The trunk is dark, rough, and irregularly broken by shallow fissures. Gray birch reproduces mainly by seed. It begins producing seed at 8 years of age with abundant seed crops every year. The seed crops germinate readily. Gray birch sprouts from the stump when cut or following fire.
Gray birch is found on a wide variety of sites.
It grows best on moist, well-drained soil along streams, ponds, lakes, and swamps but also grows on dry sandy or gravelly soil. Obligate Initial Community Species. Gray birch is a pioneer species. It is an early seral species in oldfield succession or following clearcutting in northern hardwood forests. Fire, which can help establish gray birch, can also be quite damaging.