Description

Hut 3 Broad, rounded crown of drooping branches. Leaves are dull green above and yellow underneath, changing to blaze yellow in fall. Bark on young stems, branches and trunk peels in thin, papery shreds. Slight odor of wintergreen in crushed twigs and foliage. Tiny male and female flowers appear just before leaf emergence in separate catkins on the same tree. Male catkins are narrowly cylindrical and yellowish purple. Female catkins are upright and greenish. Female flowers are followed by drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small, winged seeds that typically mature in late summer. Attracts birds. Plant in moist, well drained soils. Height: 70-80 ft. Spread: 60-80 ft. Family: Betulaceae Bloom time: Spring Sun: full sun to part shade Water: medium to wet Per the USDA Forest Service, yellow birch is a preferred food of deer in northern forests. Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons