Question
QUESTION: Hi Dr. Vann,

We have a few birch trees on our front lawn. One of them produced very few leaves this summer and I noticed that the bark is peeling off the tree. Could you please tell me what I might be dealing with?

Thank you very much,
Sandra

ANSWER: Sandra:
Bark peeling is a normal condition for river birch (Betula nigra).  It peels horizontally, like sheets of thin paper.  Do you know the age of the tree or when it was planted? Do you notice any problems (spots etc) with the leaves that are present? Any apparant damage to the trunk or excavations near the tree?

If you care to, please send a photo of the tree that shows the issues that you are concerned about.

Regards
Steve

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birch tree  

birch tree 1   QUESTION: Here are a couple o pictures for the tree. Any help would be apreciated. Thank you.

Answer
Sandra:
As mentioned, bark peeling is a normal feature of birch.  There are some areas where the peeling looks abnormal.  Difficult to see, but if there is a large streak that appears to run down one side of the tree, this may be a lightning strike.  Obviously, this would happen suddenly and you may see lots of debris on the ground overnight.  Sometimes some animals may chew on the bark as well.  Normally, the peeling would be all the way around the tree, rather than localized in a streak or stright line downwards.  I am not aware of a disease that may cause the bark to peel abnormally.

Regards
Steve