Betula pendula (as "B. oycoviensis") was previously listed on the Red List as vulnerable, though it is now considered a synonym of "Betula pendula" subsp. "pendula". "Betula szaferi" was previously considered extinct in the wild on the Red List, but is now considered a form of "B. pendula" with the presence of a mutant gene, causing it to grow weakly and fruit heavily. Silver birch is often planted in parks and gardens, grown for its white bark and gracefully drooping shoots, sometimes even in warmer-than-optimum places such as Los Angeles and Sydney. In Scandinavia and other regions of northern Europe, it is
Betula lenta male catkins pendulous, the female catkins erect. The fruit, maturing in fall, is composed of numerous tiny winged seeds packed between the catkin bracts. Seed production mainly occurs in trees that are between 40 and 200 years old, although light crops may occur as early as 15 years and as long as the tree lives. Contrary to common knowledge, the lifespan of "B. lenta" is typically around 200 years, and many individuals will reach 250 and even 300 years. The oldest known "B. lenta" has been confirmed to be 368 years old, and the species may live even longer than