THIS IS A DRAFT
The species account below is an early version, drafted around 2003. It has been provided here to aid understanding, but please be aware it may not fully tally with the up-to-date map and statistics shown below.
Betula pubescens
Downy Birch
Species Details
Downy Birch is a native tree of heaths and woods on wet organic soils often at higher altitudes. It can also rapidly colonise areas of moorland particularly those disturbed by cutting or burning. It is frequent in the Dark Peak but only rare to occasional elsewhere. Our plants are probably all subspecies XXpubescens.