Betula populifolia aka White Birch

Betula populifolia, also known as gray or grey birch, is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America. It can be found in southeastern Ontario, east to Nova Scotia, and south to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with scattered populations in Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina. This tree prefers poor, dry upland soils, but can also be found in moist mixed woodlands. It has a short lifespan of only around 30 years and is a common pioneer species on abandoned fields and burned areas. Gray birch typically grows to 20-40 feet tall and is noted for its non-peeling chalky white bark with dark chevron trunk patches appearing below each branch base, as well as its long-pointed triangular green leaves. The triangular leaves are double-toothed and shiny with tapered tips. Tiny monoecious flowers appear in early spring in separate catkins on the same tree. Yellowish-brown male flowers in single catkins appear at the branch tips, while greenish female flowers are in smaller, upright catkins. The female flowers are followed by drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds that typically mature in late summer. The tree has rough-warty twigs. Fire Birch, a rare houseplant belonging to the Betula genus, is native to Southeastern Canada to Virginia. It is a fun challenge to grow and needs regular watering to thrive. Fire Birch prefers long-lasting, direct light and should be less than a foot away from a window. The plant does best in well-draining soil and should not need added fertilizers if repotted each time it doubles in size.