Betula platyphylla

Japanese white birch or Siberian silver birch is a member of the birch or Betulaceae family and is native to in temperate or subarctic places of Asia (Japan, China, Korea and Russian Siberia). It can grow up to 30 m tall.

It is closely related to Betula pendula, and is noted for its white bark, thin spreading branches and slightly pendant branchlets.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, ovate, glabrous, up to 7.5 cm long, moderately fine-toothed, with tapered tips.
• Species is monoecious; males form yellowish-brown, drooping catkins up to 7.5 cm long; females form upright, green catkins up to 3 cm long; female flowers develop into drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds that mature in late summer, fragmenting in the winter to disperse their seeds (distinguishing from an alder (Alnus), where cones do not fragment in winter).
• Bark of larger branches and the stem display showy, bright white bark; bark does not exfoliate; young twigs have resinous glands.