Gray birch (betula populifolia)

The gray birch, also called poplar-leaf birch because of its resemblance to the latter, or even red birch for the color of its bark when young, belongs to the Betulaceae family.

Medium in size, this tree should reach approximately 12 meters in height and 5 meters in width at maturity. It is a wood so soft that the tree curves to the point of taking on the appearance of an arc. Although the trunk is arched, the whole tree has a conical shape, the branches being distributed irregularly. These will also have curvatures sometimes giving “S” shaped branches. We can also notice a slightly weeping appearance, the branches being somewhat drooping.

At a young age, the bark of the gray birch will be brown, tending slightly towards red, but when mature, it will become white. Why then was it called the gray birch? This is because the numerous black spots give the impression of a slightly grayer color. At each point of insertion of the branches, we notice black triangular marks. Unlike paper birch, you cannot pull on the bark to remove long leaves, because it does not exfoliate as easily.