Betula glandulosa

Dwarf resin birch, Dwarf Resin Birch

Family: Betulaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Dwarf resin birch is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native shrub found in the Cascade Range and Warner Mountains in stream and meadow edge habitats at elevations of 1,300 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces small flowers in delicate, resin-dotted clusters. Growing with multiple trunks less than 2 meters tall, it has distinctive waxy-gray twigs covered in sticky resin glands. Its leaves are small, typically 1 to 2 centimeters long, with elliptic to wide-ovate shapes and glands visible on both leaf surfaces. The bark ranges from brown to gray, creating a subtle, textured appearance in alpine and subalpine environments.

Habitat: Streams, meadow edges

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1300-2300 m

Bioregions: CaRH, Wrn

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.