Betula alleghaniensis, the yellow birch, golden birch, is a large species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the past its scientific name was Betula lutea, the yellow birch.

It is an important lumber species and the sap can be used to make syrup. Additionally, it is the provincial tree of Quebec.

Description

thumb|Betula alleghaniensis

Betula alleghaniensis is a medium-sized, typically single-stemmed, deciduous tree reaching tall (exceptionally to ) with a trunk typically in diameter, making it the largest North American species of birch. Yellow birch is long-lived, typically 150 years and some old growth forest specimens may last for 300 years. There is an uncommon, alternate form of the tree (f. fallax) which grows in the southern part of the range.

  • The twigs, when scraped, have a slight scent of wintergreen oil, though not as strongly so as the related sweet birch (B. lenta), which is the only other birch in North America to also smell of wintergreen. However, the potency of the odor is not considered a reliable identification method unless it is combined with other characteristics.
  • The leaf has a very short petiole long.
  • The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins which open in later spring.
  • The seed is a winged samara with two wings which are shorter than the width of the seed which matures and gets released in autumn. In 1904, Nathaniel Lord Britton described what he considered to be a new closely related species of birch as Betula alleghaniensis, differing from B.&nbsp;lutea by its shorter fruiting scales and mostly cordate (vs. rarely cordate) leaf bases. Later, the name Betula lutea was determined illegitimate as it was superfluous to the older name that Michaux had listed as a synonym, Betula excelsa <small>Aiton</small> (1789). Additionally, the type specimen of Betula excelsa was found not to be a yellow birch, making Betula alleghaniensis the oldest and correct replacement name for the illegitimate B.&nbsp;lutea. In addition to "yellow" or "golden" birch, B.&nbsp;alleghaniensis has also been called gray birch, silver birch, tall birch, and swamp birch, though it shares several of these names with other Betula species.

Varieties

Several varieties have been named, but are not recognized as distinct by modern authors: While its range extends as far south as Georgia, it is most abundant in the northern part of its range. In southern Pennsylvania, it is rare and generally only found along bodies of water in cool, mature woods, and it only occurs at high elevations from Maryland southward. Deer eat many saplings and may limit regeneration of the species if the deer population is too great.

Several species of Lepidoptera including the mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) and dreamy duskywing (Erynnis icelus) feed on B.&nbsp;alleghaniensis as caterpillars.

Yellow birch is often associated with eastern hemlock throughout its range due to their similar preferences in habitat. It mostly grows at in elevation but may grow up to . The inhibitory chemical is exuded from the roots of the sugar maple and has a very short soil half-life, it no longer has effects on birch after 5 days. Globally, the species is considered to be of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They also make use of Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis, taking of the bark for internal blood diseases, and mixing its sap and maple sap used for a pleasant beverage. They use the bark of var. alleghaniensis to build dwellings, lodges, canoes, storage containers, sap dishes, rice baskets, buckets, trays and dishes and place on coffins when burying the dead.

In culture

Betula alleghaniensis is the provincial tree of Quebec, where it is commonly called merisier, a name which in France is used for the wild cherry.

References

  • Betula alleghaniensis images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
  • Interactive Distribution Map of Betula alleghaniensis