Betula pubescens
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ff10a150d2480758270 |
| Scientific name | Betula pubescens |
| Authority | Ehrh. |
| First published in | Beitr. Naturk. 6: 98 (1791) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Betula pubescens yields a light‑colored hardwood used for solid‑timber, veneer, and engineered‑wood products. The bark is harvested for tannin extraction and birch‑tar production, while sap collected in early spring provides a non‑fermented beverage and a syrup after concentration.
Industrial and craft applications:
Birch‑tar, obtained by destructive distillation of the bark, is a resinous material rich in betulin, lupeol, and phenolic acids; it is used as a natural adhesive, waterproofing coating for wooden boats and historic buildings, and as a component in traditional leather‑dressing recipes. The wood furnishes kraft pulp with high brightness and good strength, suitable for printing papers and specialty grades. Charcoal made from the species is employed for filtration and as a reducing agent in metal‑working.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
Sap is collected by tapping the trunk and can be consumed directly as a refreshing drink. Concentration of the sap under controlled evaporation yields birch syrup, a sweetener used in confectionery and beverage formulations; no health claims are made. The syrup is classified as a novel food product in the European Union under Regulation (EU) No 2015/2283.
Colorants and tanning:
Bark contains condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) at roughly 12–20 % dry weight, providing brown hues used historically for dyeing wool and cotton. The same tannins are applied in leather tanning to achieve a firm, brown‑colored hide with good water resistance.
Wood and fiber:
The timber, with an average density of 0.60–0.70 g cm⁻³ and a cellulose content near 50 % of dry mass, is employed for flooring, interior joinery, and furniture. The bast fibers of the bark are strong and flexible, traditionally used for twine and rope.
Properties relevant to use:
The species’ high cellulose‑to‑lignin ratio (≈2.5 : 1) facilitates efficient kraft cooking and yields pulps with ISO brightness values exceeding 80 %. Bark tannins are primarily condensed proanthocyanidins, conferring good color fastness and antimicrobial activity in tanning. Birch‑tar’s acid number (≈60 mg KOH g⁻¹) and resin acid composition give it strong adhesive and waterproofing performance. Sap contains 2–4 % dissolved sugars (glucose and fructose), supporting straightforward concentration into syrup. The leaf essential oil is dominated by α‑pinene, limonene, and β‑caryophyllene, contributing a characteristic fragrance used in modest cosmetic formulations.
Standards and regulation:
Sawn timber follows EN 13556 (hardwood lumber grading). Pulp specifications are governed by ISO 2470 (brightness determination). Birch syrup is regulated as a novel food under EU Regulation 2015/2283, and sustainable harvesting practices are covered by FSC‑STD‑40‑004 (forest stewardship).
Sustainability and sourcing:
Betula pubescens is widespread across boreal and sub‑boreal forests, tolerates nutrient‑poor soils, and regenerates rapidly after coppicing. Managed sap‑tapping and bark removal are subject to regeneration periods of 5–10 years. The species sequesters carbon at rates comparable to other fast‑growing birches, making it a candidate for bioenergy and sustainable timber production.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Betula alba var. friesii | Regel | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 38(II): 404. 1865 |
| Betula alba var. hornemannii | Regel | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 38(II): 403. 1865 |
| Betula alba var. ovata | Neilr. | Fl. Nied.-Oesterr. 235. 1859 |
| Betula alba var. vulgaris | Willd. | Berlin. Baumz. 37. 1796 |
| Betula concinna | Gunnarsson | in Lindm. Svensk Fanerogamfl. 202 (1918). |
| Betula pubescens var. cryptocarpa | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 109. 1857 |
| Betula friesii | Larss. | Fl. Wermland ed. 2 (1868) ex Hartm. Scand. Fl. ed. XIII. 376. |
| Betula laciniata | Blom | Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. 7: 156. 1786 (1786) |
| Betula pubescens var. media | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 107. 1857 |
| Betula pubescens var. megalocarpa | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 106. 1857 |
| Betula odorata var. alpigena | Blytt | Haandb. Norges Fl. 402. 1874 |
| Betula pubescens var. palmiformis | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 105. 1857 |
| Betula pubescens subsp. callosa | (Notø) Á.Löve & D.Löve | Acta Horti Gothob. 20: 140. 1956 (1956) |
| Betula pubescens subsp. concinna | (Gunnarsson) Á.Löve & D.Löve | Acta Horti Gothob. 20: 140. 1956 (1956) |
| Betula pubescens var. glabra | Fiek ex C.K.Schneid. | Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 117. 1904 |
| Betula pubescens subsp. nigricans | Maire ex Just | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 23: 228. 1896 (1896) |
| Betula pubescens var. oblongifolia | Wimm. | Fl. Schles. 337 1840 |
| Betula pubescens var. ovalifolia | Sukaczev | Izv. Imp. Akad. Nauk 8: 233. 1914 |
| Betula pubescens var. sibakademica | Baran. | Izv. Zapadno-Sibirsk. Otd. Russk. Geogr. Obshch. 4(1): 52 1924 |
| Betula pubescens subsp. subarctica | (Orlova) Á.Löve & D.Löve | Bot. Not. 114: 51 1961 |
| Betula pubescens subsp. suecica | Gunnarsson | Sv. Fanerogamfl. 203. 1918 (1918) |
| Betula pubescens var. vestita | Gren. & Godr. | Fl. France 3: 148. 1855 |
| Betula pubescens var. rustica | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 104. 1857 |
| Betula pubescens var. silvatica | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 108. 1857 |
| Betula pubescens var. silvestris | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1857: 107. |
| Betula pubescens var. subaequalis | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 109. 1857 |
| Betula pubescens var. subalpina | Laest. | Bot. Not. 1856: 110. 1857 |
| Betula pubescens var. nigricans | (Wender.) Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 672. 1881 |
| Betula pubescens var. friesii | (Larss. ex Hartm.) Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 672. 1881 |
| Betula pubescens var. lucida | (Courtois) Wesm. | Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belgique 2: 147. 1863 |
| Betula lucida | Courtois | Rev. Fl. Spa 252. 1825 (1825) |
| Betula pubescens subsp. ovalifolia | (Sukaczev) Printz | Veg. Siber.-Mongol. Front. 198. 1921 (1921) |
| Betula alba var. lupulina | Wallr. | Sched. Crit. 495. 1822 |
| Betula pubescens f. pendula | Schelle | Handb. Laubholzben. 53 1903 |
| Betula alba f. hornemannii | (Regel) Regel | Prodr. 16(2): 167 1868 |
| Betula friesii var. subalpina | Larss. ex Kindb. | Bot. Not. 1909: 118. |
| Betula friesii var. oxyodontia | Kindb. | Bot. Not. 1909: 118. |
| Betula alba var. pubescens | (Ehrh.) Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. : 341 (1820) |
| Betula alba subsp. pubescens | (Ehrh.) Regel | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 38(II): 402 (1865) |
| Betula pubescens var. typica | H.J.P.Winkl. | Pflanzenr. , IV, 61: 81 (1904) |
| Betula alba f. pubescens | (Ehrh.) Bolzon | Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. , n.s., 21: 176 (1914) |
| Betula alba lus. macrophylla | Regel |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | downy birch |
| English | brown birch |
| English | mountain birch |
| English | white birch |
| English | european white birch |
| English | hairy birch |
| English | moor birch |
| Spanish | abedul pubescente |
| Spanish | abedul blanco |
| Spanish | betula concinna |
| Arabic | قضبان زغبي |
| Arabic | بتولا |
| Arabic | تامول |
| Azerbaijani | tükcüklü tozağacı |
| azb | توکجوکلو توز آغاجی |
| Belarusian | Бяроза пушыстая |
| Bulgarian | космата бреза |
| Catalan | bedoll pubescent |
| Catalan | bedot |
| Catalan | bedut |
| Catalan | bouleau pubescent |
| Czech | bříza pýřitá |
| Welsh | bedwen lwyd |
| Danish | dun-birk |
| Danish | dunbirk |
| German | moor-birke |
| German | moorbirke |
| German | behaarte birke |
| German | besenbirke |
| German | bouleau pubescent |
| German | fjällbirke |
| German | fjellbirke |
| German | gewöhnliche moor-birke |
| German | haarbirke |
| German | karpaten-birke |
| Esperanto | lanuga betulo |
| Estonian | sookask |
| Basque | urki zuri |
| Persian | توس کرکی |
| Finnish | hieskoivu |
| Faroese | dúnbjørk |
| French | bouleau pubescent |
| French | bouleau de marais |
| Irish | beith chlúmhach |
| Galician | bidueiro |
| Galician | bido |
| Galician | abidueira |
| Manx | beih yiarg |
| Croatian | cretna breza |
| Upper Sorbian | wonjata brěza |
| Hungarian | molyhos nyír |
| Hungarian | szőrös nyír |
| Armenian | կեչի թավոտ |
| Icelandic | ilmbjörk |
| Japanese | ヨーロッパダケカンバ |
| Georgian | თეთრი არყი |
| Lithuanian | plaukuotasis beržas |
| Lithuanian | beržas pašepėlis |
| Lithuanian | bouleau pubescent |
| Latvian | purva bērzs |
| Latvian | pūkainais bērzs |
| Macedonian | влакнеста бреза |
| Norwegian Bokmål | vanlig bjørk |
| Norwegian Bokmål | bjerk |
| Norwegian Bokmål | bjørk |
| Norwegian Bokmål | birk |
| Norwegian Bokmål | dunbjørk |
| Norwegian Bokmål | europeisk hvitbjørk |
| Norwegian Bokmål | libjørk |
| Dutch | zachte berk |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | dunbjørk |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | bjørk |
| olo | luššikoivu |
| Polish | brzoza omszona |
| Russian | Берёза пушистая |
| Russian | Береза белая |
| Russian | Берёза белая |
| Russian | Берёза извилистая |
| Russian | Берёза опушённая |
| Russian | Береза пушистая |
| Russian | Берёза Черепанова |
| se | soahki |
| se | sieivasoahki |
| Samogitian | beržos pašepielis |
| sjd | суэгкь |
| Slovenian | puhasta breza |
| sma | såekie |
| smj | soahke |
| smn | sieivâsuáhi |
| smn | suáhi |
| sms | hies-sueʹǩǩ |
| sms | tõrggsueʹǩǩ |
| Serbian | Маљава бреза |
| Swedish | glasbjörk |
| Swedish | bouleau pubescent |
| Turkish | tüylü huş |
| tt | бөдрә каен |
| Ukrainian | Береза пухнаста |
| Walloon | blanke beyôle |
| Chinese | 毛桦 |
| Chinese | 毛樺 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Betula pubescens var. fragrans | Ashburner & McAll. | Gen. Betula : 328 (2013) |
| Betula pubescens var. golitsinii | (V.N.Vassil.) Tzvelev | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 34: 61 (2002) |
| Betula pubescens var. kusmisscheffii | (Regel) Gürke | Pl. Eur. 2: 49 (1897) |
| Betula pubescens var. litwinowii | (Doluch.) Ashburner & McAll. | Gen. Betula : 326 (2013) |
| Betula pubescens var. pubescens | Unknown | |
| Betula pubescens var. pumila | (L.) Govaerts | World Checkl. Seed Pl. 2(1): 10 (1996) |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
| Requires Light or Surface Sowing: These seeds need light to germinate and should not be covered with soil or only very lightly. They are often very small and sown directly on the surface of the growing medium. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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Russian Far East
- Khabarovsk
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Siberia
- Altay
- Buryatiya
- Irkutsk
- Krasnoyarsk
- West Siberia
- Yakutskiya
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Western Asia
- Iran
- Turkey
-
Caucasus
-
Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- North European Russia
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Føroyar
- Great Britain
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Italy
- Romania
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- France
- Portugal
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
-
Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Newfoundland
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Maryland
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Subarctic America
- Greenland
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Western Canada
- British Columbia
-
Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000335985 |
| UNII | 154QC2322L |
| Canadensys | 3701 |
| USDA Plants | BEPU5 |
| Tropicos | 3600019 |
| INPN | 85904 |
| Flora of Italy | 247 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:295185-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-21636 |
| PaleoBotany | 29540 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 456846 |
| Observations.org | 6466 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 38787 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000003829 |
| Nature Serve | 2.150156 |
| IUCN Red List | 194521 |
| IPNI | 295185-1 |
| iNaturalist | 119061 |
| GBIF | 9118014 |
| Freebase | /m/02cqx9 |
| EPPO | BETPB |
| EOL | 1149353 |
| Elurikkus | 3104 |
| US Library of Congress | sh85013489 |
| USDA GRIN | 7139 |
| Wikipedia | Betula_pubescens |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| Dry and wet periods determine stem and soil greenhouse gas fluxes in a northern drained peatland forest | Ranniku R, Mander Ü, Escuer-Gatius J, Schindler T, Kupper P, Sellin A, Soosaar K | Sci Total Environ | 10-Jun-2024 |
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| Tree growth potential and its relationship with soil moisture conditions across a heterogeneous boreal forest landscape | Larson J, Vigren C, Wallerman J, Ågren AM, Appiah Mensah A, Laudon H | Sci Rep | 09-May-2024 |
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| Phytochemical Modulation of Ion Channels in Oncologic Symptomatology and Treatment | Rao R, Mohammed C, Alschuler L, Pomeranz Krummel DA, Sengupta S | Cancers (Basel) | 06-May-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 03-May-2024 |
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| The robustness of some Carboniferous fossil leaf venation networks to simulated damage | Mander L, Williams HT | R Soc Open Sci | 01-May-2024 |
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| Cell-TIMP: Cellular Trajectory Inference based on Morphological Parameter | Raj P, Gupta H, Anantha P, Barman I | bioRxiv | 22-Apr-2024 |
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| Chemical Composition of Volatile and Extractive Components of Canary (Tenerife) Propolis | Isidorov VA, Dallagnol AM, Zalewski A | Molecules | 19-Apr-2024 |
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| Mitigating digestive disorders: Action mechanisms of Mediterranean herbal active compounds | Kmail A | Open Life Sci | 18-Apr-2024 |
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| Latitude or altitude as the future refugium? A case for the future of forests in Asia Minor and its surroundings | Ekberzade B, Yetemen O, Ezber Y, Sen OL, Dalfes HN | Ecol Evol | 12-Apr-2024 |
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| Mechanisms of Sepsis-Induced Acute Lung Injury and Advancements of Natural Small Molecules in Its Treatment | Xu Y, Xin J, Sun Y, Wang X, Sun L, Zhao F, Niu C, Liu S | Pharmaceuticals (Basel) | 08-Apr-2024 |
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| Globe-LFMC 2.0, an enhanced and updated dataset for live fuel moisture content research | Yebra M, Scortechini G, Adeline K, Aktepe N, Almoustafa T, Bar-Massada A, Beget ME, Boer M, Bradstock R, Brown T, Castro FX, Chen R, Chuvieco E, Danson M, Değirmenci CÜ, Delgado-Dávila R, Dennison P, Di Bella C, Domenech O, Féret JB, Forsyth G, Gabriel E, Gagkas Z, Gharbi F, Granda E, Griebel A, He B, Jolly M, Kotzur I, Kraaij T, Kristina A, Kütküt P, Limousin JM, Martín MP, Monteiro AT, Morais M, Moreira B, Mouillot F, Msweli S, Nolan RH, Pellizzaro G, Qi Y, Quan X, Resco de Dios V, Roberts D, Tavşanoğlu Ç, Taylor AF, Taylor J, Tüfekcioğlu İ, Ventura A, Younes Cardenas N | Sci Data | 04-Apr-2024 |
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| Differences in birch tar composition are explained by adhesive function in the central European Iron Age | Koch TJ, Saurel M, Bocquillon H, Pisani DF, Bonnabel L, Little A, Stacey R, Rageot M, Regert M | PLoS One | 03-Apr-2024 |
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| Elevation‐dependent tree growth response to climate in a natural Scots pine/downy birch forest in northern Sweden | Fassl M, Aakala T, Östlund L | Plant Environ Interact | 01-Apr-2024 |
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| Effects of resource availability and interspecific interactions on Arctic and red foxes' winter use of ungulate carrion in the Fennoscandian low‐Arctic tundra | Lacombe S, Ims R, Yoccoz N, Kleiven EF, Nicolau PG, Ehrich D | Ecol Evol | 01-Apr-2024 |
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| New Light on Plants and Their Chemical Compounds Used in Polish Folk Medicine to Treat Urinary Diseases | Olas B, Różański W, Urbańska K, Sławińska N, Bryś M | Pharmaceuticals (Basel) | 28-Mar-2024 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
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