Betula albosinensis Betula albosinensis Betula albosinensis, the "'Chinese red birch"), syn. "B. bhojpattra" var. "sinensis", "B. utilis" var. "sinensis", is a species of birch in the family Betulaceae, native to Western China. It is a deciduous tree growing to . A particular feature is the peeling brown bark (cream when newly exposed). In fact the Latin specific name "albosinensis" means "white, from China". Brown catkins are produced in Spring. "Betula albosinensis" is grown as an ornamental tree for parks and large gardens, and numerous cultivars have been produced. The cultivars 'China Rose' and 'Red Panda' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award
Betula lenta vertical cracks into irregular scaly plates revealing rough dark brown bark patterns. This, however, only occurs in mature, or ancient, trees and these specimens are not often identified by the public as "B. lenta" due to the difference between the tree's smooth young bark (which the public is most familiar with) and the tree's rough, cracked and plated mature bark. The twigs, when scraped, have a strong scent of wintergreen due to methyl salicylate, which is produced in the bark. The leaves are alternate, ovate, long and broad, with a finely serrated margin. The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins long, the