Wikipedia states: It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 20 m tall (exceptionally to 35 m) with a trunk up to 80 cm diameter. The bark is white, commonly brightly so, flaking in fine horizontal strips, and often with small black marks and scars. In individuals younger than five years, the bark appears brown with white lenticels, making the tree much harder to distinguish from other trees. The leaves are alternate, ovate, 5–12 cm long and 4–9 cm broad, with a doubly serrate margin. The leaf buds are conical and small. They are green-colored with brown edges. The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins 3–8 cm long growing from the tips of twigs. The fruit matures in the fall. The mature fruit is composed of numerous tiny winged seeds packed between the catkin bracts. They drop between September and spring.

This is the superb white-barked native birch that offers better resistance to the borer than other birches. It is sometimes called White Birch that is outstanding in the winter landscape and the bark peels off to reveal reddish orange underbark. This species is excellent when used in groupings, in groves, or even as a single specimen. It has a golden-yellow fall color; likes cool areas and moist acid soils. It is vigorous but not always long-lived in less-than-ideal circumstances.