The Genus Betula—A Taxonomic Revision of Birches

The stunning Betula, or birch trees, are notoriously difficult to identify despite being one of the major contributors to the beautiful fall foliage famous in eastern North America. With many wrongly named birches appearing in nurseries and arboreta, this new book, the first ever written on the genus, is an important and much-needed work.

The Genus Betula covers all known birches found in North America, Europe, and Asia, along with keys for accurate identification. Chapters include a look at the breeding, cultivation, conservation, and morphology of all species, including several little-known species wonderful for garden and landscape use. The authors present previously unpublished data on recent molecular work and fossils, providing a cytotaxonomic and phylogeographic revision of the Betula genus. The book is accompanied by exquisite specimens of botanical art, including full-color paintings by Josephine Hague, making it a valuable tool for arboriculturists as well as professional and amateur gardeners.

Kenneth Ashburner has traveled extensively in search of birches, crossing Japan, Korea, Russia, Siberia, the Himalayas, and Europe, as well as Canada and the United States. His specialist arboretum was awarded National Collection status for both wild origin birch and alder. Hugh A. McAllister has lectured in botany at universities in Glasgow, Newcastle, and Liverpool and was deputy director at the University of Liverpool’s Ness Botanic Gardens.