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Yellow Birch

Species name | Family: Betulaceae

submission: Jonathan Tauro

Identification:

Leaves—alternate, simple, ovate, acute tip, rounded base, doubly serrated, somewhat hairy, green

Twigs—slender, smooth, greenish to reddish-brown with scattered light lenticels and small glands

Flowers—monoecious, reddish-green

Fruit—cone-like, rather plump, upright, hairy, contains 2-winged nutlets

Bark—shiny yellow to gray-silver that splits into curly strips turning reddish-brown

Hover over one of the descriptions to see an example.

 

Natural History:

Lifespan—150 years

General description—A medium-size tree to 75 feet with an irregular crown.

Natural distribution and habitat—Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Anticosti Island west through southern Ontario to extreme southeastern Manitoba.

Conservation status—Least Concern (LC)

Uses—Lumber is important as a source for flooring, furniture, and veneers. The bark is waterproof and used to make canoes.

References:

  1. Tree Details—The Tree Guide at arborday.org. (n.d.). Www.arborday.org. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail-legacy.cfm?ID=252
  2. Yellow Birch | Yale Nature Walk. (n.d.). Naturewalk.yale.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from https://naturewalk.yale.edu/trees/betulaceae/betula-alleghaniensis/yellow-birch-93
  3. Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Dendro.cnre.vt.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=12
  4. Yellow Birch, Betula alleghaniensis Britton. (2013). Friendsofthewildflowergarden.org. https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/birch_yellow.html
  5. Betula alleghaniensis. (2020, October 3). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betula_alleghaniensis
  6. Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch): Go Botany. (n.d.). Gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/betula/alleghaniensis/
  7. Betula alleghaniensis Britton. (n.d.). Www.srs.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/betula/alleghaniensis.htm
  8. Plant database entry for Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) with 26 images, one comment, and 32 data details. (n.d.). Garden.org. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from https://garden.org/plants/view/80298/Yellow-Birch-Betula-alleghaniensis/
  9. Betula alleghaniensis (Golden Birch, Swamp Birch, Yellow Birch) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/betula-alleghaniensis/

 

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