About Betula ermanii Cham.
Betula ermanii, commonly known as Erman's birch, is a species of birch tree in the family Betulaceae. This is an extremely variable species native to Northeast China, Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East, where it occurs in the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, and Kamchatka. The species can grow up to 20 metres (66 feet) tall. It is well known for its peeling bark: the bark can sometimes be removed in sheets, but it more commonly shreds and hangs from the trunk and lower branches. In spring, yellow-brown male catkins emerge alongside the new leaves. Erman's birch is widely cultivated in regions outside of its natural native range. The cultivar 'Grayswood Hill' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.