This birch is displaying shaggy white bark in the New Pinetum.
The genus Betula (birch) is widely grown for its ornamental value, with many species, including the native silver birch (B. pendula), having attractive bark. The genus has a natural distribution of temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, and contains over 100 species. The slender branches are often slightly pendulous in habit; trees bear both male and female catkins; and the alternate toothed leaves create light shade. B. ermanii var. ermanii originates from eastern Asia where it grows to 20m in height, though specimens growing at altitude are usually shorter and have a shrubby habit. In Russia this species is called the rock birch in reference to its colonisation of rocky habitats and thin soils. This specimen has white bark, which is smooth when young and becomes shaggy with age, though the bark can be white through to grey and have a pinkish tint. Several clones of this species are available, including ‘Grayswood Hill’ which has pure white bark.