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Big City, Big Trees
1. Eastern Parkway Entrance Area
Monarch Birch (Betula maximowicziana)
| Native Habitat: | Central and northern Japan |
Photo: Romi Ige.
Carl Johann Maximowicz (1827–1891), a Russian botanist, claimed discovery of this species during his travels in Japan. Commonly known as the monarch birch, the tree attains regal status among other birches by outpacing them in growth, reaching heights of 80 to 100 feet. Its gray-white bark has obvious lenticels—pores through which oxygen and other gases pass into and out of the tree's bark.
Notable Neighbors:
- 1A. Monarch birch (Betula maximowicziana)
- 1B. Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima)
- 1C. Atlas cedar (Cedrus libani ssp. atlantica)
- 1D. Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina)
- 1E. Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)