They can be reliably distinguished by bark texture, or regularity of serrations on leaf margins. Carroll Co., VA 9/24/06. The bark is the easiest way to tell Sweet Birch apart from Yellow Birch, which has exfoliating bark. It is the largest of the birches, easily growing to 100 feet in height. Serrations on leaf margin more irregular, and sparser, usually fewer than 6 teeth per cm. Sometimes called Black Birch because of the blackish bark, it is similar to the bark of Black Cherry, which accounts for another of its other common names, Cherry Birch. Carroll Co., VA 10/16/06. Bioimages Flavor: Birch syrup is not quite as simple and sweet as maple syrup. Bark flakes off in thin, horizontal, ribbon-like strips. Sweet birch also has black non-peeling bark compared to the lighter, bronze colored, peeling bark of yellow birch. These two birches can be confused where their ranges overlap, as both have a similar leaf shape, their bark is often similar in color, and both have a wintergreen aroma to their twigs and bark. Paper birch (B. papyrifera) is whiter,but softer.Sweet birch (B. lenta) is a bit harder and has a deeper color.River birch (B. nigra) is more likely to contain knots.Birch boards average about 6-in.wide, and are available in lengths up to 12 ft.Lumberyards usually stock birch in 1- and 2-in. Carroll Co., VA 3/18/06. Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina. Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis): This tree is native to forests of the northeast U.S. and is also known as the swamp birch due to the fact that it is often found in marshy areas. Betula ermanii (Erman's Birch) is a graceful medium-sized birch with peeling creamy bark on the trunk, delicately touched with copper-pink tones, and papery brown bark on the branches. For young trees where bark has not yet developed, yellow birch can also be identified by its hairy buds and stems; sweet birch has hairless buds. The White Birch has slender scaly branches and is indigenous to the northern hemisphere. Notify of I give permission to use my email address to send notifications about new comments and replies (you can unsubscribe at any time). More information: True Birch essential oil is expensive because the bark has to be macerated and soaked in warm water for 10-12 hours minimum before it can be distilled. A large birch native to northeastern North America, named for the often-yellowish color of its bark. They can be reliably distinguished by bark texture, or regularity of serrations on leaf margins. Silvics Manual The bark is the easiest way to tell Sweet Birch apart from Yellow Birch, which has exfoliating bark. MAINE REGISTER OF BIG TREES 2008 Yellow Birch Circumference: 200" Height: 48' Crown Spread: 91' Yellow Birch. The black birch is arguably among the top desirable firewood choices of all wood types. Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) A common medium-sized tree of low to medium elevations in the Mountains and adjacent areas in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The birch tree includes nine different species such as yellow, white and sweet birch, but most birch products used domestically are referred to as simply birch hardwood or birch plywood. Instead, it is darker, stronger and richer in flavor, as described above. Sweet Birch is rare in the Piedmont, found in a few cool spots, such as here in a north-facing ravine at Hanging Rock State Park. Bark on older trees becomes more cracked. Pattern of flaking relatively consistent across trees of different ages. Bark does not flake or peel. Yellow birch’s bark peels in small curls.Very old trees have platy bark. Featuring a stately and broadly conical habit, it bears large, coarsely toothed, heart-shaped, bright green leaves, which warm up to a wonderful golden-yellow in fall. Sweet Birch is approximately 25 meters long with a cone-shaped appearance. The female flowers are pointing up, while the male flowers are hanging down beneath them. The yellow birch is one of our most valuable timber trees and makes excel-lent firewood. Carroll Co., VA 5/10/09. Sweet Birch vs Yellow Birch These two birches can be confused where their ranges overlap, as both have a similar leaf shape, their bark is often similar in color, and both have a wintergreen aroma to their twigs and bark. Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) Baltic Birch; Masur Birch; Scans/Pictures: Yellow Birch (sanded) Yellow Birch (sealed) Yellow Birch (endgrain) Yellow Birch (endgrain 10x) Subscribe. Betula alleghaniensis, the yellow birch or golden birch, is a large and important lumber species of birch native to North-eastern North America.Its vernacular names refer to the color of the tree's bark. Betula lenta (sweet birch, also known as black birch, cherry birch, mahogany birch, or spice birch) is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia {} [+] {} [+] 12 Comments . A: In brief, yellow birch is a better species in many respects than paper birch. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); All photographs and text ©2013 by Will Cook unless otherwise noted. Same tree flowering in the spring. Bark of a mature tree. Virginia Tech Dendrology, Recommended Tree, Shrub, and Woody Vine Identification Guides. Inline Feedbacks. The yellow birch is … Catkins develop the fall before they bloom. Bark of young trees often shiny, giving it a metallic appearance. It is indigenous to southern Canada and the southeastern USA. Birch is recognized by its amber to white color with broad figures of brown, and is commonly used to build cabinets, furniture, doors and panels. Serrations on leaf margins more regular and more dense, usually more than 6 teeth per cm. Both the foliage and the bark makes this specimen one of the fragrant plants. Bark on older trees becomes more cracked. Its leaves are brightly colored green and the bark has a reddish-brown hue. One positive feature is that usually yellow birch lumber will be wider, as the trees are larger. The bark is blackish and smooth with horizontally elongated lenticels. and may occasionally be mixed in with yellow birch. Most importantly, sweet birch bears a more reliably strong, golden-yellow fall foliage than most other birches (whose autumn leaves sometimes lapse into paler yellows). The yellow birch, or swamp birch, is identified by its silver-yellow smooth bark. The leaves are very similar to those of Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), which is more common at high elevations, and have the same strong wintergreen scent when crushed. Carroll Co., VA 9/24/06. View all comments. It has silvery-yellow bark that peels in very thin layers. There are over a dozen species of birch trees native to North America, but the most common are white birch, yellow birch, and black birch. Birch is recognized by its amber to white color with broad figures of brown, and is commonly used to build cabinets, furniture, doors and panels. Bark completely smooth on young trees; mature trees have vertical cracks in bark. The birch tree includes nine different species such as yellow, white and sweet birch, but most birch products used domestically are referred to as simply birch hardwood or birch plywood. The scales are glabrous (smooth), while those of Yellow Birch are pubescent (hairy). Birch is a native hardwood that comes from the genus Betula. Old trees still retain smoother, horizontally-striped bark appearance, even at the base of tree; pattern even evident on large surface roots. Grow it in zones 4 to 7 in full sun to partial shade. Smooth, horizontal texture disappears, especially lower down on the trunk. It is about 20 meters long with light green egg-shaped leaves. A tree native to eastern North America, mostly from the Appalachians through southern New England. Bark often darker in color, not yellowish, sometimes brownish. As with sweet birch, wintergreen oil was formerly distilled from twigs and branches. Same tree in winter. Sweet birch (Betula lenta) has dark-colored bark. The leaves are very similar to those of Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), which is more common at high elevations, and have the same strong wintergreen scent when crushed. A relatively young tree. Yellow birch and white birch are the two most commonly found in woodworking. Its lower levels of sweetness make it perfect for both sweet and savory dishes and potentially more versatile than maple syrup, depending on your preferences. Bark eventually develops scaly texture on very old trees. Detail of the cone-like fruiting structure. As it ages the bark starts to curl back giving it a unique appearance. Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Fagales>Betulaceae>Betula lenta L. A common medium-sized tree of low to medium elevations in the Mountains and adjacent areas in the Piedmont of North Carolina.