In Maryland gray birch is known from only three or four contiguous stations or populations within the boundaries of the state. The range of gray birch extends west from Nova Scotia to southern Ontario, and south to New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Gray birch is easily worked with tools and is an excellent wood for turning. It is used for woodenware such as spools, clothespins, and novelties. Beavers and porcupines chew on the bark and wood of gray birch.
Sapsuckers feed on the sap, and songbirds such as the pine siskin and chickadee feed on the seeds.
Its status as a pioneer species and its adaptability to disturbed sites indicate that gray birch is a good hardwood species for use in revegetating mine spoils and other disturbed areas. Gray birch can be propagated by grafting of cuttings. The pleasing form, white bark, graceful slender branches, and delicate foliage make gray birch an attractive tree for ornamental purposes. With the exception of injury caused by leaf miner, gray birch is free from diseases. Its short, slender, contorted branches form a narrow pyramidal crown.