Paper birch

Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)

Description

A hardwood birch tree, Betula papyrifera, native to North America. The paper birch has a silvery white flexible bark that readily peels off in sheets. Paper birch bark was used to make wigwams, baskets, canoes, shoes, and paper pulp. The smooth, light-color wood from the paper birch tree is used for interior trim, flooring and cabinetry.

Synonyms and Related Terms

American white birch (Betula papyrifera); canoe birch; silver birch; poplar birch;

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Tree height = 20-25m
• Bark = light gray to white, peeling in papery sheets
• Flowers = catkins (3-8 cm long)
• Color: Heartwood is light reddish brown with nearly white sapwood producing a dull uniform appearance
• Grain: generally straight with fine, even texture
• Durability: Will readily decay when exposed to element. Not resistant to insects

Additional Images

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  Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
  radial section at 100x

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  Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
  tangential section at 100x

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  Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
  transverse section at 100x

Working Properties

• Easy to work with hand and machine tools, though boards with wild grain can cause grain tearout during machining operations
• Turns, glues, and finishes well

Resources and Citations

• The Wood Database: Paper birch

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 104

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Virginia Tech Dendrology website at www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm (accessed Oct. 3, 2005)

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Birch (Accessed Oct. 3, 2005)

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998