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Betula pumila - (image 1 of 5)

Taxonomy

Family: Betulaceae

Habitat

Swamps, bogs, fens

Associates

Distribution

Newfoundland and Quebec west to southern Ontario, MI, WI, and northern IL, south to NJ, MD, central OH, and northern IN.

Morphology

Erect, multi-stemmed shrub to 4 m. Leaves stiff, obovate to broadly ovate, 2-3 cm, coarsly dentate, rounded to broadly cunate base, pubescent when young. Twigs red-brown with whitish lenticels. Upright aments 1-2 cm on short peduncles.

Notes

Flowers late April to mid May

Wetland Indicator: Obligate

Rare throughout much of its range but often forming large colonies in suitable habitat. These plants were photographed in southeast WI.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois

USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov).
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA

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