British Native Trees
and Shrubs

Downy Birch Betula pubescens (Betulaceae)

Downy birch is shorter than its silver cousin, growing up to 25 m, and lacks the long pendulous branches. Its young twigs are more upright in growth and softly hairy, and Its reddish-brown bark may become silver or greyish-white, rarely having the black diamond-shaped patches characteristic of silver birch trunks. The leaves of downy birch are slightly more rounded to oval in outline and less triangular, usually with more even-sized teeth at the margin and up to 6 cm long. Hybridization occurs between the two species.

Downy birch is found on much damper sites than silver birch, such as bogs, fens and lake margin on acid soils, up to 550 m in the higher rainfall areas of England in the north and west.

In a moisture-retentive garden or one in a cold, exposed site, this is a better choice

than silver birch. It will flourish at higher altitudes and and on heavy and more acid soils. Alternatively, the subsp. tortuosa may be used. This is a multi-stemmed, more shrubby form adapted to severe growing conditions.

This, like the silver birch, is a host to may insects, including two species of tortricoid moths. Old trees often develop growths called ‘witches-brooms’ caused by a gall-forming fungus and these may be taken over by birds as nesting sites.

Page last updated - January 10, 2002  

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