Betula is Latin for birch and describes a genus of about 60 species of deciduous trees and shrubs found in many gardens and landscapes throughout the northern hemisphere. Betula pendula subsp. mandshurica , or Asian White Birch, is a subspecies of Betula pendula, although some botanists argue that it should be included with Betula platyphylla. Asian White Birch is a slender tree with good fall foliage. The tree supports a wide range of insects and the light shade it casts allows shrubs and other plants to grow beneath it. It is noted for its smooth white bark. Birches are best grown in moist, acidic, sandy or rocky, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. Asian White Birch will tolerate dry soil. Best foliage color occurs in full sun, but if the plant is sited in an area of summer heat and humidity, it will appreciate afternoon partial shade. The plant is said to tolerate summer heat better than most birches. Keep the tree consistently moist and consider using soaker hoses and bark mulches to keep the root zones cool and moist. It needs little pruning, but if necessary, you can prune during the dormant season. Do not prune in winter or spring when the sap is running because it will bleed. Birches produce an abundance of sap in spring and a species of woodpecker called the sapsucker taps birch trees in spring by cutting small wells in the bark and drinking the sap, which oozes out. Birches are considered a "pioneer" species and, thus, tend to grow quickly when young. However, Asian White Birch is difficult to transplant and has shallow roots. Tiny monoecious (male and female) flowers appear in early spring in separate catkins on the same tree. Greenish female flowers are followed by drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds that typically mature in late summer. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: The Asian White Birch is susceptible to the bronze birch borer, which infects and kills trees. Aphids, leaf miner and birch skeletonizer may also occur. Watch for leaf spot problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Pyramidal
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Glossy green leaves (1.5 to 3 inches long) have long tapered tips. Appear early in the spring. Greenish-yellow fall color provides fall/winter interest.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Green
Flower form
Catkin
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny monoecious flowers appear in early spring in separate catkins on the same tree: yellowish-brown male flowers in drooping catkins (to 2.5 inches long) and greenish female flowers in smaller, upright catkins (to 1 1/4 inches long). Flowers on catkins are no more than 1/8 inch.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit detail
Female flowers are followed by drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds that typically mature in late summer.
Bark color
Light Gray; White
Bark detail
This plant has smooth, white bark and develops bark color at an early age. Does not exfoliate.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy; White
Stem detail
Warty and brown in color. Larger branches display showy, bright white bark.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central Siberia to Japan, Alaska to Canada
Wildlife value
This plant supports the larvae of Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilo glaucus). They have three flights from February-November in the deep south and March-September in the north. The adult Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies feed on milkweed, joe pye weed, wild cherry, and lilac.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Nut
Edibility
Sap has been brewed as a beer and turned into syrup.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Outer bark has been used for drinking vessels, canoe skins, and roofing tiles.