Common name: PAPER BIRCH; White Birch
Saskatchewan's provincial tree; provides food and shelter for a number of birds, and browse for moose and deer.
Latin name: Betula papyrifera (Marsh)
Type of tree: broadleaf (native)
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Bark (colour and texture): thin; smooth; reddish-brown on young trees, becoming chalky with age; peels easily into sheets
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Leaves (shape, size, etc.): triangular or egg-shaped; 8 centimetres long; toothed margins except for about 1.5 centimetres on either side of leaf stem
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Form: narrow; oval; open crown with slender trunk
Height: 6 to 20 metres
Growth rate: fast
Fruit and flowers: 3 to 4cm long winged seeds found in catkins hang from branches
Soil: does best on moist, well-drained sandy or silty loam soils
Limitations: shade intolerant; susceptible to bronze birch borer and birch die back
