The white birch, also known as paper birch or canoe birch, is the state tree of New Hampshire. It has distinctive papery bark and heart-shaped leaves, and is an important food source for white-tailed deer and moose. It is one of the 12 most common trees in the state, which has nearly 5 million acres of woodland.
Under New Hampshire law, adopted on May 22, 1947, the state tree of New Hampshire is Betula papyrifera, commonly known as the white birch. The tree is also called paper birch and canoe birch, as it was used as an ancient form of paper and for canoes by Native Americans. This deciduous tree is native to New Hampshire in North America. It has a distinctive, papery bark that curls and peels with age. The glossy heart-shaped leaves provide an airy canopy and dappled shade that allows grass and other plants to grow at the base of the tree.
The New Hampshire state tree reaches a height of 50 to 80 feet (15.24 to 24.38 m) at maturity. The trunks may grow as individual stems, but horticulturists often grow many of the seedlings in intertwining clumps, giving the appearance of a low shrub as the trees age. As a young sapling, the bark of the white birch is dull brown, but develops to a creamy chalky white with dark gray streaks. In spring, the tree produces small hairy catkins that develop seeds from the husky shell for reproduction.
Senator J. Guy Smart and Mrs. Helen Funkhauser asked the state legislature to designate the white birch as a New Hampshire state tree, and Governor Charles Dale signed the law into law. The tree was chosen for its predominance in the New Hampshire scenery, dubbed the “Queen of the Woods” by the New Hampshire state periodical Troubadour. In spring and summer, the tree’s distinctive white bark peppers the region’s dense forests. This tree changes color in the fall, producing a vivid autumn display that attracts peeping tourists from all over the world.
Another of New Hampshire’s state symbols, the state animal, enjoys feeding on New Hampshire’s widely available state tree. White-tailed deer often feed on the tender leaves and bark of white birch trees; moose also rely on the tree as an important food source during the harsh New Hampshire winters. Though admired, the white birch was not the official state tree of New Hampshire for 160 years. The pine was the first tree to appear on the New Hampshire state seal. The birch is not praised in any of New Hampshire’s official and honorary state songs, despite high praise for the state’s rich forest and colorful fall landscapes.
Though radically reduced after decades of logging, woodlands fill nearly 5,000,000 acres of New Hampshire land, about 84 percent of the state. New Hampshire follows only the state of Maine as the state with the most forests in the United States. White birch makes up one of the 12 most common trees in the state.
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