Betula populifolia
Gray birch · also Grey birch, Wire birch, Old field birch
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Gray birch is a deciduous tree known for its gray, non-peeling bark and triangular leaves. It is a highly adaptable pioneer species, tolerating various soil and moisture conditions, often forming thickets in disturbed sites. Though short-lived and with poor drought tolerance, it is used ornamentally and grows rapidly in its early stages.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 7800.94%—6.8 in
- 3040.09%4.4 yr2.2 in
- 2330.31%—4.7 in
- 2030.06%—5.9 in
- 1280.02%—5.3 in
- 1110.07%—8.3 in
- 990.08%3.9 yr3.2 in
- 740.64%—7.9 in
- 430.02%—23 in
- 320.00%—7.0 in
- 180.05%—13 in
- 90.00%—4.3 in
- 80.02%—4.7 in
- 80.07%—7.0 in
- 10.00%—2.0 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Mature height
- 20–30 ft
- Canopy spread
- 10–20 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Drought tolerance
- Low
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 5.9 in, mean 7.3 in, 90th percentile 13 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- Eastern Canadian Forest-Boreal transition
- Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests
- New England-Acadian forests
Other Betula in the catalogue
20 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
