Silver birch, Betula pendula, is native to almost all of the British Isles, although commoner in the south, preferring drier and acid soils. The leaves are toothed with large and small teeth, taper to a sharp point and are without hairs. These characters distinguish the silver birch from the downy birch, Betula pubescens, which has a more rounded tip to the leaf and hairy leaves. The female catkins of silver birch stick up from the hanging branches while the male catkins hang down. There are several fine specimens in Belfast Botanic Gardens, one close to the Botanic Avenue gate (photographed here) and another by the gate into the garden works yard.