European weeping birch Betulaceae Betula pendula Roth   symbol: BEPE3
	Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately-veined, ovate to nearly triangular in shape, 2 to 4 inches long, long pointed at the tip, with doubly serrate margins, green above and paler below Flower: Monoecious; preformed male catkins near the end of the twig, mostly in groups of 2 and 3; females upright, slender, light green, 1 inch long, appearing or elongating (males) in the spring. Fruit: Cone like, cylindrical, 1 inch long, deciduous at maturity releasing tiny, 2-winged nutlets; maturing in late summer and dispersed in early autumn. Twig: Twigs are slender, reddish brown in color and noticeably drooping, loighter colored lenticels are present, but do not result in a rough feeling twig (as in gray birch), buds slender, pointed, green and brown. Bark: Reddish brown with light lenticels when very young, later turning white, generally smooth but does peel a bit; the base of the tree develops thick bark which splits into narrow, vertical furrows which are nearly black. Form: A small to medium size tree up to 65 feet tall with an open, pyramidal crown with distinctly drooping fine branches.
	USDA Plants Database Betula pendula is planted in the highlighted USDA hardiness zones to the left and is not known to widely escape cultivaton.