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Betula pubescens

Brown Birch · Downy Birch · European Paper Birch

Family BetulaceaeGenus Betula

A slender birch in dark summer leaf on a grassy hillside, with taller trees behind it
The whole plantElfo del bosqueCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
treePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, TreePLANTS Database
Native range
Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Buryatiya and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Grows farther north than any other broadleaf tree. It is often confused with silver birch, but grows in wetter places with heavier soils. Wikipedia: Betula pubescens

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 30, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 6 days to germinate.

13% germination in 6 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Betula p. 25Public domain
Show the original text
Betula (Betulaceae). Light and/or 40-70 patterns were best. B. pubescens germ. 70L(13% on 6th d), 70D(8% in 4th w), and none in 70 GA-3 or 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Betula p. 25. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

8% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Betula p. 25Public domain
Show the original text
Betula (Betulaceae). Light and/or 40-70 patterns were best. B. pubescens germ. 70L(13% on 6th d), 70D(8% in 4th w), and none in 70 GA-3 or 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Betula p. 25. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Betula p. 25Public domain
Show the original text
Betula (Betulaceae). Light and/or 40-70 patterns were best. B. pubescens germ. 70L(13% on 6th d), 70D(8% in 4th w), and none in 70 GA-3 or 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Betula p. 25. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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