Birch

Birch Overview

The genus Betula, colloquially known as birches, contains almost 120 distinct species of small to medium sized deciduous hardwood trees and shrubs with thin leaves. Alders, hazels and hornbeams are also included in this genus, with 11 species threatened with extinction. Located in temperate and subarctic climates, this genus is fairly widespread and extends throughout the Northern Hempisphere. This genus is characterised by distinctive horizontal markings on the bark, which tend to peel and are coloured differently across different species.