Betula utilis of the tree's native distribution, several forms have orange- or copper-colored bark. "Betula utilis" var. "jacquemontii", from the western end of the native habitat, is widely used because several cultivars have especially white bark. These include: Those cultivars marked have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. "B. utilis" 'Fascination' has an orange- to mahogany-colored bark, which peels off to reveal a polished-looking layer underneath. The bark of 'Wakehurst Place Chocolate', as the name implies, is dark brown to nearly black. Betula utilis Betula utilis (Himalayan birch, bhojpatra, "bhūrjá") is a birch tree native to the Himalayas, growing
Betula utilis from snowmelt, rather than from the monsoon rains. They often have very bent growth due to the pressure of the deep winter snow in the Himalaya. Leaves are ovate, long, with serrated margins, and slightly hairy. Flowering occurs from May–July, with only a few male catkins, and short, single (sometimes paired) female catkins. The perianth has four parts in male flowers, and is absent in the female flowers. Fruits ripen in September–October. The thin, papery bark is very shiny, reddish brown, reddish white, or white, with horizontal lenticels. The bark peels off in broad, horizontal belts, making it very usable