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Woody > Betula > Betula lutea > Betula lutea

Betula lutea


Yellow Birch




Origin:  Northern United States.
Family
Betulaceae
Genus
Betula
Species
lutea
Category
Woody
Type
Tree (deciduous)
Pronunciation
USDA Hardiness Zone
4
Canadian Hardiness Zone
2 - 5a
RHS Hardiness Zone
H7
Temperature (°C)
-35 - (-29)
Temperature (°F)
-30 - (-20)
Height
20-35 m
Spread
2-5 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
April
General Description
It is a medium sized tree with bronze/yellow bark. The leaves are a dull green with a yellow underside. It develops a catkin which contains numerous white winged seeds.
Landscape
Rarely seen in cultivation, and rare in the wild where odd trees may be seen growing in mixed hardwood forests.
Shape
Develops a broad, round crown.
Growth
Medium
ID Characteristic
It has a bronze/yellow bark that turns reddish. The underside of the leaves have a tinge of yellow to them.
Pests
Leaf miner
Habitat
Seen where there is a cool moist soil and where there are scattered trees.
Bark/Stem Description
It has a bronze/yellow bark. It's bark then later turns a red/brown and becomes very rigid. Not as appealing as the paper birch.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description
They are imbricate and usually are appressed and slightly hairy. These are 1-2 cm in size.
Leaf Description
They are a simple leaves alternately arranged and are doubly serrate. They are ovate to linear ovate, to about 7.5-12.5 cm in length with a rounded base.
Flower Description
It develops a catkin that is full of tiny white winged seeds. These catkins are 2-4 cm long by 1.5 cm thick. They are usually brown in colour.
Fruit Description
Catkins grow 2-4 cm long, they are thick and erect, short stalked or subsessile, usually brown in colour.
Colour Description
The tree has dull green leaves with a yellow underside. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn. The bark is a yellow/bronze and turns to a brown/red that is slightly rigid at maturity.
Texture Description
It has a medium texture.
Notable Specimens
Medway Valley, London, Ontario, Canada.
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