Twigs: Green and somewhat [downy] when young, becoming red-brown, smooth and shiny. Strong wintergreen flavor. Buds reddish brown, sharp-pointed, shiny.
Fruit: A very small winged nut. These nuts, together with small scales, form a cone-like structure about 1½″ long. Sketch shows twig in spring with male and female flowers. All birches have similar fruiting structures.
General: Bark on young trees dark reddish brown, tight, marked with pale horizontal lines ([lenticels]), resembling bark of young [black cherry]; becoming black and breaking into large plates. Medium-sized tree. Wood used chiefly for furniture, boxes, and other containers. Distillation of the bark and twigs produces “oil-of-wintergreen.” Also known as black birch.
YELLOW BIRCH
(Betula lutea)
Leaves: Simple, alternate; similar to [sweet birch] but base usually rounded.
Twigs: Like [sweet birch] but paler, and more [downy] when young. Wintergreen flavor faint. Buds slightly downy, dull, yellowish brown. Sketch shows winter twig with lateral buds and partially grown female flowers.
Fruit: Similar to [sweet birch].
General: Bark on very young trees golden gray, shiny; later yellow, forming ragged ends which curl and can be readily peeled in thin, narrow strips, highly inflammable, and ideal to start a fire under wet conditions. On very old trunks bark becomes darker, coarse and platy. A medium to large tree. Found mostly in the northern part of the State. Wood principally used for furniture, interior finish, boxes and other containers.
