Betula pumila L.
bog birch (glandular birch; low birch; scrub birch; swamp birch)
Betulaceae (Birch family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Curtis Bjork     (Photo ID #16469)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Betula pumila
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Betula pumila var. glandulifera

Species Information

General:
Deciduous shrub, 0.5-3 m tall; twigs densely hairy, slightly glandular.
Leaves:
Alternate, deciduous, thick and leathery in texture, 1-4 cm long, stalks less than 1 cm long, 4 or more lateral veins, with 10 or more coarse teeth on each side.
Flowers:
Male and female flowers in separate catkins 1.5-2 cm long; flowers emerging before or with the leaves; catkins breaking up at maturity.
Fruits:
Nutlets with narrow wings, 1/2 the width of the body of the nutlets.
Notes:
This species apparently hybridizes with B. pendula and B. papyrifera in our area (Brayshaw 1996b).

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Source:  The USDA

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Betula pumila

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
983 410 1880
Slope Gradient (%)
3 0 80

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

327 22 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
6 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
80
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBS

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BWBS(12), ESSF(6), ICH(4), IDF(1), MS(4), SBPS(15), SBS(29), SWB(1)

Habitat and Range

Wet to moist bogs, fens, marshes, meadows and seepage slopes in all vegetation zones; frequent throughout BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, rare in extreme SW BC; N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ, and S to WY and OR.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia