BETULACEAE - - Birch Family

Betula alleghaniensis Britton — Yellow Birch

Betula alleghaniensis (Yellow Birch) is a medium-sized forest tree, 60 to 100 feet high and 1 to 4 feet in diameter. In the forest, the trunk is relatively clear of branches and supports an irregular crown; the roots are shallow and wide-spreading. Leaves are simple, alternate (on spur shoots appearing opposite or whorled), 3 to 4 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide, ovate to oblong-elliptical, sharply doubly serrate, smooth above, sometimes tufted hairy below, in the vein axils. The bark, at first, bronze in color, thin, readily peeling in papery curls; later, changing to course scaly plates.

Habitat:

Forests at medium to high elevations, rarely at low elevations.

Habitat information from:
Weakley, Alan S., Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft of 21 May 2015.

The native range of Betula alleghaniensis (Yellow Birch)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Betula alleghaniensis (Yellow Birch)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.