Click on the images help you identify a yellow birch.
Form
Large trees can reach heights of 60 to 70 feet, with trunk diameters of 24 to 36 inches. In open areas, trunks are usually short and divide into numerous large, ascending limbs that form a broad, open crown. In forest conditions, trunks are tall and clear of limbs.
Bark
The bark is yellow-gray or straw-colored, peeling freely into thin, papery layers that give the main stem and lower branches a ragged appearance. Twigs are light brown, lustrous, and emit a slight wintergreen smell.
Leaf
Leaves are simple, alternate on the stem, and usually 3 to 5 inches long. They are oval to oblong, with deeply and finely toothed edges. The upper surface is dull dark green, the underside paler. Leaves are much larger than paper birch and turn bright yellow in autumn.
Fruit (seed)
The fruit consists of chestnut-brown winged nutlets contained in a cone-shaped catkin about 1 inch long.
Range
Common in the northern half of the state on better soils where cool, moist conditions prevail. The species is moderately shade tolerant and moderately fast growing.
Wood uses
The wood is heavy, strong, hard, close-grained, and light brown. It polishes well and is used for flooring, interior finish, veneers, wooden ware, furniture, and small wooden novelties. It is excellent for firewood. Oil of wintergreen may also be obtained from the bark.