Yellow Birch
Deciduous tree growing 18-24 m tall with a pyramidal to rounded crown. Features doubly serrate, ovate leaves and yellowish bark that peels in curly strips. Produces hanging male catkins and upright female catkins in spring. Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soils and full sun to partial shade. Important for wildlife, providing food and nesting sites. Valued for its timber and historically for medicinal uses. Suitable for large landscapes and natural areas.
Plant Details
Bloom Colour: Brown (catkins)
Bloom Time: Early Spring
Sun Requirements: Sun to Part-Shade
Moisture: Moist-Drained
Phenology: Male catkins visible through winter. Leaves emerge mid-May. Female catkins appear with leaves. Seeds mature and disperse September-October. Fall color golden yellow, developing early October. Yellow bark provides year-round interest.
Wildlife Value: Seeds important for small birds including pine siskins and redpolls; buds eaten by grouse; bark used by yellow-bellied sapsuckers; host for many moth species
Habit Over Time: Develops a pyramidal form in youth, becoming more rounded with age. Bark exfoliates in curly, papery strips, creating year-round interest. Often grows with multiple trunks from the base. While it creates moderate shade, the canopy allows enough light penetration for understory plants to thrive. Root system is relatively shallow but not aggressive.
Height: Tall (60-75 feet)