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Part of birch genus Betula in alder / birch / hazel / hornbeam family Betulaceae in bayberry / beech / birch / oak / walnut order Fagales.
Native to the arctic tundra, and subarctic. Definitely native to 🇺🇸 Alaska, 🇨🇦 northern Canada, and 🇬🇱 Greenland. Some sources include Asia, which we interpret as 🇷🇺 Siberia, making it circumpolar. 🌎︎ Map (North America, Central America). Thus, the shortest of all the birches. By a lot! Tree is never more than boot-top- or waist-high, and the leaves are tiny.
Uses by native peoples(Ethnobotany database)
Betula hosts caterpillars of 413 speciesof butterflies and moths, in some areas.
🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Flora of North America USDA PLANTS db USFS Wikipedia
🏠︎ birch branches genus Betula