Identification
This material comes fromLittle, 1980 written by Elbert L. Little, former chief dendrologist of the U.S. Forest Service.
"Large, aromatic tree with broad, rounded crown of drooping branches and slight odor of wintergreen in crushed twigs and foliage.
Height: 70-100' (21-30m).
Diameter: 21/2' (0.8m).
Leaves: 3-5" (7.5-13cm) long, 11/2-2" (4-5cm) wide. Elliptical, short-pointed or rounded at base; sharply and doubly saw-toothed; mostly with 9-11 veins on each side; hairy when young. Dark dull green above, light yellow-green beneath; turning bright yellow in autumn.
Bark: shiny yellowish or slivery-gray; separating into papery curly strips; becoming reddish-brown and fissured into scaly plates.
Twigs: greenish-brown, slender, hairy.
Flowers: tiny; in early spring. Male yellowish, with 2 stamens, many in long drooping catkins near tip of twigs. Female greenish, in short upright catkins back of tip of same twig.
Cones: 3/4-11/4" (2-3cm) long; oblong; hairy; brownish; upright; nearly stalkless; with many hairy scales and 2-winged nutlets; maturing in autumn.
Habitat: Cool moist uplands including mountain ravines; with hardwoods and conifers.
Range: Extreme SE. Manitoba east to S. Newfoundland, south to extreme NE. Georgia, and west to NE. Iowa; to 2500' (762m) in north and 3000-6000' (914-1829m) or higher in the south."
For more information such as a reference book that includes species and identification key, please refer to Brown & Kirkman, 1990
In order to access the Identification Guide for the Birch species and in particular the Yellow Birch, please click here to return to the Betula Genus homepage.
Betula alleghaniensis |
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AREA | STATUS | REFERENCES | |
North America: Continental United States; Canada | Some areas, Manitoba to Newfoundland | Little, 1980 | |
Eastern North America: United States east of Mississippi; Manitoba to Newfoundland | Yes | Little, 1980 | |
Southeastern United States: DE DC GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV | Some | Elias, 1980 | |
Southern Appalachian States: GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV | Most | Elias, 1980 | |
Coastal Plain | No | Brown & Kirkman, 1990; | |
Piedmont | No | Brown & Kirkman, 1990 | |
Blue Ridge Mountains | Yes | Brown & Kirkman, 1990 | |
Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Yes | Kemp, 1993 | |
Ridge and Valley | ? | - | |
Cumberland Plateau | ? | - | |
Georgia | Yes | Brown & Kirkman, 1990 | |
Clarke County, Georgia | No | Jones & Colie, 1988 | ;ACC Registry |
Sams Farm | ? | - |
Natural History
How to Encounter
The Yellow Birch can be found in the Northeast Georgia counties, the Blue Ridge mountain area, the Smoky mountains, and much of the east coast region. For more information on where to find this species, please refer to
Brown & Kirkman, 1990 and Little, 1980.
Brown, Claud L. and L. Katherine Kirkman. 1990. Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States. Timber Press, Inc. Portland, Oregon. (ISBN 0-88192-148-3). 292 pages. Elias, Thomas S. 1980. The Complete Trees of North America Field Guide and Natural History. Book Division, Time Mirror Magazines, Inc. New York, NY. (ISBN 0-442-23862-2). 948 pages.