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yellow birch
Scientific Name: Betula alleghaniensis var. macrolepis
Family: Betulaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
The Yellow Birch, scientifically known as Betula alleghaniensis, is a valuable and attractive tree native to eastern North America. It's known for its distinctive bark, useful wood, and ecological importance.
Considerations for Pets
- The text mentions that twigs and leaves of Yellow Birch emit a wintergreen smell when cut or broken. This aroma might be attractive to some animals.
Considerations for Children
- The text mentions that Yellow Birch has peeling bark. Children may be tempted to peel and play with the bark.
Common Names
- Yellow Birch
- Golden Birch
- Gray Birch
- Silver Birch
- Swamp Birch
- Hard Birch
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Betula alleghaniensis Britton
- Family: Betulaceae
- Plant Symbol: BEAL2
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland to Prince Edward Island, New England, southern Canada, the upper Midwest, and Appalachia.
- Common in cool regions, often on north-facing slopes.
- Frequently found growing near sweet birch, hemlock, and rhododendron.
- Prefers rich, moist, and cool soils, including sandy loam, loamy sand, and silt loam soils with high water content.
- Grows on cool, moist bottomlands and drier soils up to elevations of 1,950 meters (approximately 6,400 feet).
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Deciduous tree, medium to large in size.
- Typically grows 25 m (approximately 80 feet) tall, but can reach 30 m (100 feet) or more.
- Crown spread of around 10 m (33 feet).
- Fast growth rate.
- Hardy to zone (UK) 4.
- Flowers in April, seeds ripen later in the year.
- Bark on limbs and young trunks is silvery-yellowish, turning reddish-brown with age, and peeling in curly strips.
- Heartwood is light reddish-brown with nearly white sapwood; occasionally figured pieces are available with a wide, shallow curl.
- Leaves are simple, alternate, and doubly-toothed.
Ecological Role
- Plays an important role in Ontario's hardwood lumber industry.
- Serves as a co-dominant tree in forests where Eastern Hemlock is also present.
- Dominant canopy species in the northern hardwood forest, found in locations like the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest.
- Provides wildlife with sustenance.
Quirky Facts
- The twigs of Yellow Birch emit a wintergreen smell when cut.
- The sap of Yellow Birch has the smell and taste of wintergreen.
- Yellow Birch wood is used to make baseball bats because it hardens with each impact.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Often associated with hemlock in moist sites and swamp edges.
- Can be seen growing near sweet birch and rhododendron.
Further Information
- USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center
- Biota of North America
- MN DNR, Welby Smith (photograph)