Yellow birch
- Latin name: Betula alleghaniensis Britt.
- French name: Bouleau jaune
- Synonym(s): Swamp birch
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Taxonomic Serial Number: 19481
509506 [syn. B. lutea Michx. f.]
Description
Leaves
Form
- Oval, tip slender, sharp-pointed
- Base rounded, indented
- Veins straight, parallel, 9 or more per side
- Preformed leaves on dwarf shoots and the basal part of long shoots become hairless
- Neoformed leaves on the apical part of long shoots remain densely hairy
Length
- 8–11 cm
Margin
- Each vein ends in a large tooth, with 2 or 3 smaller intervening teeth
Buds
Form
- Sharp-pointed, often hairy, especially on young trees
Colour
- 2 shades of brown on each scale
Twigs
Form
- Slender, usually slightly hairy
- Wintergreen flavour when chewed
Colour
- Uniformly brown
Flowers
Form
- Seed catkins erect at pollination
Length
- Pollen catkins about 2 cm by late autumn, about 8 cm at pollination
- Seed catkins 1.5–2 cm
Width
- Pollen catkins 2–3 mm by late autumn
Structure
- Monoecious
Fruits
Form
- Mature seed catkins cone-like, erect on spur shoots
- Nutlets with narrow wings
- Scales hairy, with 3 narrow ascending lobes
- Catkin axis with its scales often remains on the tree over winter
Length
- Mature seed catkins about 3 cm
- Scales 5–7 mm
Timing
- Ripen in late September, shed during succeeding months
Bark
Form
- Thin, with thin, papery shreds ending in tight curls, not peeling readily
- With age separates into large ragged-edged plates on the lower part of the trunk
Colour
- Shiny reddish-brown when young, becoming dull yellow
- Gradually darkens to a bronze colour with age
Wood
Texture
- Heavy, hard, strong
Colour
- Golden brown to reddish-brown
Morphology
- Often wavy-grained
Uses
- Furniture, cabinetwork, flooring, doors, veneer, plywood
Size
Height
- To 25 m
Diameter
- To 60 cm
Maximum age
- 150 years
Tree form
Forest-grown
Trunk
- Straight to sinuous, with little taper
Crown
- Irregularly rounded
- Branches large, wide-spreading, with drooping tips
Root system
- Wide-spreading, often with some larger roots on or above the surface
Habitat
Site
- Rich, moist soils
Light tolerance
- Moderately shade-tolerant
Associated species
- Beech, sugar maple, basswood, eastern hemlock, balsam fir, eastern white pine, white spruce, and red spruce
Photos
Photos
Anthony Scullion
Anthony Scullion
Insects and mites
Insects that cause damage to this tree.
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Late birch leaf edgeminer
Scientific name: Heterarthrus nemoratus (Fallen)
Foliage or buds
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Ambermarked birch leafminer
Scientific name: Profenusa thomsoni (Konow)
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Birch casebearer
Scientific name: Coleophora serratella (Linnaeus)
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Birch sawfly
Scientific name: Arge pectoralis (Leach)
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Birch skeletonizer
Scientific name: Bucculatrix canadensisella Chambers
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Ceanothus silk moth
Scientific name: Hyalophora euryalis (Walker)
- Eupithecia subfuscata (Haworth)
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Late birch leaf edgeminer
Scientific name: Heterarthrus nemoratus (Fallen)
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Saddled prominent
Scientific name: Heterocampa guttivitta Walker
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Speckled green fruitworm
Scientific name: Orthosia hibisci (Guenée)
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White slaut
Scientific name: Tetracis cachexiata (Guenée)
Roots, bark, stem or trunk, or branches
Diseases caused by pathogens
Diseases caused by pathogens that cause damage to this tree.
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Xylaria root rot
Pathogen name: Xylaria polymorpha (Pers.) Grev.
Foliage or buds
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Birch leaf blister
Pathogen name: Taphrina carnea Johanson
Roots, bark, stem or trunk, or branches
Brown cubical rot of birch
Pathogen name: Fomitopsis betulina (Bull.) B.K. Cui, M.L. Han & Y.C. Dai (Common name for the fungus: razor strop fungus)
White spongy trunk rot
Pathogen name: Fomes fomentarius (L.) Fr. (Common name for this fungus: tinder conk)
Distribution map
