OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fagales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Betula alleghaniensis   FAMILY Betulaceae   Go to FSUS key



INCLUDING PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis   FAMILY Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Betula alleghaniensis

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Betula alleghaniensis var. macrolepis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)

Betula alleghaniensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 054-03-001:

Betula lutea   FAMILY Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Betula alleghaniensis

 

COMMON NAME:
Yellow Birch


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_240

        

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_belu_001_lvd

        

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    jkm210423_9685

April    Jackson County    NC

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Keith Bradley    kab_b_alleghaniensis_0604

April    Henderson County    NC

Pisgah National Forest

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Keith Bradley    kab_b_alleghaniensis_0608

April    Henderson County    NC

Pisgah National Forest

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    jkm0405m_02

May    Sevier County    TN

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    jkm060508_040

May    Macon County    NC

Nantahala National Forest: Wayah Ranger District

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Keith Bradley    kab_b_alleghaniensis_8464

May    Swain County    NC

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmballegheniens_deepgap

May    Watauga County    NC

Bark silvery-gray or shiny yellow, horizontal elongated lenticels, peeling, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_b_alleghaniensis_1

May        

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    s040503_d

May    Sevier County    TN

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Pairs of leaves on short shoots on all branches after the 1st year's growth, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmballegheni_barkoldgfm

June    Avery County    NC

Grandfather Mountain

Bark of larger trunks fissured, forming reddish-brown, scaly plates, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    jkm090726_119

July    Buncombe County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    jkm090726_122

July    Buncombe County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

Pistillate flowers in erect catkins about 3/4" long, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    jkm090726_125

July    Buncombe County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

Leaves 2-ranked on short shoots, bases rounded to heart-shaped or unequal, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    jkm150814_706

August    Jackson County    NC

Whiteside Mountain

Bark of B. alleghaniensis (left) papery & peeling, vs. that of B. lenta (right).

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

JK Marlow    s050806_a1

August    Transylvania County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

Leaves often more prominently doubly serrate than those of black birch, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Stephanie C. Brundage    scb_101622Hayesville01ed

October    Clay County    NC

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmballeghenien_brklvl11

Month Unknown    Avery County    NC

image of Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmballegheniensis_brp

Month Unknown        NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Betula alleghaniensis   FAMILY Betulaceae

INCLUDING PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis   FAMILY Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Betula alleghaniensis

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Betula alleghaniensis var. macrolepis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Betula alleghaniensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 054-03-001:
Betula lutea   FAMILY Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Betula alleghaniensis

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

200

Tree
Perennial
Monoecious

Habitat: forests at medium to high elevations, rarely at low elevations, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in NC, uncommon in GA, rare in SC

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring
Staminate calyx minute, pistillate calyx absent
2 stamens in staminate flowers
Inferior ovary
Unisexual

Flowers in catkins (staminate catkins elongate)

FRUIT:
Summer
Samara

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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