Part 6

General: Bark on young trees dark reddish brown, tight, marked with pale horizontal lines (lenticels), resembling bark of young black cherry; becoming black and breaking into large plates. Medium-sized tree. Wood used chiefly for furniture, boxes, and other containers. Distillation of the bark and twigs produces “oil-of-wintergreen.” Also known as black birch.

Leaves: Simple, alternate; similar to sweet birch but base usually rounded.

Twigs: Like sweet birch but paler, and more downy when young. Wintergreen flavor faint. Buds slightly downy, dull, yellowish brown. Sketch shows winter twig with lateral buds and partially grown female flowers.

Fruit: Similar to sweet birch.

General: Bark on very young trees golden gray, shiny; later yellow, forming ragged ends which curl and can be readily peeled in thin, narrow strips, highly inflammable, and ideal to start a fire under wet conditions. On very old trunks bark becomes darker, coarse and platy. A medium to large tree. Found mostly in the northern part of the State. Wood principally used for furniture, interior finish, boxes and other containers.

Leaves: Simple, alternate, 1½″-3″ long, dark green above, yellow-green below, wedge-shaped at the base, margins usually with large teeth.

Twigs: Slender, at first greenish and hairy, later turning reddish brown, smooth; with pale horizontal lines (lenticels). Buds sharp-pointed and shiny, smooth or slightly fuzzy.

Fruit: Similar to sweet birch.

General: Bark reddish brown or cinnamon, peeling off in curled, shaggy strips; on older trunks becoming dark colored and rough. Medium-sized tree; found almost entirely along the lower reaches of our larger streams. Wood lighter, softer, and less valuable than sweet birch and yellow birch.

Leaves: Simple, alternate, 2″-3″ long, oval, sharply toothed, dark green above, lighter below.

Twigs: At early age greenish and fuzzy, later turning dark gray; irregularly marked with raised orange colored dots (lenticels). Buds dark brown, sticky. Immature male catkins at the ends of the twigs in autumn and winter, as is true of all the birches.

Fruit: Similar to sweet birch. Mature in July.

General: Bark creamy, to chalky white, peeling easily. Once the bark is removed, it is not renewed. A small to medium-sized tree. Often found with several stems growing together, occurring naturally only in the northern part of the State. Also called canoe birch and white birch. Wood has uses similar to those of yellow birch, but principally used for spools, clothes-pins, toothpicks and paper pulp.

Leaves: Simple, alternate, triangular in shape, with long tapering point, 2½″-3″ long, smooth above and below, tremulous. Leaf-stems very slender. Turn yellow in autumn, as is true of all birches.

Twigs: Slender, greenish brown, rough due to small warty glands. Buds sharp-pointed, gummy.

Fruit: Similar to sweet birch but shorter (¾″ long).

General: Bark dull white, not peeling into thin paper-like layers as is the case with paper birch; dark colored on the branches; orange inner bark. Usually with triangular-shaped black patches on the trunk. A small short-lived tree, usually growing in clumps. Occurs chiefly in the northeastern counties. Wood of little commercial value; chiefly used for fuel.

Leaves: Compound, alternate; leaflets 1″-2″ long, margins smooth.

Twigs: Angled, somewhat zigzag, brittle, with short stout prickles; no end bud, side buds small and hidden in winter.

Fruit: A thin, flat pod, 2″-4″ long; usually with 4-8 seeds; splits into halves when ripe. Flowers white, showy, very fragrant in drooping clusters, appearing in May and June.

General: Bark rough, furrowed, thick. A medium-sized tree. Often seen along farm fences and roads. Wood is durable in contact with the soil and in demand for posts, poles, railroad ties, and mine timbers. Unfortunately, several insects and wood rots often cause heavy damage, especially to trees on poor soils.

Leaves: Compound and doubly-compound, alternate; leaf-stem grooved above, hairy; leaflets 1″ long, usually fine-toothed on margins.

Twigs: Medium stout, shiny, greenish brown to reddish brown, zigzag, smooth, often with long branched thorns; no end bud, very small side buds.

Fruit: A leathery pod, 10″-18″ long, flat, usually twisted, with numerous seeds; often of high sugar content; eaten by some animals. Does not split into 2 halves, as does the pod of black locust.

General: Bark on young trees greenish brown with many long, raised, horizontal lines (lenticels); later brown to nearly black, fissured and with thick plates. A medium-sized tree; usually found as a native near streams; also planted as a shade tree. Branched thorns on the trunk and limbs make it easy to identify in winter. There is a thornless variety. Wood is mainly used for fence posts, general construction, and furniture.

Leaves: Compound, opposite; leaflets 5-9, each 3″-5″ long, stalked, somewhat silvery beneath; margins entire or with few rounded teeth toward the tip.

Twigs: Stout, usually smooth, gray-brown, with few large pale spots (lenticels). Buds blunt, dark brown. Leaf scars half-circular but notched at top.

Fruit: A winged seed, 1″-2″ long, ¼″ wide, shaped like a canoe paddle, in hanging clusters which often remain attached for several months after ripening in autumn.