Silver birch – Betula pendula Male catkins elongate and shed pollen at the same time as leaf buds open. Birch pollen is by far the biggest contributor among the trees. The male catkins are yellow in colour and usually hang in groups of two compared to the short, bright green female catkins. Silver Birch Trees - Information about native Silver Birch trees at Tree2mydoor UK. These appear in the spring as tiny yellow tails made up of numerous small flower heads. Female catkins are short and point upwards, hanging downwards after pollination, when the … The silver birch, also known as the white birch, grows from 40 to 50 feet in height with a slender trunk that seldom exceeds a foot in diameter. Smooth in young trees, the bark gets rugged at the base in older trees. The flowers are catkins and the light, winged seed get widely scattered by the wind. Golden brown on twigs and young branches, the bark matures to silvery white with black clefts. Silver Birch- Betula pendula. Betula pendula, commonly called silver birch or European white birch, is a graceful medium-sized tree with slender pendulous branches and attractive bark. The male catkins release their pollen, which is carried by the wind to fertilize the upright female catkins. Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth., family Betulaceae, order Fagales) produces pollen grains in pendulous male (staminate) inflorescences (catkins), that are formed 1 year before The female catkins are a bit shorter and thicker than the male catkins and both appear in April and May. The feature that distinguishes it from the rest of the birch trees is its flaking sliver/white bark. Find out about historic meanings behind Silver Birch Trees in UK. Silver birch trees have both female and male flowers, known as catkins. Bark The bark of the Silver Birch is very distinctive and can appear smooth silver or white with horizontal striations when young to having deeply grooved black, rough, patches as pictured. 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