Scientific name: Betula populifolia
Common name: Gray Birch
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the northeastern United States and eastern Canada [1,3].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for B. populifolia.
USDA Zones: 4-6 [3]
Maximum age: Short lived, averaging 20 years [2].
Ecology: The seed is a favorite of many songbird species, including the American goldfinch [1]. Deer, moose, and snowshoe hares browse its twigs and leaves, while beaver and porcupines chew the bark [1,2].
Ethnobotany: It is planted as a riparian buffer, as well as a nurse tree for pines [1,2]. Indigenous American groups use a decoction of the bark for dermatological concerns [2,4].