Date Planted: Approximately 1950

Family: Betulaceae

Hardiness: Hardy in the Gorham, ME area; Zone 2-6(7)

Mature Dimensions: 50-70 feet tall, 25-40 feet wide

Habit: Oval to rounded crown in maturity

Bark: Creamy white, easily peeled to expose an orange inner bark; older trunks develop black spots

Buds: ¼ to ½ inch long, with overlapping scales; ovate, divergent from stem, brownish black

Leaves: Simple, alternate, ovate, 2-4 inches long, coarsely and doubly serrate, 3-7 pairs of lateral veins. Dark green summer color ages to bright yellow in the fall

Flowers: Dioecious; male 2-4" brown catkins, female 1-1 ½" green catkins; both borne in clusters of 2 or 3

Fruit: Small nutlet, borne on 1 -1 ½" catkin

Pests/Diseases: Some susceptibility to borer, especially stressed trees

Reference Pages: Dirr M. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing Co., Champaign, IL.