Silver birch
Beithe gheal
Silver birch navigation
Betula pendula
The silver birch or Betula pendula is one of Scotland’s hardiest trees.
A natural pioneer species, it seeds freely and is able to colonise open land with a preference for lowland.
Facts and statistics
Here are some interesting facts about silver birch.
120 years.
Up to 24 metres tall.
Its leaves are triangular and turn yellow before falling.
Its silvery-white upper bark is papery and peeling.
Silver birch supports 334 insect species.
Europe, North Africa and West Asia.
Its pale, smooth timber is a hardwood. It is often used in plywood production, brush backs, toys and reels.
On a lesser scale, the twigs are cut to make besom brooms and horse jumps.