Downy birch or Silver birch: how to tell them apart?
Downy birch and Silver birch look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Downy birch
Betula pubescens
Silver birch
Betula pendula
Silver birch has shoots covered in small resinous warts and bark that peels in strips, whereas downy birch has downy shoots without warts and bark that stays smooth for longer.
🍃 Leaves
Ovate, simply toothed (not doubly), downy on young shoots
Small, triangular, doubly toothed, with a drawn-out tip
🌸 Flowers
Hanging catkins
Pendulous catkins
🍎 Fruits
Small winged samaras
Small winged samaras released from the catkin
🪵 Bark
White, not peeling off in strips like silver birch
Silvery white, peeling in thin horizontal strips
📏 Size
15 to 20 m tall
15 to 25 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Peat bogs and damp soils, often in the mountains
Poor, acid soils, pioneer ground
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity; allergenic pollen
No known toxicity; strongly allergenic pollen
🔎 And from the Silver birch side
Silver birch has twigs covered in small resinous warts and bark that peels in shreds, whereas downy birch has downy twigs without warts and bark that stays smooth for longer.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.