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
Bark spud (tool) Bark spud (tool) The Bark spud, (also known as a Peeling Iron, Peeler Bar, Peeling Spud, or abbreviated to Spud) is an implement which is used to remove bark from felled timber. Most bark spuds have steel heads and wooden handles, typically hickory or ash. The head is curved, sometimes in one direction with a single cutting edge, and sometimes more dish shaped and sharpened on three sides. In use, the sharpened edge is slid between the bark and the wood, removing the bark from the tree in a number of strips. It is especially useful at removing bark without