Birch Trees

[jburd641]

Are White Birch trees not as common as they once were? It may just be a part of childhood memories but I seem to remember them being more abundant a very long time ago.
My grandparents had a house on Lake Pine and it seemed like they were in every yard. Maybe they were the "in" tree back in the sixties?
Anyone know anything about these trees?

 

[MarkBNJ]

One thing I know is that a lot of them up here seem to have some strange problem. Over in the woods to the east of my house most of the white birches, which seem fairly young (say 5-8" diameter) have bent over in an arc until their crowns are almost touching the ground. I've been rather curious about it, but don't know what the deal is.

 

[woodjin]

I can't recall if I've ever seen a white birch in the barrens. Plenty of grey birches though.

Jeff

 

[RednekF350]

I can't recall if I've ever seen a white birch in the barrens. Plenty of grey birches though.

Jeff

You are correct sir.
Betula populifolia is the gray birch, which is the tree most people mistake for a white birch.
It is not long lived or well formed and is a pioneer species colonizing old fields and disturbed areas.
It is very common in NJ. Easy to distinguish from a true white birch by the "eyebrows" on the trunk.
True white birch, Betula papyrifera, are a cold climate species not very common in our parts of New Jersey. It is the one that was used for the making of birch bark canoes.

 

[jburd641]

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought they were white birches in the pines.

 

[dazme2u2]

Are White Birch trees not as common as they once were? It may just be a part of childhood memories but I seem to remember them

My grandparents had a house on Lake Pine and it seemed like they were in every yard. Maybe they were the "in" tree back in the sixties?
Anyone know anything about these trees?

We also had a white birch in our yard, in the 70's, and one of the ice storms bent it over in an arch . I think my parents removed it after that .
I too wonder why none are seen around my part of the world any more? There used to be white pines in the Lebanon forest of NJ.
more abundant a very long time ago.

 

[manumuskin]

Lebanon is the only place in south jersey I have ever seen obvious patches of non planted white pine. Down here in the way south you only see them in planted patches in the state forest and in people yards and hedgrows.