32. Paper Birch

Tree Tour

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At the southeast corner of Thomson Hall stands a white-barked paper or canoe birch, a species with an extensive native range from Alaska all across Canada and the northern United States. Native in Seattle, it is rare here, and is vastly outnumbered by its European cousin Weeping European White Birch. The American is distinguished year-round by its mummy-like wrapped trunk. In summer, the leaves are larger than those of the European birches, and the twigs less refined and elegant. Briefly, paper birch has a whiter trunk but larger foliage. The tree we single out at this stop has been hurt by the wall constructed next to it, so its top is thin and its leaves smaller than when it was healthy. Larger examples are elsewhere on campus.

Pictured below: Map showing geographical range of Paper Birch.

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