Wood: Heavy, hard, strong, pale brown.
Uses: Furniture, flooring, boxes.
Habitat: Wooded slopes.
Range: Newfoundland across to Manitoba, south to Iowa, northern Illinois, northern Indiana, Ohio, and Delaware; also in the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Yellow Birch differs from all other birches in Illinois by its silvery or grayish bark and its ovate leaves. The bark has the faint fragrance of wintergreen.
RIVER BIRCH
Betula nigra L.
Other Name: Red Birch.
Growth Form: Up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 2 feet; crown irregularly rounded.
Bark: Curling, shredding, brownish-pink to reddish-brown.