Emily Care Boss

Betula	Which tree is which?
Click on a Common name:	Paper Birch	Black Birch	Yellow Birch	Grey Birch
Then choose its species name:	populifolia	alleghaniensis	papyrifera	lenta

Birch Species - Betula

There are four birch species that are common to New England:
Paper Birch, Grey Birch, Black Birch and Yellow Birch.

We can divide them into two groups to aid identification: the white birches, and black and yellow birches.

White Birches

White birches are part of the charm of New England. From Robert Frost's image of birches bent by being swung on by children, to countless watercolors of the riotous color of Autumnal forest edges, interspersed with the striking white bark of a birch.

However, there are two types of birch that fit this description. Paper birch, and grey (or european) birch. So, when you see a familiar pillar of white, how do you tell which you are looking at?

Paper Birch

also known as
Canoe Birch

Betula papyrifera

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Paper birch grow to be moderately tall, stately trees, with the characteristic peeling white bark that gives them their name. The dark horizontal lines are called lenticels.
The white bark is chalky and rubs off onto your fingers. The inner part of the skin is a reddish-pink.
Since they love the sun and are intolerant of the shade, their lower branches die, leaving the lower trunk clean.
They don't live long (for trees), so their presence indicates that in the last 50-80 years, the area was more open than it may currently be.

Learn more about the
Paper Birch.

Grey Birch

also known as
European Birch

Betula populifolia

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Grey Birch are small trees, that bend easily under the weight of ice in the winter, often remaining at an angle.
The bark darkens at the base of branches. A black upside down "v", that looks like the wake of a boat, often forms.
The shape of the leaves are similar to the Aspens (genus Populus). Latin name derives from this: "populi-", Populus + "-folia", leaves = "populifolia", leaves like Populus.

Learn more about the
Grey Birch.

See more here.

Black and Yellow Birches

Black and yellow birches, can be found in wetter areas, deeper in the forest since they can tolerate deeper shade. They can be identified by their bark most readily as mature trees.

Black Birch also known as Sweet Birch Betula lenta Back to top.	Black birch are commonly found in moist areas. Young ones can be told from the many other saplings in the forest with dark bark, and light-colored, horizontal lines on the bark--the lenticels by the strong smell of wintergreen in their twigs. Scratch the bark of a twig, and smell. The bark of young trees is smooth and dark, almost black, with horizontal lenticels. The bark on a mature tree is lighter, a charcoal grey, that breaks up into large plates as it gets older. Black birch can be tapped like sugar maples, for a sweet syrup that is delightful to drink straight, or can be made into a soft beverage.	Learn more about the Black Birch. And get a good look at the mature bark here.
Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis also Betula lutea Back to top.	Mature yellow birch have bark of a light golden or silver color, that peels in thin strips. The strips are flexible, and curl, giving the tree a fringy appearance. You can run your hand over the bark and feel the soft, papery texture. Yellow birch also love moist areas, and are commonly found on stream banks and by rivers. They are much more tolerant of the shade than either of the white birches. The twigs of yellow birch also smell of winter green or birch beer, but much less so than black birch. As saplings, yellow and black birch are nearly indistinguishable. Tiny hairs on the buds, and the weaker smell of wintergreen tell you that it is a yellow birch before you.	Learn more about the Yellow Birch.