Paper birch
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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;
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
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
radial section at 100x
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
tangential section at 100x
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