Plant Details

Betula papyrifera

Paper Birch, Mountain paper birch, Kenai birch

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Common names

37 names · 23 languages
EnglishYour language
  • American white birch[2]
  • canoe birch[2]
  • Kenai birch
+7 more namesShow fewer names
  • Mountain paper birch
  • Paper Birch[1][2]
  • Paper White White Birch[2]
  • paper-bark birch[2]
  • silver birch[2]
  • western paper birch[2]
  • white birch[2]
Other languages (22)
Dutch
  • Papierberk[2]
French
  • Bouleau à papier[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • bříza papírovitá[2]
Danish
Downriver Halkomelem
  • sә́k̓ʷәməy̓[2]
Estonian
  • paberikask[2]
Finnish
  • paperikoivu[2]
German
  • Amerikanische Weiß-Birke[2]
  • Kanu-Birke[2]
  • Papier-Birke[2]
Hungarian
  • Papírnyír[2]
Japanese
  • アメリカシラカンバ[2]
Laadan
Lithuanian
  • Popieržievis beržas[2]
Mi Kmaq
Ojibwe
  • wiigwaasaatig[2]
Polish
  • Brzoza papierowa[2]
Russian
  • Берёза бумажная[2]
Slovak
  • breza papierová[2]
Spanish
  • Abedul de las canoas[2]
  • abedul de papel[2]
Swedish
  • pappersbjörk[2]
Ukrainian
  • Береза паперова[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Betula papyrifera Marshall ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Paper birch (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 154461; taxon LPCK.
[2] Betula papyrifera — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • paper birch — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • white birch — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • bouleau à papier — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • wiigwaasaatig — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • bříza papírovitá — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • 紙樺 — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Papierberk — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • American white birch — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Берёза бумажная — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • abedul de papel — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • paberikask — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • paperikoivu — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Brzoza papierowa — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • maskwi — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • アメリカシラカンバ — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • pappersbjörk — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Paper White White Birch — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • paper-bark birch — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • 纸桦 — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • meláanin — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • papirbirk — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • silver birch — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • canoe birch — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Papier-Birke — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Popieržievis beržas — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • 美国白桦 — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • 北美白桦 — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Papírnyír — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Abedul de las canoas — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • breza papierová — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • western paper birch — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • sә́k̓ʷәməy̓ — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Береза паперова — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Kanu-Birke — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.
  • Amerikanische Weiß-Birke — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 49883; Betula papyrifera.

General information

Scientific name: Betula papyrifera
Accepted name (Kew): Betula papyrifera Marshall View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [3] [4]
Botanical family: Betulaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Betula (WCVP v16).

Sources [3]
Also known as: Paper Birch, Mountain paper birch, Kenai birch
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Tree
Catalogue size class: Large
Height: 15.24–21.34 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [1]
Spread: 7.62–13.72 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [1]
Growth rate: Fast

A typical growth category; growth varies with age, climate and growing conditions.

Sources [1] [2]
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [1]
Growth habit: Multi-stemmed, Multi-trunked, Oval, Pyramidal, Rounded

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [1]
Life cycle: Perennial
Sources [1]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [1]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [1]
Soil:
Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky
Sources [1]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [1]
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [1]

Uses

Edible parts:
Flowers, Inner bark, Leaves, Sap, Tea
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Adhesive, Charcoal, Dye, Essential oil, Fibre, Cosmetic use, Paper, Pioneer species, Repellent, Wood, Fragrant, Bee forage

Description

Inner bark - raw or cooked, best in spring. The inner bark can be dried, ground, and used as a thickening agent in soups or added to flour for making bread and cookies. Normally, inner bark is only eaten during food scarcity when other forms of starch are not available. Sap - raw or cooked with a sweet flavor, harvested in early spring. The sap flows best on warm, sunny days following a hard frost. The sap can also be concentrated into syrup or sugar by boiling off some of the water and fermented to make birch beer or vinegar. Very young leaves, shoots, and catkins - raw or cooked. Tea can be brewed from the young leaves and root bark.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/09
Harvest ends: 31/10

Crown

Crown shape: Rounded or irregular

A single trunk tends to produce a rounded crown; multi-trunk training produces an irregular crown.

Sources [1]
Crown density: Dense crown

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Betula papyrifera (Canoe Birch, Kenai Birch, Mountain Paper Birch, Paperbark birch, Paper Birch, White Birch) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: Growth rateCrown shapeHeightSpreadFoliageGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Crown shape: Description: crown architecture
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 25 ft. 0 in. - 45 ft. 0 in.
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .

  2. Native Plant Trust; Go Botany Betula papyrifera (paper birch): Go Botany
    Supports: Growth rate
    Relevant sections
    • Growth rate: Facts and species identification characteristics

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 962990; name ID 21065; Betula L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 963425; name ID 21557; Betula papyrifera Marshall.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  4. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Betula papyrifera

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 4999606, ID LPCK: Betula papyrifera Marshall (accepted).

    Source checked on .