Paper birch

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More names for this tree

Anishinaabemowin: Wiigwaasi-mitig

Dakota: Çaŋhasaŋ (birch tree)

The Dakota and Anishinaabe were among the earliest people to name Minnesota’s plants and animals, as well as to understand them in relation to Minnesota’s climate and seasons. Those original names are still in use, and several are included on the Season Watch website.

Latin (or scientific name): Betula papyrifera

The scientific community has a convention of assigning agreed-upon Latin names to every kind of organism. Using scientific names helps people communicate confidently about the same organism and organize lifeforms based on how closely related they are.

Page contents

About the paper birch

Visual guide to phenology

Graphs and historical data

More resources

A large paper birch in a partly open woodland. Its leafless white trunk and branches are sunlit in this early winter scene.
White birch without its leaves
November 25, 2021, Dakota County, Minnesota
Photo © kimcwren, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
iNaturalist observation

About the paper birch

  • The paper birch is a deciduous tree with distinct white, papery bark that grows up to seventy feet tall and lives up to 120 years. 
  • In spring, the paper birch produces sap that can be used to make syrup and vinegar. 
  • From April to June they have yellow flowers that form tassel-like structures, called catkins.
  • The flowers create seeds that ripen from August to September. 
  • In the fall, the tree’s heart shaped leaves turn a bright yellow. 
  • In Minnesota, paper birch can be found everywhere except for the southwest corner of the state. 
  • Fun fact: Young leaves and twigs can be infused in hot water to make a wintergreen flavored tea.

Visual guide to phenology

Watch for the appearance of leaves, flowers, and fruits. Take notice of when flowers open and fruits ripen.

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Note to observers

This page explains general clues to watch for when observing paper birch phenology. However, this page does not instruct observers on how to identify this plant or collect data in a standardized way.

Three buds at the tip of a small branch. These pointy buds have both dark red and soft green coloration.
Three cylyndrical catkins are at the tip of one branch. The catkins are shades of reddish-brown and have a scaly texture. These catkins are made up of flower buds that are not yet open.
A twig that has both female flower catkins and leaves. The flowers and the leaves are shades of green and soft red.
Twig of a paper birch with both male and female flower catkins. The male flowers droop down and are shades of yellow and brown. The female catkins are smaller and swoop upwards.
Fruits, which are still green, have formed where the female catkin was. Similar to the flowers, fruits tightly arranged in a cylindrical shape, the catkin.
In the center of this image is what remains of the spent male flower catkin. It is brown, dry, and will eventually fall off the tree.
A bright yellow-green cylindar with scaly texture. This is a catkin composed of many fruits.
This autumn scene features a paper birch with colored leaves. Its thin, bright white trunk supports a canopy of orange-yellow leaves.
A catkin of golden tan ripe fruits lies on the ground. Many individual fruits, which are small winged nutlets, have fallen off the catkin structure.
A photo of the snow's surface which is strewn with tiny, golden brown ripe fruits from a paper birch tree.

Graphs and historical data

Note: The Orientation Center provides a map, as well as information on reading graphs; interpreting summary statistics, who collected the data and how; and how to download datasets for independent exploration.


Itasca County

Leaf budbreak

  • Earliest: April 15 (occurred in 2005)
  • Average: May 2
  • Latest: May 29 (occurred in 2002)
Scatterplot showing paper birch phenology observations in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

More resources

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) in the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) in Nature's Notebook

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) profile by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Cold winter temperature can accelerate the timing of spring budbreak, synopsis of a journal publication by Claudia Nanninga, Chris R Buyarski, Andrew M Pretorius, Rebecca A Montgomery (2017) in Tree Physiology 37: 1727–1738.

 

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Keep exploring Season Watch

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Tree of life
State of Minnesota

Minnesota places
Circular icon with an illustrated flower, sun, falling leaf, and snowflake to represent the four seasons

Times of year

Co-author: Lynsey Nass, Minnesota Master Naturalist