A number of conifers are candidates for the Official Evergreen of Winter, but among the leaf-shedding shade trees there is just one superstar, the birch tree with its peeling snow-white bark.

Seedling river birch is common in the marketplace, and there are at least two superb cultivars available, Heritage and Dura Heat.

Native Plant: River birch is an interesting tree that boasts interesting bark that exfoliates to reveal a variety of colors.

A number of conifers are candidates for the Official Evergreen of Winter, but among the leaf-shedding shade trees there is just one superstar, the birch tree with its peeling snow-white bark ...

Interior Alaska s hot and dry summer of 2013, coupled with an invasion of insect pests, has taken a steep toll on the region s birch trees, experts say.