Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis
Family Betulaceae

Characteristics:
* Leaves egg-shaped, sharply pointed and toothed, 1-5". Side veins of leaves unbranched.
* Bark shiny yellow or silver-gray, and unlike black birch bark, it does not peel.
* Buds and twigs hairy.
* Broken twigs emit a wintergreen odor.
* Height: 70-80'.

Natural History:
* Habitat: Moist forests at higher elevations.
* Range: Southern Canada to Delaware and Maryland; more common further north
* Native.

Connections!
* Oil of wintergreen is made of the sap and leaves of yellow birch. The wood is often stained and given cherry and mahogany-like finishes.

* Animals that enjoy parts of the tree include ruffed and sharptail grouse, prairie chicken, white-tailed deer, moose, and red squirrel.

* There are no yellow birches on the Wellesley campus, but they are found further north in the White Mountains.