''Betula maximowicziana'', the monarch birch, is a species of

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains ...

tree native to the Kuril Islands and northern to central Japan. It is a valuable timber tree in Japan. It is also grown as an ornamental for its bark in Japan, Europe and a few places in North America, but has had limited acceptance due to lack of uniformity.

References

maximowicziana Flora of the Kuril Islands Flora of Japan Ornamental trees {{Fagales-stub