| Scientific Name: | Betula pendula |
| Common Name: | European white birch, silver birch |
| Family Name: | Betulaceae |
| Origin: | Europe |
| Hardiness Zone: | Zone 2: (-46 to -40 °C) |
| Plant Type: | Invasive plant, Tree - deciduous |
| Mature Size: | 22 - 30m x 7 - 10m (height x width) |
| Habit: | Upright |
| Form: | Oval - vertical |
| Texture: | Medium - fine |
| Landscape Uses: | Shade tree, Street (boulevard tree) |
| Exposure: | Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade |
| Soil or Media: | Well-drained |
| Leaves: | Simple, Alternate, Soft flexible, Pinnate venation, Glabrous, Ovate, Dentate, Double serrate, Serrate |
| Flowers: | Catkin (ament), Yellow, Brown, Apr-May |
| Fruit: | Nut, Samara, Brown, Aug-Sep-Oct, (Persistent) |
| Key ID Features: | |
| Arching, pendulous branches; leaves deltoid to ovate, most blades 5-7cm long x 4-5cm wide; margins dentate-serrate; male catkins narrow, 3-6cm long, female catkins 1.5-3.5 cm long, bright green turning yellow, swollen flaky brown when mature. Winter ID: catkins persistent; branches weeping or branch tips often drooping; bark smooth then exfoliating with age, grayish-white with dark gray to black horizontal lenticels becoming larger spots; branch bark ridge long, almost black; 1-3 immature terminal male catkins. | |