Leaf
Jean-Luc Gorremans, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Downy birch
Betula pubescens Ehrh.
Family: Betulaceae
15 to 20 m tall
Peat bogs and damp soils, often in the mountains
Flowering: April
Full sun
Part shade
-35°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Downy shoots without resinous warts, unlike silver birch. 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
🌸 Flowers
Hanging catkins
🍎 Fruits
Small winged samaras
🪵 Bark
White, not peeling off in strips like silver birch
🗺️ Distribution
Northern and central Europe, Asia; in France found mainly in wetlands and mountain areas, rarer than silver birch
🐝 Value for pollinators
Catkins producing a large quantity of pollen in spring, not very attractive to insects but a useful supplement for bees
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted in wet or boggy areas, sometimes as a specimen for its pale bark
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity; allergenic pollen
⚠️ Look-alike species
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.
🌿 Other Betulaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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