Betula papyrifera very toxic to paper birch. It is frequently planted as an ornamental due to its graceful form and attractive bark. The bark changes to the white color at about 3 years of growth. Paper birch grows best in USDA zones 2-6, due to its intolerance of high temperatures. "Betula nigra", or river birch, is recommended for warm-climate areas warmer than zone 6 where paper birch is rarely successful. "B. papyrifera" is more resistant to the bronze birch borer than "Betula pendula" which is similarly planted as a landscape tree. Birch skeletonizer is a small larva which feeds on the leaves
Terminalia sericea to tall. The bark is a reddish or greyish brown colour and peels away in strips. The bluish-green leaves tend to be clustered at the tips of the branches. They are ovate with entire margins and both the upper and lower surfaces are clothed in silvery hairs. The flowers are white and are borne in short axilliary spikes. They have an unpleasant smell and may be pollinated by flies. The fruit are winged nuts containing a single seed and turn a darker pink colour as they ripen. They may remain attached to the branch for a year and are dispersed