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Betula glandulosa
Bog Birch
At a Glance: Spreading, small-branched perennial shrub of bogs and wet areas.
Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall; usually shorter.
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Bark becomes reddish-brown when mature; young branches have numerous round sticky glands.
Leaves: Alternately arranged. Each round to oval leaf is blunt-tipped with single-toothed margins; the green surfaces are shiny with a somewhat leathery texture and heavy venation. Size: 1-4 cm (.4-1.5 in) long.
Flowers: Female catkins are drooping and much large than male catkins; size: female catkins are 1-2.5 cm long by 3-5 mm thick; male catkins are smaller and inconspicuous, with a narrow cylindrical shape.
Flowering Period: April.
Fruits: Small winged fruits with broad enclosed nutlet, contained in mature female catkins.
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 wet  moist dry
Wetland Indicator Status:
OBL (obligate wetland) |
low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation
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sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils |
well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils |
humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils |
Aquatic and Wetland:
Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs
Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas |
Saltwater Areas:
In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches
Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas
Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks |
Forests and Thickets:
Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets
Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas
Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites |
Suggested References
- Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 21.
- Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 174.
- Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 125.
The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.
