Scientific Name:
Betula utilis
subsp.
albosinensis
Pronunciation:
BET-you-luh YOU-till-iss al-bo-si-NEN-sis
Common Name:
Chinese red birch, Chinese paper birch
Family Name:
Betulaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Bark papery, peeling, has beige horizontal lenticels, with tints of cream-tan-pink-red-silver; leaves alternate, most blades ovate, 5-12cm long x 2-6cm wide with 10-14 major veins that run parallel on each side of the midrib, margins double serrate (rarely slightly lobed), petiole 5-20mm long. Winter ID: buds dark red, narrowly conical, sharply pointed; immature catkins.
Habit:
Arching, Spreading, Twiggy, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
15 - 22m
Mature Spread:
10 - 15m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Fall interest, Shade tree, Specimen plant, Spring interest, Summer interest, Winter interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Lanceolate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Double serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Catkin (ament), Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green-yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Samara
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Persistent, Female catkins release many tiny two-winged samaras from summer to late fall
Bark Morphology:
Showy, Papery, Exfoliating, Multi-stem trunk, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
White, Orange, Red, Tan, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Narrowly conical
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae, Fibrous-like roots
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings, Grafting
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Anthracnose, Aphids or adelgids, Canker or sap rot, Caterpillar or cutworm, Dieback, Fungal leaf spot, Leaf miner insect, Leaf scorch, Root rot, Rust, Sawflies or horntails or ants, Virus
Specific Pests:
(Low susceptibility to bronze birch borer), Low drought tolerance
Course(s):
- not used (on campus)
Location(s):
- (GAZ) GAZebo
- (GAZN) GAZebo North : DEAD q.1 var. septentrionalis
- (NCA) Not Currently Available