Silver birch is a striking, medium-sized deciduous tree, reaching 30m in height at full maturity. A popular and elegant species, forming a light canopy with drooping branches. Orange-red bark on young stems quickly turn year-round white. As the trees mature, the white bark sheds layers, becoming black and rugged at the base. Leaves are bright green and triangular in shape. Flowers produced in April and May leave behind male and female catkins varying between 1 - 6 cm in length.  
 
Silver birch is one of the most valuable trees for wildlife, supporting up to 300 insect species. Leaves that attract aphids, in turn provide food for ladybirds and other species further up the food chain such as swallows, swifts and dragonflies. Birch trees are a host for various specific fungi such as wooly milk cap, birch milk cap, birch brittlegill and birch knight. Woodpeckers and other hole-nesting birds often nest in the trunk, while seeds are eaten by siskins, greenfinches and redpolls. 
 
In Celtic mythology, the birch symbolised renewal and purification whilst in Scottish Highland folklore, a barren cow herded with a birch stick would become fertile, and a pregnant cow would bear a healthy calf. The wood of birch is tough and heavy, making it suitable for furniture production, whilst bark can be used for tanning leather.