Betula alleghaniensis

Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis )

The yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis ) belongs to the birch family ( Betulaceae ). The German name refers to the yellowish bronze colored bark, English names are yellow birch, gray birch, silver birch and swamp birch. The botanical name refers to a locality of the type: the Allegheny River in the United States. The yellow birch is the national tree of the Canadian province of Quebec, where it is usually merisier, French for sweet cherry called.

Description of the plant

The deciduous, medium-sized deciduous tree reaches heights of growth of about 20 meters (in exceptional cases up to 30 meters) and a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm. The bark is smooth, yellow to bronze, and peels off in thin horizontal stripes. It is often covered with small black marks and scars. Scratches to the branches, so one can perceive a slight odor of methyl salicylate, but not as much as in the sugar birch.

The root system is very adaptable and will remain flat and far-reaching on appropriate soils, but can reach over 1.5 meters.

The oval leaves are 6-12 cm long and 4-9 cm wide, with double serrated edge. The leaf tip is pointed, rounded the base of the leaf.

They are monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ) and wind- pollinated. The inflorescences are catkins, the male seven to ten inches long, the female about two inches long. The male inflorescences are pendulous, the female erected. The inflorescences are created in the year before flowering, they unfold along with the leaves in late May.

In the fall, many small winged seeds are ripe, which are located between the bracts in the inflorescence. They are spread by wind and germinate the following year.

Dissemination

It is originally in eastern North America -based Birkenart. The distribution area extends north of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and southern Quebec to the Appalachian Mountains and north Georgia to the south and the west to Minnesota. The climate is temperate, the average annual temperature is around 7 ° C, on the northern border of the area at 2 ° C. The annual precipitation ranges 700-1300 mm. In the south of its range, the yellow birch is increasingly confined to higher altitudes.

The locations are well moisturized, best is to grow on well-drained loamy soil. On slightly waterlogged soils, the yellow birch grows although not optimal, but there is less competition, so there are frequent occurrence to find.

Ecology

The Yellow Birch is a slow-growing, long-lived tree species that occurs in all successional stages of mixed forests. It grows singly or in small groups, pure yellow - birch forests are rare. It is eponymous for three forest types of the Society of American Foresters: Hemlock - Yellow Birch (Type 24), Sugar Maple - Beech - Yellow Birch ( Type 25 ) and Red Spruce - Yellow Birch (Type 30). The tree species that are mentioned in these forest types are Eastern Hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ), sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ), American beech (Fagus grandifolia ) and American Red Spruce ( Picea rubens ). Other tree species with which the yellow birch is associated, are sugar - birch (Betula lenta ), American hornbeam ( Ostrya virginiana) and American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana ).

The increase is only possible if open ground and gaps in the canopy are available. Unlike many other birches partial shade but will tolerate.

Use

The most common in North America as "Birch " wood sold is the yellow birch. The heartwood can have a light brown to deep reddish brown color. The sapwood, which is very often sold together is brighter. The annual rings form dark lines and are thus clearly visible. Generally the fibers are straight. Wood with an irregular grain is difficult to process. But otherwise the wood of yellow birch is considered suitable as well for turning and bending. Most of the wood is processed into plywood. For solid wood furniture are sometimes, but more often made ​​tool handles. Since the wood is durable, it is used among other things as flooring in gyms and schools. Since the wood is not good preservable, it is not used for outdoor constructions.

From the Indians use the bark is reported as a medicine.