Birch - Species

Species

Birches native to Europe and Asia include

• Betula aetniensis—Sicilian birch
• Betula albosinensis—Chinese red birch
  • Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis—north Chinese red birch
• Betula alnoides—alder-leaf birch
• Betula austrosinensis—South China birch
• Betula carpatica—Carpathian birch
• Betula chinensis—Chinese dwarf birch
• Betula dalecarlica
• Betula ermanii—Erman's birch
• Betula grossa—Japanese cherry birch
• Betula jacquemontii (Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii)—white-barked Himalayan birch
• Betula humilis or Betula kamtschatica— Kamchatka birch platyphylla
• Betula litvinovii
• Betula mandschurica—Manchurian birch
  • Betula mandschurica var. japonica—Japanese birch
• Betula maximowiczii—monarch birch
• Betula medwediewii—Caucasian birch
• Betula nana—dwarf birch (also in northern North America)
• Betula pendula—silver birch
• Betula platyphylla (Betula pendula var. platyphylla)—Siberian silver birch
• Betula pubescens—downy birch, also known as white, European white or hairy birch (Europe and northern Asia)
  • Betula pubescens subspecies tortuosa—arctic downy birch (subarctic Eurasia)
• Betula szechuanica (Betula pendula var. szechuanica)—Sichuan birch
• Betula tianshanica
• Betula utilis—Himalayan birch

Note: many American texts have B. pendula and B. pubescens confused, though they are distinct species with different chromosome numbers.

Birches native to North America include

• Betula alleghaniensis—yellow birch (B. lutea)
• Betula cordifolia—mountain paper birch
• Betula glandulosa—American dwarf birch
• Betula kenaica—Kenai birch
• Betula lenta—sweet birch, cherry birch, or black birch
  • Betula lenta subsp. uber—Virginia round-leaf birch (endemic, Cressy Creek, Smyth County, Virginia)
• Betula michauxii—Newfoundland dwarf birch
• Betula minor—dwarf white birch
• Betula nana—dwarf birch or bog birch (also in northern Europe and Asia)
• Betula neoalaskana—Alaska birch or Yukon birch
• Betula nigra—river birch or black birch
• Betula occidentalis—water birch or red birch (B. fontinalis)
• Betula papyrifera—paper birch, canoe birch or American white birch
• Betula populifolia—gray birch
• Betula pumila—swamp birch