Betula is Latin for birch and describes a genus of about 60 species of deciduous trees and shrubs found in many gardens and landscapes throughout the northern hemisphere. Betula alleghaniensis , or Yellow Birch is a medium to large deciduous tree with a single trunk of up to 3 feet 6 inches and an overall height that can reach 70 to 80 feet tall. It is the largest species of birch in North America. In the open, the crown is large and wide, while in dense forested areas the crown is small and irregular. Pyramidal and dense when young, it develops a rounded to irregular crown when mature. It can be found naturally in forests at medium to high elevations, usually above 3000 feet, and is common to the mountains of North Carolina. Tiny monoecious (male and female) flowers appear in early spring in separate catkins on the same tree. Male catkins are narrowly cylindrical and yellowish purple. The 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. Yellow Birches are best grown in moist, acidic, sandy or rocky, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. Best foliage color occurs in full sun. Unlike most birches, Yellow Birch are slow-growing and typically live for about 150 years; however, the longevity of some trees can extend to 300 years or more. Hot dry weather during the summer can impair the health of this tree and it is especially sensitive to heat, drought, and soil compaction. The plant does best in cool climates. Keep the tree consistently moist and consider using soaker hoses and bark mulches to keep the root zones cool and moist. It needs little pruning, but if necessary, you can prune during the dormant season. Do not prune in winter or spring when the sap is running because it will bleed. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Birches can become stressed by summer heat and humidity. It is not recommended for planting south of USDA Zone 7. This variety of birch is said to be less susceptible to the bronze birch borer or leaf miner than other birches. Stem canker, aphids and birch skeletonizer may occur. Watch for leaf spot problems. Deer will browse the twigs of young plants.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
24-60 feet; more than 60 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 70 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in. | Width: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Oval; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves are alternate with doubly toothed margins and a pointed tip. Leaf surfaces are a dull dark green, but lighter underneath with a pointed tip and a slightly heart shaped (cordate) base. Yellow leaves in the fall are attractive. Leaves are 2.5 to 4 inches long and 1.25 to 2.5 inches wide.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Catkin
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Male catkins occur at the tips of last year's twigs in groups of 3-6. During the blooming period, they droop downward and become 2½ to 4 inches long with numerous male florets and their bracts. Male florets occur in groups of 3 behind each bract. Each bract is oval-orbicular in shape and ciliate along its margins. Female catkins occur individually on short spur-twigs near the petioles of leaves; they are upright, ovoid-oblongoid in shape, and greenish, ¾-1¼" inches long, consisting of numerous female florets in groups of 3 behind a bract.The Yellow birch blooms in mid to late April. It is wind pollinated.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Nut; Samara
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
A plump, upright, 1 1/2 inch hairy cone with 2-winged 1/8 inch nutlets inside. Matures in late summer. Attracts birds, butterfly and moth larvae, other insects, and mammals.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Showy bark on younger trees is shiny bronze with horizontal thin, papery strips and lenticles. Silvery-gold, glossy bark that peels in horizontal curls. Older trees have bark with red-brown, scaly plates.
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Shiney stems that smell like wintergreen when crushed.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada and Northeastern North America
Distribution
East of Alleghanies Hudson Bay to Georgia
Wildlife value
The Golden birch is a larval host plant for moth caterpillars and Mourning Cloak and Dreamy Duskywing butterflies. Many moths also use this tree as a host plant. You may see Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) which has one flight from June-July, Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus) with one brood April-July and rarely a second in the south, and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilo glaucus) which has three flights from February-November in the south and two flights May-September in the north. The seeds are eaten by birds. Northern flying squirrels and northern saw-whet owls use the hollows that often form in this tree as nest sites. Squirrels (flying and red) often use the exfoliating bark to line or insulate their nests.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Host plant for
moth caterpillars and Mourning Cloak and Dreamy Duskywing butterflies
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Nut; Samara
Edibility
Sap can be made into syrup or beer.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Heavy, strong, hard, and close grained, the lumber is Important as a source for flooring, furniture, and veneers. Bark is waterproof and used for canoes.