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Sweet Birch (Betula lenta)

[ Trees > Hardwoods > Birches . . . ]   Forest Type: Northern Hardwood

Range

Appalachian birch tree with gray, smooth young bark and furrowed mature bark—bark not peeling in papery strips; leaves oval, doubly toothed, with dull upper surface and more than 8 pairs of veins.

by Michael Kuo

Habitat: In both moist and dry woods; usually scattered and mixed with other trees in northern hardwood forests.

Stature: 45–75 feet high; to 2 feet in diameter; with an open, narrow stature.

Leaves: Oval; finely, doubly toothed; green above and not shiny; slightly paler below; with 9–11 pairs of veins.

Bark: Dark gray to gray; smooth on young trees, with horizontal lenticels; breaking up into vertically oriented, scaly plates by maturity; not papery and peeling.

Catkins: 1–1.5 inches long; yellow green, drying out to dark brown; scales smooth.

Twigs: Smooth; reddish brown, with prominent twig spurs; odor and taste strongly of wintergreen.


(References consulted)


 

Betula lenta

Betula lenta

Betula lenta

Betula lenta

Betula lenta



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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2020, February). Sweet Birch (Betula lenta). Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/trees/betula_lenta.html