grey birch
Betula populifolia
USDA zones3 to 6
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size20 to 40 feet tall10 to 20 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow-brown (male) and green (female)
- Foliage color
- Green.
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Grey birch (Betula populifolia) is a tree for specimen planting, winter interest, and rain gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. The white bark darkens with age, and the trunks bend under snow without breaking. It grows rapidly but is short-lived. Deer tend to browse other plants first.
Pairs well with Northern bayberry, Sensitive fern, and Sedge.
Native range
Eastern North America.