Betula pubescens Betula pubescens Betula pubescens (syn. "Betula alba"), commonly known as downy birch and also as moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch, is a species of deciduous tree, native and abundant throughout northern Europe and northern Asia, growing farther north than any other broadleaf tree. It is closely related to, and often confused with, the silver birch ("B. pendula"), but grows in wetter places with heavier soils and poorer drainage; smaller trees can also be confused with the dwarf birch ("B. nana"). Three varieties are recognised and it hybridises with the silver and dwarf birches. A number
Beech bark disease The woolly, white tufts and broad strips are the colonies of the beech scale insect that are formed in tiny crevices along the bark. An adult beech scale insect has a soft body, is yellow in color, ranges from 0.5 to 1.0 millimeter long, and has an elliptical shape. The beech scale insect also has a stylet that it uses to penetrate the bark of the tree for feeding purposes. There are no male beech scale insects and the female insects reproduce parthenogenetically. In mid to late summer, the beech scale insect lays its eggs and dies. The eggs are