WHITE BIRCH

any of several species of ornamental and timber trees of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae. The trees are native to cool regions of the Northern Hemisphere and have white, peeling bark. The name white birch also refers to paper birch (q.v.). One species of white birch, B. pubescens, is a tree about 18 m (60 feet) tall and is native to Eurasia. It has egg-shaped leaves, usually hairy below. The soft, yellowish- or reddish-white wood is commercially important in construction and in the manufacture of vehicles, furniture, and small articles such as spoons and snowshoes. The European white birch (B. pendula, sometimes erroneously called B. alba), also known as silver birch or common birch, has slender, drooping branches and small, sharp-pointed leaves about 6 cm (2 inches) long. It may grow to a height of 15 m on light soils. The cut-leaved, purple-leaved, and weeping birches are popular ornamental varieties of European white birch. The Japanese white birch (B. platyphylla japonica), an 18-metre tree native to eastern Asia, has broad leaves about 7 cm long; its hard, yellow-white wood is used for furniture and woodenware.