Betula pendula

Overview

Kew accepts Betula pendula Roth in Betulaceae. Under Kew's current concept, which includes subspecies, the range covers temperate Eurasia, northwestern Africa and Alaska to Canada. Greece is listed among its native territories. This range is wider than some older Eurasian accounts.

A 2017 Nature Genetics paper describes silver birch as a pioneer of Eurasian boreal forest. It notes that controlled conditions can bring flowering forward to within one year.

The 2017 study assembled an inbred tree’s nuclear genome at about 440 megabases. Ancient-event duplicates were enriched for transcriptional regulation; tandem duplicates were associated with environmental responses. The assembly does not represent every wild individual.

Origins & earliest records

Kew records first publication in Roth's Tentamen Florae Germanicae, volume 1, page 405 (1788). This is naming history, not the taxon's evolutionary beginning.

Evidence & interpretation

Kew naming and distribution;2017 genome study, corrected 2019.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Tentamen Florae Germanicae, vol. 1

   Roth · 1788

   Selected bibliography; place of first publication as recorded by Kew (p. 405).

2. 02

   Genome sequencing and population genomic analyses provide insights into the adaptive landscape of silver birch

   · 2017

   Selected bibliography; Nature Genetics 49:904–912; author correction 2019.

Family, evolution & connections

Taxonomic classification

A hierarchy of classified groups, not a chain of direct ancestors.

Source note: Kew's current concept includes subspecies and a wider range than some older accounts.

1. FamilyBetulaceae
2. SpeciesBetula pendula Roth

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Taxonomic databaseBetula pendula Roth | Plants of the World OnlineResearch access: 2026-10-07
2. Peer-reviewed articleGenome sequencing and population genomic analyses provide insights into the adaptive landscape of silver birchResearch access: 2026-10-07

Image credits

A black silhouette of a whole birch, including its leafy crown, narrow trunk and spreading roots.

Attributed silhouette labelled Betula pendula in the individual source record; retained whole raster shows an outline, without colour, exact locality or diagnostic detail.