Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis
Keith Kanoti
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Betulaceae
- Genus:
- Betula
- Species:
- Betula alleghaniensis
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- More than 40 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade, Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- apr, may
- Bloom Colors:
- Yellow, Green, Brown
Native Range
United States: Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Arched Hooktip (Drepana arcuata), birch leaffolder (Ancylis discigerana), birch skeletonizer (Bucculatrix canadensisella), Cameraria betulivora, Canadian Melanolophia (Melanolophia canadaria), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), clear dagger moth (Acronicta clarescens), Coleophora lentella, common gray (Anavitrinella pampinaria), cymatophoroides false owlet moth (Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides), elm spanworm moth (Ennomos subsignaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), fragile dagger moth (Acronicta fragilis), friendly probole (Probole amicaria), Gluphisia septentrionis, Great Ash Sphinx (Sphinx chersis), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Heterocampa biundata, Hethemia pistasciaria, Interrupted Dagger Moth (Acronicta interrupta), Itame anataria, Itame quadrilinearia, Lace-winged zale (Zale minerea), lemon plagodis (Plagodis serinaria), maple looper moth (Parallelia bistriaris), Maple spanworm (Ennomos magnaria), Modest Sphinx (Pachysphinx modesta), Morrison's sallow (Eupsilia morrisoni), Morrisonia latex, Mournful Thorn (Lambdina fiscellaria), Nameless Pinion (Lithophane innominata), Nites betulella, Nites grotella, Norman's Quaker (Crocigrapha normani), Obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), Olethreutes auricapitana, Orthosia revicta, ovate dagger moth (Acronicta ovata), Parornix vicinella, Pettit's sallow (Pyreferra pettiti), Porcelain Gray (Protoboarmia porcelaria), Rusty Tussock Moth (Orgyia antiqua), Saddled Prominent (Heterocampa guttivitta), signate melanolophia moth (Melanolophia signataria), Strawberry Leafroller (Ancylis comptana), Unmarked dagger moth (Acronicta innotata), Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth (Lochmaeus manteo), variegated midget (Elaphria versicolor), Wanton Pinion (Lithophane petulca), white slant-line (Tetracis cachexiata), White-dotted Prominent (Nadata gibbosa), white-fringed emerald (Nemoria mimosaria), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), white-spot moth (Antaeotricha leucillana), woodland leafroller (Pandemis lamprosana), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana ministra), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Green Comma (Polygonia faunus), Red-spotted Purple (Basilarchia arthemis)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
- Drainage:
- good drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers cool, moist environments
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.
Source: OpenAI GPT-4o