Yellow Birch (betula alleghaniensis)

Paper birches are more common on the property than their cousin, yellow birch.  However, the yellow birch has many excellent virtues.  Like paper birch, yellow birch has peeling bark that's shiny.  When young, yellow birch bark has nearly a bronze color.  Later, the color becomes yellowish and silver in spots.

Yellow birch is more hardy than the delicate paper birch.  Its wood is harder, too.  Yellow birch is a great fuel wood.  One of the best things to start a fire with in all of nature is bark from the birches. 

Below is a yellow birch picture, taken in June.  The sun helps to see the interesting color on the bark.

Plans include putting lots of yellow birch seed into a cleared area that was recently brush cut.  The birches are prolific seed trees.  They have to be, since most of the very small seeds don't germinate successfully.

Yellow birch, a great resident of Hardwood Hermitage.