Wood: Light in weight, hard, strong, durable, close-grained, light reddish-brown.
Uses: Bark used to cover canoes; wood used for pulp, fuel, toothpicks, and spools; sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Habitat: Rich, wooded slopes and stream banks.
Range: Labrador across to Alaska, south to Montana, Colorado, northern Illinois, and West Virginia.
Distinguishing Features: The Paper Birch is readily distinguished by its white bark which peels off into thin, papery layers.
PAPER MULBERRY
Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches; crown rounded.
Bark: Gray or light brown, smooth.
Twigs: Moderately stout, greenish-gray, smooth or finely hairy, zigzag; leaf scars alternate, nearly spherical, elevated, with 5 bundle traces.