Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Yukon Territory to northeastern Oregon, east across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist, open to dense woods at low to middle elevations.
Flowers: March-May
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Wind
Monoecious, deciduous small tree 15-20 m. tall, the young twigs puberulent and covered with flattened glands that are more or less peltate and not at all resinous; older wood from cherry to chalky-white and peeling.
Leaves alternate, the blades narrowly ovate to nearly rotund, 4-7 cm. long, once- or twice-serrate, occasionally shallowly lobed, often glabrous on the greener upper surface, pubescent beneath, with tufts of stiff hairs in the axils of the larger lateral veins.
Staminate catkins elongate and pendulous, 1-4 per cluster; pistillate catkins erect, 3-5 cm. long, borne singly, the naked flowers subtended with a 3-lobed bract 5-7 mm. long, with marginal hairs.
Samara, the wings as broad as the nutlet.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Betula papyrifera in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Betula papyrifera checklist entry
OregonFlora: Betula papyrifera information
E-Flora BC: Betula papyrifera atlas page
CalPhotos: Betula papyrifera photos