European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

Silver Birch is classified as Least Concern due to its widespread distribution, stable populations and no major threats.

The range of the Silver Birch extends from Europe to the Far East and into northwest Africa (The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 2012). It is native to northern Africa (Morocco), temperate Asia and Europe (except Iceland, Iberian Peninsula and Greece) but is cultivated widely and has become naturalised outside this range (USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program 2012).

Silver Birch is most abundant in northern Europe where it follows the distribution of mixed forests where fairly large pure stands can be found. Its distribution is more patchy in southern and western parts of Europe where it is usually found at higher altitudes. In Spain, France and Italy the populations have become more fragmented and further studies on the genetic variation of these southern populations is required. In general this species produces a large amount of seed and is able to recolonise rapidly (Vakkari 2009).

A fast growing deciduous broadleaved tree growing up to 30 metres tall found in mixed woodland, heathland, moorland and mountain sides on well drained, dry, sandy or acidic soils. Silver birch is an opportunistic species and produces a huge number of seeds which are wind dispersed and is able to rapidly colonise open ground, burned ground and can become a threat to heathland. It is planted in gardens and is also found on roadsides and in parks. It hybridises with Betula pubescens and Betula aurata. The species is monoecious, male and female catkins are found in the same tree.Silver birch is characterized by hairless leaves and young shoots and by very thick bark at the base of old trunks (Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora 2012, Blamey and Grey-Wilson 2003, Vakkari 2009).

There are no major threats however plantations of birch are threatened by shoot fungi as causal agents of crown dieback but naturally regenerated birch are resistant to fungal disease (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 2012, Forestry Commission 2012).

Silver Birch is commonly planted as a garden or ornamental tree and in northern Europe and Scandinavia it is grown for lumber and pulp. It is one of the most commercially important tree species in northern Europe. Its wood is used for making plywood and carpentry as well as fuel and pulp which is often mixed with conifer pulp to produce high quality paper. It is also used in reforestation and as fodder for cattle. This tree is a valuable resource for conservation, habitat and landscape purposes and contributes to the diversity in temperate and boreal forests (Vakkari 2009).

It has limited medicinal use but the bark is diuretic and laxative. An oil obtained from the inner bark is an astringent used in the treatment of various skin afflictions, especially eczema and psoriasis. The bark is usually obtained from trees that have been felled for timber and can be distilled at any time of the year. The bitter and astringent inner bark is used in treating intermittent fevers. The vernal sap is diuretic and the buds are balsamic. The whole or fragmented leaves can be used as a herbal substance and herbal preparation from dry extracts for oral use. The traditional herbal medicinal product is used to increase the amount of urine to achieve flushing of the urinary tract (Plants for a Future 2012, European Medicine Agency 2007).

The inner bark can be cooked or dried and ground into a meal but is generally only used during famine when other forms of starch are not available or are in short supply. Sap can be eaten raw or cooked, has a sweet flavour and can be fermented into a beer. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. A tea is made from the leaves and the essential oil in the inner bark (Plants for a Future 2012).

Seeds are stored in the Millennium Seed Bank (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 2012).

It is listed as Least Concern in Denmark (NERI 2007), Estonia (eBiodiversity Estonia 2012), Germany (Ludwig and Schnittler 1996), Luxembourg (Colling 2005), Norway (Artsdatabanken 2010), Switzerland (Moser et al. 2002) and the United Kingdom (Cheffings and Farrell 2005).