 7-10 FLMHSNM213
Betula ermaniiGold BirchTree25.0 3-7 FLMHSNM013
Betula glandulosaScrub BirchShrub2.0 0-0  LMHSNM213
Betula kenaicaKenai BirchTree12.0 0-0 FLMHSNM313
Betula lentaCherry Birch, Sweet birch, Black Birch, Cherry BirchTree24.0 3-7 FLMHSNM334
Betula nanaDwarf BirchShrub0.3 0-0  LMHSNM223
Betula nigraRiver Birch, Black Birch, Red Birch, Water Birch, River BirchTree20.0 3-9 FLMHSNM322
Betula occidentalisWater BirchTree9.0 0-0 FLMHSNM323
Betula papyriferaPaper Birch, Mountain paper birch, Kenai birchTree20.0 0-0 FLMHNDM324
Betula pendulaSilver Birch, European white birch, Common Birch, Warty Birch, European White BirchTree20.0 2-6 FLMHNDM335
Betula platyphyllaWhite Birch, Asian white birch,Tree20.0 3-6 FLMHNDM222
12

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Print Friendly and PDF

Expert comment

Author

Marshall.

Botanical References

1143200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Betula populifolia  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.