Yellow Birch

The bark on limbs and young trunks is silvery-yellowish in color, hence the name. On older trunks the smooth bark breaks open and curls back in thin plates. This tree is limited to a cool, moist habitat. In Ohio it most commonly occurs in the northeastern quarter of the state, but can be found southward in ravines along the western edge of the Allegheny Plateau. The Yellow Birch tree is the most frequently used birch for lumber. Its hard, strong wood is used for furniture and various small objects. Deer, rabbits and beaver feed on this tree, and Ruffed Grouse eat the buds during the winter.